LOL. I certainly had an appreciation for the finer varieties. My family is huge on red wine, and I got spoiled early on. And the quality of the buzz is directly correlated with the quality of craftsmanship in the wine itself. Same with beer. Nothing like the Belgian Ales brewed in monasteries. That euphoria is certainly superior to what you get from slamming a 6 pack of Natural Ice (rot-gut). I’ve done plenty of both.
That being said, when you get into the more refined states of serenity and ecstasy, no red wine (regardless of the caliber) can hold a candle to the clarity, lucidity, and weightlessness of That. Substances always carry a weight and leave a footprint in the nervous system (with varying degrees of trauma). When I’ve been in the zone (like my car experience), I’ve been blessed to enjoy the superiority of non-substance-induced ecstatic states.
It comes in waves. Awakening and expansion follows the pattern of the spiral, which is the most fundamental shape of Being. Cyclical, yet linear. The Sri Yantra and other sacred geometry contain that embedded code.
For me, kicking the booze was like that. Spiraling down to the point of zero, or complete letting go. In between there were plenty of efforts for moderation, but the full realization came when seeing how senseless it was as object of moderation. But again, that is relative. I’m sure some yogis have become so masterful that they see moderating food intake as foolish. They can subsist on air and sunlight alone, so they see food as an inferior pleasure no longer necessary. It’s all preference, and stages of development. To each his own, as you say.
Wisdom. 
Oh, absolutely! The quality of the “buzz” as well as the “personality” of the beverage is related to the craftsmanship and the spirit in which it was brewed. And obviously, alcohol intoxication, no matter how expensive, refined and well-crafted the beverage, cannot hold a candle to the pure Bliss of God intoxication. At the same time, they are not mutually exclusive, at least in my experience, as the God intoxication is a constant from which nothing can really detract, and many things can complement. When we use wine sacramentally, “the Blood of Christ,” can have a profound spiritual effect. We often receive Communion before our tantric sessions. My other use of wine, when I can afford it, is for meals. As the French believe, wine makes a good meal complete. There is something magical about the accentuation of flavors as well as the digestion.
Nowadays I don’t differentiate between “spiritually superior and inferior pleasures.” EVERYTHING is an offering to the Lord, Who is the only Enjoyer and also That which is enjoyed. In my youth I was very strict about diet and substances, but today I just pretty much live naturally. When I feel so inclined, I go through phases where I fast or limit my intake of various things, according to what my body tells me (and also what happens to be available at the time). All things in moderation, thankful, and everything an offering to Him, feels right. My underlying spiritual state is not affected by the substances that I ingest, although I do seem to dimly recall a time when it was.
So I agree with you that it is a matter of preference, personality and inclination, and also where we are on our particular path. I’m not recommending my approach to anyone. Everybody is different.
But, getting back to the point of this thread, again, I think that the service you are offering will be very helpful to people who are in an addictive or unhealthy relationship with substances and they really just need an appropriate focus for their bhakti! AYP will be ideal for this purpose, and with your personal experience and knowledge you are in a very good position to guide them. 
Well said. It’s all a unified spectrum. 
Peace and love to you .
Hi Bodhi,
Thanks a lot for sharing your personal story and experiences. I always find it interesting and courageous when people are prepared to do that. You’re a great writer, and I’m sure you can do a lot to help people who’ve struggled with addictions.
I certainly have had my own experiences with addictions (like you starting with marijuana) and found my way to balance via inner silence and the spiritual path.
Best wishes,
Josh
Thank you, kumar and Josh.
@Josh
I’m enjoying seeing pictures of you in Costa Rica. That’s certainly courageous to have migrated to a distant, exotic place! Hope I can visit you sometime. Pura vida.
Such an inspirational story, I am also going through the same situation and is in a process to overcome it with the help of drug counseling littleton coand your story will definitelty help me and will boast my confidence. Have a look at http://lifetrackcounseling.com.
Glad to hear, SolEaton, and thank you for the link. Some counseling early on helped me get moving in the right direction.
Thank you for sharing your story. Your openness is inspirational to someone who was taught to bury, hide, and subjugate their feelings, needs, and desires. Food (especially flour and sugar) are my drugs of ‘choice’; rather, habit. It is encouraging to see someone who has broken the pattern of self-sabotage.
Namaste
Wishing you the best, cygnet. Glad it resonated with you. Peace and love to you.
Thanks for this thread Bodhi. I am overcoming things I did when I was 18/19/ … I am 50 now. so that was 30+ years ago. I can live in present a lot of the time, but unless I resolve my 30 year ago past, I will keep trying to resolve it 
… I am coming close though, where I don’t feel the need to judge myself, and where the past is really how it happened because of my awareness (or lack of it) … the suffering has been done and now, it’s time it’s over
One of my favorite teachers once said, “You CAN teach an old dog new tricks.” It doesn’t matter what age we are–anytime is a good time to start generating ecstatic bliss (or to keep amplifying what is already here).
Godspeed on your path, NoDogma.