Soma is the mind altering sacrament taken by the sages who authored the Rig Veda and praised it in its hymns.
I have read the view that the term Soma is not neccessarily always reffering to the intoxicating substance which was drank and offered during ritual. In yoga and tantra, there is a chakra in the head sometimes called the bindu or soma chakra. It is represented by the moon and is said to trickle amrita or soma down into the body.
The chakra system corresponds to the endocrine system of the body. The endocrine system consists of glands which secrete hormones.
I have often thought that soma is a chemical secreted by the brain called dopamine. Most recreational drugs cause the brain to release lots of dopamine which is what causes the effects of the drug. A closely related chemical is endorphins, which is produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus, both associated with the higher chakras and the bindu/soma chakra. It's produced during and after strenous excercise, pain, orgasm and excitement. Endorphins cause more dopamine to be released.
Three popular recreational drugs of today are amphetamines, cannabis and opiates/opiods (includes drugs like heroin, opium, prescription pain killers like oxycontin etc). In a pbs program called The Story Of India, the narrator says that soma is the substance called bhang, which is a combination of ephedrine (ampetamines are basically ephedrine), cannabinoids and opiates.
LSD is another recreation drug, a psychadelic associated with spiritual experiences which effects dopamine in the brain. MDMA (ecstacy) is another popular recreational drug that releases alot of dopamine in the brain and is associated with feelings of intense love, ecstacy, dancing, feelings of universal love and oneness.
The pituitary gland, which is associated with spiritual experiences, such as the experiences of the dying or NDE's (it releases the most powerful psychadelic known to man called DMT in a persons brain when they are dying) is also believed to release dopamine in the brain.
Endorphins are associated with spiritual experiences, feelings of ecstacy, etc. It's produced during and after strenous excercise, pain, orgasm and excitement. The spiritual associations with orgasm and excitement are obvious. Pain is always a part of excercise and exertion (an important part of yoga, tapas) and can be seen as an evolutionary energy.
Soma is given alot of importance in the Rig Veda and is always associated with spiritual experiences, ecstacy, upliftment, communion with the gods, etc, it is praised repetitivley. Soma the drink was obviously a drug which effected the brain. Soma effectivley is dopamine and endorphins. Whenever we have spiritual experiences, bliss, rapture, peace, communion etc we have dopamine in high amounts in the brain - anything we think or feel is associated with activity in the brain, including spiritual experiences.
Dopamine and endorphines are hormones which can effect our whole bodies via our endocrine system which is part of our chakra system.
Whenever people read the chakra system being discussed in archaic yogic literature they always interpret it as reffering to subtle energy, amrita is interpreted as being some sort of subtle energy substance. But chakras are not just subtle energy, they are nerve plexuses, muscular and circulatory centres and endocrine glands.
Suprisingly I haven't seen soma being associated or equated with dopamine anhywhere. Even a google search didn't turn anything up. So please discuss what you think of these ideas.
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