Getting High on Religion

There's a fascinating article on pot in last week's New York magazine. I only tried a joint once, and I didn't inhale, so I'm no expert, but the article made me think about getting high.

Seems to me there's a variety of "highs":

Runners High

I assume this applies to swimmers, cyclists and climbers too - the rush of endorphins creates a real high. I've never experienced this, when I run all I get is nauseous.

Sexual High

Again probably due to endorphins or some similar chemical. Errm, I guess as a married man with kids it would not be inapropriate to admit that I have experienced this. All with the correct kavanahs of course.

Drug Induced High

Never felt this unfortunately, but I hear it's gooooood.

Art Induced High

Mabe this doesn't qualify as a high - but some people can get very moved by music, or I guess even a book, a painting or a movie. Personally I think some good music can certainly enhance the high of a situation, but it's rare (at least for me) that music by itself can induce a high. Unless it's the thrill of discovering some new song, like wot happened to me last week when I chanced upon Me & Bobby McGee.

Religious High

Then of course there's the religious high. Mystics feel this most intensly, and there are some interesting personal accounts around, mostly from kabalists and the like. Were these people on drugs? Or was it a genuine spiritual high? (Same question could be asked about the Neviim). I personally have felt a spiritual high, so I can see how its possible.

Is there any difference between these highs? Are they all just chemical states in the brain? Seems probable that chemicals have something (or more probably everything) to do with it, as one can easily induce religious type experiences with various drugs.

But the real spiritual high (I think) isn't just a great feeling, a religious orgasm. I think a real spiritual high is a feeling of oneness with the world, a feeling of morality, of altrusim, of joy, of awe, of all good things.

Can certain types of drugs induce similar feelings? I'm not so sure. Yes, some drugs make you feel very connected, but then you don't actually go and do anything about it. Rather you just sit around in a daze feeling all connected with everyone (or so I've read). Only the religious high seems to motivate someone to actually go do good deeds.

Were the ancients experts at inducing highs? Was religion just a way of tapping into some higher consciousness, without a lot of tedious messing around with bongs? Could be. But it seems to me that they were onto something, and skeptics are missing out here.

Can a skeptic reach a religious or spiritual high? I hope so. My Rabbi says that the Modern Orthodox are spiritually stunted, and I agree. I don't see a lot of highs in shul. And of course there are some advantages of keeping cool and level headed at all times. But surely a high once in a while would be good, especially if it motivates you to do good things.

I want the high!