Throughout history,
there have been people who claimed to have seen God. I know many
times this has not involved a burning bush. There are researchers
who want us to know that seeing God is mentally beneficial.
According to their research results, this is even the case if someone
has seen God after consuming psychedelic drugs or alcohol. I'm sure
it is probably much easier to see something you believe to be God
after doing this. In college, I knew people who consumed excessive
amounts of alcohol and prayed to the porcelain God. I'm sure in many
ways that had some lasting mental as well as physical benefits.
Below are some excerpts
from the story with my valuable insights in italics.
People who claim they’ve
seen God may not be so crazy after all. A study by researchers
at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine found that those who have had
divine encounter experiences — the sensation of seeing a God-like
figure or a profound, enhanced reality or truth — reap lasting
mental benefits.
I'm sure this is
especially true in situations where the hangover passes. I would
like to know what is the difference between having a sensation of
seeing enhanced truth or reality or a God-like figure?
“I now know that we
are destined to be together.”
“Why?”
“I had a sensation of seeing a God-like figure who told me we are to be together forever.”
“I had a sensation of seeing a God-like figure who told me we are to be together forever.”
“There is one big
problem.”
“What?”
“I had a sensation of
seeing enhanced truth. This sensation told me to run from you as if
you were infected with the black plague.”
“Don't you trust my
God-like figure sensation?”
“No, I trust my enhanced truth sensation much more. I believe it will lead me to experience many more mental benefits. One of them is no being involved with you.”
“No, I trust my enhanced truth sensation much more. I believe it will lead me to experience many more mental benefits. One of them is no being involved with you.”
“Darn.”
Dr. Griffiths and his team
used data from 4,285 people around the world who completed one of two
50-minute online surveys about God encounter experiences. These
surveys had participants recall their most memorable encounter
experience with either the “God of their understanding,” a
“higher power,” “ultimate reality” or “an aspect or
representative of God, such as an angel.” The surveys also asked
the respondents to describe how the experience changed their lives.
(Sarcasm Alert)
I suppose when over
4,000 people around the world fill out an online survey, we have some
solid science about God encounter experiences. I wonder if the
researchers sold advertisements for beer or rum on their online
survey?
So, this means
Christians and Jews saw God, Muslims saw Allah, Hindus could have
seen Parvati, Vishnu, Sri (Lakshmi), Shiva, Sati, Brahma or
Saraswati. I wonder if anyone saw George Burns from the movie Oh
God. I hope people who spoke about ultimate reality weren't
individuals who were influenced by watching the Matrix. Maybe a
study should be done involving ultimate reality and movies. I'm sure
being under the influence of the right substance and seeing religious
entities would change any person's life. It may make them want to
seek rehab.
Of the nearly 3,500
participants who saw their vision while under the influence of a
psychedelic, 1,184 took psilocybin mushrooms, 1,251 took LSD, 435
took ayahuasca, and 606 took DMT, another naturally occurring a substance found in certain plants and animals. Participants were
about 25 years old on average if the experience occurred while under
the influence, compared to 35 years old if it was spontaneous.
What can you say about
a study that involves having God experiences when the majority of
them are on some sort of drug? I'm sure the people who took LSD,
DMT, psilocybin saw a lot more than religious entities. It's
possible they may get similar responses from these people if they
were asked about seeing pink elephants that danced the macarena.
“I saw ultimate truth
and reality after taking a psychedelic drug.”
“What did you see?”
“I saw talking
one-celled animals who told me they were concerned about the rights
of unicellular organisms. These organisms have held massive
protests, but we've never noticed.”
“After taking a
psychedelic drug, I once saw an angel who told me, my ex-wife, no
longer wanted alimony.”
“Whoa, keep that
stuff away from me. I could handle such visions that are so crazy
and detached from reality.”
“Oh.”
Researchers found several
interesting conclusions. Among them, 75% of people who had an
encounter say it was among the most “meaningful and spiritually
significant” moments in their lives — so much so that it brought
about permanent positive changes in their life satisfaction, purpose,
and meaning. In fact, the experience was so powerful that about
two-thirds of self-identified atheists shed that label
after their encounter.
(Sarcasm Alert)
That is amazing.
Christians have been speaking with atheists for centuries trying to
get them to believe in God and Christ. Their success has always been
limited. Who knew that instead of speaking to them about what is in
the Bible, they just need to provide atheists with psychedelic drugs
to believe in religion? This research could provide serious
benefits.
“Welcome to our
discussion about the Bible. If there are any atheists here please
raise your hand.”
“Why?”
“Based on research,
you have a better chance of believing in God and having an encounter
with a God-like being, seeing ultimate truth or reality if you have
some psychedelic drugs. Let's just say it will speed up the
process.”
“What's the name of
this church?”
“This isn't a church,
it's a research facility.”
“Oh.”
All that said, the authors
emphasize they do not suggest people turn to psychedelic drug
use in an attempt to have a divine experience. They also note
their study is also not intended to answer the question of whether
there is, in fact, a God.
I suppose the study has
been designed to show that taking psychedelic drugs can provide a
life-changing divine experience. It does make you wonder if the
psychedelic drug manufacturers of the world got together and decided
to fund a study. Maybe we will now see advertisements for drugs
stating the side effects include nausea, tightness in the chest, leg
cramps or having the sensation of seeing enhanced truths or reality
as well as God-like figures. I'm sure this could make drug marketing
much different.
Here is a link to the
story.
https://www.studyfinds.org/encounters-with-god-under-influence-lasting-mental-benefits/
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!
If you think THIS is
funny. Click on the Links Below to Check out My Humor Book
The Longer You Live The
Older You Get
Or my other one
I Speak Cursive Like a
Baby Boomer
No comments:
Post a Comment