What does Chris Bache say about Vajrayana?
Why Vajrayana (“Diamond Way”) became Chris Bache’s stabilizing practice after Session 50—and how it complemented, rather than contradicted, his LSD work.
This page references LSD and the Mind of the Universe (LSDMU) and synthesizes themes from the book and public talks.
“Vajrayana means the ‘Diamond Way,’ and it was in the sutras and termas of Tibet that I found the clearest exposition of the Diamond Luminosity I had entered.”
— LSDMU ch.10 §3 ¶14
When Diamond Luminosity opened in Session 50, Bache found that Vajrayana fit the state he was being initiated into. He insists the breakthrough’s trajectory was already set, but the coincidence mattered: practice and revelation locked in.
“Vajrayana practice worked well with my psychedelic practice, both in opening the psychedelic window and in reinforcing the result.”
— LSDMU ch.10 §3 ¶14
Practically, Vajrayana provided a way to work with energy—opening the state more cleanly and helping what came through settle more deeply.
“I do not believe that the Buddhist prohibition against ‘taking drugs that cloud the mind’ applies […] when they are used therapeutically, because […] they hypersensitize the mind.”
— LSDMU ch.10 §3 ¶13
Ethically, he argues there is no contradiction in core values: done skillfully, psychedelics amplify samsaric tendencies for purification—what Trungpa called “super-samsara.”
“In Tibetan Buddhism, monks must do Ngöndro […] foundational practices that prepare the body and mind […]. [With LSD] the body is spontaneously thrown into a purification process by the sheer power of the state one is entering.”
— LSDMU ch.2 §2 ¶12
Vajrayana’s discipline mirrors the purifying fire his sessions already demanded—“pay me now or pay me later.” Training matters.
“Our subtle energy system has to be conditioned and strengthened to sustain the enormous flows of energy evoked by the LSD state.”
— LSDMU ch.2 §0 ¶5
And in lineage terms, he sees psychedelics as an intense form of ancient sacramental practice, not an “end run” around it.
“Therapeutically structured LSD sessions are […] a particularly intense form of spiritual practice, with its own distinctive characteristics and challenges.”
— LSDMU ch.1 §3 ¶2
Together these threads explain why, after Session 50, Vajrayana became his ongoing frame: to open, stabilize, purify, and integrate Diamond Light.
LSDMU ch.10 §3 ¶14
Though I did not pay it much attention at the time, it feels perhaps significant to me now that Vajrayana practice entered my life on the same day that the Diamond Luminosity opened for the first time. […] Vajrayana practice worked well with my psychedelic practice, both in opening the psychedelic window and in reinforcing the result. Vajrayana means the “Diamond Way,” and it was in the sutras (scriptures) and termas (hidden teachings) of Tibet that I found the clearest exposition of the Diamond Luminosity I had entered. […]
LSDMU ch.10 §3 ¶13
I understand the debate among Buddhist practitioners over psychedelics […] I do not believe that the Buddhist prohibition against “taking drugs that cloud the mind” applies to psychedelic substances when they are used therapeutically, because in these circumstances they do not cloud the mind. Just the opposite, they hypersensitize the mind. […] I think Chögyam Trungpa was correct when he described LSD as a kind of “super-samsara.” […]
LSDMU ch.2 §2 ¶12
Purification is one of those “pay me now or pay me later” things. In Tibetan Buddhism, monks must do Ngöndro […] foundational practices that prepare the body and mind to receive the advanced teachings. […] If one moves into higher states of awareness quickly, as one tends to do in an LSD session, the body is spontaneously thrown into a purification process by the sheer power of the state one is entering. […]
LSDMU ch.2 §0 ¶5
LSD unleashes such dramatically different states of awareness […] Our subtle energy system has to be conditioned and strengthened to sustain the enormous flows of energy evoked by the LSD state. […]
LSDMU ch.1 §3 ¶2
From an historical perspective, therapeutically structured LSD sessions are a modern variation of an ancient spiritual path […] these substances are sacraments that help us reconnect with the universe. […] a particularly intense form of spiritual practice, with its own distinctive characteristics and challenges.
One gift of my psychedelic experiences was a deepened appreciation for the power and effectiveness of classic contemplative practices, including Vajrayana. […] Vajrayana helped me manage the excess energy flowing through my body by giving it an intermediate place to live and breathe—between my physical existence and my psychedelic existence.
01:57:54 — Exploring LSD as a Practice (Edge of Mind Podcast – Part 1) (2022-02-17) • 01:57:54In the last five years of my work […] I entered Vajrayana Buddhism. […] When I began doing ancient practices—Chöd and various deity practices—I found my physical, psychological, and subtle energy systems could breathe more freely. Vajrayana gave me a space midway between physical consciousness and psychedelic consciousness. […] It was very helpful.
00:53:13 — LSD and the Mind of the Universe – S2S Podcast (2023-01-06) • 00:53:13The longer I worked with psychedelics, the more I appreciated the importance of a daily spiritual practice. […] Each step into deeper consciousness is a step into higher energy. To stabilize at that level, you have to acclimate to that energy, which requires intense purification processes.
00:43:03 — Diamond Luminosity (live stream) (2025-05-18) • 00:43:03Your mention of Padmasambhava gives me an opportunity to emphasize […] the path I was on is not the contemplative path. It’s a path of temporary immersion. […] We can talk about unpacking their spiritual potential, but it’s not the same as […] sustained contemplation.
00:16:11 — Edge of Mind Podcast – Part 2 (2022-06-03) • 00:16:11In the Tibetan tradition, a practice is given in three levels. First, the mechanics. Second, the meaning. Third—and most important—the transmission of lung, the seed energy of the practice. […] You receive a seed from a teacher […] and you water and nourish it in yours.
01:40:49 — SDI Meeting: Diamonds from Heaven (2024-02-10) • 01:40:49I did intense Vajrayana practice for a number of years, and I’ve modified it from my psychedelic experiences. […] I’ve developed forms of Vajrayana practice by integrating those memories into the realization protocols.
00:50:32 — Reach Truth Podcast (2022-08-30) • 00:50:32
Vajrayana enters at Session 50 as a pragmatic complement: it opens access (matching “Diamond” with Diamond Luminosity) and stabilizes energy flows; transcripts repeatedly confirm the “midway” channel and purification frame. Bache distinguishes temporary immersion from contemplative realization, yet claims strong value alignment with Buddhist ethics.
Cite as: Bache Archive — Educational Docs Edition (2025). Based on the works of Christopher M. Bache, including LSD and the Mind of the Universe (2019) and public talks (2009–2025).
Excerpts from LSD and the Mind of the Universe are reproduced here under the fair use doctrine for educational and scholarly purposes. They support study, research, and public understanding of Christopher M. Bache’s work on consciousness and spiritual evolution. All quotations remain the intellectual property of their respective copyright holders.