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  • The Spiritual experience versus the Mystical experience.

    The shamans, healers, sages and wisdom keepers of all times, all continents and all peoples, in their ageless wisdom, say that human spirituality is composed of three aspects: relationships, values, and life purpose. Spirituality means different things to different people. For some, it’s primarily about a belief in God and active participation in organized religion. For others, it’s about non-religious experiences that help them get in touch with their spiritual selves through quiet reflection, time in nature, private prayer, yoga, hallucinogens or meditation. Spirituality is defined as the recognition of a feeling, sense, or belief that there is something bigger than ones self, that there is more to being human than sensory experience, and that the larger whole of which we are a part is cosmic or divine in nature. The spiritual refers to a person’s thoughts and beliefs rather than their physical body or surroundings. For mystics, the spiritual is not something merely to think about but also something to be encountered. Spiritual phenomena may be said to be experienced when they are thought about in such a way that a depth of feeling becomes attached to them. When experience of the spiritual is heartfelt, the spiritual is found to be mysterious, awesome, urgent, and fascinating. Mystics believe that their experiences disclose the existence of an extrasensory dimension of reality: phenomena whose existence cannot be detected through sense perception but become apparent during mystical experience. During mystical experiences, extrasensory phenomena are said to be directly perceived, whether by the soul, the mind, the imagination, or some other faculty. The phenomena that mystics encounter may be impersonal — a unifying principle, structure, process, law, or force — or personal — ghosts, spirits, angels, demons, gods or revelations derived from such personal beings. When mystics make claims about extrasensory dimensions of reality, they are making the same type of claim that physical scientists do when they cite the laws of physics, or psychologists when they posit emotional complexes that govern responses to events. They are not speaking of the magical, mythological, or otherworldly; they are attempting to speak of aspects of the world of sense perception that are not perceptible to the senses. The mystical experience can be defined as a sense of unity, or the experience of becoming one with all that exists. Mystical experiences may be encountered following the ingestion of classic hallucinogens. The following is a written description of an experience reported by a volunteer who received 20 mg/70 kg of psilocybin in a study conducted at Johns Hopkins: “In my mind’s eye, I felt myself instinctively taking on the posture of prayer in my head. I was on my knees, hands clasped in front of me and I bowed to this force. I wasn’t scared or threatened in any way. It was more about reverence. I was showing my respect. I was humbled and honored to be in this presence. This presence was a feeling, not something I saw or heard. I only felt it, but it felt more real than any reality I have experienced. And it was a familiar place too. One I had felt before. It was when I surrendered to this, that I felt like I let go. I was gone…or I should say this earthly part of me was. It was still on the couch in some sort of suspended animation awaiting my return. I was in the void. This void had a strange and indescribable quality to it in that there was nothing to it but this feeling of unconditional and undying Love. It felt like my soul was basking in the feeling of this space. I have no idea how long this lasted. Time and space did not exist there …it was all different manifestations of this Love feeling I found myself wrapped in.” There's so much more to talk about in this blog this time. But we think we'll save it all for a future posting. In the meantime, as always, we look forward to hearing about the spiritual & mystical experiences that you've had that took you to another level. #spiritual #mystical #hallucinogens #lsd #mystics #spirits #science

  • Art in brief

    "The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls" - Pablo Picasso. The Arts are defined as painting, sculpture, music, theater, literature, etc., considered as a group of activities done by people with skill and imagination (“the arts.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary). The term “art” is related to the Latin word “ars” meaning, art, skill, or craft. The first known use of the word comes from 13th-century manuscripts. However, the word art, and its many variations, have probably existed since the founding of Rome. The individual's definition of "Art" is really very subjective. What for one person might be considered a towering work of great importance, for another might be shrugged off as just so much blah, blah, blah. The Jean Basquiat painting that sold for $110.5 million at a Sotheby’s auction in 2017 would, no doubt, have had trouble finding an audience in Renaissance Italy, for example. Historically, works of art and symbolic thinking have been held up as proof of the cognitive superiority of modern humans – examples of the exceptional skills that define our species. Interestingly, scientists now claim that Neanderthals, not modern humans, were the first artists on earth. Neanderthals painted on cave walls in Spain 65,000 years ago, tens of thousands of years before modern humans arrived on the scene, researchers say. https://youtu.be/0H_wFNfrMmU The Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius said that "art is the signature of civilizations". Perhaps that term "civilization" could be construed to mean human or otherwise. Whatever the case, we count ourselves lucky enough to have friends and family who write - https://www.amazon.com/Gordon-McAlpine/e/B001HPRUW8%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share and paint -https://www.instagram.com/shohanalwis/ and, in doing so, have helped to wash the dust off of our daily lives. Was it a book or a piece of music or a movie or a painting or a sculpture or something else that raised your spirit to new heights? We look forward to hearing about it so we might be touched in the same way. #pablopicasso #picasso #jeanbasquiat #basquiat #art #painting #music #dance #movies #sculpture #books #neanderthal

  • Beverages on a special day

    Today we're going to talk a bit about beverages. A beverage is defined as "any potable liquid, especially one other than water". You may ask, what is the difference between a beverage and a drink? Basically it all comes down to semantics - unlike drink, beverage cannot be a verb. Beverage is a noun. While there are many different classifications of beverages, we found this basic chart an easy reference to determine under which category your favorite type of beverage might fall.... The ancients were fond of many beverages (most often fermented or distilled) that we are unfamiliar with today. Among the more interesting we found: * Falernian Wine - The ancient Romans had access to a lot of great wine. Hailing from Campania in Italy, Falernian was considered one of the finest. According to Pliny the Elder, Falernian was best after aging for fifteen years. Very high in alcohol content, "it is the only one, among all the wines, that take fire on the application of flame," said Pliny. * Pulque - Arguably the most storied alcoholic drink in Mexico's history, it's made by fermenting, not distilling, the sap of the maguey plant (AKA agave). In mythology, the milky white beverage was said to have been invented in a lost divine paradise, although humans probably first started drinking it about 4000 years ago. The Aztecs also used it as a religious stimulant. * Shedeh - A mysterious ancient Egyptian drink whose contents scholars still debate. The term "shedeh" has no translation in modern English, and the only Egyptian text that chronicled how it was made said it was filtered and heated - but the papyrus it was found on was incomplete. Whatever it was, shedeh was apparently a beverage fit for the pharaohs: King Tutankhamun's tomb contained an amphora of the liquor. * Soma - Soma appears in the Rigveda, a series of ancient religious texts from India. Soma was a plant that produced an intoxicating beverage with a hallucinogenic effect, as well as the god who personified both of these. Soma was seen to be a healer and a fertilizing force. In the Rigveda, soma (the drink) was made by squeezing liquid from the plant's stalk, which was combined with milk and water. The resulting beverage might have brought worshippers some pretty interesting visions. * Kykeon - Kykeon was a psychedelic drink hailing from ancient Greece. What exactly went into it is a mystery, but it appears to have contained an unusual mix of barley, cheese, and wine. "Kykeon" might have been a generic word used to describe a potion with magical effects, but it was also often associated with "mysteries," or covert rites for a particular god. The most famous "mysteries" were the secret rites of the goddess Demeter at Eleusis, where participants downed an unknown hallucinogenic beverage to see visions. Scholars now think it might have been kykeon containing moldy grain, which was specially treated to yield psychedelic effects. Our subject line said this was a special day so it seems appropriate - and more than a little serendipitous - that we conclude this brief discussion about beverages with a shout out to the fact that today is WORLD GIN DAY! Always the second Saturday in June, the date moves around a bit, but we can rest assured that there's always Sunday following it to recuperate. So, whether it's in a martini or a gin & tonic or however you most prefer that intoxicating juniper spirit, raise a toast - to the ancients and to your friends! #WorldGinDay #soma #rigveda #romans # wine #beer #booze #spirits #beverages #egypt #mexico #kingtut

  • Food that makes us ask for more

    Wikipedia defines food as “…any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for an organism. Usually of plant, animal or fungal origin, food contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins or minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells to provide energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth. In ancient Rome grains, legumes, vegetables, eggs and cheeses were the basis of the diet, with fruit and honey for sweetness. Meat (mostly pork), and fish were used sparingly, and as the empire expanded beginning in the 3rd century BC, Romans welcomed new flavors – be it pepper from India or lemons from Persia. Roman food could be distinguished by its ingenious use of ingredients to create exciting dishes. A famous ingredient used by the ancient Romans was garum, still a mysterious liquid that can’t be fully replicated today. According to Pliny the Elder, garum was produced from fish intestines fermented with salt and possibly with some other ingredients to create a sort of liquor. The garum could be fermented in different grades. The more flavored and noble in aspect, the better. Garum was such a well-loved ingredient that even poets and writers praised it in their various works. We look forward to reading about what astonishing meals and desserts have caused you to sing their praises in verse in our Food Forum. #food #dessert #meals #rome #plinytheelder #ancient #india #persia #garum

  • Activities

    The first known use of the word activity was in the 15th century and derives from the Middle English actyvete or "active life". Now, in the 15th century, people’s extracurricular activities were a bit different than today. The upper classes hunted, crowds would gather to watch knights participate in jousting tournaments with wooden lances, swords or maces and these tournaments would sometimes last for days. In the evenings people would play board games or cards. Webster defines activity as “the quality or state of being active”: “a process that an organism carries on or participates in by virtue of being alive”; specifically : an educational procedure designed to stimulate learning by firsthand experience. Here at AnyHigh.life, we define activity as anything that’s not consumable which sends the endorphins into overdrive and which you can do – legally - in public, either indoors or outdoors. We want to hear what activities really turn you on and while we don’t have a category specifically for jousting, we’re open for anything! #activity #games #indoor #outdoor #exercise #sex

  • Substances

    noun plural noun: a) a particular kind of matter with uniform properties b) the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists a which has a tangible, solid presence. c) physical material from which something is made or which has discrete existence. Our favorite description is "c" due to its "discrete existence". What's your favorite substance? Tell us about it in our "Substance" forum and/or it's subcategories. #substance #matter #existence #tangible #tripping

  • Feathered Fibs

    Since the focus of AnyHigh is joy, today we're providing the link to one of the most entertaining and hilarious concepts we've come across in a long time. Some of you may have already seen this or be familiar with "Birds Aren't Real", but even if you have it's worth a second look. More than a million people have become followers of www.birdsarentreal.com - a movement that claims the birds you think you see flying in the sky are actually government surveillance drones. Wonderfully, it's all pure satire. And it's guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. We raise a toast to "Birds Aren't Real" founder, Peter McIndoe for his creativity and enthusiasm! Watch the 60 Minutes report here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsgnrYog6W0 #birds #birdsarentreal #petermcindoe #funny #humor #satire #60minutes

  • Ode to the season

    Even though we're already into spring, this particular date always brings to mind a special poem that's been with us for as long as we can remember. We share it here with you all to celebrate today: Hur-ray, Hur-ray It's the first of May. Outdoor fucking Starts today. Cheers! #birds #bees #may #laborday #sex #nature #poem #poetry #beauty

  • A couple of quotes from William Claude Dunkenfield

    Better known as W.C. Fields and a character who in so many ways, speaks directly to the idea of decadence as a reward unto itself. Fields was a U.S. comedian, actor, juggler and writer whose comic persona was that of a hard-drinking egotist, who remained a sympathetic character despite his snarling contempt for dogs and children. In the early 1900s, while touring as a headliner in North America, Europe, Australia and South Africa, he was billed as “the world’s greatest juggler.” He began his film career in silent movies in 1915 and easily made the transition to talkies in 1932. So today we offer to you a couple of quotes from the man who, in the early 20th century, was such a spirited proponent of spirits (the bottled kind) and looked at the world with a witty, sardonic twinkle in his eye! “I was in love with a beautiful blonde once. She drove me to drink. That’s the one thing I am indebted to her for.” (From the 1941 film "Never Give A Sucker An Even Break"). “Once, on a trek through Afghanistan, we lost our corkscrew…and were forced to live on food and water for several days!” (From the 1940 film "My Little Chickadee") "Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite. And furthermore, always carry a small snake." #WCFields #comedy #films #alcohol #gin #drinking #decadence

  • Decadence....is it's own reward

    Though it often gets a bad rap (think self-indulgence or moral decay), we prefer to look at it in a more positive sense. Something luxurious or plentiful or an extraordinary feeling we get from consuming or experiencing something, well, extraordinary. Like...... A ride in an extraordinary automobile: A bottle of uniquely delicious wine: A sampling of chocolate truffles: A plate of Poutine from Canada: A fine bottle of rare spirits: Conquering that seemingly unconquer-able obstacle: Tell us about some decadently amazing experiences that you've had. #mteverest #chocolate #wine #sex #bugatti #divo #car #slodown #food #liquor #crownroyal #xr #whiskey #poutine #canada #truffles

  • It doesn't get much better than.......

    .....sinking that putt..... ....going over that fence..... ....making that play...... ....taking that wicket..... .....scoring that goal..... .....slamming that dunk...... ....making that winning play..... We want to hear what makes you celebrate like this! #caddyshack #tigerwoods #golf #baseball #football #soccer #basketball #blakegriffen #hockey #sports #cricket #happy #happiness

  • You Can Buy Happiness

    Well, sort of, but not in the way you might think. Today, in our ongoing search for happiness, we share an interesting Ted Talk by Michael Norton, a social science researcher with the Harvard Business School in which he discusses how money might actually be able to equate to happiness... https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_norton_how_to_buy_happiness #happiness #harvard #tedtalk #science #money #harvardbusinessschool

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