"The Dark Side of Methamphetamine"

[Why I believe that Meth is one of the enemies greatest tools]

Okay, I know what you’re thinking: “Dark side of methamphetamine?” As if the word in itself doesn’t convey enough darkness. However, I’m not speaking of the implied darkness which surrounds methamphetamine. I’m speaking of the darkness which remains unseen, lurking in the shadows, subtly stalking it’s prey, waiting for the precise moment to reveal its true demented, demonic nature. If you have ever been a tweaker, especially if you’ve ever lived on the streets, chances are you have encountered this level of darkness, possibly at times without realizing it, where you’re constantly watching for them, and they’re always watching you. Enter the “Shadow People.”

Before you leave this site and exclaim to whomever is in the room with you, “Okay this dude is nuts,” just hear me out. Yes, that’s definitely debatable. Jay Kay. However, to someone who has never actually ingested meth, this reaction is quite understandable. But, take it from someone who essentially used meth for living, it’s not as far fetched as it seems.

In layman’s terms, “Shadow People” are hallucinations one sees when using meth, usually after a multiple days binge without sleep. It starts with randomly feeling someone standing behind you. This unsettled feeling grows to the point of being certain that not only someone or something is watching you, but they also aim to do you serious harm. However, this harm isn’t an earthly level of animosity. It’s a supernatural form of hate that transcends anything you could have experienced in this realm. From there, once you gather enough courage to face this force of hate that is viciously breathing down your neck, upon turning around- no one is to be found. Thus ensues the cat-and-mouse game of torment.

In my experience I would be walking through a neighborhood late at night, all alone, when suddenly a figure would duck behind a tree. If you have ever seen the movie “Signs” there’s a scene with Jaoquin Phoenix where he walks through a cornfield, his flashlight goes out, and upon smacking it back to life, it reveals an alien figure sliding into the corn. This is a perfect example of what it’s like to see a “shadow person”, minus the alien. You can’t quite discern the features of the figure you just saw, but you definitely saw something clear as day, right before your eyes. Not only did you see them, it becomes clear that they are just toying with you. Fully revealing themselves to you would be way to nice. No, it becomes a game of endless fright, where their goal is simply to mess with your mind.

Science would chalk this up to psychosis from lack of sleep, which is definitely plausible. Makes sense right? We weren’t meant to go days upon days without sleep, at least I wasn’t. However, I have been in non-drug psychosis from a lack of sleep where I hallucinated, and I never encountered anything of the like. So what am I saying? Allow me to explain.

In my experience, and I have tons of experience, nothing is more spiritually evil than meth. I wholeheartedly believe that one of the reasons meth “feels” so good is because it is a way for the forces of darkness to hook us into a spiritual battle which we will never be able to win alone. I also believe that when one does meth the veil between our world and the spirit world is removed.

My belief in this centers around two things. First, the fact that upon all my encounters with the “shadow people”, there was not one time where I didn’t feel as if these “things” hated me with a level of hate I couldn’t begin to comprehend. It was palpable, a physically heavy weight of darkness. I was being targeted, stalked, and preyed upon. I could never manage to catch up with them, I could never find them, but they always managed to catch up with and find me.

Second, I firmly believe that biggest lie that darkness has ever perpetrated is that it doesn’t exist. If “evil” can be explained away by science, then that adds an extra layer of torment to the psyche, mind, body, and spirit. It’s the ultimate form of gas lighting. Convincing someone that what they are experiencing isn’t real is devastating in itself. In this sense, I believe that darkness has an agenda to convince us it isn’t real because, if in fact it is real, that means the light is real as well. We all know the proverbial saying, “you can’t have darkness without light” and vice versa.

Meth is the only drug I have ever done where I have felt an evil spiritual presence over my life. There’s something about it that is used by the forces of darkness that grips the human spirit and doesn’t let go. However, as I have found, it has no choice but to flee if we call on Jesus to rescue us. I have done years of market research on this subject, and to this day, nothing has rescued me from the grips of not only addiction, but spiritual darkness, except the blood of Jesus.

[Spencer Brooks Otto]