Ep111: Secret Drugs of Buddhism - Mike Crowley

In this interview I am joined by Mike Crowley, Buddhist Lama, musician/composer, and author of ’Secret Drugs of Buddhism: Psychedelic Sacraments and the Origins of the Vajrayana’.

We learn about Mike’s childhood as the son of a psychopath, and his extensive experimentation with all manner of drugs and psychoactive substances. 

Mike recalls his encounters with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and his 7 year apprenticeship with Lama Yungdrung which eventually resulted in Mike becoming a lama himself. Mike reveals details of his training and  experiences practicing the yogas of Naropa including dream yoga, tummo, and more. 

Mike lays out his argument that psychedelic sacrament was an essential part of Buddhist Vajrayana, discussing symbolism in sacred art, references in hagiographical accounts, and artefacts of psychedelic use in modern practice forms.

Mike also discusses how to transform negative emotion into wisdom, and compares Taoist inner alchemy to the inner yogas of Tibet.

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.


Topics Include:

00:00 – Intro
01:05 – Upcoming books and memoirs 
05:17 – Growing up with a psychopathic father 
07:45 – Extensive drug and psychedelic experimentation 
09:52 – A life-changing vision of Indra’s net 
14:53 – Mike’s understanding of the fifth precept 
18:41 – Meeting Chogyam Trungpa and studying with Lama Yungdrung 
21:37 – Hippy vs vajrayana psychedelic use 
25:12 – Drug use in Buddhism 
34:34 – 7 year training apprenticeship with Lama Yungdrung and becoming a lama 
45:22 – Tummo, dream yoga, and the 6 Yogas of Naropa 
56:16 – Learning Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese 
01:01:47 – Tummo and pranayama as psychedelic substitutes? 
01:07:18 – Longchenpa’s psychedelic ganacharka 
01:10:13 – Tantric deities emerging from psychedelic experience
01:27:45 – To those who doubt the use of psychedelics in Buddhism 
01:32:37 – Implications for vajrayana practitioners who have been practicing without psychedelics
01:35:39 – Transforming negative emotions into wisdom energy 
01:42:07 – Taoist drugs, and comparing Taoist alchemy with Tibetan inner yogas
01:53:24 – Mike demonstrates some of his musical instruments  


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Ep112: Relaxing Into Nibbana - Bhante Vimalaramsi

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Ep110: Case Study of Ecstatic Meditation - Leigh Brasington, Shinzen Young, Chelsey Fasano, & Dr Sanguinetti