Why You Should Not Use Psychedelic Drugs (a useless rant about Daniel)

[K.J]

I'm not sure one could call this a review of 2012TROQ, but it pretends to be, even though the author of this tripe has never even read it. Apparently his skeptical mind is scared shitless about reading it for himself and then reasoning his way to a decent review. To be honest, I'm not sure this was even worth posting here, other than for the slap upside the head this guy will likely get via comments on his blog from a few of you.

Why You Should Not Use Psychedelic Drugs

Tonight's Colbert Report was a pretty good one. Especially notable was his gold "WØRD" chain that he donned after discussing Russel Simmons. But the interview was interminable.

It was this fellow, a Daniel Pinchbeck, who is an advocate of psychedelic drugs. I'd never heard of him, but I was eager to see what would ensue when Stephen took on a guy who used lots of peyote.

I should have known better.

This dude was a woo of the highest calibur. Exhibit one is his new book, 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl. It's the only exhibit I need. In it he harps on the tired old newage claim that the Mayans prophesied an apocalypse of sorts in 2012 based only on the idea that their calendar doesn't go any further. What's really funny is that Quetzalcoatl is an Aztec god, so the book is wrong from the cover. I can hardly imagine how bad it gets on the inside.

The interview this guy gave was full of the highest quality bullshit. I mean, he threw around Mayan prophecy, psychic ability, consciousness raising, synchronicity, and made the Chopraesque claim that "this is the direction that quantum physics is pointing in." He began by saying that his book is all about how we put too much credence in science and reason, and we need to become more spiritual and "less materialistic." Part way through he switched his stance to one of communion between science and spiritualism. Too bad what he wants to blend is quantum flapdoodle and his own strawman of "science," the evil, materialistic Satan that wants to destroy God and spirituality and has the audacity to demand evidence in order to state that a claim is true.

He spoke of how 2012 will see a world transition from materialism (by which we have apparently always been plagued) to an "ancient to Quetzalcoatl but new to us" way of life, rife with love, spiritualism, and LSD. Let me say that again: apparently science and reason are ancient evils, and happy, feel-good, warm and fuzzy, vague as hell "spirituality" is something new. And guess when this transition, which is currently underway, got started? If you guessed "the 1960's," then you get a cookie.

What amazes me is the ability of people like this to completely understand what's happening when they take acid or peyote or whatever the hell else they want to damage their brains with, but still interpret the entire thing as some sort of "psychic experience" or "growth of consciousness." Physically changing how your brain works so that you hallucinate talking green elephants having sex with a female Jesus doesn't "expand your consciousness." I can change how your brain works by hitting you really fucking hard in the head. I should sell psychic experiences. The startup is cheap; all I need is a baseball bat. The profits in terms of cash and personal satisfaction would be immense.

People like Pinchbeck choose to believe that what they know to be a hallucination, a false reality created by a misfiring brain, is somehow indicative of a "deeper truth." I did some looking and, according to Wikipedia:

In "2012," he also describes his direct reception of prophetic material: the voice of the Mesoamerican god form or archetype, Quetzalcoatl, began speaking to him during a 2004 trip to the Amazon in Brazil.
That's right. He went to Brazil, took a trip, spoke to an Aztec god, and wrote a book dealing with Mayan prophecies. Remember, both cultures existed in Central America. Not Brazil. But these contradictions don't matter, see, because "Like, it's all the same, man, when, like, you think about it." The phrase "god form or archetype" is fantastic in its vague, wooey meaninglessness.

I hate these newage fuckers.

Since I wouldn't read this book if you tied my testicles to a boulder and threw it off a cliff, let's look, for comedic purposes, at a couple of its Amazon reviews.

Says one reviewer,

His propensity for generalizing is rampant with such things as "according to Eastern thought" (cause we all know Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism are really of one mind). These generalizations turn scary whenever he broaches the topic of women. His anger and bitterness towards women (p.356) is obviously based on personal history, but he tries to couch it in cosmic terms. He also rails against monogamy, but his argument seems to be that monogamy is getting in the way of him having sex with whomever he wants (seriously).

And another,

2012 left me with the nagging, slightly sticky feeling that Pinchbeck was not a wide-eyed explorer of consciousness, but rather a rich Manhattan art world brat (his description of walking around Berlin in the rain is particularly indicative) who left his wife and daughter in pursuit of the End of the World Party complete with as much free sex and intoxication as he could afford. Rock star or mystic? Free thinker or man trapped by his own pursuit of What Is Cool?

and,

After bushwacking through the crop circle revelations and the mysteries of the modern calendar, 2012 settles upon and rediscovers - or discovers, as Pinchbeck seems to believe - the complex world of non-monogamy. He declares that the polyamorists among us are more emotionally evolved and free, and uses this thin, tired excuse to treat women with great disrespect.
Yeah, he sounds like a winner to me.

The worst of all comes from the book-flap description, probably penned by the egomeister himself:

Cross James Merrill, H. P. Lovecraft, and Carlos Castaneda -each imbued with a twenty-first-century aptitude for quantum theory and existential psychology-and you get the voice of Daniel Pinchbeck. And yet, nothing quite prepares us for the lucidity, rationale, and informed audacity of this seeker, skeptic, and cartographer of hidden realms.

So this guy is pretentious enough to claim that he's a mix of a celebrated poet, a master author of classic horror, and a loonybat woowoo fucknugget, and that he understands quantum theory? Man, he needs to buy my mind-expanding service, and soon. He knows enough about quantum theory to know, like all woos, that it's "totally, blow your mind, like, crazy, man." He claims to be the sole person to map these "hidden realms," though many other shitheads have written about the exact same nonsense over the years. And did you catch there where he called himself a skeptic? Cute, huh?

Fuck him.

Daniel Pinchbeck is a feel-good, tell-the-shitheads-what-they-want-to-hear author. He spews newage cliches and pretends he's saying something new. He isn't an advocate of psychedelics so much as he is a hippie born two decades too late. He isn't smart, he isn't right, he isn't a prophet. He's a drug-addled moron with no critical thinking skills who has seen What The Bleep one too many times. Which is to say he's seen it once. This guy is what would result if Deepak Chopra had a love child with later Alduous Huxley (though much respect to Brave New World). His view of reality is more warped than an anime version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland directed by Alan Moore. If my future children ever ask me "Why shouldn't we do drugs, daddy?" I'm going to point them to Pinchbeck and say "Because, children, nobody wants to be like him."

You can find the interview at the Colbert Report's website, and probably on YouTube any day now.

[sidecross]

If I were ever to have a garden party, I certainly would not invite those two bloggers from Indiana!

[Mars]

I think anyone who reads this might have the same kind of reaction: is it even worth responding to?

(a) He hasn't read the book
(b) It's mostly emotional, few thoughts offered
(c) He's referencing Amazon reviews as if they were character witnesses (!)
(d) He just generally seems like a tool

Though I do think it's valuable (to a limited degree) to consume these kinds of reactions. Being able to assimilate and understand lots of different viewpoints is, in and of itself, a good thing. Absorbing victriol and turning it into something useful is a skill and hey it happens within the community of this site plenty.

[djero]

It seems that if you put yourself and your personal experience out there, invariably someone is going to do their best to knock you down. I find a lot of humor in it, but cannot say i'm unaffected by extreme judgement.

I haven't read this work yet, I just finished reading Breaking Open The Head, and quite look forward to experiencing more of Daniels special and unique perspective/experience of this world, without even mentioning the amazing synchronicities of many things I have found in his writings.

I'll try not to give a review until I read the book, okay?

[PeaceFrog]

Originally Posted by That dumb guy

This guy is what would result if Deepak Chopra had a love child with later Alduous Huxley (though much respect to Brave New World).

Uhm... is he unaware that Aldous rather enjoyed mescaline? And after he rips daniel to shreds shouldn't he at least prove that he has the qualification to do so?... it's awefully easy to pass judgement, especially for people who have never done a drug in their life, when you're not all that intelligent. If Daniel has one thing on this guy (and he has more than one) I'm gonna call it an original thought.

Originally Posted by Somebody who's name I don't remember

(d) He just generally seems like a tool

Basically.

[Issa]

He Is Definately A Tool!

[Z. deScathach]

I always find it interesting that critics of this sort seem to suffer from the "methinks he doth protest too much" problem. It is entertaining though, especialy in terms of the creative stringing together of hilarious vulgarisms.

The perjorative he used, "loonybat woowoo fucknugget" is a hoot! You get this image of veins popping, red eyes, and of course the ever-flying spittle.......

One has to ask oneself a simple question. Just why is he so upset?

[sidecross]

To paraphrase Timothy Leary, “LSD has been known to cause psychosis to those who have never taken it”.

[Humming]

Anyone who uses the phrase "Fuck him." to describe the author of the book he is reviewing has no intellectual credibility whatsoever.

This is typical Bill O'Reilley-type hateful, ignorant, non-thoughtful or non-imaginitive drivel.

The blogger does have some valid points, but most of what he says is asinine.

[Caprinardo Delirio]

it's just sad that he drives himself so hard of clichés that he pathologises psychedelics. that type of fear will get him by the end.

i don't think he necessarily is bill o'reilly on the daily level though, and we ought to know that loads of people will feel this way about the claims of the book. there is a lot of reasoning and rearticulating and mediating to do.

and seriously, honestly, heartfelt and open-mindedly,

fuck him.

[nyk]

oh to be called a 'woowoo fucknugget'. i am envious.

[Z. deScathach]

Actually, I've been pondering the various characterictics and existential properties of "woo". Basically, through my research, I have discovered that the archetype of "woo" has many desirable properties, and I wish to become more "woo" in the future. Anyone know of any good books on the subject? (Besides Daniel's, of course.)

[nyk]

for some reason i have kept this one around...

[Z. deScathach]

Thankyou very much.

[Caprinardo Delirio]

watts had this thing with contrasting two main types of folk: the 'prickles' and the 'goo' (woo) types.. saying the prickles of goo: "they are disgustingly vague and miasmic" whereas goos on the prickly ones: "all skeletons with no flesh on their bones, rattlening, knowing the words but not the music" and watts would say that actually reality is gooy plickles and prickly goo..

he was great.

[craazyman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bacchae

[Isaiah Mpski]

Was ist los mit mir?
Lord CM it looks like natural gas could hit 14.You better get in some company,say Devon.

You know you and I might colaborate on my second little book.You can carry a story better than I.Mabe two hundred ect's and two hundred hrs of deep shock insulin comas hurt my brain.Never thought about it much.It just made me mad.And scared.Especially the Indaclon.Truth serum felt good.
Reminds me have any of you seen the movie"It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World"
First though.I want you to make contact with James V. Hart,there in the city and see if he is still willing to help making a movie out of my second little book,like hesaid he would.He helped talk me into selling my first one to the Scientolgists-thus The Truman Show-The think he knows of my dad's CIA connections and may be afraid of me because of that but I assure you we are the best of friends despite his queer habits.I think alot of people knew,but he told me very little.Oh-some terrible stuff concerning Roberto D'Abussion
James V. Hart wrote the dialogue for the movie Contact,Hook,etc and we've been friends since early on.I think he is really into the stock market too.
Most of all Lord CM,I want to be in Mexico pulling in Doraldo,40 lb'ers at two minute intervals.
I'll put 10 k today if three others will and we will buy a place near Salulita.

[drew hempel]

Hey time to invest in LASER WEAPONS -- a new military production plant just opened up: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ctrl/message/88984

[Isaiah Mpski]

Lord CM,looks like something to invest in.Either that or a company that launches satellites with shields.

[Isaiah Mpski]

Not even the orbiting lab is now(or soon will be if the Arabs get their hands on such technology) safe.
This is farthur proof of our need to colonize the moon as well as Mexico.

Is it cold enough up there for you Lord Hemp?LOL as I heat my house from a gas well I partly own.Wish I could afford to drill one myself-they say 100 k,which would also pay for a nice wind turbine,and that's a sure thing here on the shores of Lake Eufaula.

Everybody pray now."Let John and Lord CM stocks arise beyond all speculation and may they buy US a place in Mexico which we will turn into heaven."
Pray Daniel.Get down on your hands and knees and say with vigor,
"Lord buy me a piece of heaven{loosely translated as Mexico} and I will get eveybody high"

[craazyman]

Oh I'm a little scared of China right now. I keep waiting for their banking system to crash but it doesn't want to as of yet.

Looks like they've got better aim than the North Koreans (*LOL*).

Just jumped into HSOA last week. It's 6 and I think it can go to 9 or 10 in a year. But it makes me nervous being in the market at all. I'm basically a hard-scrabble ditch digger. I should just dig a hole in the back yard and bury my cash there, kind of like nuclear waste, and try not to worry about it until I'm ready for the Great Escape. If U.S. property values fall 30% or 40% I'll dig it up and spend some of it.

[Isaiah Mpski]

Listen CM,instead of burying it,lets go together and buy a big wind generator and some industrial type batteries.The power company,by law,has to buy any excesss power and theres usually a pretty stiff wind from the SW up on the bedrock we have overlooking the lake.Treat the turbine in the same mind as an oil well.
See yahoo group PickOverFlow-jon's pics-acreage 40 acres five on the south side of I-40 and 35 N.All Lakefront with government permit to develop lakefront.
Insofar as China goes,let us hope she only wants an economic war.
I suppose the Olympics would be a good time for the N. Koreans to start some shit or maybe some of the S. Americans.Just think Gott you have people like me working for US.
I can't understand why nobody is sending me money to buy Daniel a place in Mexico?You can go down there with me if you are serious.The fishing is great now CM and you can get two red snappers and beer for less than 5$.
Look at the rentals in Sayulita.

[suebee]

lets hope property values fall but we are importing buyers by the bushel here in the temperate s.f. bay area (theres not much dirt left) and the whole world wants to move to our safe and prosperous land.

imagine an $800 billion invasion of meheeco....

[Isaiah Mpski]

Welcome Suebee,
Please check out "The Farm" in Jon's pics on Yahoo Group PickOverFlow.
Can you imagine what could be done if you were to sell part of your property and invest it in eastern Oklahoma,the Gulaug of the American Indian.
I am seventh generation of Comanche Quanah Parker and Choctaw but for some reason I look like Buddha.
In regard to "the farm" we need to build some underground(bedrock)rooms for several reasons,the least of which is to hide.

What we are experiencing,and the reason for all the synchronicities etc is that Mother Gaia Supremis has reached her zeith and is falling back into reverse reality.
It may seem like heaven where you and crazyman live Suebee,but it could quickly turn into hell.

This is adequately described by other Quantum psycholgists.
Let me give you an example and proof of my hypotheses.


This time the Wizemen(religions) steal from Christ and go back East.

[suebee]

sadly you are right. the best advice i can think of for 20 somethings or other is to pool their money and buy land but you'd have to really investigate where the water will be after so many different scenarios. i just read cormack mccarthy's 'the road' - dont bother. very dark. i'm sure it will be a movie soon. love this website but cant sit all day on my laptop! i have friends in south dakota who work withthe Sioux there...going to see them in august for the sturgis rally. never thought i'd have harley friends. ah, life's little surprises.

[K.J]

Originally Posted by suebee

sadly you are right. the best advice i can think of for 20 somethings or other is to pool their money and buy land but you'd have to really investigate where the water will be after so many different scenarios. i just read cormack mccarthy's 'the road' - dont bother. very dark. i'm sure it will be a movie soon. love this website but cant sit all day on my laptop! i have friends in south dakota who work withthe Sioux there...going to see them in august for the sturgis rally. never thought i'd have harley friends. ah, life's little surprises.

Would you fine folks mind forking this convo onto a new thread?

[Isaiah Mpski]

Somebody ask you yesterday what forking meant.
Will you please be so kind to explain the process?

[K.J]

Originally Posted by Isaiah Mpski

Somebody ask you yesterday what forking meant.
Will you please be so kind to explain the process?

Instead of clicking the "quote" button, or the "post reply" button, hit the "fork" button and it'll turn your response into a new thread with a new subject line.

[suebee]

(this reminds me of that woody allen movie sleeper where he is shaving) i'm new at this - thanks for the info....

[Ozric]

I reply to the rant above. I see this often. He has no experience with altered states and the insights they can offer. It all is just so useless and meaningless to him. But, his level of anger shows his fear, and possibly a desire he could never bring himself to pursue. Who knows, a tool - yes at this point, but my heart does go out to him and hope he finds some truths and meaning in his life other than the ones that are obviously failing him.

Ozric