Meditation and psychedelics

A lot of people who practice meditation have also taken psychedelics. The overlap is striking because the two are so different.

You’re always in control with meditation—you sit down and close your eyes and open them whenever you wish. With psychedelics, you get on the bus and take the ride and hope for the best.

In spite of the differences, both methods offer a door to the inner life. Here’s where the similarities emerge.

We know that both reduce activity in the brain’s “default mode network.” This may account for the experience of inner peace that occurs when the background noise in your head shuts off. Whatever is happening in the nervous system, the effect is huge. It’s like stepping out of chaos into a clean, quiet, and empty space.

The space that appears is like a commons, a park or nature sanctuary in the middle of a busy city, set aside for use by one and all. People who meditate or take psychedelics discover this commons and hang out there together.

It’s not just for us, though. It’s always there, always available to every human. It’s our neurological birthright.