Important Questions

[Xael]

I put this all in here, because it seemed like the only place that would remotely touch upon my thoughts...

I've been gathering some ideas on a post for a while now. Firstly, I'm a college student, and I'm having a next to impossible time deciding what a fitting major would be, because I want to learn about a lot of things. I want to learn about physics, political theory, botany, music...all of these things. However, I did come to the conclusion that anthropolgoy would be good for me. This is great, except for the fact that I still feel like it doesn't do my interests justice. I was wondering if anyone knew of any schools in New England that would offer majors that could weigh well on ethnobotany or even psychpharmacology. I know it's a long shot, but I figured I would ask.

Secondly, I remember being told one time that matter can indeed be created, even if only for a short time. Apparently matter was briefly created with particle accelarators. I'd like to make sure that is true. Does anyone know about this at all, or how it works?

Next, I remember Daniel mentioning something about a book called "The Self-Aware Universe", and how there is theory out there that says that things exist only when we truly acknowledge (sp?) them to. I remember watching the news once, and hearing reports from people who had flatlined in hostpitals, and had then been revived. They reported having deeply religious experiences. I read about this briefly at a later time, and found that this has happened in many different parts of the world, and the experiences have been in line with the individual's religious beliefs. I got thinking...what if all we need to do to get to "heaven" is to believe in it? Maybe it doesn't "exist" in the way we would think, but perhaps it could manifest simply by believing it, which would make it seem as though all religions are "true" in a matter of speaking, and possibly this whole thing about archetypes could be our somewhat conscious understanding of our power of belief. Feedback on this would be great...

Another thing...I continously hear of the big bang. It's still a theory. In fact, I've been told by a few people that it is "littered with loopholes". What are they? Why is it not possible, if that is reality at all?

I've read a little into the idea that almost all illness and pain has been found to be psychosomatic. I'm not so sure I believe that. I was reading once, in a comfortable position, and all I could think about was the book I was reading. Then, I started getting sharp pains in my lower leg. I was comfortable, my legs were not in an akward position, and I was lost in a book. I can understand how things may hurt more if you focus on it more, or if you cut yourself, that sometimes you won't feel it, and it therefore won't hurt after. However, there seems to be a little to much "faith" in thoughts on psychosomatic pain and illness. Some further thoughts on that, or corrections for that matter, would be helpful.

I keep hearing that the way a substance effects you depends on the set, setting, and drug, and I fully believe this. However, no one is ever really specific. A major part of set, is supposedly your body chemistry and how it reacts to a drug. Well....what are the variables? No one ever mentions that. Will it effect you more if you are fit, or if you have more weight...things like that. What are the elements that play into how much you are effected? Would it be possible to change something about myself so that I could get a better experience...not emotionally, but physically?

Every field of study has it's heroes, it's books, and it's websites that are just the key things to pay attention to. In right-hand path magick, people will often reccomend Crowley, probably a book about the Golden Dawn, and some website that is frequented. If it's more chaos magick you are looking for, people will tell you about Phil Hine, tell you to read "Liber Null and Psychonaut" by Peter Carrol, and probably visit the site for the IOT or some other order. I already know some names and books in the field of psychedelic research, such as Leary and Mckenna, and I know of their respective books, but is there anything I'm missing? What are those key sites, people, and books that you would reccomend if I were a newcomer to the concept of psychedelics?

And to finish, what substances are still legal in the states? Be specific.

Thanks. I just had to throw these questions out there...

[ March 08, 2005, 04:33 AM: Message edited by: Xael ]

[Gift Horse]

Hi Xael,

I already know some names and books in the field of psychedelic research, such as Leary and Mckenna, and I know of their respective books, but is there anything I'm missing? What are those key sites, people, and books that you would reccomend if I were a newcomer to the concept of psychedelics?
I found a site that lists an amazingly thorough list of books on psychedelics.

Here is the link;

Books A-Z (http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy/a_title.html)

Happy reading!

[Humming]

That is a lot to consider in one post....

"Next, I remember Daniel mentioning something about a book called "The Self-Aware Universe", and how there is theory out there that says that things exist only when we truly acknowledge (sp?) them to."

That book is written by the quantum physicist Amit Goswami, who is advocating the philosophy of idealism. The current paradigm of science, that has existed for hundreds of years essentially without question, is the philosophy of materialism, which states that matter, specifically the human brain, creates the phenomenon of consciousness in a rather incidental way. Goswami proposes that consciousness itself is the root of being; the material world is actualized through the will of consciousness.

Taken at face value, this may seem impossible or obviously ridiculous at first, but I think that's only because we've been so conditioned to materialism that we've barely begun to explore the potential powers of the human nervous system as a reality generating machine. Goswami formulates excellent arguments for this position based on quantum physics, and I believe that he is correct about this ontological proposition. In quantum physics, everything exists as a transcendent possibility, an unformed wave/particle duality, until consciousness--the act of observing--collapses the wave/particle duality into a fixed state, what we normally think of as "reality": the physical world. Properly understood, this power of the observer is the power to create reality out of an infinite spectrum of possibility.

Ponder this for a while. It blew my mind for some time when I was first considering it, to say the least. :eek:

This is why I have so much hope for the future, recognizing that the very act of my positive creationism is creating a positive world. When humans collectively realize that we are directly responsible for generating these heavenly or hellish maya projections, we can move forward and "hold the tone" of positivity to even make this physical existence a heaven of sorts.

There are certainly arguments against idealism, but Goswami addresses them deftly and sufficiently. We could discuss the details further here, if you like. Of course, you should also read the book for yourself....

"Another thing...I continously hear of the big bang. It's still a theory. In fact, I've been told by a few people that it is "littered with loopholes". What are they? Why is it not possible, if that is reality at all?"

Terrence McKenna mentioned this in a lecture once, that the big bang was quite flawed as a theory. He didn't get into specifics though, so I am really not sure.

The beginning is the end is the beginning: there is no beginning, and no end. Kali dances the world in and out of existence.....

Does that answer your question? :D

"I keep hearing that the way a substance effects you depends on the set, setting, and drug, and I fully believe this. However, no one is ever really specific. A major part of set, is supposedly your body chemistry and how it reacts to a drug. Well....what are the variables? No one ever mentions that. Will it effect you more if you are fit, or if you have more weight...things like that. What are the elements that play into how much you are effected? Would it be possible to change something about myself so that I could get a better experience...not emotionally, but physically?"

Setting a drug trip is very much like setting a dream, you incubate the experience based on your mindset and intention as you're going into it, and certainly during the experience itself. Admittedly, I've focused very hard and not had much success in incubating exactly what I would have liked with some psychedelics, but generally, this is the case. As far as the physiological and emotional specifics, those would depend almost entirely on the drug you're taking.

"What are those key sites, people, and books that you would reccomend if I were a newcomer to the concept of psychedelics?"

For websites, check out http://www.fusionanomaly.net
http://deoxy.org/index.htm
http://www.erowid.org

And, the Metacine.net site will definitely be a locus of psychedelic knowledge and energy in its more developed stages.

For books, Terrence McKenna has been immensely influencial and useful to me. "The Archaic Revival" is a masterpiece of psychedelic literature in many ways. As for Leary, "The Psychedelic Experience" which he co-wrote has always seemed to me to be his most useful work. And, of course, BOTH.

"And to finish, what substances are still legal in the states? Be specific."

Salvia divinorum is legal here, at least for now. Nutmeg, morning glory seeds, DXM, etc. there are many legal hallucinogens actually, but you may need to be resourceful to find and use them. You can find all kinds of plants if you live near a wilderness and can learn to identify them. At least, here in the Southwest you can.

Hrm, that's about it for me. Nice post Xael.

[ March 13, 2005, 10:00 AM: Message edited by: Humming ]

[sidecross]

Education is a continual process tempered and forged by time and experience. If you believe parchment has an intrinsic value, I would argue it. Specialization at the academy is not true education, but a rather a certifying and stamping process turned into a business.

The Big Bang Theory was proved in the 60’s when the background radiation was discovered; even doubters were mostly silenced.

As for the rest of your remarks the answers are for you to be discovered.

[silentwolf]

The "Big Bang Theory" does have a lot of problems with it, mostly mathematical. I'm a fan of Velikovsky, and I've seen how electromagnetics can over-power gravity, so I'm inclined to say it's wrong. The truth is, it's only a theory. It hasn't been proven. We still don't have enough information to actually give a good explanation of how the universe was formed. We have a few pieces of the puzzle, but not enough to see what the full picture is.

A lot of pain and illnesses are caused by our perceptions. One of the spectacular things about perceptions is that our reality can be formed by them, and if we convince ourselves that we have the flu, we will feed it in our body until it overcomes us and we are truly sick. Pain can work in the same way, as well as pleasure. If you focus on the feeling of an orgasm, you will become aroused and eventually achieve orgasm whether you physically manipulate yourself or not. Pain goes the same way. If you're convinced that you should have back pain because you think you have a slipped disc, prepare to hurt!

Mind set and physical setting when using any of the Sacred Teacher Plants is absolutely essential. Physically speaking, any health is appropriate depending on why you're doing it. If you're sick as a dog, I wouldn't recommend Vision Questing; you'd probably be better off seeking the plant as an Oracle to understand your sickness better so you can heal. Mentally and emotionally, you need to have nothing suppressed. If you're suppressing something, it will probably pop up and blow up in your face, and it will definately alter the experience. Sometimes you use the Sacred Teacher Plants just to find out what you're suppressing. That's why a dedicated structure in a ritualized atmosphere is essential. Physical surroundings should be a place where you won't be injured if you slip into a stupor and stumble around, and a place that you are emotionally comfortable with. You should always watch your diet for a good period before and after rituals, as well; scientific studies have shown that knowledge does pass from the devoured into the devourer, and the chemicals you consume will change your body-state. That's why I've found it best to eat fruits and vegetables I have grown myself or that have been grown by someone who loved the plants for a few days before the ritual.

You asked what substances are still legal in the States. If it's for a religious purpose, any substance is still legal. No one has the right to dictate conscience to you when it comes to your understanding of God, in whatever form you choose to worship, as long as it doesn't violate the rights of another individual. (The right to be consumed by another entity is something that we all reserve; anything that you can eat which will nourish you and anything that can eat you for nourishment is absolutely Natural.) If anyone attacks you for your observance of spiritual practice, defend yourself without fear. The United States was founded on two things: sovereignty of land owners, and the right to religious liberty without interference by others.

[Phlash]

Originally posted by silentwolfxvx:

"You asked what substances are still legal in the States. If it's for a religious purpose, any substance is still legal. No one has the right to dictate conscience to you when it comes to your understanding of God, in whatever form you choose to worship, as long as it doesn't violate the rights of another individual."

Silentwolfxvx, despite what may seem intuitive to you, this is just not true and is bad advice to give someone. The fact is, in the US substances that are generally illegal are also illegal for religious purposes. There are two exceptions at this point in time of which I am aware. The first is the use of peyote for ritual purposes in the Native American Church. The second is the use of Ayahuasca in the UDV church. Note, however, as discussed elsewhere on this board, the UDV case is now before the US Supreme Court and as such is still unsettled. It is important to emphasize that while these developments are positive, they do not equate to a general exception for religious purposes for just anyone. The exceptions are given only to members of the specific churches mentioned and then only for use in formal ceremonies.

[whitewave]

silentwolf--If you focus on the feeling of an orgasm, you will become aroused and eventually achieve orgasm whether you physically manipulate yourself or not--

I thought this was a good example of the mind-body connection since it is something that happens so commonly to men and women in sleep. I just wanted to point it out. Thanks, silentwolf.

[silentwolf]

Originally posted by Phlash:
Silentwolfxvx, despite what may seem intuitive to you, this is just not true and is bad advice to give someone. The fact is, in the US substances that are generally illegal are also illegal for religious purposes. There are two exceptions at this point in time of which I am aware. The first is the use of peyote for ritual purposes in the Native American Church. The second is the use of Ayahuasca in the UDV church. Note, however, as discussed elsewhere on this board, the UDV case is now before the US Supreme Court and as such is still unsettled. It is important to emphasize that while these developments are positive, they do not equate to a general exception for religious purposes for just anyone. The exceptions are given only to members of the specific churches mentioned and then only for use in formal ceremonies.Dude, you obviously don't know your basic law. The fact is that efforts have been made, with many successful, to twist guaranteed freedoms away from the individuals.

Bill of Rights
Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

That passage is all I need on the federal level to guarantee my religious freedom. If someone infringes on that, I will fight you tooth and claw. If you will not stand up for that right and instead pale in the face of adversity, the unjust adversity and persecution that we face today, then I am pained by your weakness.

On the state level, there are other safeguards in each state's constitution. I personally like the wording of North Carolina's section on religious freedom.

Article 1
Declaration of Rights
Sec. 13. Religious liberty.

All persons have a natural and inalienable right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences, and no human authority shall, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience.

We can take this to the international level, too.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A(111) of 10 December 1948

Article 18.
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

It IS legal, in all the documentation, to follow your dictates of conscience concerning the observance and practice of your religion. The illegality of the drug trade is a mark against open commerce and recreational usage, it is not a condemnation of religious use.

STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS! If you don't, you WILL LOSE THEM! No one has the right to tell you how you can and cannot worship whatever it is you choose to worship, or practice as you choose. We are only humans; who among us has the power or the right to challenge the All of Existence itself?

[silentwolf]

If you've never heard of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) you can read up on what they do at www.aclu.org (http://www.aclu.org) . It only takes a $30 or $35 donation to become a card carrying member, and you are guaranteed that the money is going for a good cause.

The Fully Informed Jury Association can be found at http://nowscape.com/fija/fija_us.htm . They provide information on things such as Jury Nullification and Veto powers. This is very important for you to know as an American. Our Founding Fathers set up our court systems so that when we are tried by the Jury, the Jury has the right to not only to judge the facts of the case, but also to judge the very laws themselves! If you disagree with the law that was broken and you're in the Jury, you can vote to acquit. It only takes one vote to acquit. We have a long history of this practice in the United States, but today it is being suppressed and jurors are instructed to judge only by the laws; this is a violation of our rights! Thomas Jefferson considered the Jury to be the only safeguard to freedom from oppression by the government. You can read more on the history of Jury Nullification at this site ~ http://quasar.as.utexas.edu/BillInfo/FIJA.History.html .

I'm prepared to die for my liberty and the liberty of all others around me. If you want to roll over and submit to tyranny, then that means you are allied with tyranny.

[Phlash]

Thanks for that primer. Sure wish I read that before I went to LAW SCHOOL. It would have saved a lot of time and money. Believe what you want and die for whatever cause you choose, just realize that the advice you are giving here is wrong and could land someone else in jail. Dude.

[silentwolf]

The advice is wrong how? You can't tell me that jailing someone for religious use of an entheogen is constitutional. Does it happen? Yeah, it does, because a lot of people don't stand up for such petty ideals as freedom and personal liberty.

If you stand by and observe tyranny without acting against it, you're promoting it through passivity.

[Phlash]

Originally posted by silentwolfxvx:
The advice is wrong how? You can't tell me that jailing someone for religious use of an entheogen is constitutional. Does it happen? Yeah, it does, because a lot of people don't stand up for such petty ideals as freedom and personal liberty.

If you stand by and observe tyranny without acting against it, you're promoting it through passivity.My point is not about what may or may not be constitutional. I understand your point, and I share your view that this activity ought to be legal, but you are being irresponsible if you simply state that taking entheogens for religious reasons is currently generally recognized as legal activity in the United States.

The Second Amendment says the people have a right to keep and bear arms. Some people feel this means that the government should not involve itself with gun control at all. Currently the government restricts the use of certain kinds of fire arms by designating them illegal. It would be wrong to suggest to someone that purchasing an Uzi is legal, even if based on the text of the Second Amendment, you think it should be. That person may end up in jail. The same reasoning applies to the use of entheogens for religious reasons.

In my opinion if you understood my point prior to giving your initial advice on this topic then you acted in an unethical manner. You should have been clear that you are advocating for a particular position. Not everyone who may be reading your words will share your willingness to die or be jailed for the sake of personal liberty and/or opposing tyranny.

[Isaiah Mpski]

Wolf,
You bring many thoughts to this old Indian.
First you remind me of a classmate in medical school whose motto about drugs was,
"If you want them you must need them.If you need them you ought to have them."
So he freely prescribed drugs to whoever wanted them for whatever reason.After five years in the federal pen he no longer has the right to prescribe anything.

Secondly you remind me of a patient I saw early on in my career who after a forced lobotomy was obvioulsy impaired.
When you talked with him however he would deny that there was anything wrong with him,claimed he never felt batter.Some days he would deny that he even had had a lobotomy despite the two dime sized burr holes in his head.The psychiatrists used to lead him around like a pet mokey and use him to show that lobotomies were painless.
There is a logical way of approaching situations like you describe Wolf and it is not taking a David Koresch stand.
Mpski

[ March 10, 2005, 02:26 PM: Message edited by: Isaiah Mpski ]

[silentwolf]

Oh, don't get me wrong on this, mates. I'm not saying that I'd hole up in a lab and have a shoot-out with the authorities. I'd go to court over it and keep fighting it through the legal system. If it became clearly evident that there was no chance in hell that my inalienable, God-given rights would go unchecked, I would petition foreign nations for political sanctuary, and leave this soil.

Now on the other hand, if the masses uprose against the heads of our current fascist state, I would be amongst the front lines to hew down the tyrants.

My point is that yes, it is legal and legitimate in this country to use entheogens for religious purposes; however, there are those who will try to strip you of this right. Those who do are tyrants and fascists, and the only way to stop them from strangle-holding others is to not let them strangle-hold you.

Why fear anyways? Life only lasts a moment and you'll be back for another round.

[Xael]

Okay..so what is legal then? And about those other questions...

*chuckle*

[silentwolf]

You can find the DEA's current schedule listings at: http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/scheduling.html

The only plants that you can currently use without any fear of litigation at the moment are nicotiania spp., datura spp., atropa belladonna, brugmansia spp., ephedra spp., coffee arabica, peganum harmala, cola nitida, banisteriopsis caapi, salvia divinorum, passifloris incarnata, and myristica fragrans. There are a few others as well, but you'd have to do a lot of research to discover what they are and where to find them.

There are a few plants you can grow without fear of persecution as well, and as long as you keep a low profile you should be able to use them.

Ervatamia Orientalis ~ contains ibogaine and similar alkaloids in the foliage

Trichocereus Pachanoi/Peruvianius/Bridgesii ~ mescaline containing cacti

Erythroxylum Novagranatense ~ contains a comparable alkaloid content to erythroxylum coca in the leaves

Phalaris spp. ~ contains nn-dmt, 5meo-dmt, and 5oh-dmt, depending upon species, in the foliage and stems

Desmanthus Illinoensis ~ contains nn-dmt in the root and root bark; the leaves are also rich in protein and taste great in salads.

Psychotria spp. ~ contains nn-dmt in the foliage

Anadenanthera colubrina ~ contains nn-dmt and 5meo-dmt in the seeds

Mimosa hostilis ~ contains nn-dmt in the root and root bark

Ipomoea Violacea(tricolor) ~ contains lysergic acid in the seeds

Argyria Nervosa ~ contains lysergic acid in the seeds

There are a few more, of course, and you should research to find them.

[Isaiah Mpski]

Wolf,
I wasn't implying that you act like you've had a lobotomy.You obviously have good research abilities and thinking processes although you are probably a bit hardheaded.
Don't make the mistake though that you can make a difference by sacrificing yourself.I agree that we probably keep repeating our lives until we get it right but there are alot of misdirected people in Iraq who think they are making a difference by sacrificing themselves for what they are told to believe.They are only causing their fellow countrymen and families grief and slowing down what is inevitable.

[whitewave]

I agree Isaiah. I recently had the revelation that I didn't have to sacrifice myself in order to "save the environment." I decided to redirect my energy away from political activism to envisioning the world I wanted to live in by transforming myself. I said this elsewhere, but I think it's worth repeating. The mistake that activists make is in trying to make the changes they want to see within the framework of the system they are trying to change. If we continue to feed that system through resisting it, we will end up our sacrificing our vision to it. If enough of us withdraw our energetic support it will crumble more quickly. When it does, those of us who have claimed their true power within will be able to step in and have the effect on the material world that we desire now.

[sidecross]

To paraphrase Gandhi, ‘what you do is not important, but it is important that you do it.’

“…that I didn't have to sacrifice myself in order to "save the environment…" can be read to mean such an IMORTANT undertaking.

[silentwolf]

Oh, I wasn't saying I would sacrifice myself to make the changes that need to be made...all I'm saying is that you'll have to kill me to stop me from doing what I feel I need to do.