Alcohol

[daveangeles]

Is it cool to have a few beers when you're out celebrating with friends or to have a champagne glass or two on New Year's?

I've taken a more spiritual path lately, and many 'gurus' such as Deepak Chopra advise against alcohol, tobacco, etc.

The Buddha himself was not a fan of any mood-altering substances, I think the exact phrasing was 'intoxicating' substances.

Anyway, question for you Erin: is alcohol in moderation okay? I don't want it to 'damage' the areas of my mind that tap into intuitiveness; yet at the same time I heard that Jesus loved to have a few beers w/ his buddies back in his day.

[Angela]

Hey Dave, it's Day 20 of my no-alcohol, and I sure feel strong and good. My body certainly feels better, and my spiritual "vision" feels sharper. Danger Man and I are sure going to drink that bottle of Moet on NYE, though! It feels good to have my blood flowing clear and clean, so I'll be jumping back on the wagon after the 1st.

What about peyote? Some say it's a must for spiritual advancement.

[shadow.pulsar]

Well, it really depends on how much you consume and what your constitution is. It also depends on what you have as a belief system as well. Alcohol removes inhibitions and can open us up to things which our ego tries to block from us. Too much though and you loose all your inhibitions, including your ability to think properly. Not a good thing. It has been my experience however that a glass of wine will work really well to actually enhance the psychic connection as it both relaxes me and slows down my ego as well.

A good rule to keep in mind is that excess is never a good thing.

~Shadow~

[Erin Pavlina]

Depends on your values.

If having fun and enjoying your experiences to the fullest is a higher value than being clear headed, you will drink. If the opposite is true, you will not. No one can decide for you. I wouldn't even want to make a recommendation.

I will say that I don't drink. One day we were in the casino and I thought, what the heck, I'll order a pina colada. I want to see what it's like. I took one sip and it was so strong I couldn't drink it. I took another sip just because I'd spent $6 on it and felt I should. But after the second sip I was like, "Oh man, forget this. I wouldn't drink this if you paid me." so I just left it at the bar. The bartender probably thought I was insane ordering a drink, taking two sips, and leaving it behind.

But on rare occasions I'll have a sip of champagne. I like the smell of wine but I hate the flavor. So I'll smell someone's wine sometimes.

Now, lest you think me a prude, when I turned 21 I drank with friends for like 5 days straight. It was a lot of fun. And there was a 5 month period where I was hanging out with people who drank a lot so I drank a lot too. But after that I was over it. Sometimes I wish I liked alcohol because it looks like fun to drink it. I love to order virgin pina coladas and virgin margaritas. That's where the flavor is.

Anyway, I'm rambling. But to answer your question, if you drink, don't drive. I heard that somewhere.