Thoughts On Mood Modifying Substances

THURS., AUG. 29, 1996, 11:14 AM
OFFICE, PULLIAM

Yes, o son, this class today, as part of the alcohol and drug education course, will be one more step toward closure in teaching this subject. It has been a good part of your career, but, wisely, you’ve moved on beyond it, in interest. From My perspective, which is NOT one that focuses on problems, I see both “good” and “bad” coming from these substances. They are part of the balance of earth life, and balances are rarely “perfect”… and whatever they are they seldom stay stable for any time span.

As you emphasize, there are many natural mood modifying substances, and these are, ultimately, of My creation. But couldn’t I have designed these… and humans… so that harm would not result from their use? Not if I wanted diversity, and I do. There are plenty of people who can use any of My natural substances without harm. However good this may be, in theory, it would require a decrease in diversity, and I’d rather go with the “harm”.

I have told you often that I am quite aware of how some people grow in spirit as they experience adversity… and the growth is often more than would come from pleasant, non-threatening circumstances. I am not a sadist, I just know, from many, many years of earth time, that adversity certainly can encourage spirit, and that’s mainly what I’m interested in, in regard to earth life. I am not impressed with how detrimental alcohol abuse can be to your economy. I am impressed with how lives are changed for the better, spiritually, in AA groups… addicts helping addicts. I am not even greatly bothered by lives lost and damaged in auto accidents, with alcohol (or other drugs) as a cause. For, remember, I see deaths as just a movement from one realm to another. Earth life is not all there is… and it is too much of a challenge for some souls, whose spirits shrink from reactions to earth experiences.

I knew that the intelligence and adaptability I bestowed, in creation, on humans (in quite a range, of course) would result in more powerful “versions” of many natural phenomena. There are many natural medicinal “drugs” (and I approve of those you are ingesting), but you humans have developed some that are stronger and more effective. But, you’re right when you observe that the capacity to do good is usually matched by capacities to do harm.

If there were no alcohol in beverages and drinks some harm would not occur, but also some good. I can’t assess the exact balance, but I’d predict that the earth would be about the same, overall. When I shift to considering synthetic medicinal drugs I’d assume that more deaths would result, but the balance of humans with other life forms might be a bit better. Good adapters tend to survive and reproduce. Those who adapt less well tend to lose out… which strengthens humans, in general.

Tobacco is another natural substance with mood modifying characteristics. For some humans, particularly when they begin use early in life, it has an addictive quality… a compulsion to continue smoking. Lives of smokers tend to be shortened some, but, again, this is of little concern to Me. Part of the diversity I love is the tendency to over-do in certain ways. This can mean one person is a persistent and faithful helper of others, while another is a chain smoker… or both behaviors could be found in a single person.

Marijuana is a versatile plant, and the drug nature of it causes little harm and can be medically helpful. Your culture’s rejection of it is comical, and I do not like to see some persons “criminalized” because of their involvement with this hardy plant. There are no proclamations against its use in the Scriptures, but a few have been “invented”.