While still a jw, i used to wonder how smoking cigs could be 'spiritism'. The research i did on it showed that someone who smokes a whole lot between long periods of abstenance can change his conscioussness state. I smoked for 6 months. Shortly after starting, someone gave me a white owl cigar. Smoking it not only change my state of mind but also the state of my body;) But for someone who has controled daily intake, that isn't the case. According to a japanese study, it made men more open to new ideas, and more positive to women. Associates have told me it helps w boredom and stress.
SS