Is coffee bad for spiritual experiences

[gus]

Hi
I am new at the forum and still have a lot of material to read in the lessons and in the forum; however I have a question that bugs me a little bit. I drink 2-3 coffees per day and sometimes seems hard to quit; so I wonder, is it bad in order to have spiritual experiences?; I have heard/read so but no explanation; the logic tells me it has to do with the nervous system; but what exactly does it do to the nervous system?

thanks
Gus

[blujett8]

hey there gus & welcome to the forum[]

I'm not sure if your question will be totally answered, but check here for a pretty cool discussion on caffeine

http://www.aypsite.com/plus-forum/index.php?topic=775

peace
heather

[Richard]

HI Gus, Welcome to the forum


Its good to hear you are reading the lessons, don't forget to self pace with the practices.

2-3 coffees a day doesn't seem too bad to me. What we say at AYP is listen to your body. As you go on with your practices your body will start to tell you what is right and what is wrong for you.

Read more information about the effects of coffee and tea in this  thread.

Coffee


Hope this gives you the information you are looking for

All the best  Richard

[Neesha]

quote:Originally posted by gus

 is it bad in order to have spiritual experiences?; I have heard/read so but no explanation; the logic tells me it has to do with the nervous system; but what exactly does it do to the nervous system

Yes coffee is bad for spiritual experiences....I used to be a coffee freak.............

I have successfully resisted for only a 1yr an plus

The chemicals affect the electrical synapses in your brain
Spirituality wakes up alot of electricals signals in your brain
and coffee reaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllly interferes

this is from my personal experiences

I'll explain later o.k

Namaste

[blujett8]

neesha, I look forward to hearing about these experiences.....

[Neesha]

quote:Originally posted by blujett8

neesha, I look forward to hearing about these experiences.....

Ok great where would like to start....

1.Coffee=sex syndrome
2.Coffee freak and smoker
3.Coffee with cream
4.Coffee
5.Coffee with sugar
6.Purification,hypersensitivity,meditation and coffee
7.Coffee a psychological thing with humans
8.Coffee and yoga
9.Coffee simulated brands
10.Can I live without coffee after 2years......gosh my body has trained itself to get all worked up for a cup of coffee and I thought was just my mind alone.

So sweetie make a pick.....lets leave my experience in the hospital as a result of coffee for the last o.k

[gus]

thanks everybody for the answers and links.
It seems the opinions are 50-50; so still doubtful[xx(]; in any case; I will try for the 100th time to quit coffee; specially because since taking it back (perhaps coincidence?)I have not been able to have the same feelings during my sadhanas, they have gone down the drain.

cheers

[Balance]

Caffeine is an addiction of mine. It's hard for me to say how much it may interfere with meditation because I have used it daily since I began meditating a couple of years ago. I have reached a level of depth that I drop into quite easily despite caffeine or other hindrances like time constraint, some sounds etc. I would gamble it's best not to use, but a few cups a day is probably okay for most people, I tend to overdo. I prefer yerba matte over coffee, seems clearer and less nerve racking.

[Victor]

Personally I take it or leave it depending on my mood. I suspect that the person who is addicted to coffeee would tend to become addicted to other things as well. My biggest weakness throughout my life has been sweets so about a two months ago I gave up sugar. So far feel better and lost some weight but now I wonder if it was that big a deal. I wish that instead of blaming a substance for being addictive and focusing on THAT, that there would be a trend to work on the addictive tendency within us and find a way you release that pattern.

[Balance]

Yes Victor, taking it or leaving it is a good sign of non-attachment. That's a good thing. Addictions are deep, but certainly can be overcome. It is good if little enjoyments can be put down at any time because silence and non-attachment to things predominates in one's life. I can say with joy that a couple of years ago I began to let go of attachment to a list of things and continue to do so. Among them these past couple of years are tobacco, sugar, unhealthy food, alcohol, a few narcotics, uncontrollable rage and depression I still have passing cravings from time to time. There are underlying addictions to how I know and perceive myself that have been eroding away which make it possible for me to shift away from the exterior habits. The "need" for caffeine for me is I think tied to a much more devastating addiction I once had to a certain substance. I trust I will one day be able to put it down. I'm also turning the tide in sexual addiction and many other subtle addictions of perception. It's all an evolution toward simplicity and peace. 'Til then, tea cup up with cheers!
-Alan

[Balance]

I'm sorry if my case seems a little extreme to the original question posed here about a couple of cups, but I am glad the subject was brought up. I have had years of serious addiction to substances, and they are all gone now (though something in me has to knock on wood ) The only one left is caffeine. I've been hanging on to caffeine (mega-doses) for some time now. I know it interferes with inner silence. Perhaps it is time to give this one a kick. Maybe the "chattering ego one" has boiled all the substance distractions down to this one. "I" am afraid a little to let this one go. I know the come-down and recovery only last a few days compared to months, or even years of the grip of some of the old addictions because I was short of funds enough recently that I couldn't afford my caffeine fix and had to come down for a few days. It was actually a relief, very nice, and "I" "should" have stayed with it Just wasn't ready. Well, I'm in the serious review stage on this one. Thanks for listening I never did go to AA or NA, so here's my introduction to CA: "Hi, my name is Alan, and I am a caffeine addict."

[Dedroidify]

Hello, I use the 8 Circuit Model of Tim Leary to navigate through consciousness.
Caffeine is located at the 3rd Circuit which is semantical, logical, conceptual.
As what you want to do in spiritual practice among other things of course, is open way to the higher circuits (5-8). So I would advice cutting down or quitting. My 2 cents.

This might be of interest to a lot of people
http://www.paratheatrical.com/pages/talkingraven/INTOXICATION.html

Oh and let me add too that when I switched from soda (cola, which holds caffeine too) to water, I started feeling a lot better and less nervous and jittery etc.

[Balance]

That's interesting, Dedroidify. Thanks for the information.

I've started my caffeine wind down. Cold turkey can be an entertaining experience, but gradual is fewer headaches

Peace
Alan

[AYPforum]

Moderator note: Topic moved for better placement

[AYPadmin]

layala
USA
1 Posts

 Posted - Apr 09 2019 :  7:40:12 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Reply  Reply with Quote  View user's IP address  Get a Link to this Reply  Delete Reply
I am new to this forum, I am hopping that someone will shine the light on what makes coffee worse than other caffeinated drinks and teas? if it is the caffeine, than the highly recommended tea for spirituals such as Yerba Mate for example. it has lots of caffeine yet spirituals recommend it so highly!

Any ideas? I had to give up coffee and still don't understand why, coffee also comes from a natural plant just like Yerba Mate does yet one is bad and the other is good

any insight will help
thanks
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1486 Posts

 Posted - Apr 11 2019 :  4:09:20 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Reply  Reply with Quote  View user's IP address  Get a Link to this Reply  Delete Reply
Hi layala, welcome to the AYP forum.

I don't know the concentration of caffeine in the caffeinated drinks you have, and in what quantity you have them, so I can only come up with a hypothesis that the intake of caffeine from a coffee is simply bigger than from any other drinks. The quantity of stimulant substance in tea is only a fraction of that in coffee.

I don't know what you mean by 'spirituals', but the rule of thumb is to listen to your body and avoid foods and drinks with unpleasant effects. If I may give my own example, I am not able to drink even teas that contain stimulants. I feel their effect, I don't like it, so I avoid them. (Some years ago I started carrying sachets of Rooibos tea in my handbag, so that I don't refuse people when they offer a cup of tea; and for hydration too, to be fair).

This might not be what you expected but I hope it helps.
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Blanche
USA
555 Posts

 Posted - Apr 12 2019 :  06:12:51 AM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Visit Blanche's Homepage  Edit Reply  Reply with Quote  View user's IP address  Get a Link to this Reply  Delete Reply
Hi Layala,

Caffeine is a stimulant, and it interferes with the ability of the nervous system to go to silence. That means that drinking coffee or caffeinated teas will slow down the effects of deep meditation. Some people are able to easily drop habits that do not serve them and never look back. For the rest of us, as we continue with deep meditation and other spiritual practices, the nervous system is gradually purified, and it time we get to a place where we naturally tend toward a healthier diet, including less-to-no-caffeine.

Obsessing over coffee is not helpful. It is better to put our energy toward spiritual practices and serving others, and let the path unfold by itself.