https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/152867/new-study-discovers-biological-basis-magic/
Russian Language Source:
https://t.me/c/1624019600/1505
BUDDHIST - MARXISM ALLIANCE (UK) |
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Author’s Note: I encountered the article referenced below – not in its original ‘English’ rendering – but in fact in a Russian-language translation featured as an informative post uploaded onto the ‘Грибник Илюша Chat’ (Ilyusha Hrybnyk Chat) Telegram Channel. When I translated the Russian-language text back into English (before I located the original English-language version) – I found that the Russian author had arranged the data from the research into a more efficient representation of the findings – and had achieved this by ‘tidying-up’ the original presentation. It is the English translation of the Russian interpretation that I have referenced below*, as I feel it possesses a greater insight and clarity into the findings of the research with regards to ‘expansive awareness’. Essentially, different parts of the brain are simultaneously ‘enhanced’ or ‘reduced’ in their functionality (disrupting the genetic blueprint of ‘balance’ provided through natural selection) when subjected to the ingesting of mind-altering drugs. This process generates a perceivable ‘distance’ or ‘dissonance’ (often described as a ‘three-dimensional’ and ‘all-embracing space’ within which all things seem to ‘manifest’ and ‘appear’) in the manner through which the human subject experiences the inner (subjective) and outer (objective) world. Indeed, such designations as ‘subject’ and ‘object’ appear to dissolve into insignificance as all things seem to be ‘unified’ whilst maintaining their inherent ‘diversity’. As the brain is striving to ‘balance’ the chemical processes to enhance the (evolutionary) chances of survival for the subject concerned – the ‘creative’ impulses are dramatically enhanced! This explains why ‘inspired’ and ‘unique’ artistic creations are often the result of this type of transformational experience. The point I make below, is that certain spiritual and religious ‘rituals’ replicate (overtime) the dramatic (existential) effects of entheogen chemicals – but that these ‘rituals’ achieve this transformation through psychological discipline and radical behaviour modification - having no reliance upon an external chemical agency. Finally, science is proving that genuine spiritual or religious experience is ‘real’ but that it is NOT the product of an external theological entity ‘protecting’ the transformation process into the individual concerned, as a ‘reward’ for devotional or faithful living! Such an experience, although unusual, is entirely natural and is subject to explanation through scientific investigation. ACW (7.7.2022) Although when human subjects living within modern (‘individualistic’) societies (as opposed to ‘collectivised’ primitive, traditional or tribal societies) ingest mind-altering drugs - there is little or no preparation for the resulting transformative experience. Therefore, the experienced ‘event’ is perceived as being ‘peak’, highly ‘unusual’ and sometimes even ‘traumatic’ as it separates the perception of the subject from the ordinary world that is ‘familiar’ to the senses. This is because the sensual experiences have not been anticipated and prepared for through the agency of spiritual, religious or communal ‘ritual’ that educates, acculturates and prepares the experiencing mind and body for this shift in awareness. This ritual can vary in length, but when linked to established religious practice (such as that found within the many and various ‘monastic’ or ‘meditative’ traditions of the world), it can take numerous years of training involving extensive study, discussion and guidance before a ‘breakthrough’ occurs that is accomplished not through an ingestion of a chemical agent – but rather through the application of a ‘spiritual’ technique designed specifically for this purpose. This can be contrasted with the reality found within modern societies wedded to ‘secularism’ and ‘individualism’ - where a person simply decides to ingest a mind-altering drug with no preparation and sits back to observe the consequences! The 2014 research paper published by Dr Robin Carhart-Harris of King's College London (and his colleagues) referenced below, observed the effects of ‘psilocybin’ (‘Magic Mushrooms’) on the chemical functioning of the brains of fifteen volunteers and concluded in-part: *“It was found that under the influence of a hallucinogen, the same parts of the brain are activated as during sleep - the hippocampus, which is involved in the formation of emotions, and the anterior cingulate cortex, which is responsible for the decision-making process, sympathy and emotional state. At the same time, the processes related to higher nervous activity, for example, to self-awareness, were not coordinated with each other. All this together, according to the researchers, gives the effect of ‘expansion of consciousness’." Those interested in this research should read and study the full findings of this study referenced below. As with any study of the chemical functioning of the ‘brain’ (and how this might relate to the ‘mind’) - the field of study is fluid, changeable and always subject to radical reinterpretation as more evidence becomes available. In other words, it is a continuously developing area of study, clarification and breaking new ground. I suspect that the ‘preparation’ involved with Buddhist meditative study orientates the practitioner to ‘integrate’ each new and unique subjective experience into his or her objective existence without the usual ‘dissonance’ reported by those who ingest mind-altering chemical substances merely as an exercise of the agency of momentary ‘individual’ choice. Although the Buddhist practitioner often reports ‘momentary’ breakthroughs in enhanced awareness – these are seldom traumatic and generally serve as an incentive toward further study. What the successful Buddhist practitioner does achieve is the eventual ‘permanent’ breakthrough in the expansion of awareness that reconciles entirely with the existential circumstances of the objective world! Perception is radically altered through the scientific process described above – but without the accompanying ‘alienation’ of the individual from a) the experience itself, and b) the objective world they inhabit. This spiritualised process represents the difference between decades of preparation through rigorous psychological and physical self-discipline – and the ‘momentary’ whim inspired through superficial social interaction and the wish to momentarily ‘escape’ sensory perception as experienced during everyday experience. English Language Research:
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/152867/new-study-discovers-biological-basis-magic/ Russian Language Source: https://t.me/c/1624019600/1505
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Awareness probably preceded rational thought by millions of years within human evolution. Long before humans were ‘human’ they traversed various species of animals and started their evolutionary development with a vague ‘awareness’ of being ‘here’ - before learning to visually distinguish between light and dark. This progressed to mediating with the environment through violent instinct before finally developing the ability to produce rational thought. The ‘vague awareness’ that distinguished the primordial life from inert matter has never left humanity and has been continuously misconstrued to represent and justify the ‘religious’ instinct. Whereas this ‘vague awareness’ used to ‘sense’ the dark (tree) canopy within which early humanity existed – today it is used to ‘imagine’ the presence of God (or some similar imaginary underlying substance). Worshipping God today was worshipping the (tree) canopy yesterday. From the canopy all life has emerged and is sustained, and to the canopy all life shall return. A dark damnation lies below – whilst a limitless ‘brightness’ exists above! The mistake of human perception is a basic ‘inversion’ of reality. Whereas the canopy ‘pre-exists’ each new life born into it – the human ‘awareness’ of the canopy DOES NOT pre-exist the sensing of the canopy each new life experiences when born into it! The idea that human ‘awareness’ pre-exists the individual beings that experience its presence is a major misconception and error of judgement. Unlike the pre-existing canopy which possesses a separate and distinct material history outside of the minds and bodies of those who are born into it – the capacity for human ‘awareness’ does not possess an ‘external’ origination (which would see it projected or broadcast into each human mind from afar) - but originates within the bio-chemical deep structure of the psychic fabric of each separate brain-mind nexus. Although human consciousness is a special organisation of matter, this ‘awareness’ emerges from a number of specific bio-chemical reactions which create the illusion of lucidity in the mind – a lucidity which serves to ‘reflect’ and ‘mimic’ the world of external materiality. This is the correct chain of events and pathway of logical evolutionary development despite the religious urge to perceive reality the wrong way around. The point is that nothing can be known to exist outside of ‘awareness’ for each human-being regardless of the external world pre-existing and post-existing each individual life. Material existence carries on regardless of the status of each individual human existence. Awareness begins, for sake of argument at the point of conception and ENDS at the point of bio-chemical death. Admittedly, during the dying process raw awareness may be the last human agency of communication to dissolve – but dissolve it undoubtedly will - leaving no sensory-capacity to discern the imaginary world of religiosity!
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AuthorAdrian Chan-Wyles PhD - Political Commissar and BMA (UK) Historian & Researcher. Archives
April 2024
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