What science has to say about the experience of “Spiritual Enlightenment.”
Many people report serious spiritual experiences under the influence of psychedelics like DMT, Mushrooms, LSD.
But these effects are very short lived, as well as a-hem… potential legal issues. This article does not suggest the use of psychadelics but will assert an alternative, more sustainable way to get these effects, without psychadelics or meditation. Although meditation is still highly reccomendedon top of everything else. But to reiterate, it is possible to get those effects permanently and without having a psychadelic experience 24/7 all day. We do not agree that life is suffering. By tapping into the knowledge of modern neuroscience, the method asserted will give you a subtle sense of peace and happiness all day, which is actually the natural state for humans.
Let me explain…
Swedish researchers has found that the presence of a receptor that regulates general serotonin activity in the brain correlates with people’s capacity for transcendence, the ability to apprehend phenomena that cannot be explained objectively. Scientists have long suspected that serotonin influences spirituality because drugs known to alter serotonin such as LSD also induce mystical experiences. But now they have proof from brain scans linking the capacity for spirituality with a major biological element.
Study: The Effects Of Serotonin On Spirituality
This finding in normal male subjects indicated that the serotonin system may serve as a biological basis for spiritual experiences. The authors speculated that the several-fold variability in 5-HT(1A) receptor density may explain why people vary greatly in spiritual zeal.
Original study cited: The serotonin system and spiritual experiences.
Psychedelics such as DMT, Mushrooms, and LSD are Serotonin receptor Agonists. When ingested them and they bind to Serotonin receptors. And the experience described is similar to what spiritual teachers call ‘enlightenment’ (although the effects are subtly different.)
In a normally functioning brain, serotonin may act as a mechanism through which the brain controls states of anxiety, aggression and temperament. Examining the levels of serotonin may reveal the conditions of the system and may reflect the temperament of the organism. If there is an abnormality in this system, it may be manifested in temperament and behavior. It has been demonstrated that low levels of serotonin turnover is correlated with aggressive behavior.
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There’s a very good chance when we talk about aggressive behavior, anxiety, etc it’s the same thing spiritual teaches such as Eckhart Tolle and others talk about when they talk about “ego.” That aggressive behavior manifests into arguments with spouses, unnecessary belligerence, etc.
So Serotonin transmission is raised by A) Spirituality, B) LSD, Mushrooms, etc …. but what if there were other ways, to more reliably raise serotonin levels.
Well that’s what I did… I struggled with depression a number of years, did meditation, and while it had significant effects, there was still a severe underlying depression there. As well as fibromyalgia (unexplained muscle pain,) and awful cluster headaches. I did heavy duty research into the medical literature and found out exactly what was going on. I did not want to be on SSRI antidepressants (that artifically boost serotonin) my whole life, so that option was an absolute last resory. After weeks of researching the issue and reading studies the supplements 5-HTP (5-hydrotroptophan) and L-Tryptophan looked like a potential option(1, 2, 3, 4).. I wasn’t sure, because while there were studies with positive results as well as hundreds of anecdotal reports, there were also studies with nil results. But I figured for $19.99/bottle, it was worth a shot to potentially reverse a depression I lived with for 10 years, for which nothing worked. Fortunately, I seemed to be a responder to this therapy. I took them for a week and my depression went away permanently. I haven’t had so much as a depressive hiccup in over 5 years. Could this be attributed to a placebo effect? Possibly, but I think unlikely. The reasons being A) I have the fast variant of the COMT gene which makes me significantly less susceptible to the placebo effect (RR, RR), and B) it made me feel a very strong unique response to it, which placebos don’t typically do. Either way, we’re going to discus a number of ways of enhancing the serotonergic system, other than 5-HTP. Why does it seem to work?
Well those amino acids metabolize into Serotonin in the brain. Many people ask ‘why can’t i just take serotonin’ and the answer is: pure serotonin doesn’t cross the Blood Brain Barrier, rendering it ineffective.
For me, I took the 5-HTP for around 2 weeks, then I no longer needed it. Then I just maintained a good diet as you get L-Tryptophan naturally from diet.
The Mood Cure by Julia Ross is probably the best i’ve read on this topic. Her Mood Type Questionnaire helps people figure out what mood issues they have then shows them what to do link (you’ll see a check list on the right, just click back one of those to take the tests as the site isn’t very descriptive.) The test is really comprehensive too.
As a scientifically minded person, I’d like to reconsile the fact that some studies found responses to this therapy and some didn’t. So assuming the studies were well designed, why does this therapy seem to work for some and not others? My hypothesis is that it works best for people with a Tryptophan deficiency. Many issues can go wrong with the serotonin system, and Tryptophan deficiency is only one. Think of your car. If you bring your car to your mechanic and say ‘my car is getting poor acceleration in the low RPM range,’ there’s potentially several reasons why than can happen. In one case it may be the fuel injectors, in another it may be oil pressure. And if it’s an oil pressure problem and the mechanic ’treats’ the low horsepower problem by changing the fuel injectors, it’s going to have a nil effect. There are many reasons the serotonergic system can go awry. It can be a Tryptophan deficiency, it may be a dificiency in the vitamin and mineral cofactors necessary for Serotonin synthesis.
It may have genetic roots in that some people genetically overproduce MAO, which is why MAO-Inhibitors used to be prescribed. Some people just genetically underproduce serotonin. The purpose of this article isn’t to provide a one-size-fits-all solutin. It’s to hopefully allow you and your doctor to get to the root of the issue and address the actual cause, rather than trial by error medication prescriptions.
The bottom line for those who want to research it themselves: raise serotonin, attain peace. No, 5-HTP isn’t 100% of the answer, but it may be a life saver for those who have that specific issue. Raising Serotonin to adequate levels make you feel good in a normal, peaceful way.
Resources: Amazon — 5-HTP