What is the difference between states of consciousness caused by drugs and meditation?
A. It is a fact that drug-induced experience totally deprives one of any control- one is helplessly tossed about by the emotions. Meditation, however, is a creative process, which converts the chaos of uncontrolled feelings, thoughts and volitions into a centre of integrated psychic faculties in the depth of consciousness. Moreover, the deleterious effects of drugs, physiologically and psychologically, result in deterioration of mental powers. Meditation is impossible unless you are ready for an expansion of consciousness, and not every person is ready. Drugs, however, can take one to an experience for which he is not ready. The experience depends on the contents of the individual mind. The same drug may give one person a wonderful new experience, and another a very frightening experience which overwhelms him. Yoga is the safe and sure method of attaining mystical experiences, for it initially cleans out and remoulds the whole mind and the personality. It is based on the rich experienc
