posted October 04, 2012 09:42 AM            

I did a LOT of drinking within a span of maybe 4 years and it seemed that the more i drank, the more i wanted to drink.

I would go through periods where i'd detox and then get invited to a series of events (usually towards the end of the year) and i'd be offered a drink.. In a networking/social setting, i never wanted to be the odd one out because i think that even the people drinking get a little self-conscious about their drinking while around someone who isn't so, i'd break my streak and go for one and then mabybe another.

Before i knew it, i'd be drunk especially because my tolerance to it changed dramatically.

I haven't considered the spiritual impact of booze but i'd be interested to find out more about the relation..

I set up a mental note since the last time i cut it out altogether to keep a relative tolerance to booze so that i wouldn't be a disaster if i did have a drink out somewhere and it happened to hit me a bit harder than i might've expected.

posted October 04, 2012 05:47 PM            

But it's interesting how religions handle it. For example, I was raised behind the Pine Curtain (the East Texas Bible Belt) and several counties were "dry" which meant it was illegal to trade in alcohol (of course that worked as well as prohibiting pot, etc). Even in counties where alcohol stores were allowed to operate legally there were often a lot of restrictions placed on them, the least being they were closed when people were supposed to be in church (and I think most to all wouldn't even let them be open on Sunday at all). Some fundies even equated some to all drugs (including alcohol) with the sin of witchcraft. And I once visited a denomination that was supposed to have "wine" for the "blood of Christ" but it was actually a non-alcoholic juice.

Later I'd meet some Russian Orthodox who use wine in their rituals (blood of Christ) and drinking is just accepted (they think Americans are big babies about tobacco, too, and one grandmother even called up the Partnership for a Drug Free America and mocked them). After Pascha (Easter) a long, complicated fast (and all night standing, chanting, walking, ritual, etc) was followed by booze, and I at 17 (like a little boy who I believe was 10) was given both wine & vodka and we all got rip roaring drunk (so did the priest). And I told them then about life behind the Pine Curtain (they LOVED the expression "behind the Pine Curtain" btw) they said that was stupid, and one of the reasons one gave was, "Even Jesus turned water to wine!"

See also, the parallels between Dionysus & Jesus.

posted October 16, 2012 10:55 AM            

I am unclear about your question, but I will add a few takes on my dear friend Al~

Being a Pisces I suffer from divine discontent. My soul re-members this is not real, this is an illusion from where we came and where we go to when we return~

My soul re-members that we are spiritual beings having a human experience...

The easiest way for those of us who re-main unconcious is via altering our consciousness.

In altering our consiousness, we do not escape this 3d realm we are experiencing the human condition in, but we strive to be-come closer to source.

This, I believe, from experience and study is the reason that those of us who do "drink" do so...

And it is my opinion that those who drug do so are trying to re-member as well....

I am out there today, and I apoligize if I am not making sense...