My Blog and Welcome to It: God and Mushrooms
Welcome to my Life Before Life blog. I plan for this to be a forum that allows me to think about (and, of course, spout off about) topics generally related to my work with children who claim to remember previous lives. These include survival after death, parapsychology, and spirituality. It will be more informal than my journal articles and even my book, and I hope it’s at least as interesting and widely read as blogs in which people write about their various daily activities such as taking their cat to the vet.
This week, I’ve been thinking about a study that was in the news: Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that giving psilocybin (as in psilocybin mushrooms) to volunteers produced mystical experiences, some of which were meaningful to the subjects at least two months after they occurred. (And I thought my research was out there.) The study was published online in the journal Psychopharmacology. It included the usual double-blind controlled conditions (with methylphenidate, or Ritalin, being used as a control), and when the volunteers were questioned two months after their experiences, over half of the psilocybin group rated them as among the top five most personally meaningful experiences of their lives. Many of them reported experiencing “a sense of unity without content (pure consciousness) and/or unity of all things.” (The news wasn’t all good. Some volunteers experienced temporary fear and even paranoia, so the authors point out the importance of a structured, supportive environment. Even so, I doubt they’ll have trouble finding volunteers for future studies.)
This study was similar to the so-called Good Friday Experiment in the 60s, in which theological seminary students were given psilocybin or a control during a religious service (which must have been quite an interesting religious service), and those getting the psilocybin reported positive changes in attitude and behavior at 6 months follow-up and even after 25 years.
These studies suggest at least three possibilities:
1. Psilocybin and substances like it are aptly named hallucinogens because they produce hallucinations that mimic meaningful spiritual experiences;
2. Psilocybin and the like are “spirit-facilitators,” as some call them, because they open the doorway to genuine mystical experiences; or
3. Mystical experiences, whether drug-induced or not, are simply creations of the brains of the people having them.
In the past, I’ve generally assumed the first possibility was true—that hallucinogens cause meaningless hallucinations—but I’ve begun to doubt that in the past few years. (I never gave reincarnation any thought either, but that’s another story.) Since I’ve never taken hallucinogens, I’m speaking without any first-hand knowledge, as I would guess the skeptics who dismiss the idea that spiritual experiences could be genuine are. Which brings to mind a paper I recently learned about. Dr. Karl Jansen studied ketamine, a hallucinogenic anesthetic that can produce phenomena similar to near-death experiences (NDEs). This led him to write an article in the Journal of Near-Death Studies called “The Ketamine Model of the Near-Death Experience: A Central Role for the N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor”, arguing for a neurochemical explanation of near-death experiences. The journal devoted an entire issue to the article, commentaries about it, and Dr. Jansen’s response to the commentaries. All this took a while to compile, and in the end, Dr. Jansen added a postscript to his response in which he said that he was no longer as opposed to spiritual explanations of NDEs as his article would suggest. In fact, he said, “I now believe that there most definitely is a soul that is independent of experience.…Ketamine is a door to a place we cannot normally get to; it is definitely not evidence that such a place does not exist.” What presumably changed his mind was having an NDE himself after writing the first article, as he has subsequently acknowledged having had several NDEs.
Psilocybin and ketamine may be doors to the same place that mystical experiences such as NDEs provide a glimpse of, which at least offers the comforting possibility that dying may not be the only way to visit there. I’m not advocating that people do psilocybin mushrooms—as I said, I’ve never done them—but I do wonder sometimes what the world would be like if more people had, not just spiritual beliefs, but spiritual experiences as well.
This week, I’ve been thinking about a study that was in the news: Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that giving psilocybin (as in psilocybin mushrooms) to volunteers produced mystical experiences, some of which were meaningful to the subjects at least two months after they occurred. (And I thought my research was out there.) The study was published online in the journal Psychopharmacology. It included the usual double-blind controlled conditions (with methylphenidate, or Ritalin, being used as a control), and when the volunteers were questioned two months after their experiences, over half of the psilocybin group rated them as among the top five most personally meaningful experiences of their lives. Many of them reported experiencing “a sense of unity without content (pure consciousness) and/or unity of all things.” (The news wasn’t all good. Some volunteers experienced temporary fear and even paranoia, so the authors point out the importance of a structured, supportive environment. Even so, I doubt they’ll have trouble finding volunteers for future studies.)
This study was similar to the so-called Good Friday Experiment in the 60s, in which theological seminary students were given psilocybin or a control during a religious service (which must have been quite an interesting religious service), and those getting the psilocybin reported positive changes in attitude and behavior at 6 months follow-up and even after 25 years.
These studies suggest at least three possibilities:
1. Psilocybin and substances like it are aptly named hallucinogens because they produce hallucinations that mimic meaningful spiritual experiences;
2. Psilocybin and the like are “spirit-facilitators,” as some call them, because they open the doorway to genuine mystical experiences; or
3. Mystical experiences, whether drug-induced or not, are simply creations of the brains of the people having them.
In the past, I’ve generally assumed the first possibility was true—that hallucinogens cause meaningless hallucinations—but I’ve begun to doubt that in the past few years. (I never gave reincarnation any thought either, but that’s another story.) Since I’ve never taken hallucinogens, I’m speaking without any first-hand knowledge, as I would guess the skeptics who dismiss the idea that spiritual experiences could be genuine are. Which brings to mind a paper I recently learned about. Dr. Karl Jansen studied ketamine, a hallucinogenic anesthetic that can produce phenomena similar to near-death experiences (NDEs). This led him to write an article in the Journal of Near-Death Studies called “The Ketamine Model of the Near-Death Experience: A Central Role for the N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor”, arguing for a neurochemical explanation of near-death experiences. The journal devoted an entire issue to the article, commentaries about it, and Dr. Jansen’s response to the commentaries. All this took a while to compile, and in the end, Dr. Jansen added a postscript to his response in which he said that he was no longer as opposed to spiritual explanations of NDEs as his article would suggest. In fact, he said, “I now believe that there most definitely is a soul that is independent of experience.…Ketamine is a door to a place we cannot normally get to; it is definitely not evidence that such a place does not exist.” What presumably changed his mind was having an NDE himself after writing the first article, as he has subsequently acknowledged having had several NDEs.
Psilocybin and ketamine may be doors to the same place that mystical experiences such as NDEs provide a glimpse of, which at least offers the comforting possibility that dying may not be the only way to visit there. I’m not advocating that people do psilocybin mushrooms—as I said, I’ve never done them—but I do wonder sometimes what the world would be like if more people had, not just spiritual beliefs, but spiritual experiences as well.
posted by Jim B. Tucker | 12:35 PM
22 Comments:
I felt lucky to stumble onto your post, since I've been intrigued by the news reports about psilocybin. We always hear that we use only a fraction of our brain- maybe these compounds allow access to parts that are better equipped to experience spirituality or oneness. Or maybe, as you said, it's all happening in the brain, and this stuff just helps you connect to the part of the brain that produces that experience. Either way, is there a way to help build that connection in babies or children? Or keep it from closing off, since the tinies seem more connected to a lot of things than grownups? I look forward to reading more of your posts.
Interesting question. No, I'm not aware of a way to help babies or children connect more to the parts of the brains associated with spirituality, other than perhaps by being a parent open to spiritual possibilities. On our UVA website, we have some advice for parents of children who report memories of previous lives (http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/personalitystudies/advice.cfm), which is somewhat related, but we don't necessarily advise parents to encourage those memories in their children.
Beleiving in reincarnation, I used to think that encouraging children to recall past lives would be useful to the child. But then I experienced someone who does encourage this, and realized that this could be confusing for children who are simply excersizing their imaginations. Figuring out who we are when we are young can be complex enough (OK, well, maybe I'm only speaking for myself), without the added complexity of our parents hoping we remember who we were (Here I'm not speaking for myself--no one asked me who I used to be). But I still think unaggressive interest in a child's assertions could be helpful. I think as adults who believe in reincarnation and life after death, we wonder if we'd had any encouragment as children, would WE have remembered something pertinent to this life, and we don't want to cheat children of that possibility.
I am probably on the wrong blog...looking at your past lives work, and I am interested in seminars, etc., summer of 2007, re after death. Also interested in Funkhauser's work on deja vu and the connection to past life experiences or future time effects.
I finished, today, "Life Before Life"'s reading (the portuguese version) and I must say I loved it. I was a "blind" catholic untill I started to seek the truth on my own. I have, only, one question that I believe wasn't answered in your book: How could we explain the fact that almost everyone who had a near-death experience state that they've seen relatives, that died before them, in the after-world? That could not be possible if those relatives had reincarnated, could it? If I'm not wrong, some of the children in your book (those who remembered the period between lives) also remembered beeing with late relatives. Maybe you're right when you said that it is possible that only some people reincarnates. Could that be the exception to the rule?
Elsa, you raise an interesting point. Of course, people who have NDEs don't say that they see all of their relatives, and we don't know how long some individuals might wait between lives. Beyond that, I think it's possible that time is very different on the other side. Perhaps an individual could seem to be on both sides at what would seem like the same time to us.
I cant believe more people haven't posted. This is the most important research being conducted on the planet, in my opinion. I guess people are content with religion and blind faith. Its odd that most people don't question anything. And I dont understand how skeptics can blindly ignore VERICAL OBEs described by near - death experiencers. If verdical OBEs dont prove survival, then they at least prove esp.
I pose a couple brief questions.
If maternal impressions can cause noticable physical abnormalities in a child, then whose to say that mothers or people cant imprint MEMORIES in a child?
I read Stephen E. Braude's, Immortal Remains, and he makes some strong points backing super psi. However, due to "crippling complexity", I believe survival, as odd as it is to comprehend, is the best interpreation for NDEs and this work.
Thanks!
Interesting question about imprinted memories. In our strongest cases, the child reports memories of the life of a person who was a complete stranger to the child's parents, so if the memories were imprinted, it would involve a very strange process. For cases in which the mother knew the deceased person, teh idea is certainly worth considering.
Dr. Tucker,
How many solved stranger cases (no association between the two families what so ever) has dps collected?
Thank You!
I wonder what we would do with the knowledge that reincarnation can occur--if we would think twice about being mean to each other.
I was born, and still am, a devout Roman Catholic. I believe that God, being omnipotent, can do whatever He chooses to ensure that each soul has a fair opportunity to develop a relationship with Him. This means He can OCCASIONALLY send someone back if He deems it the most just option. The Church opposes reincarnation, but that opposition is not an infallible dogma. It is subject to change in the future and belief in reincarnation is not grounds for reprisal.
Christian authorities are concerned that conventional understanding of reincarnation-that the soul determines its own status and destiny in future lives--threatens efforts at social justice. My personal belief-that reincarnation involves the soul returning as a SEPARATE individual, albeit with a deep spiritual connection to the first, for the purpose of connecting with God, does not impact social justice except to say that oppressors do not have the last word when it comes to our spiritual welfare.
For instance, if someone was murdered as revenge for a sin that was comitted under severely oppressive circumstances, and died angry and resistent to God, then instead of banishing him forever, God may see how this soul will relate to Him under either less oppressive circumstances or with a different set of strengths and perhaps ancestral aid.
This view can teach us that God is more powerful than oppressors, and relevant to history, and that while right and wrong are not relative He takes the circumstances of sin into account, and that sins against human freedom--causing another to sin-- are the greatest of all.
Just a bit about my personal experience:
I was born with congenital glaucoma and had ketamine twice as a young child. My reaction was very adverse and my parents ordered the docs to stop giving it to me. It is in the records: NO KETAMINE!! I had many phobias, particularly the toilet, washing machine and going down the drain.I also had positive dreams in which I believe ancestors were involved.
As a young teen, I questioned and left my Catholic faith for Judaism. I was particularly drawn to the story of the Exodus. My mom's biological father was Jewish and we knew nothing of him. I believed some vivid "old timey" imagery and awarenesses resulted from some experience on this branch of the family tree. I came to believe that I was the reincarnation of an early 20th century Labor Zionist who had lived a secular lifestyle, had been involved in forced labor and missed a younger sister. A river kept showing up and when I learned that the ashes of Holocaust victims were placed in a river I thought that explained it.
Turns out I was barking up the wrong family tree. Over the past several years, I have researched my dad's family and it appears that my GGG Grandfather was an African American slave who had a baby with the overseer's wife and was thrown in a river. The baby girl was apparently adopted into an abolitionist family but the father died and she was "farmed out" to an abusive home. Her cousin married her at age 14 to rescue her. She became a respected root doctor in her community, and thus people kept their mouth shut about her complexion. Some of her children suffered under Jim Crow and even my grandparents had to elope because my grandmother's family said my grandfather was black.
Keep in mind that I knew NOTHING about my father's family history when I thought I was a reincarnated Jew.
WHAT do we hope to DO with knowledge of reincarnation? Like I said earlier, I hope it will make us think twice about being mean to each other, and make oppressors realize that they do not have the final say. It can show the role of family and ancestors. My Great and GG Grandmothers came in dreams. I think they came to help me out. Also it shows how much God wants us to have a relationship with Him and will empathize with our refusal when it is understandable. Maybe that is why it is easier for the "poor" to enter the Kingdom of God.
I had very deep visions as a child and truly believe that these were memories of a past life. I'm also quite curious about a strange birth mark on my lower back. How can I find out if these are related? How do I go about finding out who I "was before"? I wish I knew. It might explain alot about who I have become and my personality.
Sexandreligion,
To belatedly answer your question, we have 1500 of our 2600 cases coded into a computer database. Of those 1500, the families had no previous connections in 900 of them.
Dr. Tucker,
My apologies if my posts were too long or too personal.
From what I have read, my esperiences conform greatly with the documented cases of childhood recall except much more extreme regarding attitudes, phobias, etc.
I found you on the UVA website where you can send descriptions of experiences. I may do this. I haven't decided yet.
Saliceti,
You may want to search "Ian Stevenson reincarnation" and get his homepage, now the University of Virginia's website and click on the link about "concerns about hypnotic regressions." Sometimes the past personality does not go away when instructed and you get stuck back there for days.
I am surprised no one else on here referred you to that page. I hope you have not experienced any unnecessary trauma in the past month as a result of regressions.
From what I've read, most children who recall past lives generally forget by age 7, and center in the present as they feel safe and connected in this life. I think its when you aren't helped to feel safe and connected here that it continues to be an issue.
We can't ever know for sure about past lives. In my case, I stumbled on a family history goldmine that explained everything. But your experience is real whether it can be labeled or not. This life is about healing and moving forward. You can learn your family history. (Cellular memory or "Junk DNA" could figure here too.) If you believe in God, you can pray for revelation.
You may want to visit my new blog 40timesmorepowerful.blogspot.com
I envision this page as a space for those whose interest extends beyond scientific curiosity, and where all belief systems, traditional as well as secular and New Age, will be respected.
The name is from a very telling dream I had at age 12. I'll be away til mid-July but I will respond to your questions there ASAP.
God Bless,
rootdrsperennial,
Your posts weren't too personal, but it's easier to discuss them via e-mail. You can go to my website www.lifebeforelife.com and e-mail me from there.
Jim Tucker
Dear Jim, I would like to know what you think of DMT and past lives regression, or between lives regression. I have read to Dr. Michael Newton, and by what occurs in their books; seems to have solved the problem. I really don´t know waht to think. One thing is true, I think somehow we will get somewhere, but we need more serious research.
Very nice you have a post
Roxana T.B.
having had spontaneous recall of past lives and recognizing people from past lives, since I was a child, I have explored this deeply as an adult and have recalled hundreds of past lives. I've come to the belief that consciousness, being a spark of the divine is eternal and that it re-incarnates over and over. When consciousness, which has no limits, incarnates in matter, subject to the laws of this physical reality, it develops an ego as the result of the functions of the body, whose prime directive is the survival of the body. I don't see a value in encouraging children to recall past lifes. If they have spontaneous recalls than validating their experience is helpful, dwelling on it is counterproductive. Recall of past lives is not such a big deal, anybody can have this experience.
Morning, Dr.
I´m Eugenio.I sent an e-mail to you some time when i began to read about publising of Dr. Stevenson in Brazil.
I confess myself I fell desappoint about some libraries put the book here, in Rio, at the Mystic departure.
Altrimenti, like whe say in Italy, I see in Rio others libraries putting KARDEC books right on the front HALL.
Anyway, in communication, i studied pscicology too but practicing whe don´t see anytinhg, we just feel when we turn back the memory in a psychiatry consultation.
I´d like to recommend you to see other research becouse he made gerontology after graduate in medicin and speak heavyless about reincarnation in your class (he is an university professor too).
The video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8339788063698249532#
Other advice could be take a look at the repercution about CHICO XAVIER in the brazilian media any time. I see people in america much more receptive about the title.
Eugenio Lobo
I watched your video on the Forever Family site. It triggered the memory of when my son was 4-years old. I was driving, and out of the blue, he told me that when he was in heaven, God told him to pick out parents, and he picked me and his father. :)
Just to give my two-cent worth on a question about how it's possible for some people to see relatives who had passed on during near-death experience. My understanding from Buddhism's perspective is, those "relatives" may not be who they appeared to be, but could very well be mirage or illusion.
If you subscribe to Buddha's views, all beings will go through cycle after cycle of rebirth unless you attained enlightenment, though you may not always return as a human being each time. You could well be an animal, a celestial being, a hungry ghost and etc. in your next rebirth, depending on the the state of your mind at the time of death and the forces of karma you've accumulated.
Colorectal cancer, cancer of the large intestine, is the fourth most common cancer in North America. Many cases of colorectal cancer are associated with low levels of physical activity and with diets that are low in fruits and vegetables. Individuals with a family history of the disease have a higher risk. I crumble with this disease for 5 years also with a lot of scaring thought in my head because i was just waiting for death every day of my life until My Son came to me in the hospital explaining to me that he has find a herbal healer from Nigeria to cure my Colo-Rectal Cancer,I was so shocked with the ideal also i was excited inside of me.My son asked me to let us give him a try because we have really heard a lot of scammer pretending to cure all sort of diseases with herbal medicine and some of them never get a positive result at the end of it all but we was very confident on this herbal doctor,like i said we give him a try and he sent me a herbal medicine to drink for three weeks, Sincerely I'm telling you today I' alive and healthy no more laying on sick bed,No more Colo-Rectal Cancer.I'm sharing this testimony on here for people who are sick to contact this Wonderful man,His name is Dr Itua.And His contact Whatsapp_+2348149277967____Email_drituaherbalcenter@gmail.com.
He can cure those diseases like:
Bladder cancer
Breast cancer
Colorectal cancer
Kidney cancer
Leukemia
Lung cancer
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Prostate cancer
Skin cancer
Uterine cancer
Hiv/Aids
Stroke
Herpes
Hepatitis
Love Spell
Diabetes
Post a Comment
<< Home