Peyote Information :: essays research papers fc

Just a Drug? Throughout our entire lives we have always been told that drugs are bad. They have terrible consequences on our bodies, and can cause us to do things that we wouldn’t normally consent to do in a sober state. Drugs can have adverse and varying effects on people, but no matter what the drug is we have been made to believe that its use is bad. What if a drug was more than just a way to escape reality, or to feel good? Peyote is a drug that has had more than just physical use and meaning to people for over 400 years. It is used as a spiritual catalyst by many Native Americans, and is believed by them to cause a direct psychic link to God. People around the country have varying views on peyote use, but who can say that it is bad? If the drug does have bad effects on the body, Native Americans have surely accepted that as a reasonable tradeoff for the spiritual journey peyote brings. So is peyote as a drug, or it’s use in Native American religion, bad?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to understand and base an opinion on a religion that is centralized around a drug, you must first understand the drug itself. Peyote is a small, round cactus that grows in the southern US and Mexico. Rather than spines or spikes, peyote has fuzzy tufts that stuck out from it’s edges. Only about an inch of the cactus is viewable above ground, with the majority of it being the deeply buried, carrot-like root structure. The small portion that is above ground is harvested, and is referred to as the peyote â€Å"button†. It is consumed either freshly cut, or dried, and has some extreme effects on the body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The effects of peyote are quite strong, and cause an array of feelings and emotional perceptions. According to www.xs4all.nl; â€Å"†¦ There is a feeling of strange intoxication and shifting consciousness with minor perceptual changes. There may also be strong physical effects, including respiratory pressure, muscle tension (especially face and neck muscles), and queasiness or possible nausea†¦ After this the state of altered consciousness begins to manifest itself†¦..among the possible occurences are feelings of inner tranquility, oneness with life, heightened awareness, and rapid thought flow†¦these effects will deepen and become more visual. Colors may become more intense. Halos and auras may appear about things. Objects