“Enlightenment” and “nirvana” are probably ways of hacking the brain to enter certain states at will rather than because of external stimuli. I suspect as our understanding of the brain increases we will eventually have “meditation machines” that simulate this effect.
I’ve recently started reading a book on the changes which Zen meditation seems to cause on neurology and consciousness, authored by a neurologist. The premise seems to fit with what you’re saying.
I’ve heard that some meditative states (as measured by brain wave patterns) can be induced through the use of devices employing flashing lights and audio interference at certain frequencies (“binaural beats”). I’ve never really spent the time to investigate it seriously and there seems to be a fair amount of new-agey crap surrounding the idea, but it may have some merit.
We already have drugs of various kinds. I think a determined person today could create a “God drug” that mirrors the experiences Crowley describes. Today’s technology would suffice but you’d need lower ethical standards for experimentation.
Most drugs are extremely crude. Pleasure drugs usually work simply by inducing your body to dump all its supply of endorphins into your system at once.
NLP includes a technique for mentally recreating some drug-induced states; I’ve never tried it myself, since I’ve never taken any drugs. But perhaps those people here who have tried drugs might give it a shot and see if it works. It’s in chapter 9 of the book, “Change Your Mind… And Keep The Change”. You might be able to find it in a library near you.
If it works, be sure to report back with the specific kinesthetic strategies you discover for useful or interesting states. ;-)
Sam Harris has made similar comments about Eastern spirituality.
Additionally, many descriptions I’ve read of what people have experienced during meditation are disturbingly similar to this woman’s experience of having a stroke.
“Enlightenment” and “nirvana” are probably ways of hacking the brain to enter certain states at will rather than because of external stimuli. I suspect as our understanding of the brain increases we will eventually have “meditation machines” that simulate this effect.
I’ve recently started reading a book on the changes which Zen meditation seems to cause on neurology and consciousness, authored by a neurologist. The premise seems to fit with what you’re saying.
I’ve heard that some meditative states (as measured by brain wave patterns) can be induced through the use of devices employing flashing lights and audio interference at certain frequencies (“binaural beats”). I’ve never really spent the time to investigate it seriously and there seems to be a fair amount of new-agey crap surrounding the idea, but it may have some merit.
We already have drugs of various kinds. I think a determined person today could create a “God drug” that mirrors the experiences Crowley describes. Today’s technology would suffice but you’d need lower ethical standards for experimentation.
Most drugs are extremely crude. Pleasure drugs usually work simply by inducing your body to dump all its supply of endorphins into your system at once.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/meditation/
I think at some point we’ll be able to induce brain states without such crude methods (think of the inducer in The Lathe of Heaven if you’ve read it)
NLP includes a technique for mentally recreating some drug-induced states; I’ve never tried it myself, since I’ve never taken any drugs. But perhaps those people here who have tried drugs might give it a shot and see if it works. It’s in chapter 9 of the book, “Change Your Mind… And Keep The Change”. You might be able to find it in a library near you.
If it works, be sure to report back with the specific kinesthetic strategies you discover for useful or interesting states. ;-)
Stroke?