Spiritual Awakening vs Psychosis

         Throughout history, spiritualists have researched and experimented on various methods and techniques to establish contact with the unseen realm. The Mexican shamans have been using Salvia divinorum for years as a medium for spiritualistic alchemy. The herb was used even by the ancient Aztecs in order to connect with their Gods. Salvia divinorum is known for its healing properties and it has been found that spiritual awakenings are possible after ingesting Salvia in sufficient amounts. This effect might be due to the presence of a very active hallucinogenic component within the plant named Salvinorin A.

           The psychological and physical effects caused by the herb can be overwhelming at times. People who have ingested Salvia report feeling dislodged from their body and being “one” with objects or entities. Some users even claimed that they were able to contact spirits after using the herbal plant. In this modern age of increasing non-believers, many people find it hard to believe the possibilities of such a divine and spiritual occurrence induced by ingesting nothing else but a plant extract.

Spiritual awakening: is the linkage of the spirit with an out of body experience (unseen realm). It includes religious visions or spiritual experiences.  This is not related to seizure and it’s not medically related (i.e. not schizophrenia or bipolar disorder). Spiritual awakening typically do not interfere with daily life in the form of cases of diagnosed Psychosis or a Psychotic disorder.

       This does not require any form of treatment as it is encountered under the influence of an act and it only last for a specified period of time. The relevant experiences are generally assessed through an examination of the people’s culture, interest and believe. Therefore, if there are no physical or neurological signs of disorder, then it is not treated.

Psychosis: is a mental malady which when left untreated causes neurological damage to the neural system.  Untreated psychosis is life threatening and when it inflict more damage to the neurological system and makes it progressively harder to treat.  Excessive religiosity outside the norm for a cultural context or personal history of an individual is a potential neurological sign that needs to be assessed with the appropriate medical assessment and treated immediately if there is an indication of a medical disorder (toxoplasmosis, seizures, tumors, poisoning, developing schizophrenia, etc.).  Otherwise, it gets worse and becomes more difficult to treat and can become life threatening.

Spiritual Awakening vs Psychosis

     Psychosis is absolutely a neurological disorder and needs to be treated.  Spiritual awakening could be a religious experiences, including visions which need to be assessed if they are new or completely out of the normal experience of the individual.  If they aren’t neurologically based we’d typically leave them alone.  A spiritual awakening can seem like a break from reality. It can range from a new idea that fits in nicely with your current beliefs all the way up to an earth shattering revelation that destroys everything you currently believe.

How Does Salvia-Induced Spiritual Awakening

“It’s like jumping into a vast unlimited space!” This is the feeling that most users experience after using Salvia. It is a type of scenario where one’s sense of self is completely misplaced or lost. The reasons why Salvia is considered as spiritual herb may be accounted to the following

• There are no separate entities for the user – all are considered as one! This is what is taught in most spiritual scriptures i.e. to be able to feel united with anything and everything in this world.
• Loss of Ego – One cannot deny that we live in an egoistic society filled with self-centered people. Studies have shown that this very ego is lost after ingesting Salvia. This is like coming to terms with one’s own pure inner spirit.
• Contact with spirits –The exact reason why this happens is still not known but it may be credited to Salvia’s capability of being able to purify or cleanse the mind or soul for a temporary span of time. During such a time it is considered possible to communicate with holy spirits.

      In collusion, Salvia Divinorum is popularly known as the Diviner’s sage and is aptly named so. Unlike many other related substances, this herbal plant is considered legal in many countries maybe due to the fact that it’s non-toxic and non-addictive along with its many medical and healing benefits. In the spiritual trance induced buy Salvia, people tend to get more compassionate towards other people and see things from their point of view. Due to these various reasons, Salvia can arguably be considered as a true spiritual awakener.