cigarettes as mind altering drug

[Guest guest]

I wonder WHY we have dopamine deficiency to begin with? Is it that we are

"genetically pre-disposed" (which I interpret as karma from our previous

lives) to allow us to work out our Divine Plans, however unpleasant the

experience in this lifetime may be? And by meddling in this plan with mind

altering drugs are we, inadvertantly (or through Avidya) incurring more

karmic baggage to be worked out in worse ways in future lives?

 

I have to believe that there was a reason God created suffering! But I have

very little capacity to understand why!

 

Prakash

 

 

watersmoon [watersmoon]

Friday, May 25, 2001 12:27 AM

gjlist

Re: [gjlist] cigarettes as mind altering drug

 

 

 

 

>"I also don't believe people can get "high" on cigarettes as tobacco is

>not a mind-altering drug..."

 

 

Dear Wendy,

 

Actually, nicotine is shown to initiate the release of dopamine in the

brain, much like other substances of abuse, like cocaine, would. One who is

genetically predisposed to having a dopamine deficit, would most likely

find the 'high' that nicotine provides, as dopamine is released in the

brain, to be a version of self medication. Problem is, that it's a vicious

cycle, because for someone with a deficit to begin with, releasing dopamine

through substances only leads to further depletion.Thus the addiction! No

wonder.

 

If interested, here's a link that might be of interest:

http://www.sfn.org/briefings/nicotine.html

 

Namaste'

 

 

 

 

gjlist-

 

 

 

Your use of is subject to

[Guest guest]

Om Amrtesvaryai Namah!!

 

Namaste dear ones!!!

 

i see that our letters re GLA and the Ayanamsha have got some interest

going further...i appreciate what both Wendy and Patrice have to say..

and support Wendy's experiment fully...

 

however, dear sister Wendy, when it comes to this statement:

 

"I also don't believe people can get "high" on cigarettes as tobacco

is not a mind-altering drug..."

 

as a non cigarette smoker who has occasionally in the past (not for a

long time though!) smoked some tobacco, i would seriously beg to

differ with you over the issue of "mind-altering"...if you are a

smoker i would suggest to try to go without for a few days, and see

just how altered your mind can GET!!!!

 

as well, to the novice...even one cigarette will get you so high, AND

nauseous, that i don't see how you can even say what you did about

it!!

 

Also you could ask any South American or North American Shaman about

tobacco, which to them is a sacred Herb...and you would find that it

alters the mind...some of the South American Shamans drink a kind of

tobacco water to appease their spirit guides and friends...they say

that the spirits live on the tobacco water...and that without the

tobacco water the spirits will leave...does this sound like a

non-mind-altering drug??? and why do people smoke anyways???There must

be SOME reward!!! Even if the high is not as marked as with other

so-called drugs...still it is there, only the addict being used to it,

and his/her body having biochemically attempted to compensate for it

over the years, will not notice the high...even though that is WHY

s/he is really smoking...if it didn't make you feel good, you

wouldn't do it!!!

 

In the Mother's Love

and in Her Service

 

as ever,

Your own self

 

visvanathan

 

Om Amrtesvaryai Namah!!

[Guest guest]

>"I also don't believe people can get "high" on cigarettes as tobacco is

>not a mind-altering drug..."

 

 

Dear Wendy,

 

Actually, nicotine is shown to initiate the release of dopamine in the

brain, much like other substances of abuse, like cocaine, would. One who is

genetically predisposed to having a dopamine deficit, would most likely

find the 'high' that nicotine provides, as dopamine is released in the

brain, to be a version of self medication. Problem is, that it's a vicious

cycle, because for someone with a deficit to begin with, releasing dopamine

through substances only leads to further depletion.Thus the addiction! No

wonder.

 

If interested, here's a link that might be of interest:

http://www.sfn.org/briefings/nicotine.html

 

Namaste'

 

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

 

I think there's some confusion regarding the function of receptors, the

comfort of dopamine, and the bliss of endorphins. It's a vast subject

comprehendible to a neurologist perhaps, but certainly not to a lay person

such as myself. However (basically) the feel-good dopamine receptors are

activated in some when they eat so-called "comfort foods". When a baby sucks

a dummy the same chemical reaction takes place in the brain, or when one

takes a walk on a lonely beach, etc...and as you're saying, when someone

smokes a cigarette. Even the ANTICIPATION of these things can produce the

same chemical reaction in the brain.

 

However the "comfort" of dopamine is not the same as the intoxicating "high"

of endorphin...it's a different chemical effect, a different neuro pathway.

A yogi gets high on meditation, while some choose to get high on

intoxicants. It doesn't matter how many comfort (dopamine) producing foods

you eat, soft music you listen to, or cigarettes you smoke, you're not going

to get drunk with intoxication.

 

We've all heard the stories of great mahatmas who were in a state of "bliss"

for long periods of time, etc...

 

So when I say that tobacco is not an intoxicating substance, I'm

differentiating between the comfort of dopamine and the bliss of endorphin.

 

This is my lay-person understanding and I'm sure someone knowledgeable about

neuro receptors will find my understanding very primitive...as I said, it's

a very complex subject.

 

Regards

Wendy

 

YOU WROTE:

==========

>"I also don't believe people can get "high" on cigarettes as tobacco is

>not a mind-altering drug..."

 

Dear Wendy,

 

Actually, nicotine is shown to initiate the release of dopamine in the

brain, much like other substances of abuse, like cocaine, would. One who is

genetically predisposed to having a dopamine deficit, would most likely

find the 'high' that nicotine provides, as dopamine is released in the

brain, to be a version of self medication. Problem is, that it's a vicious

cycle, because for someone with a deficit to begin with, releasing dopamine

through substances only leads to further depletion.Thus the addiction! No

wonder.

[Guest guest]

Further to this:

 

Most Mothers know how difficult it can be to wean their child off the dummy,

or off the bottle, or even away from their comfort blanket, or

teddy...whatever.

 

Nature is all wise, there's no doubt. For dogs and cats who must keep

themselves clean by licking, receive comfort from this (dopamine?)...nature

is wonderful! if it didn't please these animals to do it, they wouldn't.

I've seen cases however of poor dogs that are left alone all day while

everyone is away at work, who have resorted to licking their leg (or some

other part of anatomy) endlessly to comfort themselves. Some of these poor

animals damage themselves so severely that a limb has had to be amputated.

 

Wendy

 

 

Wendy Vasicek [wenvas]

Friday, May 25, 2001 10:48 AM

gjlist

RE: [gjlist] cigarettes as mind altering drug

 

 

Dear ,

 

I think there's some confusion regarding the function of receptors, the

comfort of dopamine, and the bliss of endorphins. It's a vast subject

comprehendible to a neurologist perhaps, but certainly not to a lay person

such as myself. However (basically) the feel-good dopamine receptors are

activated in some when they eat so-called "comfort foods". When a baby sucks

a dummy the same chemical reaction takes place in the brain, or when one

takes a walk on a lonely beach, etc...and as you're saying, when someone

smokes a cigarette. Even the ANTICIPATION of these things can produce the

same chemical reaction in the brain.

 

However the "comfort" of dopamine is not the same as the intoxicating "high"

of endorphin...it's a different chemical effect, a different neuro pathway.

A yogi gets high on meditation, while some choose to get high on

intoxicants. It doesn't matter how many comfort (dopamine) producing foods

you eat, soft music you listen to, or cigarettes you smoke, you're not going

to get drunk with intoxication.

 

We've all heard the stories of great mahatmas who were in a state of "bliss"

for long periods of time, etc...

 

So when I say that tobacco is not an intoxicating substance, I'm

differentiating between the comfort of dopamine and the bliss of endorphin.

 

This is my lay-person understanding and I'm sure someone knowledgeable about

neuro receptors will find my understanding very primitive...as I said, it's

a very complex subject.

 

Regards

Wendy