Marijuana as a Sacrament
See Resurrection of the Higher Self for the full interview.

MB (Magical Blend reporter) "Let me see if I understood what you said correctly. You mentioned the use of meditation in both a personal and group context for the purpose of self-empowerment. But could you explain more clearly how this relates to using marijuana as a sacrament?"

WMS (being interviewed) "What I meant was, that marijuana can be a powerful tool for self improvement if used with the proper focus."

MB "What do you mean it can be a powerful tool?"

WMS "This plant has the potential for use as a psychoactive booster of consciousness. It is a kind of "psychic vitamin" that can expand ones' abilities mentally, psychically and spiritually."

MB "In certain Native cultures substances such as peyote and psychoactive mushrooms are used for self exploration. Is this what you mean?"

WMS "Self exploration is actually only a part of this. In native cultures, psychoactive substances are also used to gain what are considered spiritual powers, psychic enhancements, altered and deepened perceptions of truth, greater inner strength, energy, mental alertness and flexibility. Perhaps even more importantly, these substances are used to gain spiritual realization and refinement. They are even used as an aid to unify ones self with Nature and God."

MB "And you include marijuana as one of the substances which can accomplish these things?"

WMS "Yes we do."

MB "Don't you think that if marijuana had such potentials that people would have discovered them long ago? I mean, everyone 'gets high' at one time or another, but no one I know of gains any psychic powers or finds God through weed."

WMS "In reference to the first part of your question, people did actually discover the spiritual potentials of marijuana long ago. References to this herb in the ancient Vedic texts of India, indicate that it was being used by Rishis and Yogis at that time to gain deepened perceptions. As for the fact that 'everyone gets high' as you said, yet few find God or greater personal power, this is just a result of cultural influences. Lets look at it this way. Compare marijuana to driving a car. As soon as you take a puff you're behind the drivers' seat. The engine's running and you can go anywhere you want. But just because you own a car though, does not guarantee that you will take it to useful, productive or enlightening places. You may just drive in circles, get in a wreck or simply drive it off a cliff. It all depends upon your intention when you're driving as to where you end up, and what you'll do when you get there. Marijuana is the same way. Although it contains great potentials for self-transformation and can take you to places you never dreamed of, its effect is still primarily limited to the mind that is driving it, so to speak.?

MB "So you're saying that the usual effect of just 'getting stoned' and oblivious to the world, is due more to user error than to the substance itself."

WMS "That is exactly what I mean, and what a pity! Most people just get high within the usual party mode of stimulating amusements, simply because this is the only intention they hold when smoking it."

MB "So what intention or focus should be used to get more out of pot?"

WMS "Well first of all, the whole image of marijuana must be changed. It is usually viewed as a 'recreational drug' but this is a serious underestimation of its potential. Believing that marijuana is just a toy is like treating the space shuttle as just another Forth of July bottle rocket. By approaching marijuana with more respect, we are then in a position to gain more from it. This herb can teach us much more than most people imagine. In many shamanic traditions it is believed that peyote, psiloscybe mushrooms, ayahuasca and others, contain wisdom-increasing properties. It is believed that they hold sacred lessons, and an Earth intelligence that can be learned from. This is the whole meaning behind the word entheogens.

MB Do you also hold such a view, and would you place marijuana in this class of so called 'teacher plants'?"

WMS "I don't want to stray too far into related subjects, by commenting in depth upon that. I will say that the World Mind Society, like a number of other persons and groups, agree that all living things including the Earth itself, has something to teach us. We humans though, are not known for our great listening skills. We're too busy gossiping and theorizing to listen attentively. Yes, all of these substances contain profound lesson-generating potentials, and marijuana is no exception. We can 'listen' to the high that it generates within the body, as well as its effects upon the mind. When taken seriously, what we 'hear' from the teacher plants can be quite profound, as well as practical on an everyday basis. But again, we must employ the right focus and intention to make full use of our experiences with the herb."

MB "I've heard that the peyote ceremonies of the Native American Church include a great deal of preparation and spiritual focus, before, during and after ingestion. They say that such preparation allows a person to properly receive Peyote's lessons. It is also a Native teaching that peyote acts as a conduit to God and to the spirit of the Earth, allowing deep revelations to crystallize in the mind. Do you also recommend that such procedures be used for the intake of marijuana?"

WMS "I would have to say that in most cases, no. The rush and scheduling of the Western lifestyle tend to rule out days of prayer, meditation, fasting, elaborate ceremonies or seclusion in the wilds. That's not to say though that simple rituals, which focus the mind firmly onto desired goals, could not provide great benefit. But regardless of any format used prior to smoking the miracle herb, one should definitely be clear about the effects they desire from its intake. These effects, which can also be personal goals, include an enhanced state of clarity, greater psychic perception and higher personal vibration for instance, and these aspects should be consistently focused upon with the mind, during a smoke session. The stronger the focus held while smoking marijuana, the more one will see results in the body and mind of the desired type. We also recommend the use of meditation in conjunction with the use of marijuana, as these two complement each others?effectiveness greatly.?