In an interview with MSNBC's Ari Melber, Dan Harmon, the creator of "Rick and Morty" and "Community", gave a brief definition of what humans are: "We are taste-buds on the tongue of God", which was yet another way of saying what mystics have been saying since history began, that we, the creations of the universe, are the way the creator experiences the cosmos.
My personal theory at times has been that: in the beginning (if there was one), the creator (whoever she may be) was bored, and decided to amuse herself by making creatures through which to experience this thing we are going through. Words, of course, are totally inadequate to convey any sort of mystical thought or experience, so in a way, I ought not to try.
A useful book to read is Michael Pollan's "How to Change your Mind". He explains the use of psychedelics in history and current research and practise. He also documents his experiences taking them. I have begun to "change my mind" as well in a modest way, by ingesting psilocybin in an attempt to get out of my ruts and experience life from a different angle. I often say that drugs move the frame around, make you see things afresh, and challenge the assumptions, beliefs, and habits of a lifetime. I would be willing to bet that Dan Harmon has spent some serious time with drugs. After a cursory search on the internet, it turns out he has.
A short excerpt from an interview:
"When you feel that mental breakdown happening, that means you're about to get smarter. You're growing. You're inheriting the universe. You're becoming closer and closer to a thing called "God," and "you're gonna get through this. You're gonna get trough this." It's like when you have a bad trip on mushrooms or acid, your friend who says, "This is cool. This is normal. Even though the walls are talking to you. You just need some orange slices. You need to get through this, and it's important that this is happening. It's giving you perspective." Otherwise you'd just be like, "This is insane, so I'm insane, so nothing matters, so I think I'll go do something horrible in public."
Drugs are one way to get out of the ruts (or grooves) we are in, to question the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, our neighbours, our society, etc... Meditation is another way. Religion, being a story we tell ourselves to give our lives meaning, and a set of shared values for a community, doesn't qualify in the same way, (the great tradition of Christian, and other mystics aside), unless the religious person does the work of listening to the "still small voice". Jesus was one wise dude, and his standard for these things was hard to beat: "By their fruits shall ye know them" (Matthew 7:20) When a religion makes you a more loving, open and accepting person, then it's a good one. When it closes the door to acceptance, love, and kindness, it's garbage.
Happy cogitating everyone, and especially: happy experiencing.
