Friday, October 30, 2009

High All The Time ...

Bill Maher is an idiot. And I say that with the kindest affection. Bill espouses the joy of smoking pot while refusing another drug that is SO much more effective, longer lasting, and has absolutely no ill side effects. I understand you can make an argument for the legalization of marijuana. I get how a state like California might consider that the tax benefits from legalization might offset the budget deficit at least in the short run (or at least until the adverse health effects start weighing in on the budget). But I do not get the hypocrisy of standing behind one natural substance with known medical complications while ignoring another with none.

The essential problem with Marijuana, or for that matter alcohol, is the mechanism by which the feeling of Euphoria is produced – killing brain cells. In essence you have to dumb down, in order to get “happy”. I guess Solomon’s old adage that “with wisdom comes sorrow” proves to be true. Perhaps it is because Bill appears to be so smart, and thinks of himself in this way, that his brain requires stupification in order to achieve any measure of relief. Bill is smart enough to discern the problems, but unable to find the solutions perhaps. Whatever the motive, maybe just due to the chemically addictive nature of any drug, Bill continues to choose to espouse the virtues of this mind numbing process to the exclusion of a much better one.

I see this as a case of simple ignorance. If I could show you a method for getting high that worked in an entirely different manner would you be game? What’s the matter, think that is just not possible? Consider for a minute the euphoria that accompanies sexual orgasm. Granted there may a lessening of blood in the brain at that moment in time, which would reduce oxygen content a bit, but no brain cells die in the process. It can be an earth shattering event in terms of the magnitude of the feeling at the moment, but the longevity, at least for men, is highly reduced. Several seconds later, life as we know it resumes. Anticipation can be pleasurable, and can even help heighten the actual experience, but can do little to lengthen the state of intense euphoria. But my point here is that there does exist at least one method of “getting high” that is less damaging to the brain than marijuana.

And there is another way. Athletes can attest to the exhilaration the body experiences when massive amounts of endorphins are released. Again there is less blood in the brain during this process, which again means less oxygen, but again like sex, brain cells are not destroyed to achieve it. In fact muscles feel renewed, the energy level of the body goes up, senses are heightened. This would appear to be the opposite of dumbing-down, it is more sensory overload. Increasing the oxygen content in the blood can have similar effects but is also a fairly risky proposition, too much and permanent damage can result. The endorphin release process albeit lasts longer than sexual orgasm, and is far better for the body than any form of chemical drug like marijuana.

But there is yet another way. This one requires using you head for more than a hat rack. It is said that humans only use somewhere between 6 and 10% of their brains (depending on which study you adhere to). The point is that most of our brain power has been left largely untapped. Despite this limitation there are those among us who have perfect photographic memories with long term recall. How is this possible? It is because your brain records every stimuli that enters it on these brain cells we seem so bent on destroying to achieve euphoria. Those of us who can remember everything have only figured out HOW to recall the information on demand, we all record it using the same methods.

Then there are the autistics among us who are able to focus brain power in specific areas like “Rainman” who is able to count cards or perform complex math in seconds. There are the musically inclined able to hear a complex piano piece of music only once and then sit down and replay it perfectly without the benefit of written music. How are these folks able to perform these complex tasks but unable to carry on normal conversations? The truth is we don’t know right now. Scientists are studying the chemical compositions that facilitate and deter autism, as well as brain functions of many kinds. But the pursuit of this knowledge has already taken years, and may take years to come.

But back to being high all the time, think it is still a myth of future lore. I submit it need not be. Let’s face it the reasons we seek escape in the first place, is often to defer the pain in our lives. Truth be told, most of that pain is self inflicted. Ironically our self interest motivates us to act selfishly, ultimately leading us to even more isolation, and more sadness in a never ending cycle. Religion up till now, seems to have provided little if any relief to this process. Yes, there may be a mild benefit of forgiveness and the feelings that accompany it, but you would have to balance these feelings against the guilt that leads to forgiveness in the first place. And let’s face it again, there is nothing like Religion to point out our guilt right?

Therefore a purely logical comparison of the “religious” individual and the “non-religious” individual shows little emotional differences, little lifestyle differences, and therefore no compelling reason to be either one. But what if there was? Forget religion for a minute and just think purely in your own long-term true self interest. If Christ designed the entire plan of salvation to save you from evil, then what would your life be like without evil in it? The process is simple (but largely ignored by “religious” people, even supposed “Christians”). You accept the gift Christ offers. You allow Him to change who you are, change what you want, change how you think as He sees fit. You give up the “control” you never really had, and you gain a life with less and less self inflicted pain in it.

This is what REAL Christians are supposed to be doing, but they are not. I can say that because it is self evident. In general there still appears to be no differences in the lives of Christians and the lives of others, short forgiveness. This is NOT the essence or goals Christ intended for any of us. The goal was a NEW life. The goal was the removal of evil from us, i.e. saving us from evil. The only one who could ever accomplish this goal was Christ, we could not, and so He offered it to us as a gift. Christians who still refuse to allow Christ to run their lives are truly no different than those who still have not heard the name of Christ. The illusion of control blinds them both.

But for those who have experienced what being saved from evil really means, it is an entirely different story. It is getting high and staying that way, all the time. Forget being mesmerized by worship music, or flailing around speaking in gibberish nobody understands, I am talking about having your brain operate in a way you could not have dreamed of. It is a heightening of every sensory organ. It is like massive endorphin rush focused on your brain. You are able to see things you COULD NOT see before. No, I am not talking about seeing dead people, or details on Jupiter with the naked eye. I am talking about seeing truth. I am talking about discerning the error in the argument. I am talking about a complete reset of your perceptions on life as a whole.

You do not know, what you do not know. Only a mind activated and liberated by the process of salvation can begin to know what it is like to feel this feeling. And like sexual orgasm, the feeling is heightened when not dulled by chemicals dumbing-down our brain cells, killing enough to achieve artificial euphoria. It is heightened more like having higher levels of oxygen in the blood, endorphins in the system, and adrenaline in the heart. Unlike the effects of chemicals, sex, or even extreme exercise – these feelings can last for hours at a time. It feels like your brain has additional electricity powering areas you just have not used before. It is a sense of liberation and indescribable joy.

There is no financial cost for any of it. There is no risk of impaired judgment compounding the misery of your existence. There are no adverse medical effects. There is no danger you will put another at risk to feel this way. There is no danger your life will suffer in order to achieve this feeling. There is nothing but upside. There is nothing but the liberation of the soul as evil is finally vanquished by the only being capable of killing it. There is nothing but the death of self-interest and the rebirth of love, and selfless service to others. There are no limits to it. There are no restrictions on acquiring it, save those you put on yourself. How can marijuana or any other chemical ever compete with this? I say it is a simple case of ignorance, I can’t imagine Bill Maher is really that dedicated an idiot …

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