False Awakening
Psychotropic drugs may awaken the consciousness temporarily, but within the confines of the ego, and without the help of the inner Being. Drug use results in the already conditioned consciousness going deeper into the trap of the ego. With drug use the consciousness is temporarily awaken but not organized, the chakras are forced into activity but in an imbalanced way. It is of no use to remember past lives or see the future if it is distorted by ego projections, and in the worst cases can cause a psychological break.Need for Patience
The three factors for the revolution of the consciousness require patience, perseverance, love, and willingness to give up attachment to sensations. Even “spiritual” sensations. Ultimately the gnostic path is a Christic path, sacrificing our desires to help other beings.Precepts
Many spiritual and religious traditions have precepts prohibiting drug use for members. This is to cultivate a foundation for the spiritual work based in consistent practice, honest self-inquiry, and selfless action. The precepts are there to help us progress spiritually in an integrated way. When dedicated practitioners use drugs, in defiance of the precepts and in secret, it points to an ego-based desire to use, to escape, to have a short cut. There may also be physiological or psychological addiction which needs to be addressed with treatment. Drug use in secret can generate confusion and serious conflicts within a spiritual community.Spiritual Experiences
Spiritual experiences such as peace, equanimity, extra-sensory perceptions, bliss, and dissolution of the small self occur along the Christic path, but they are not the goal. Using drugs to generate experiences is a shortcut that bypasses the necessity of learning spiritual discipline. A spiritual experience from drugs will eventually wear off and leave us the same life problems and psychological defects we had before. What we need in order the walk the path in a sustainable way is the fortitude of character that comes from patiently putting one foot in front of the other. Spiritual experiences must be integrated into our lives and minds in such a way that we continue to work on the ego.Paying Karma
Using drugs as a tool for spiritual progress will never work because in the end, it is not a way to pay karma. Paying karma means slowing down, feeling the suffering we are causing ourselves and others, and righting our wrongs through good works.Turning Vice Into a Religion
Drugs awaken the consciousness negatively, which can cause the users to make a religion out of drugs. In The Great Rebellion, Samael Aun Weor clarified the difference between positive and negative awakening.“The extra-perceptions of a drug addict* have their own roots in the abominable Kundabuffer organ (the tempting serpent of Eden). The Consciousness imprisoned within the multiple elements that constitute the ego is limited in its processes by virtue of its own imprisonment. Egoistic Consciousness comes in a comatose state with hypnotic hallucinations very similar to those of someone under the influence of any drug.
We can present this matter in the following way: Hallucinations from the egoistic Consciousness are the same as hallucinations brought about by drugs. It is obvious that these two types of hallucinations have their original causes in the abominable Kundabuffer organ. Obviously, drugs annihilate alpha waves. Then, unquestionably, the intrinsic connection between mind and brain is lost. This, in fact, results in total failure.
A drug addict* turns vice into religion. Being misled, he thinks he experiences what is real under the influence of drugs. Unaware that the extra-perceptions produced by marijuana, L.S.D., morphine, hallucinogenic mushrooms, cocaine, heroin, hashish, tranquilizers in excess, amphetamine, barbiturates, etc., etc., are merely hallucinations produced by the abominable Kundabuffer organ.”
-Samael Aun Weor, The Great Rebellion
Being Honest With Ourselves
Samael Aun Weor advised abstention from drugs and alcohol as the way to be prepared to walk the initiatic path. This does not mean to be a fanatic, but we have to know ourselves and be very honest with ourselves. In certain instances to individuals Master Samael allowed for intentional consumption of a drug, always in the context of sacred elemental magic. But this does not mean it is best for us. We must be very clear about our intention behind the desire to use. If we have any history of drug or alcohol habitual use or abuse it is strongly advised to not fool ourselves, but to live a sober life on the path. Twelve-step programs are compatible with the gnostic teachings, are free, and are open to everyone. It is a great humility and excellent preparation for the gnostic esoteric work to accept help and support to overcome attachment to drug use.The Unconsciousness
In Buddha’s Necklace, Master Samael elaborates on the components of opium which correspond to the subconscious levels of our psychology. The work of mystical death- meditating upon and dying to our ego- is arduous enough without fortifying the ego with drugs.“Opium has more than four hundred active elements, yet chemists only know forty-two elements. Here we mention these forty-two elements that are named: Morphine, Protopine, Lanthopine, Porphyroine, Opium or narcotine, Paramorphine or thebaine, Phormine or pseudomorphine, Metamorphine, Gnoscopine, Oleopine, Atropine, Pirotine, Rheadine, Tiktoutine, Kolotine, Xanthaline, Zoutine, Tritopine, Laudanine, Laudanosine, Podotorine, Arkhatosine, Tokitosine, Liktonosine, Meconidine, Papaverine, Cryptonine, Kadminine, Kolomonine, Koilononine, Cotarmine, Hydrocotarmine, Opianine or meconine, Meconoiozine, Listotorine, Phyktonosine, Codeine, Narceine, Pseudocodeine, Microparaine, Microthebaine, Messaine.
Generally, opium or some of its active elements are usually used by drug addicts and all type of vicious people in order to fortify the awful consequences of the abominable Kundabuffer organ (tail of Satan).
[ ] The seven independent properties of opium—the seven fundamental crystallizations—have seven defined, subjective properties that correspond to seven subjective states of the human subconsciousness. The seven-times-seven crystallizations of opium correspond with seven-times-seven subjective states of opium, and with seven-times-seven subconscious states of the human being.
[ ] It is necessary to let go of the mystical pride of believing ourselves to be saints, because in this world it is very difficult to find a saint. All of us have the same defects, and those who do not have a certain defect in one direction have it in another. All of us are cut with the same scissors.
We must not forget the inner relation between the forty-nine subconscious states of opium and the forty-nine subjective states of the intellectual animal mistakenly called human being. Nature speaks everywhere, thus the seven-times-seven subjective states of opium are also found within the human being. We need to reduce the “I” to dust, and this is only possible by means of a basic, in depth comprehension, and with the aid of the Divine Mother Kundalini, the igneous serpent of our magical powers.”
-Samael Aun Weor, Buddha’s Necklace
*In this book, written in 1976, Samael Aun Weor uses the term “drug addict” to refer to a user of any drug. The current scientific and psychological understanding is that drug dependency is a disease and not a moral failing, and therefore the term drug addict is avoided. The esoteric understanding of the extremely negative effects of drugs is true regardless.