This is an interesting account of a woman who got into Hare Krishna but who has now moved away from it. She's still sympathetic to the religion, though.
I note that she was obviously no stranger to recreational drug taking before she got into it. I have a family member who is (last I heard) still in the religion, who came to it with some recreational drug experience (of a worrying degree, apparently. I don't know the full details, though.)
I guess this is of no great surprise: I tend to think anyone who tries anything more psychoactive than, say, marijuana, is showing signs of spiritual aimlessness which a strong communitarian religious practice like Hare Krishna is able to address. (Gee, I still don't like using the word "spiritual".)
Anyhow, one of the comments that follow the article is cruel, but funny:
I used to live over the back fence from a Hare Krisna house in Brisbane - 24 hour cycle chanting hare krisna, hare krisna, hare rama, rama rama etc. - so I got to know the words.
My take was it suited wimpy directionless people attracted to traditional conservative roles with an appearance of something special and different
can't remember if it was on through your blog that I read some link which showed that people who self identified as 'spiritual' have higher rates of mental illness than Christians or atheists. As a strong atheist, can;t say I'm surprised. I find 'spiritual' types more irritating somehow than people who are just conventionally religious.
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Yes, I read about that too, but didn't link to it. Like you, I would not be surprised if it turns out to be true.
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