Debate About Caffeine, Alcohol, Other Drugs and Psychic Work

Section divider on IMPART pages and posts

Can it be beneficial or detrimental for psychics, mediums, and healers to use substances?

There is a long-standing debate in the metaphysical community about whether the use of certain chemicals will accelerate or interfere with the development of psychic, mediumship, or healing abilities. Some of the substances that are discussed include the following:

Consuming caffeine
Smoking cigarettes
Using alcohol or other drugs
Using psychedelic drugs (e.g., ayahuasca)

This is a very complicated topic. In this article, I will share my opinions and observations after over 20 years of teaching. Ultimately though, it is up to each person to decide for themselves what is “right” for them.

RELATED POSTS:

My experience as a metaphysical teacher

I have had the privilege of training thousands of psychics, mediums, and healers. I have also spoken with many more who were not trained by me but are successful psychics, mediums, healers, and metaphysical teachers.

Based on my experience and observations, I have come to the following conclusions:

There is no one right way to do ANYTHING within the metaphysical field.
There is ONLY the right way for you.

Therefore, the following information is provided based on my experience in this field, but you will need to find the answers that are right for you.

Moderation is key

Overall, I have observed that moderation is always key in just about everything!

However, with caffeine, alcohol, other drugs, each person will need to determine what a moderate level of consumption might be. Different people have different tolerance levels.

For example, I have a very low tolerance level for caffeine. A little bit of caffeine goes a long, long way! But several members of my family are able to consume much higher levels than I can. Each person’s biochemistry is unique, even within the same family.

Caffeine

Let’s begin by talking in more detail about caffeine. It is estimated that 90% of the world’s population consumes some caffeine every day. It is, by far, the most common “drug” consumed by humanity.

Here are two examples of different approaches to the use of caffeine:

I know many very gifted psychics, mediums, and healers who consume moderate amounts of caffeine and report that it does not interfere with their metaphysical activities. In fact, some of them report that it is actually helpful.
I’ve also met quite a few people who do not use any caffeine and find that it actually hampers their metaphysical skills. Often, they report that they were able to consume caffeine UNTIL they began their skills as a psychic, medium, or healer.
- NOTE: See last section of this Blog post for more on why this change may happen.

Why might the use of caffeine be helpful (or at least have no impact) for some people but not for others?

Caffeine is a chemical that many people use to regulate their energy and their ability to focus. When doing psychic or healing work, the ability to focus is important, so it CAN be helpful.

However, if you are very sensitive to caffeine or if a great deal of caffeine is consumed, it can cause you to become anxious, jittery, and/or agitated. This is NOT helpful when doing work as a psychic, medium, and/or healer.

Therefore, there is no one “right” answer. There’s only what is right for you and your body.

Nicotine, alcohol, or other drugs

With regard to nicotine, alcohol, and other drugs, I again have come to believe that moderation is key. However, I do want to acknowledge that some spiritual teachers firmly believe that abstinence is required to work in the metaphysical field. My opinion is, once again, based on my experience, observations, and what my guides have told me.

Here are two examples of how different people approach the use of one or more of these substances within the metaphysical field:

I have known many very gifted psychic, mediums, and healers who use cigarettes, alcohol, and even some illegal drugs.
- Those who use alcohol or other drugs admit that they use them in moderation in their private lives. They also have found that they need to be abstinent for a period of time before providing a reading or healing, and they tell me that they will NOT use these substances when providing readings or healings.
I’ve also met many very gifted psychics, mediums, and healers who don’t use any of these substances because their use interferes with their readings or healings. As with caffeine, some of them were able to use one or more of these substances UNTIL they began to develop their skills as a psychic, medium, or healer. Others have never used any of these substances during this lifetime.

Again, I have come to believe that each person is unique. You will need to determine what is right for you and your body.

The practice of using various substances to “enhance” psychic and mediumship skills

Over the years, students have expressed surprise and confusion when they suddenly experience a “jump” in their psychic and mediumship abilities. This enhancement often correlates with having a glass of wine, smoking some marijuana, or using other drugs (e.g., psychedelics).

Although they are excited about the escalation of their abilities, they are often confused and seeking guidance. They want to understand why this happens. They also frequently report that they can’t seem to replicate the enhanced skill level without the use of this substance(s). Consequently, they want to know if this means they need to use this substance when doing spiritual work.

Why do substances sometimes enhance our abilities?

It is true that some people’s intuitive skills can be enhanced through the use of certain substances. Why? Because it helps the person relax.

When we relax, we naturally move out of our “left brain” and more easily access our “right brain.”

The Left Brain: The left hemisphere of our brain is associated with logical thinking. It is the side of our brain that is constantly solving problems. It worries about what happened in the past and anticipates how best to handle what is coming up in the future. It also houses our beliefs, such as, “It’s not possible to connect with an angel, guide, or deceased loved one,” “If I start seeing things or hearing voices, someone will lock me away,” or “My church taught me that talking directly to God is a sin.” All of these left brain functions are important in life, but they can inhibit our intuitive abilities.
The Right Brain: The right hemisphere is associated with intuitive abilities and creativity. It has the amazing ability to be “in the present moment,” which is where we need to be when accessing our intuitive skills.

In order to connect with Spirit, we need to learn how to quiet the left hemisphere. This allows us to gain access to the abilities housed in our right hemisphere.

There are many ways this process is described. For example, some metaphysical teachers say that we need to learn how to “quiet our ego” or “quiet our monkey brain.”

The bottom line is that doing metaphysical work depends on our ability to relax. When we relax, we access the right hemisphere, we are in the present moment, and we are able to access our intuitive abilities.

Some substances, like alcohol or marijuana, can enhance our ability to relax. Their use can help us remember what that state feels like so we can replicate it when doing intuitive work.

Additionally, some fields within metaphysics (e.g., some Shamanistic groups) recommend the use of psychedelics (e.g., ayahuasca, peyote). These chemicals create a heightened level of relaxation, and they can be a catalyst for mystical and spiritual experiences .

NOTE: If you choose to explore the use of psychedelic drugs, please do so under the guidance of a highly trained professional.

What I tell my students about the use of alcohol or other drugs

As explained above, some people find that their psychic and mediumship abilities are enhanced through the use of some substances. Although I personally am not guided to use these methods, I have seen that some students do benefit from exploring this option. Again, each person has to determine for themselves what is right for them.

However, I ALWAYS tell my students that it is CRITICAL that they understand the following about the use of alcohol or other drugs:

The chemical can interfere with (i.e., influence) the interpretation of any spiritual messages that they believe they have received.
The chemical can interfere with their ability to discern between messages that are coming from the Light and messages coming from dark sources.
- NOTE: For more information about the skill of discernment, please refer to (a) my eBook Psychic Protection 101 and/or (b) my Blog posts True Guidance Versus False Guidance – The Skill of Discernment and Which Spiritual Entities Should and Shouldn’t We Communicate With?.

For these reasons, I am very clear with my students that:

They should never convey to others that readings conducted while “under the influence” are accurate. I strongly encourage them to ONLY do readings for others when they are NOT using any substances.
Before they follow any guidance that they personally received while using a substance, they should always:
- Be very sure that the information is coming “from the Light.”
- Obtain confirmation from other sources that the guidance they have received is accurate.

IMPORTANT: Some final thoughts about substances

Here are some final issues to take into consideration:

If you decide to use a substance to “enhance” your intuitive abilities, then keep in mind that the chemical is a tool. Your guides are simply using this experience to show you that it is possible to connect with the Divine. The substance is not meant to become THE pathway for connection.
- For example, let’s say that you are with a friend who could benefit from receiving a message from Spirit. You don’t want to have to say, “Wait a minute while I find some alcohol to drink or smoke some pot.” You want to be able to connect with Spirit whenever and wherever it is needed. That is the goal of developing your intuitive abilities!
Although your friends or the media might be encouraging the use of substances to enhance your intuitive abilities or spiritual connection, follow your inner guidance. If you feel ANY hesitation to using these substances, then I strongly encourage you rely to on other means to develop your abilities (e.g., taking classes, working with a spiritual coach).
When developing your skills as a psychic, medium, or healer, it is very normal for your physical body to change as your energetic body adjusts to the higher vibrational levels that are required to connect with Divine energy. As this happens, people commonly find that they are guided to reduce or eliminate the use of certain foods or chemicals (e.g., caffeine, nicotine, alcohol). Although it doesn’t happen with everyone, this is a very common occurrence.
- If you find it difficult to reduce or stop using any of these chemicals, please taper off slowly and/or seek medical or mental health support. Keep in mind that “going cold turkey” when you have been using large amounts of ANY substance can be life-threatening to some people.
- If you find you are unable to reduce your intake of a substance, then I encourage you to reach out for support. Help is available!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Be sure to Join Anne’s Online Community to receive:
- Announcements about class offerings, new Blog posts, and new online products when they become available.
- New & Full Moon Reports.
If you have additional questions, feel free to email us at Anne@AnneReith.com or call (714) 599-0017.

Visit our Facebook page to receive Anne Reith’s daily inspirational quotes and announcements.

By Anne Reith, Ph.D.

Does Caffeine, Nicotine, Cigarettes, Alcohol, or Other Drugs Impact Your Spiritual Connection?