Altered or Varied States of Conciousness:
How Some Mental Illness and Psychoactive Drug Use Play a Role in Unconventional Observances of the Preternatural, Etc.


I will warn everyone now that this is pretty much going to be a giant wall of text. Since it is sort of advanced, this topic may not be the one for you if you are easily distracted.

This philosophical debate topic is largely about altered states of conciousness and how they relate to our observances of the preternatural.
It will eventually delve into religious uses of psychoactive drugs, effects of certain mental illnesses and similar symptoms as those particular psychoactive drugs, whether or not specific religious drug use is a reliable, acceptable, or moral method to observe the preternatural.
I intend to eventually steer the conversation towards whether or not those with mental illnesses with symptoms similar to those recreationally or religiously using these psychoactive drugs should or should not seek therapy if the symptoms are not too severe or interfere too greatly with maintaining a normal life; whether or not such a mental illness is or should be desireable among those in religious communities that ceremonially use psychoactive drugs to experience the preternatural or the divine, and if so, then is such a state a "natural" one.
But right now my anxiety and being awake at 4am have produced a terrible brain fog, so I'm going to finish watching a DVD and edit this post tomorrow. Feel free to begin without me.