Lighting the Pineal Gland
Sleep Deprivation, Caffeine, Bodywork (Tai Chi), Breathing, Cannabis & Sound (Binaural Beats)
Citation:   Eudemon. "Lighting the Pineal Gland: An Experience with Sleep Deprivation, Caffeine, Bodywork (Tai Chi), Breathing, Cannabis & Sound (Binaural Beats) (exp64283)". Erowid.org. Sep 3, 2008. erowid.org/exp/64283

 
DOSE:
1 glass oral Caffeine (liquid)
  3 hits smoked Cannabis (plant material)
BODY WEIGHT: 150 lb
The first ingredient was sleep deprivation. An extended graduation party on a small school-sponsored Cruise forced me to stay up past 3 am. Total waking time: 23 hours. It was about 4 am when the Vault hit me. The caffeine slammed my nervous system into high gear, but I took this new energy firing from synapse to synapse slowly, easily. About fifteen minutes of steady, rhythmical breathing. In. . .and out. In. . .and out. My tai-chi movements were graceful yet exhilarating. My heart pounded fully yet gently as my whole energy system was filled with fresh new, gratifying Chi. I thought to myself 'Now, I am awake.'

Brimming with wakefulness that far exceeded the handiwork of a simple cup of coffee, or even a full night's sleep, you could here the pop of the airtight container of Cannabis. The pungent aroma reached deep into my brain, tingling my senses and invited me to smoke. I packed my new glass bowl. It had come from the local deli market. The man at the register would sell alcohol to minors any day of the week. He was a foreigner. Chinese I think. My youth didn't seem to bother him when I pointed out the deep blue, red, and orange-stripped glass piece that sat behind the counter. Cash is all that matters.

I inhaled deeply and sensually. The thick smoke that saturated my lungs felt warm and cozy. Exhale. I took two more, already extra-aware as is typical when smoking high-grade reefer. As high as I wanted to be, I sat the pipe down and began breathing deeply. Again, replenishing my Chi, but now meaning so much more. With each breath my ears changed pressure and the empty space around me felt thicker, more tangible. Slowly moving my hand through the air, I could feel the Chi, quite dense, almost solid. It was amazed me. Still breathing, deeper and more pronounced than usual, I felt a crystal-clear beam of light switch on. Beaming in every direction, a sphere of light pulsed rhythmically from my pituitary gland. Without nerves in my brain, how could I possibly be feeling this? It seemed, like the Chi, it was a non-physical sensation, just like emotion, I could sense its activity. I continued breathing. In. . .and out. In. . .and out.

'Oh My God.' The fabric of reality as I knew it began to ripple from the center of my head, outwards. The high, it was. . . being breathed away. With each breath I took, the distinct marijuana-like effects were vaporizing. The feeling of the drug was being lifted from my awareness like a curtain. As the curtains were pulled up, they spun into tiny cylinders. They were sleek and slender, and then they began to shrink. Every last trace of the drug was leaving my mental body, dissolving into microscopic points, and then. . .Nothing. The high was transcended.

I sat for a few moments, unsure of what to do with this new part of myself being stimulated. The point in my head was still glowing brilliant and bright. Everything seemed clear. My world was at this moment, illuminated. Enlightened.

Unsure of what to do, I decided to grab my Ipod. I had recently copied a large selection of BrainWave presets from my computer. They specialize in a field of study in which individuals listen to Binaural Beats. According to the literature, two tones of varying frequency, for example 15hz and 10hz, are played in either ear. When each hemisphere communicates its auditory signal to the other hemisphere, the result is a difference of the two tones, creating 5hz in the center of the brain. This third tone, because it is created by the brain, will bring the users predominant brainwaves into sync with it.

I chose the preset named: The Awakened Mind. This is a built-in set of tones that come free with the program. It attempts to induce a brain state containing proportions of beta, alpha, theta, and delta brain waves. This state is often described as being beyond normal meditative states, being characteristic to advanced meditators who attain higher levels of enlightenment in their practice. For fear of losing my current mindset of light, I decided to give my brain a benchmark, if you will, on which it may synchronize and rest on.

I sat for fifteen minutes with my sound-proof headphones. Something odd was happening. I could feel the vibration inside of my brain. The billions of neurons firing in synchronization, I could literally feel the waves rippling in my grey matter. Then I heard new tones. They were faint at first, but quickly grew clearer. Yes, as I listened to my brainwaves, undulating, a 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'-like series of tones was expressing itself. High, Low, Medium, High, Low etc. I listened harder and harder and suddenly static. I heard clearly, a radio tuned into static.

I was confused at first. Was there a radio on in my room? No, I don't own one. The neighbors? No, their all deeply asleep.

'Jesus Christ. It's coming from inside of my brain' I thought. 'This is impossible.'

I got up and checked the room. I removed the headphones to be greeted by a strange wobbling sound coming from my head as well. The static was gone, now just a wobbling. Definitely not a radio. I put my headphones back on, and wow! Clear as day, a radio crackled in and out of stations. I could here voices, it sounded like commercials. Music as well. I sat and listened for a while, not knowing what to make of it. So I let go. The stations seemed to jump, indiscriminately from one thought to the next. The constant stream of thoughts, words, abstract concepts, it was all there. Was this the birthplace of thought in the human mind?

I heard my father yelling at me, words of discouragement, then disgust. The way I truly felt my father thought of me. Crackling in and out the painful thoughts and memories of an emotionally battered child came snarling back. I chose a different station. Something lighter. A symphony perhaps! I had always enjoyed listening to violins. So they played, by the hundreds.

'My God, this is all in my head!' A wave of satisfaction washed over me. I was the proud owner of a human beings' most valuable asset, The Mind. I listened for a while, until my ears hurt from the weight of the heavy Vic Firth headphones. Once again, I was greeted by a peculiar wavering sound that wobbled its way around my eardrums. With the headphones off, I considered the experience:

By using breath, I was able to transcend the marijuana high to the point where I was no longer intoxicated. I however, still had full usage over the marijuana-like effects that the plant awakens. More intense sensation, the thickening sense of Chi and above all else, an activated (illuminated) pineal gland. I had somehow transformed the normal perception of my thoughts into a radio-like dial that could be tuned by choice.

I have officially reached a new plateau in marijuana smoking. The experience has become somewhat transformative as I no longer smoke to have fun. But will be smoking now in order to keep my senses geared up for these experiences without the drug. The most important gains from this experience include an appreciation for breathing. Its ability to transform consciousness and sustain ones vital force, or Chi. And finally, the absolute importance of the Pineal gland. The Pineal gland, called 'The Seat of the Soul' by Descartes, is the psychic gland in the human brain. It is with this that the mind's eye sees and psychic experiences are delivered. The Pineal gland releases DMT during birth, death, and deep meditation where peak experiences are encountered. It is my firm belief that with Marijuana, I can train myself to awaken the pineal gland, bringing more light into it, thus awakening and expanding my consciousness.

Exp Year: 2007ExpID: 64283
Gender: Male 
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Sep 3, 2008Views: 15,449
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Cannabis (1), Breathing (470) : Combinations (3), Mystical Experiences (9), Alone (16)

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