---
title: 'Psychedelic state explained'
published: true
date: '06-02-2019 17:43'
taxonomy:
    category:
        - blog
    tag:
        - psychedelic
        - brain
        - sleep
        - biology
author: 'Dan Percival'
image: doves-of-creation.jpg
---

When people take psychedelics and go off into a colorful world where the fly, walk underwater, talk to alien beings etc., are they channellling into an alternate reality or spirit world? Not actually. The truth is really quite mundane. The psychedelic world is built into our brain, and all our minds go into on a psychedelic state a few times in a day, when we are in the REM dream stage in our [sleep.](https://t.co/LBBbIMUv4F?amp=1) In fact , all land mammals and birds have REM sleep.

In REM sleep, our normal consiousness is turned off and our bodies are paralysed so we don't act out our dreams. [Lucid dreamers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucid_dream) seem to be able to turn on some of the 'awake' functions while in REM sleep but my knowledge is limited. Psychedelics however seem to trigger the REM dream mechanism while the person is still awake, hence the use of the term 'waking dream' to describe the state sometimes.

There is another method that fascinates me. I have a Buddhist friend whose 'sifu' is at such an advanced level that she can enter a meditative state where she goes into 'pureland'. I did ask what this state was. Entering a beautiful land where you can fly, talk to beings etc. Wow, I thought, she can actually activate the REM mechanism through pure mind control. At least that's my belief. And maybe not mine alone. There is a book [Zig Zag Zen](http://www.zigzagzen.com/about.html) that delves into the subject of using psychedlics to get into the 'pureland' state I assume (No, I haven't read the book but I have read some negative sentiments about it i.e. the use of drugs rather than sheer mind training to get to that state, a cheat as it were).

Anyhow, my thinking is that all the fear about psychedelics is fear of something that is already built into the brain. Useless.

A [similar opinion](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUmisT_FdVI)

[The Dark Side Of Lucid Dreaming](http://dreamstudies.org/2008/10/08/the-dark-side-of-lucid-dreams/)

[Drugs: The worst mistake in human history](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9uTZ7ppTeI)

A book - [Chasing The Scream](http://chasingthescream.com/) - about the origins of the drug war by Johann Hari