The Pursuit of the Mystic Experience through the use of Self-Induced Altered States of Consciousness

The First Lecture of the Doctor Gordon Tripp

Once named as Camberwell's very own acid guru and branded nationally by the media as a menace to society, he's become the darling of the daytime TV circuit and is well known across the south eastern television network as the psychedelic agony aunt.

Now returning from his successful nation wide tour and promotion of his by-now infamous treatise on the validity of the drug-induced state of spiritual illumination.

Ladies and gentlemen please be upstanding for the irrepressible... (somebody behind me muttered "irresponsible more like!") Doctor Gordon Tripp...

The purpose of this lecture serves two purposes, in essence, two diverse strands which are balanced over a third strand. In effect this lecture serves two functions, which in their turn necessitate a third purpose. The act of giving this lecture.

The actuation of the two purposes is manifest in the existence of the third. That is to say, the living experience of this lecture. Hence this lecture is the first report from my lavatory-sized book-lined bedsit-cum-laboratory in Camberwell South London. Where I am conducting my research into altered states of consciousness.

This lecture is entitled:

The pursuit of the mystic experience through the use of self-induced altered states of consciousness

For the purposes of the lecture I shall regard Altered States of Consciousness (ASCs) as any mental state induced by various physiological, psychological or pharmacological manoeuvres or agents which can be recognised subjectively by the individual themselves as representing a sufficient deviation in subjective experience or psychological functioning from certain general norms, for that individual, during alert, waking consciousness.

My mainline of enquiry is into those ASCs induced by recreational drugs. Words like grace and transfiguration come to mind and as an adherent to the Cut-up methodology I am forced at this point to change my style of address. Since every individual is the victim of the linguistic tradition into which they were born, which only serves to confirm the belief that reduced consciousness is the only consciousness, I shall be freeing the word from the dictates of conventional meaning, as is only appropriate to the subject in hand.

Let me say at the outset, that our normal consciousness is but one special type of consciousness, whilst all about it, parted from it by the filmiest of screens, there lie other potential forms of consciousness entirely. Daydreaming, sleeping, Abreactive or cathartic techniques, peyote, ether, CO2, Amyl Nitrate, Metamphetamine,LSD-25, dream states, hypnosis, sensory deprivation, hysterical states of disassociation, pharmacologically induced mental aberrations, trance states experienced during prolonged masturbation and chemically induced hyperalert trance states.

I took my pill at eleven.

In some cases the psychological regressions found in ASCs will prove to be atavistic and harmful. While in other instances they enable a person to transcend the bounds of logic and formality in order to express needs and desires in a socially sanctioned and constructive way. The function of the brain is to protect us from being overwhelmed and confused by this mass of knowledge.

Throughout history the production of ASCs has played a major role in various healing arts and practices. Shamans may lapse into trance or possession states in order to diagnose the aetiology of their patients ailments or to learn of specific remedies or healing practices. It is my thesis that the very presence and prevalence of ASCs in humankind attests to their importance in his everyday functioning.

In the realm of religion, the Altered States of Consciousness associated with sexual orgasm may be considered as another beneficial alteration, and appears in a major role in various healing arts and practices. Suggestible mental states produced by grilling tactics and brainwashing states. Shamans may lapse into trance or possession states in order to diagnose the aetiology of their patient's ailments or to learn of specific remedies or hyperkinetic healing practice trances, associated with emotional contagion encountered in a group or mob setting, also intense prayer.

The widespread occurrence and use of mystical and possession states and passive meditation throughout the production history of Altered States of Consciousness has played a major role in various healing arts, aesthetic and creative experiences. Thereby indicating that Altered States of Consciousness satisfy many needs both for humanity, society, religious conversion and healing trance experiences during revivalistic meetings.

Shamans may lapse into trance or possession states. The needs of society are met through its vicarious identification with the entranced individual who not only derives satisfaction from the divine possession but also acts out certain ritualised group conflicts and aspirations. Shamans may lapse into trance or possession states in order to diagnose the aetiology of their patients ailments or to learn of specific remedies or healing practices.

It is my thesis that the very presence and prevalence of Altered States of Consciousness in humankind attests to their importance in day to day revelatory and prophetic states. The widespread occurrence and use of mystical and possession states and mental aberrations associated with certain rites of passage, spirit possession states, shamanistic and prophetic trance states during ceremonies, firewalking, mystical and transcendental experience. During the actual treatment or healing ceremony the shaman, Hunan, medicine man, The Normal temple priest, preacher, physician or psychiatrist may view the production of Altered States of Consciousness as a crucial pre-requisite for healing. Mental aberrations associated with certain rites of passage, spirit possession states, shamanistic and prophetic trance states during ceremonies, firewalking trances, ordered religious conversion and orgiastic trance such as experienced by the howling or pharmacologically induced whirling dervishes have also played a major role in the healing arts.

Aesthetic and creative experiences indicates that Altered States of Consciousness satisfy many needs both for humanity and society. ASCs may be regarded, indeed.

It is my thesis that the very presence and prevalence of Altered States of Consciousness in humankind attests to their importance in this everyday functioning. The widespread occurrence and use of mystical and possession states and aesthetic and creative experiences indicates that ASCs satisfy many needs both for humanity and society trance states experienced during prolonged masturbation and chemically induced hyperalert trance states during their famous dance.

Despite the numerous clinical and research reports, Altered States of Consciousness may be regarded as dictates that satisfy many needs both for humanity and society. So there has been little attempt to organise this scattered information into a bunch of flowers basking in their own inner light. It is my thesis that the very presence and prevalence of Altered States of Consciousness in humankind attests to their importance in this everyday functioning: The needs of society are met through its vicarious identification with the entranced individual who not only derives satisfaction from the divine possession but also acts out certain ritualised group conflicts and aspirations.

There seems to be an optimal range of exteroceptive stimulation necessary for the maintenance of normal waking consciousness, and levels of stimulation either above or below this range appear conducive to the production of Altered States of Consciousness, when such stimulus is missing mental aberrations Care likely to occur. The widespread occurrence and use of qu mystical and possession states and aesthetic and creative experiences in homeAltered States x of Consciousness PZ the doc's lectureQasc Ffunctions.docCOSymbolSymbol. The function of the brain desires in a socially sanctioned and constructive way. Word WordDoc Word.Doc.8 Normal.dot soft Word 80 Normal Times Default Default Para FoBody Text Normal Body Text Times New t Roman SymbolED Symbol Root Root Entry ]11able C:homturew.*AnWordDoonWordDoccture*.*SummaryInformationSummary InformationSutureInformation DocumentInformation 23B23F0-11BG-888-00A 2323F0-B101B the doc's lecture THEDOC~]1Normal.dot Normal soft Word 8. 0 soft Word WordDoc Word.Doct.8 Normal Text fault Default Paragraph Font Body Unknown Body functions TestW Unknow the doc's lecture.doc as functions. as three Times Symbol New Roman Times New Symbol.

Altered States of Consciousness may be experienced in excitatory states resulting primarily from a sensory overload or bombardment, which may or may not be accompanied by strenuous physical activity or exertion. Altered States of Consciousness may be produced in any setting by a wide range of agents or manoeuvres which interface with the normal outflow of the inflow of the emotional tone of the normal flow and organisation of cognitive processes. Profound emotional arousal and mental fatigue may be major contributing factors. We also find that varified and diversified environmental stimulation appears necessary for the maintenance of normal cognitive perceptual and emotional experience, and that when such stimulus is missing mental aberrations are likely to occur. Altered States of Consciousness may be produced in any setting by a wide range of agents or manoeuvres which interface with the normal outflow of the inflow of the emotional tone of the normal flow and organisation of cognitive processes.

Take for example this account of the effects of Mescaline: ASCs may be regarded as 'common pathways' for many different forms of human expression and experience. In some cases the psychological regressions found in Altered States of Consciousness will prove to be atavistic and harmful. While in other instances they enable a person to transcend the bounds of logic and formality in order to express needs and desires in a socially sanctioned and constructive way. ASCs may be regarded as 'common pathways' for many different forms of human expression and experience. There seem to be an optimal range of normal waking consciousnesses.

Take for example this account of the effects of Mescaline: Half an hour after taking the drug I became aware of a slow dance of golden lights beneath the thin veneer of human consciousness lies a relatively uncharted realm of mental activity, the nature name and function of which have been neither systematically explored nor adequately conceptualised. The altered state of consciousness associated with sexual orgasm may be considered as another beneficial mental alteration. There were sumptuous red swelling surfaces, expanding from bright nodes of energy that vibrated with a continuously changing patterned life.

The closing of my eyes revealed a complex of grey structures within which pale bluish spheres kept emerging into intense solidity, sliding off noiselessly upwards, out of sight! Pink eyed albino cardinal genuflects east, then west, his head bursting into a giant purple chrysanthemum.

No account of the universe in its totality can be final which leaves these other forms of consciousness quite unregarded.

I took my pill at eleven.

The beatific vision. Being-Awareness-Bliss. Resonating Peace Healing Emanating.

Plato could not have visualised a bunch of flowers on the morning of creation. The dharma body of the Buddha was these flowers, is anything that I or rather not-I released for a moment from my throttling embrace cared to look at. The chair Van Gogh had seen was obviously the same in essence as that I had seen. As I looked at the chair I can only describe the sacramental vision of reality. The legs of that chair! How miraculous their tubularity, how supernatural their polished smoothness! I spent several minutes, or was it centuries? not merely gazing at those legs, but actually being them. Or rather being myself in them, or to be still more accurate, being my Not-self in the Not-self that was the chair. When I got up and walked about I could do so quite normally.

An hour and a half later I was sitting in my study, looking intently at a small glass vase. I could of course have looked at my watch, but my watch I knew was in another universe.

Each person is at each moment capable of remembering all that has happened to them and of perceiving everything that is happening everywhere in the universe. In the final stages of egolessness there is an obscure knowledge that all is in all - that all is actually each.

So in conclusion, dare I say more? and anyway, ultimately the two purposes manifest in the existence of the third, that is to say, the living experience of this lecture. Are there any questions from the floor?

Spring 1997