You can always find Psychedelic images of Lord Shiva, while searching for psychedelic artworks. Even this association extends to psychedelic music.
The psychedelic trance culture has generally its roots in the Indian province of Goa, where the Pioneer Goa Gil redefined the ancient tribal ritual for the 21st century. Goa Gil has a deep background in the Hindu Religion and the highest spiritual order of the Naga Babas, the holy naked men covered in ashes from the sacred fire, smoking chillum and worshipping Shiva. Shiva is the destroyer of the world – his Nataraj dance represents both the destruction and the creation of the universe and reveals the cycles of death, birth and rebirth. Shiva has often been depicted on the covers of trance albums or on the decorations of the trance gatherings.
The symbolic dance of Shiva has always been an important subject in the trance culture, which is a fact that makes this culture quite connected to a symbolic destruction dance act since its very beginning . In the Hindu Religion Shiva is refered to as a God of Ultimate Light but the psy trance culture misinterpreted that and emphasised mainly on his symbolic dance of destruction. In this way the psy trance culture actually emphasised mainly on the dark side in its concepts regarding hinduism, even before the sub style dark psy appeared out of the classical psychedelic trance after the new millennium.
If we look back at the world history, we discover that the most ancient civilizations of human mankind have used certain sacred plants and drinks to alter their states of consciousness to enter into the divine realms that they perceived as the human connection to God. If we were to fully explore and understand the true nature of psychedelics, we would have to study these ancient civilizations and the role of psychotropic plants in the building blocks of spirituality, mythology and religion.There is a long history of marijuana associated with Hinduism, since about 3000 B.C.E by some records. Marijuana is considered sacred in Hinduism as it is believed to be the gift of Lord Shiva. Marijuana is most commonly consumed in a drink called bhang, which is mixed in with spices, milk and sugar and drunk during Holi and Baisakhi, two of the main festivals of the Hindu religion. Many Shiavites (Lord Shiva devotees) smoke it in clay pipes called chillums, believing it to be a gift from Shiva to help humans reach a higher spiritual level.
Shiva in Sanskrit means “The void” or emptiness or space that’s why he is mahadeva or greatest god because every thing in existence including our planet, solar system and entire universe is a tiny spec in this vastness of empty space space is indeed the infinity, life is impossible without this empty space or in Sanskrit we call it Shiva, that’s why shiva is self created or swayambo, space cannot be created or destroyed we can destroy things to reveal space but never ever create it , everything in existence comes out of this and goes back into this, now Shiva smoking ganja, smearing hash on his body, and all his friends are yakshas, ganas etc these are symbolic, Shiva has many facets , as Sadha Shiva he is the most peaceful and gentle life as bholenath he is the most innocent life, as shambo he is the most ecstatic life, as rudra he is the most wild life all your imaginery evils and demons will look like beautiful babies in front of rudra but rudra is filled with cosmic love and rudra is an awakened enlightened life, even till date we wear rudraksh which is the tears of his ecstasy when he attained, as kala bhairav he is the creator of time as mahakal he is the destroyer of time so if you accept Shiva you embrace the totality of life, Shiva could drink an ocean of poison and still be alright that does not mean in name of Shiva every one should drink poison , Shiva as Adhiguru or first guru in the planet, gave ways to open 100% brain capacity of human being this technology is called Yoga in this facet as Adhiguru he does not propagate ganja or any other intoxicant but as an ascetic or rudra he did all trips and remained fully aware not stoned or flipped but fully aware, If you can do that then these intoxicants are good help for spiritual progress else there are many other ways he has given, one must choose what is right for them and not use Shiva as a justification or support to cover their adiction or limitations.
Smoking ganja or using LSD or any psychedelics is neither good nor bad but one must decide based on their own state of consciousness if that is their way, else you have many other ways to reach the peak of your consciousness India is a living liberary of consciousness all of India’s teaching, rituals,religions especially Yoga is focused and directed towards this, how to be in highest States of intoxication and awareness without using any external substance — Aum Namah Shivaya
If you are looking for scriptures to prove that Shiva was using ganja then Shiv Puran is what you need to look at.
A Brief History of Bhang Bhang was first used as an intoxicant in India around 1000 BC and soon became an integral part of Hindu culture. In the ancient textArtharvaveda, Bhang is described as a beneficial herb that “releases anxiety”. Bhang preparations were sacred to Gods, particularly Shiva. One of Shiva’s epithets was “Lord of Bhang” as he is said to have discovered the transcendental properties of the mixture.
In imitation of Shiva, many sadhus use Bhang to boost meditation and achieve transcendental states. Besides, Bhang or cannabis is also believed to be popular amongst Sufis as an aid to spiritual ecstasy since a long time.
Bond with the Bhang Ancient as it is, bhang has become a inseparable part of Indian tradition. So much so that it has become symbolic for a lot of things. They might be, or rather they are, pure superstitious believes. But if one understands the inherent sentimental and emotional nature of Indians, one can very easily feel the emotional bond people have with bhang.
Story behind bhanga.
After killing some Asura, Parvati was returned in his parvati roop from Kali by many efforts of Shiva.
So after a long time Shiva and Parvati met, So Nandhi, Kartikeya and Ganesha decided to do something like celebration.
Ganesha organized “Bhoja” – Food Party
Kartikey did oemthing I do not remember
And Nandhi organized a bhanga party.
In this bhanga party Shiva drank Bhanga.
psychedelic music 