/lit/ - Literature

I don't get it
Can you have all the mentioned without reading any of the mentioned books? If so, then the books ironically aren't the fix

>>13921656
It's because the past fifty years of culture have shifted away from people viewing themselves as citizens of a state to consumers of culture. The "just be yourself" sentiments that had their roots in the 60s freelove era have corrupted two whole generations of people--soon to be more--into thinking that any attempt to grow up, either internal or external, is a sign of cultural oppression and not personal growth. So they have chosen to hide in a wide, though ultimately unfulfilling, world of mindless pap and entertainment. Because to grow up is to assume responsibility for oneself and his neighbor; these people don't want that. They are terrified of having to move on from the warm cribs of their childhoods. And now more than ever, our culture emphasizes and encourages the consumption of fleeting pleasure. Permanence is horrifying to these people. True permanence, that is. Why do you think they read fantasy novels and watch capeshit? It's because, no matter what, the hero always comes back. There is no true loss. There is no true risk. Everything in predictable and assured.

This isn't a new phenomenon, but it's certainly more widespread than it's ever been, mainly thanks to mass media. Fahrenheit 451 deals with it pretty well, for science fiction novel. If you're looking for non-fiction, I'd suggest Meditations by Aurelius, and maybe On the Shortness of Life by Seneca. Both of those deal with how to live well and not succumb to indulgence and slow rot.

Psychedelics are simply a catalyst for thought; whatever kind of mentation is going on in your head will get amplified and magnified depending on the dose. The perceived time dilation is your mind 'speeding up', so to speak. The typical high-dose 'spiritual experience' happens when your mental activity gets amplified to such a degree that you literally 'run out of thoughts to think'. This usually yields one of two results; either you become afraid and get stuck in a hellish 'thought loop', or you accept your newfound lack-of-thought and become enamored with the silence, typically accompanied by much crying or great laughter