The Word of Wisdom

I want to talk about churchy things on Sundays. I want to talk about god.  Maybe we review gods or maybe we talk about idols. 

We could talk wellness, we could talk mental health, we could talk spirituality. All these are good Sunday topics to cover in this email.

Today I am starting fresh for this week and the next 3 months.  I hired this man in the UK to get my eating and lifestyle streamlined.  I did way too many drugs with way too little sleep in NYC and need to reset.  My body is telling me to live the some of the Word of Wisdom, which is the Mormon health code I followed my whole life until I was 38 and started socially drinking and recreational drugs.

The Word of Wisdom is just one religion’s health code.  There are so many religions and many of them have laws or suggestions for how to live a good life.  Mormonism did a great job early on to have some codes for living well, but then they stopped editing the and revising the code (which is exactly what we learned about yesterday from the book Nexus).  Now Utah is the sugar capital of the world. We start the largest franchises of sugary soda and cookies the world has ever seen. I can’t think of any religions that have a way to update their codes of health as science improves understanding of the human body. We need to turn to longevity experts and science for the latest understanding of food and substances.

I wanted to see what all the different health codes are in the world’s major religions, so AI helped me them all, then I asked how I might eat every day if I followed all of the religions. I have put that diet at the end of this email.

So are their benefits to using plant best medicine in religious practice? Yes, many have it as a ritual. I have put how religions use cannabis down as well a the end of this email.

I will document my journey here with all food and substances so you don’t have to do any hardcore diets or hardcore drugs yourself until I use myself as a guinea pig. If all the drugs were on a bingo card I have easily got a bingo, but going for blackout would be unnecessary and dangerous. Follow along as I report from the front lines.

Happy 420 Sunday

Scott X

Following every religious health code would give you an interesting, minimalistic, mostly plant-based diet, with restrictions on certain foods and substances. Here’s a breakdown of what your daily diet would look like if you adhered to the dietary rules and health codes from all the religions mentioned:

1. Plant-Based Foundation

• Since several religions encourage or mandate vegetarianism (Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Seventh-Day Adventism, and some interpretations of Rastafarianism), your meals would likely center around vegetables, grains, legumes, fruits, and nuts.

• Foods would ideally be fresh, unprocessed, and organic to align with Jain, Sikh, and Rastafarian principles of purity and avoidance of harm.

2. Protein Sources

• Legumes and Nuts: Beans, lentils, chickpeas, and nuts would be major protein sources. Eggs and dairy would depend on the branch of Hinduism or Buddhism (some allow, others restrict).

• Fish (if any): If you include fish, it would avoid shellfish to stay kosher and halal. However, if you followed Jainism strictly, you would avoid fish altogether.

• Limited Meat: Occasionally, small amounts of kosher and halal meat could be allowed, provided the animals were slaughtered according to specific guidelines. Some religions like Hinduism and Buddhism discourage meat, and Seventh-Day Adventism limits it. For the strictest observance, you’d probably avoid meat most of the time.

3. Cooking Guidelines

• Minimal or No Root Vegetables: Jainism avoids root vegetables like onions, garlic, and potatoes to prevent killing the entire plant. You’d focus more on leafy greens, fruits, and grains.

• Simple Preparation: Minimal seasoning (Rastafarianism’s Ital diet avoids salt and oils). Instead, you’d use herbs and spices like turmeric, ginger, and cumin.

• No Alcohol or Caffeine: LDS guidelines, Seventh-Day Adventism, and some interpretations of Islam and Hinduism would restrict alcohol and caffeine. Your beverages would primarily be water, herbal teas, or fresh juices.

4. Daily Practices

• Fasting: Some religions encourage periodic fasting (Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism). You’d have fasting days or hours throughout the month, possibly skipping a meal or two a day.

• Moderation: Many religions advocate eating in moderation to prevent indulgence. This means small portions focused on simple, nutritious ingredients.

Sample Day on a Multi-Religious Diet

Breakfast

• Fruit Salad: Mixed fresh fruits (avoiding highly processed or preserved options).

• Oatmeal: With almond milk, nuts, and a dash of cinnamon (no added sugar or honey to keep it as natural as possible).

• Herbal Tea: Peppermint or chamomile tea without caffeine.

Lunch

• Vegetable and Lentil Soup: A hearty, plant-based soup made with non-root vegetables (like spinach, tomatoes, zucchini), lentils for protein, and light seasoning with herbs.

• Whole Grain Bread: Only if it’s unleavened to meet kosher laws (some types of bread would be off-limits during certain religious observances).

• Fresh Juice: A blend of apple and carrot juice with no added sugar.

Snack

• Nuts and Dried Fruit: Almonds, raisins, and dates, unprocessed and without added sugar or preservatives.

• Raw Vegetables: Sliced cucumber, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes.

Dinner

• Grain Bowl: Brown rice or quinoa with sautéed leafy greens, chickpeas, and a variety of raw veggies like cucumber and tomatoes.

• Steamed Fish (Optional): Kosher fish without shellfish, steamed with herbs.

• Salad with Olive Oil and Lemon: Fresh greens with a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice (keeping it simple without excessive seasoning).

Avoidances and Restrictions Recap

• No: Alcohol, caffeine, pork, shellfish, processed foods, root vegetables (if strictly following Jainism), and excess salt or sugar.

• Minimal: Meat and fish, only if it meets halal/kosher standards and is consumed sparingly.

• Fasting Periods: Regular days of fasting or eating in limited windows, honoring the fasting traditions in several religions.

This multi-religious diet would be mostly plant-based, light on spices, and low on processed foods, designed for simplicity, purity, and mindfulness around what you eat.

Several religions incorporate cannabis and other psychoactive substances into their rituals and practices, often for spiritual growth, healing, or connecting with a higher power. Here’s a look at a few religions and spiritual traditions that use recreational or psychoactive substances like cannabis:

1. Rastafarianism (Cannabis)

• Cannabis, known as “ganja,” plays a central role in Rastafarianism, where it’s used as a sacred herb. Rastafarians believe that cannabis helps them connect with the divine, gain wisdom, and enhance spiritual meditation. The use of ganja is often part of prayer or communal gatherings and is viewed as a means of peaceful reflection, aligning with the belief that it brings individuals closer to “Jah” (God).

2. Hinduism (Cannabis, Bhang)

• In Hindu tradition, cannabis is sometimes used in the form of bhang, a paste made from the leaves of the cannabis plant, which is often mixed into drinks during certain religious festivals, like Holi and Maha Shivaratri. Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities, is associated with cannabis, as he is believed to consume it for meditation and calmness. Many Hindus see bhang as a way to attain relaxation, inner peace, and a deeper spiritual experience.

3. Indigenous Religions of the Americas (Ayahuasca, Peyote, San Pedro)

• Various indigenous cultures in the Americas have used psychoactive plants for thousands of years in religious and healing ceremonies.

• Ayahuasca: Used primarily by indigenous tribes in the Amazon basin, ayahuasca is a brew made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and other plants. The ritual use of ayahuasca is central to many Amazonian tribes, used for spiritual healing, gaining wisdom, and connecting with ancestors or spiritual realms.

• Peyote (Native American Church): The Native American Church, particularly among tribes in the southwestern United States and Mexico, uses peyote, a small cactus containing the psychoactive substance mescaline. In religious ceremonies, peyote is used to encourage healing, insight, and communion with the Great Spirit.

• San Pedro Cactus: This cactus is used by various Andean cultures for shamanic ceremonies. It is believed to open pathways to spiritual insights, healing, and connection with the natural and spiritual world.

4. Santo Daime and União do Vegetal (Ayahuasca)

• These are syncretic Christian religions founded in Brazil, which use ayahuasca as a sacrament. Members drink ayahuasca to experience divine revelation, seek guidance, and enhance their spiritual connection. Ceremonies are often structured with hymns and prayers, blending elements of Catholicism with indigenous and African spiritual beliefs.

5. Shamanism (Various Psychoactive Plants and Fungi)

• Shamanic traditions, which exist across many cultures including Siberian, Amazonian, African, and Native American groups, use psychoactive plants and mushrooms as part of their spiritual practice.

• Psilocybin Mushrooms: Used in indigenous cultures in Central America and Mexico, these “magic mushrooms” are used in rituals led by shamans to reach altered states of consciousness. They’re believed to provide healing, communication with spirits, and insights into the self.

• Iboga (Bwiti Religion): In Gabon and Cameroon, the Bwiti religion uses the iboga plant as part of initiation rites and spiritual ceremonies. Iboga contains ibogaine, a powerful hallucinogen believed to bring initiates to a state of profound self-understanding and healing.

6. Zoroastrianism (Haoma)

• In ancient Zoroastrianism, haoma was a sacred plant used in rituals. The exact identity of haoma is debated, but it’s often associated with a psychoactive or euphoric substance, possibly similar to soma in Vedic tradition. Haoma was believed to bring vitality, wisdom, and divine connection.

7. Sufism (Use of Khat, Tobacco, and Cannabis in Some Sects)

• Although Sufism generally discourages recreational drug use, certain sects and Sufi mystics historically used cannabis or tobacco as aids to meditation or as part of certain rituals to achieve spiritual clarity. This practice, however, is controversial and not widely accepted across Sufism.

8. Christianity (Wine and Historical Use of Psychoactive Sacraments)

• Although modern Christianity typically doesn’t include psychoactive substances outside of wine (used in many denominations as part of the Eucharist), some historians suggest that early Christian sacraments may have contained psychoactive plants or fungi. This is largely speculative, but there is evidence that certain Gnostic sects and early mystery religions, which influenced early Christian rituals, used psychoactive plants in worship.

9. Modern Neo-Pagan and New Age Practices (Cannabis, Psilocybin, Ayahuasca)

• Many neo-pagan and New Age spiritualists use cannabis and other psychoactive substances like psilocybin and ayahuasca in rituals aimed at self-discovery, connection to nature, and personal growth. These substances are believed to aid in “spiritual journeying” or communion with nature and ancestral spirits.