Meditation next to Sacred plants

[adistancethereis]

Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone has experience of, or knows of cultural references to, meditation and psychoactive plants. That is, are there altered meditative experiences within the presence of sacred plants ? (without direct ingestion). / Altered dream states within the presence of plants?
Apologies if this is the wrong forum to ask this.

[fyzygy]

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhi_Tree

[adistancethereis]

Thank you but not what I'm attempting to find out Unless the Bodhi Tree is psychoactive.

[fyzygy]

2 hours ago, adistancethereis said:

Unless the Bodhi Tree is psychoactive.

^ Used as a soma substitute in post-Vedic times (Ratsch, Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants). Buddha's dream of enlightenment is the only cultural reference that comes to mind. A "burning bush" is mentioned in the Old Testament, but as far as I know there's never been a positive botanical ID. 

 

Incenses derived from plants could induce altered states via olfaction, but that's still a form of chemical ingestion, and so probably not what you're looking for either. (For example: scopolamine from brugmansia spp., flower scent alone is said to be psychoactive. https://youtu.be/ToQ8PWYnu04 )

 

Forests are said to be conducive to meditation. But that probably depends wholly on subjective factors. So too are deserts. 

Edited February 7, 2023 by fyzygy

[saguaro]

Depending on what you consider an 'altered' meditative experience, and how you define the presence of psychoactive plants within this context, there are countless examples.

 

In Bali, the canang sari is an active meditation involving offering tobacco and betel nuts (amongst other symbols) to Acintya.

 

 

 

[adistancethereis]

On 07/02/2023 at 8:21 PM, fyzygy said:

^ Used as a soma substitute in post-Vedic times (Ratsch, Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants). Buddha's dream of enlightenment is the only cultural reference that comes to mind. A "burning bush" is mentioned in the Old Testament, but as far as I know there's never been a positive botanical ID. 

 scopolamine from brugmansia spp., flower scent alone is said to be psychoactive. https://youtu.be/ToQ8PWYnu04 )

  

Soma as in fly agaric? 
That is interesting about the flower scent being psychoactive :D thanks that is actually the type of thing I'm curious about. I wonder if that would be a gentle introduction to brugsmania. Has it been used in this way traditionally ? where people would sit or sleep around brugsmania in order to be altered ?

 

 

8 hours ago, saguaro said:

Depending on what you consider an 'altered' meditative experience, and how you define the presence of psychoactive plants within this context, there are countless examples.

 

In Bali, the canang sari is an active meditation involving offering tobacco and betel nuts (amongst other symbols) to Acintya.

 

 

 

That sounds like it would produce a metta meditative state I guess where the particular plant would add its unique quality to the meditation? I'm not sure I can articulate well what I'm trying to find out sorry.

[fyzygy]

8 hours ago, adistancethereis said:

Soma as in fly agaric? 

Soma as in a sacred brew the exact botanical composition of which is lost to history. I think Wasson and others speculate a fungus. Others have nominated various plants. 

[saguaro]

14 hours ago, adistancethereis said:

I guess where the particular plant would add its unique quality to the meditation? I'm not sure I can articulate well what I'm trying to find out sorry.

 

The plant is adding its unique quality, isn't it? There's a reason people use betel and tobacco rather than just lawn clippings.

[adistancethereis]

6 hours ago, saguaro said:

 

The plant is adding its unique quality, isn't it? There's a reason people use betel and tobacco rather than just lawn clippings.

Yeah perhaps it is i guess i was thinking about it the same way people do offerings of money.