Related to my recent substack, Benefits and Risks of Drugs, Mind Medicine Australia offers a free Webinar (voluntary donations) titled "Plants of the Gods."
Join us for a FREE WEBINAR on Wednesday 14 February 2024 @ 12pm AEDT featuring the esteemed Dr. Wade Davis CM (Canada), a leading anthropologist and ethnobotanist. As an explorer and researcher, Wade studies indigenous cultures and their use of plants for medicinal and spiritual purposes.
Wade Davis is perhaps the most articulate and influential western advocate for the world's indigenous cultures. A National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, he has been described as “a rare combination of scientist, scholar, poet and passionate defender of all of life’s diversity.” National Geographic Society named Wade as one of the Explorers for the Millennium. Trained in Anthropology and Botany at Harvard University, he travels the globe to live alongside indigenous people, and document their cultural practices in books, photographs, and film. His stunning photographs and evocative stories capture the viewer's imagination.
"For most of human history oracles, shamans, healers, midwives and some times high priests used them expertly to the great benefit of the community".....
Is that why they were called "high" priests?
Great article. As Keith Richards once said ..."I haven't a drug problem, I have a police problem".
Feel free to explain those points to my drug addled nephew, the one who steals off his family to chase an opiate addiction caused by stupid doctors prescribing him anti depressants when what he needed was a job and direction. Explain he should only mix Ocycontin cones like someone else noted, "In moderation" really. Explain that he should not drive 250km's collapse behind the wheel and when the lone country town copper opens the car door to check he has not choked on his own vomit, he should not snap out of his addicted stupor and beat the poor bastard into a hospital bed. I don't hate all drugs. I take issue with those who push the line they are ok.
As someone who navigates shamanic practices with others - I have a semantics beef.
For those of us who have been damaged by pharmaceuticals - we call them "drugs." We do not call pharma products "medicine" or "meds."
For healing, we call those substances, "medicine." We do not call them "drugs," and, in fact, the Medicine has a Spirit which needs to be honoured. (I've never met the Spirit of MDMA, but - that hasn't precluded excellent expansions).
When you call these sacred Spirits, "drugs," even when they are chemically compounded, you are buying into the very propaganda you decry. Words have power.
Apart from that, agree totally. Once that door has been open, a pathway is forged. If you want to be technical, you could call it a Connectome. If you want to be spiritual, you could call it - a realm (McKenna often did). Even if the door slams shut after the experience, just the knowledge of what was behind that door is still an opening.
A little about my background (please note, this site was written to gentlewomen in my yoga class, so much of the depth and language is for them): https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/ (likely about 20 mins of reading for the entire blog)
It amazes me how folks have no qualms about altering their state of mind with lab-created pharmaceuticals, but shudder at the concept of doing so with a natural plant with 5,000 years of historical safe usage.
As you say, the more harmful drugs are made legal and those offering benefits are demonized, which is interesting in light of the legalisation of cannabis across the US. Perhaps this is because they're not offering 'natural' cannabis with healthy ratios of CBD/THC?
With THC to CBA ratios of over 300:1 they're a far cry from the plant medicines they once were, especially considering THC oils and Dabs. This seems akin to Meadowsweet and Aspirin, the former being safe and effective, the latter being extremely 'effective' but also harmful through lacking all the buffering and synergistic agents of the whole.
For myself, and most of those I grew up with who also smoked this high THC cannabis, it seems to have had only deleterious effects... We even sought out this stuff over the more natural 'natural/yardy' types, as it was all about getting high with no consideration to health.
The extent of my childhood drug education was a visit by a policeman to my secondary school, where he told us 'drugs are bad mkay?' and scared us with the usual horror stories.
Funnily enough, psychedelics were the one thing I avoided at all costs - knowing they wouldn't help me to escape, but would in fact force me to confront my demons. I have little doubt my troubled younger self would have benefited greatly from psychedelic therapy.
Related to my recent substack, Benefits and Risks of Drugs, Mind Medicine Australia offers a free Webinar (voluntary donations) titled "Plants of the Gods."
You have to pre-book here:
https://events.humanitix.com/mind-medicine-australia-free-webinar-plants-of-the-gods-with-dr-wade-davis-cm-canada?mc_cid=90a642ea90&mc_eid=1b00f50cef
Description:
Join us for a FREE WEBINAR on Wednesday 14 February 2024 @ 12pm AEDT featuring the esteemed Dr. Wade Davis CM (Canada), a leading anthropologist and ethnobotanist. As an explorer and researcher, Wade studies indigenous cultures and their use of plants for medicinal and spiritual purposes.
Wade Davis is perhaps the most articulate and influential western advocate for the world's indigenous cultures. A National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, he has been described as “a rare combination of scientist, scholar, poet and passionate defender of all of life’s diversity.” National Geographic Society named Wade as one of the Explorers for the Millennium. Trained in Anthropology and Botany at Harvard University, he travels the globe to live alongside indigenous people, and document their cultural practices in books, photographs, and film. His stunning photographs and evocative stories capture the viewer's imagination.
"For most of human history oracles, shamans, healers, midwives and some times high priests used them expertly to the great benefit of the community".....
Is that why they were called "high" priests?
Great article. As Keith Richards once said ..."I haven't a drug problem, I have a police problem".
As for fine food, wine and cigars, everything in moderation.
Lay a whisper on my pillow
Leave the winter on the ground
I wake up lonely, there's air of silence
In the bedroom and all around
Touch me now, I close my eyes and dream away
It must have been love but it's over now
It must have been good but I lost it somehow
It must have been love but it's over now
From the moment we touched, 'til the time had run out
Make-believing we're together
That I'm sheltered by your heart
But in and outside I've turned to water
Like a teardrop in your palm
And it's a hard winter's day, I dream away
It must have been love but it's over now
It was all that I wanted, now I'm living without
It must have been love but it's over now
It's where the water flows, it's where the wind blows
It must have been love but it's over now
It must have been good but I lost it somehow
It must have been love but it's over now
From the moment we touched, 'til the time had run out
Yeah, it must have been love but it's over now
It was all that I wanted, now I'm living without
It must have been love but it's over now
It's where the water flows, it's where the wind blows
(Must have been love but it's over now)
(Must have been love but it's over now)
Feel free to explain those points to my drug addled nephew, the one who steals off his family to chase an opiate addiction caused by stupid doctors prescribing him anti depressants when what he needed was a job and direction. Explain he should only mix Ocycontin cones like someone else noted, "In moderation" really. Explain that he should not drive 250km's collapse behind the wheel and when the lone country town copper opens the car door to check he has not choked on his own vomit, he should not snap out of his addicted stupor and beat the poor bastard into a hospital bed. I don't hate all drugs. I take issue with those who push the line they are ok.
Great post, disturbing, challenging, questioning... !
A hidden window opened to the Universe...
But how to find a wise ”counselor” ?
Hey MaMu! Thank you!
As someone who navigates shamanic practices with others - I have a semantics beef.
For those of us who have been damaged by pharmaceuticals - we call them "drugs." We do not call pharma products "medicine" or "meds."
For healing, we call those substances, "medicine." We do not call them "drugs," and, in fact, the Medicine has a Spirit which needs to be honoured. (I've never met the Spirit of MDMA, but - that hasn't precluded excellent expansions).
When you call these sacred Spirits, "drugs," even when they are chemically compounded, you are buying into the very propaganda you decry. Words have power.
Apart from that, agree totally. Once that door has been open, a pathway is forged. If you want to be technical, you could call it a Connectome. If you want to be spiritual, you could call it - a realm (McKenna often did). Even if the door slams shut after the experience, just the knowledge of what was behind that door is still an opening.
A little about my background (please note, this site was written to gentlewomen in my yoga class, so much of the depth and language is for them): https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/ (likely about 20 mins of reading for the entire blog)
It amazes me how folks have no qualms about altering their state of mind with lab-created pharmaceuticals, but shudder at the concept of doing so with a natural plant with 5,000 years of historical safe usage.
As you say, the more harmful drugs are made legal and those offering benefits are demonized, which is interesting in light of the legalisation of cannabis across the US. Perhaps this is because they're not offering 'natural' cannabis with healthy ratios of CBD/THC?
With THC to CBA ratios of over 300:1 they're a far cry from the plant medicines they once were, especially considering THC oils and Dabs. This seems akin to Meadowsweet and Aspirin, the former being safe and effective, the latter being extremely 'effective' but also harmful through lacking all the buffering and synergistic agents of the whole.
For myself, and most of those I grew up with who also smoked this high THC cannabis, it seems to have had only deleterious effects... We even sought out this stuff over the more natural 'natural/yardy' types, as it was all about getting high with no consideration to health.
The extent of my childhood drug education was a visit by a policeman to my secondary school, where he told us 'drugs are bad mkay?' and scared us with the usual horror stories.
Funnily enough, psychedelics were the one thing I avoided at all costs - knowing they wouldn't help me to escape, but would in fact force me to confront my demons. I have little doubt my troubled younger self would have benefited greatly from psychedelic therapy.
The War on Drugs is much like the War on Terror - unwinnable / unending.
Timothy Leary was a CIA asset
MKUltra anybody ?
Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac) was destroyed by psychedelics
Many valid points raised though Markus
Beautiful piano music @ 432hz.
https://youtu.be/8XBpZAetcb8?si=wFg18d_1X-n-5csd
Bread Dairy @ 432hz.
https://youtu.be/IMays9NTpgc?si=CI9hbnyJkNpVzikN