Robert Christgau asked: "Do you want the most awesome singer in the known universe manifesting his proximity to the divine for your voyeuristic delectation?"; he wrote that the album's "Sufi ecstasy runs so close to the surface, far wilder than on RealWorld's equally uncut The Last Prophet."[11] Newsday determined that "the western trappings of his recent performances ... are gone, allowing [Khan] to weave his tapestry of Sufi poetry and driving percussion unfettered."[13]
The Washington Post noted that "such songs as 'Ruk Pe Rehmat Ka' attain a transcendent elation that trippy Anglo-American rock has sought, intermittently, for some 30 years."[14] The Chicago Reader concluded that, "for all of its charm the recent Intoxicated Spirit ... doesn’t feature lengthy flights as much as his other recordings have."[15]
AllMusic wrote that "the sound is crisp and unfettered, decidedly less rich than on the Real World sessions, but good enough to let the listener enjoy another incendiary Nusrat session."[10]
