setting for the spiritual work toward that promised in John “...that you love one

tt setting for the spiritual work toward that promised in John “...that you love one another; even as | have loved you, that you also love one another.” In contrast with what has been described in previous chapters as the entheogenic drug-induced transitions to a spiritual mind, one is tempted to describe these Fundamentalists’ states as the amphetamine religions. The Los Angeles Ram’s Hall of Fame defensive end, on very high doses of amphetamine (125 milligrams compared with the diet dose of 5 milligrams) taken four hours before the Sunday games, the Baptist minister, Deacon Jones, used his famous and consciousness annihilating head slap to daze the opposing offensive tackle in order to gain access to and injure the other team’s quarterback. Before taking the handful of Dexedrine spansuls, he would tell me, “See you on Tuesday.” Along with the Deacon’s destructive aggression was the other invariant feature of the actions of high doses of amphetamine, compulsive stereotypy, the fixity and driven repetition of over simplified actions and thoughts along with the loss of breadth of vision and adaptive flexibility. Deacon consistently rushed inside, took the inside lane, in spite of offensive linemen, who having studied previous game films, being set up to expect his route. They used this knowledge to take him out of the play. In modern theological parlance, judgmental rigidity and thinly veiled disapproval take the place of the more flexibly curious and lovingly humane feelings of the participants in the evolution in spiritual understanding of today’s /iberal Protestant process religions. These are the ones that believe that the properties of God evolve along with our biology, our brains and our growing scientific understanding of ourselves and the world. Angry splitting is not just a stimulant drug effect. Recall my experience of the sudden emergence of a first second wind after a mile or so of my daily ten miles of running. It was frequently accompanied by inner bursts of obsessive, paranoid thoughts. Taking five milligrams of amphetamine felt much like the first second wind. | am full of energy with arrogant feelings of power, mind fixated in grand and simple ideas that | believe to be absolute and correct. | feel irritably intolerant about anyone or anything different. It is my virtuous duty to set everyone straight. 146 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_013646