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That part about controlling the body of a monkey compels me to add a related comment. Changing my diet (and by that I mean what I consume and put into my body

That part about controlling the body of a monkey compels me to add a related comment. Changing my diet (and by that I mean what I consume and put into my body as a lifestyle, not some temporary change in nutrtion) and ultimately altering my microbiome through my diet and lifestyle changes has given me greater insight into how little control over the most basic decision making processes I really ever had or have. There is no doubt that being host to microorganisms blurs the line of “me” and free will, from conscious thoughts to involuntary biological reactions, I don’t think any of us are independent beings free or separate and apart from microorganisms living within us that we play host to, they want to live and create an environment they can thrive in as much as we think we do. From the ancient tradition of fasting (including our better understanding of the biological changes that occur), to the author’s Ayahuasca experience (reference to the specific foods the author was instructed to abstain from leading up to the experience), it is interesting but not surprising there is a common denominator of manipulating our microbiome. If you want a better perspective on life and oneself, you don’t need to travel to Peru and take Ayahuasca, though I don’t discourage that, but try starting with your diet and lifestyle.

kaybe 5y ago
Can you elaborate on what you experienced?
- throwaway_kufu 5y ago
  Everything from improved immune system, improved vision (color perception), but mentally there was a lot. The crazy things are difficult if not impossible for me to reduce to words. Where I always had a “sweet tooth” and cravings for various foods, those would completely disappear, but it was more than that, it went from my favorite foods I consciously abstained from to those very foods being viewed as poison. So I’m not just talking about a lack of cravings, but mentally the same way I may have once had strong cravings or looked forward to cheat days/meals my mindset changed where it would have become unfathomable how I could have even eaten those things much less viewed them as special treats or rewards. My sensory experience of taste/flavors changed, so even though I never disliked a kale salad with oil/vinegar, salt/pepper, something like that became more delicious and apprising than my prior favorite foods. Physically if I were to eat a previous “favorite foods” I wouldn’t even care for it taste wise the way I once did (plus depending on the food itself I might actually get sick and be unable to hold it down). There are noticeable improvements to my energy levels, breathing, skin, hair, and nails. Finally, as a runner the differences are night and day, from the run itself being easy, to recovery being improved, to being able to forgo water/electrolytes/gels on some pretty long runs. But this is where I have also had experiences I call spiritual, might just fall in the spectrum of runners high, but I never had them otherwise and now I seek them out sort of like a drug. It’s everything from out of body experiences, feelings of enlightenment/nirvana, to connection with something beyond me if not a connection with everything or what the great poets write about when writing of love (not at all unlike the author’a discussion of God and love). I’m not suggesting any of it is real or some attainable state of being if you just do what I did, but I experience them just as much as I used to experience cravings for a given food, think I enjoy a given food or battled what I thought was my own desire for a given food. Fasting isn’t a personal favorite of mine, but I’ve dabbled, and when I say dabbled I’d do a 48-72 hour fast per week. My longest was a 5 day fast, I was working 8-10 hour days in law, I ran 7.5 miles everyday and found them pretty easy (granted I’m slow and not setting any records). I think most of the benefits people subjectively describe with fasting I achieve through my own methods, there may even be a term for it but it slips my mind, but essentially a continuous state of long term caloric deficit combined with the specific foods I consume and avoid. The body adjusts so by no means is it like I’m losing weight or wasting away, I think the body compensates with increased HGH and testosterone which is seen in fasting.
  - kaybe 5y ago
    Thank you for the long explanation! So I gather you reduced sugar and increased vegetable intake?
    - throwaway_kufu 5y ago
      I had been eating paleo, so it’s fair to say I reduced sugar at that point. Minimizing sugar intake insulin spikes was probably the best step I could personally take, but none of the mental changes came from that. Then I incorporated kale, spinach and upped my broccoli intake (which was the sole vegetable I had really been eating). Also consume some spirulina (Cyanobacteria). Becoming maybe 50% of my diet this would be where I noticed I was having improvements to my immune system, hair, nails, general inflammatory response (improved recovery from runs and no more soreness). Also when my tastebuds began to change and sweets lost their pleasantness. Finally I upped the fat, and began going into ketosis (I was trying to avoid saying this bc some people consider it a turn off/fad diet), in general this is where my mindset can change in terms of my thoughts and feelings toward what I put in my body. Though I only enter the wild mental states while running, certain keto friendly foods I have noticed block these experience in particular dairy (basically cheese as I didn’t really consume other dairy). Otherwise I haven’t experimented very much with pre or probiotics, and haven’t really incorporated much in the way of fermented foods.
      - kaybe 5y ago
        Again, thanks for answering! :)
pmoriarty 5y ago
I think there are probably at least a few PHD thesis that could be built around how psychedelics affect the microbiome and the so-called "gut-brain" (or "brain-gut") connection. I look forward to the day that such research shines a light on this possible connection.

kaybe 5y ago

Can you elaborate on what you experienced?

throwaway_kufu 5y ago
Everything from improved immune system, improved vision (color perception), but mentally there was a lot. The crazy things are difficult if not impossible for me to reduce to words. Where I always had a “sweet tooth” and cravings for various foods, those would completely disappear, but it was more than that, it went from my favorite foods I consciously abstained from to those very foods being viewed as poison. So I’m not just talking about a lack of cravings, but mentally the same way I may have once had strong cravings or looked forward to cheat days/meals my mindset changed where it would have become unfathomable how I could have even eaten those things much less viewed them as special treats or rewards. My sensory experience of taste/flavors changed, so even though I never disliked a kale salad with oil/vinegar, salt/pepper, something like that became more delicious and apprising than my prior favorite foods. Physically if I were to eat a previous “favorite foods” I wouldn’t even care for it taste wise the way I once did (plus depending on the food itself I might actually get sick and be unable to hold it down). There are noticeable improvements to my energy levels, breathing, skin, hair, and nails. Finally, as a runner the differences are night and day, from the run itself being easy, to recovery being improved, to being able to forgo water/electrolytes/gels on some pretty long runs. But this is where I have also had experiences I call spiritual, might just fall in the spectrum of runners high, but I never had them otherwise and now I seek them out sort of like a drug. It’s everything from out of body experiences, feelings of enlightenment/nirvana, to connection with something beyond me if not a connection with everything or what the great poets write about when writing of love (not at all unlike the author’a discussion of God and love). I’m not suggesting any of it is real or some attainable state of being if you just do what I did, but I experience them just as much as I used to experience cravings for a given food, think I enjoy a given food or battled what I thought was my own desire for a given food. Fasting isn’t a personal favorite of mine, but I’ve dabbled, and when I say dabbled I’d do a 48-72 hour fast per week. My longest was a 5 day fast, I was working 8-10 hour days in law, I ran 7.5 miles everyday and found them pretty easy (granted I’m slow and not setting any records). I think most of the benefits people subjectively describe with fasting I achieve through my own methods, there may even be a term for it but it slips my mind, but essentially a continuous state of long term caloric deficit combined with the specific foods I consume and avoid. The body adjusts so by no means is it like I’m losing weight or wasting away, I think the body compensates with increased HGH and testosterone which is seen in fasting.
- kaybe 5y ago
  Thank you for the long explanation! So I gather you reduced sugar and increased vegetable intake?
  - throwaway_kufu 5y ago
    I had been eating paleo, so it’s fair to say I reduced sugar at that point. Minimizing sugar intake insulin spikes was probably the best step I could personally take, but none of the mental changes came from that. Then I incorporated kale, spinach and upped my broccoli intake (which was the sole vegetable I had really been eating). Also consume some spirulina (Cyanobacteria). Becoming maybe 50% of my diet this would be where I noticed I was having improvements to my immune system, hair, nails, general inflammatory response (improved recovery from runs and no more soreness). Also when my tastebuds began to change and sweets lost their pleasantness. Finally I upped the fat, and began going into ketosis (I was trying to avoid saying this bc some people consider it a turn off/fad diet), in general this is where my mindset can change in terms of my thoughts and feelings toward what I put in my body. Though I only enter the wild mental states while running, certain keto friendly foods I have noticed block these experience in particular dairy (basically cheese as I didn’t really consume other dairy). Otherwise I haven’t experimented very much with pre or probiotics, and haven’t really incorporated much in the way of fermented foods.
    - kaybe 5y ago
      Again, thanks for answering! :)

pmoriarty 5y ago

I think there are probably at least a few PHD thesis that could be built around how psychedelics affect the microbiome and the so-called "gut-brain" (or "brain-gut") connection. I look forward to the day that such research shines a light on this possible connection.