Dead Nexus Theory: Or How I Learned to Stop Gatekeeping and Love the Psychedelic Reformation

[blig-blug]

I can agree it does feel like a different place

Look at the state of the Internet. Look at yourself vs. 15 years ago (I don't mean anything in particular, just we all change). It would be very strange if it didn't feel like a different place.

I am sure I am not the only person getting messages asking where to even get plant materials now. When I first joined up here this was openly discussed

That hasn't been the case since 2012, when it was barely 6 years old. Has the Nexus been the "Dead Nexus" since 2012? If not, the change must be unrelated to sourcing being allowed or not.

Does anyone really, honestly believe that the Nexus would be full of (non-bot) activity if just sourcing talk were to be allowed? Really?

 

[redbird]

I see everybody getting fixated on the sourcing or no-sourcing talk aspect of Dreamers' post, which I guess is understandable given the strong feelings around it.
At the same time I see it as only a small facet of the overall post, which was a call to action to get creative on how to keep this place alive.
I want to echo that call to action and encourage people to try and get past any infighting about whether sourcing should be allowed or not. I think it's something that should be decided on and at the same time it shows the possibility of being a huge drain on people's emotional and intellectual energy. I think instead we should focus on bigger ideas of how we can maintain the vibrance of this community.
I'll admit, that even though I was a reader of this forum a decade ago, I'm only a recent newcomer to being a participant. That said I find it hard to believe that sourcing is the only thing that made this the place to be.

 

[blig-blug]

I think instead we should focus on bigger ideas of how we can maintain the vibrance of this community.

Well, according to the OP the Nexus is dead and an empty shell. So, nothing to maintain, other than perhaps it being an archive.

Of course, I do agree that there are many aspects to improve, and more involvement would be much desirable. That was my intention behind the original proposal for a Nexus Day, for example. It didn't pan out as I had originally thought because our capacity to act collectively currently is limited, or maybe the idea just wasn't that good. We are all volunteers here and this is a herd of cats, not sheep, which IMO is good but does make coordination difficult.

I think criticism and nostalgia are easy and cheap. But useless without any positive view or proposal. If I've focused on the sourcing proposal it's because it's the only clear positive proposal in it, and about 10 out of 18 paragraphs reference it directly or indirectly. It's also a proposal that affects everyone, and one that I oppose and think would be negative. Furthermore, its justification being that it will bring back the Nexus to life (assuming it doesn't have it) seems deeply mistaken to me. Thus, it made sense to address it.

There are other two proposals mentioned in passing: being more welcoming to newcomers (assuming it doesn't just refer to allowing sourcing) and talking about the Nexus in other websites. Those proposals have the beauty that, unlike a change to the Attitude, they need no consensus: anyone is free to engage in them at any moment. So, just talking about them without doing anything in that sense seems pointless to me.

This is a critique of the Nexus being presented as an eulogy (eu=good, logos=word). Criticism is fine, good, and healthy, but it should be presented as what it is. To say that the Nexus used to be so good but now is just a dead and empty shell is not an eulogy, and I don't think it's a very constructive criticism either. I would even say it's not very considerate to the active members that keep it running and alive through their activity nowadays, which would seem to be empty and meaningless, equivalent to death.

So yeah, I'm all for positive and concrete proposals to not only keep the Nexus alive but also increase its vitality. I do expect that when the proposal is something the one proposing it can do, they will either lead by example or stop to consider whether perhaps the reason they're not doing it is the reason others aren't doing it. It's easy to demand others to do better, not as easy to do so oneself.

I hope further conversation about improving the Nexus and getting more community involvement will happen. But IMO it will have to be in a thread that starts from a more constructive, clear, and concrete perspective.

 

[ommani]

I initially read the title of this thread as, Dear Nexus Theory, which I’ll admit was more to my liking. While this forum may be relatively less active compared to an earlier time, I still find it to be a lively place with lots of great contributions from a fairly diverse group of people, joining from different parts of the world.

On a personal note, I appreciate the opportunity to interact with likeminded people in Europe, being originally from Eastern Europe, but having lived in the US for most of my life.

In the immortal words of Bilbo Baggins, but without the subtext of saying goodbye:

I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.

 

[Jagube]

The first time I found out where to get caapi vine, a guy pointed me to the old ayahuasca-forums, and the rest is history. That forum is long dead, consumed by the changing tides of the social order. Sure, the same fate awaits Nexus.

The old ayahuasca forum was intentionally made not indexable by search engines, to stop spam, but also the influx of legitimate new members, who were seen as too “new wave” / social media generation, asking the same n00b questions etc., which was already the domain of the relevant subreddit.
So the forum ended up turning into a closed club for spiritual and philosophical discussions for the old guard, and the few dozen active members eventually shrank to a few, until there was no one to talk to.

BTW before the Nexus was migrated to the new forum software, I remember someone said they were glad the software at the time didn’t support reactions, due to the associations with social media, optimizing for the algorithm and turning posting into a popularity contest.
Now we have reactions, the software is mobile friendly, and this only seems to have been a positive.

One thought (and sorry if this has already been brought up): the drop in traffic may not be just due to not keeping up with the times, but simply because the subject of the forum may have been largely exhausted. How many more teks can we come up with? How many more psychedelic plants can we discover?

If we want a living community, what would it revolve around?
And how much of this desire is an attachment that's better let go of?

 

[ABe©eDarian]

People are not even successfully playing hide & seek to extents they want to and think they are, anyway.

But mum's the word. Word to your Mumma.

 

[Jamie01]

Werd mumma

 

[northape]

If we want a living community, what would it revolve around?
And how much of this desire is an attachment that's better let go of?

As long as this place is flexible enough to adapt to the ever-changing world, it will survive. I see no point in saying much more about this issue. Never make an idol out of anything, and cherish what you have. People are the cornerstone of any community. The real Nexus is hosted not on servers, but inside our minds.

Strange that you've just commented on the first part of my post. To me, the message feels out of context when you do so. Everything dies, and the same fate awaits both Nexus and us. Any site is alive as long as it is of interest to someone. Somehow, no one responded to this simple fact. Everything this forum was, is, or will be depends on the people who use it. I have no idea about Nexus, but each one of us should pay attention to ourselves and work on our own minds. This will make Nexus worth it, even if not directly.

That idea about letting go is such a cliché at this point, and people use it here and there like it's a solution to everything. Yes, but can you let go of yourself? It would fix all the problems, yet somehow even mind-shattering doses of DMT don't do it for people. We're all attached and filled with desire - that's the definition of samsara. That's just how humans live. Sure, practice mindfulness and do the best you can inside your mind. However, when it comes to groups of people, you can't apply the same rules. And so, we come back to the beginning: work on yourself and see what you can offer to the world. That way, this place and many others will thrive for many years.

 

[DoggerelTravels]

Well, I feel called to chime in!

I am brand new here. I received a friendly and personal welcome almost the moment I created a login. I have asked questions which have been promptly, generously, and compassionately answered. I have learned about extraction and experimented with several teks. I found sourcing and had bark in hand before I signed up. I found the Nexus the same way - by just exploring. Not a single person I know has any experience with the Molecule. I’ve been practicing DMT for all of 2 weeks. I am 65 years old. I am female. I have been in alcoholic recovery for 34 years.

Experience = change. What the Nexus was, is, and will be can’t be recalled, recreated, predicted, controlled, or perfected. At any given moment, it is what it is. I can attest that it has served me well. That may change, that may not.

Have you heard the phrase “global peace begins with me”? Spirit/Source/God/Nature works through us individually and then collectively. Points of Light will drift through, drift out, stay a while or hurry along. My responsibility, to borrow a phrase I dearly love, is to do the NEXT right thing, according to Guidance/Intuition/Heart Strings or Gut Feelings. My work is to clear away all that blocks the Internal Signal. And then let go, trust, act.

So, if one finds value here, give back. If one doesn’t, leave in peace. Create your own thing, or find another. It’s all ok. Everything is ok. If it doesn’t feel ok, just wait a sec - IT will change!

I am grateful for this place. I am grateful for its members. I don’t know what it used to be. I don’t know what it will be. I can tell you there are a ton of things in this world that “used to be better.” (For example, Twitter in 2012.) There’s an equal number of things that are dramatic improvements. If I only ask for what I know about, my gifts are limited to what I can imagine, and that prevents anything grander coming my way. And that is just a hard way to go!!

I appreciate the discussion. I don’t know anything. I’m just one. I like it here. Love to you all!

 

[Jagube]

Strange that you've just commented on the first part of my post. To me, the message feels out of context when you do so. Everything dies, and the same fate awaits both Nexus and us. Any site is alive as long as it is of interest to someone. Somehow, no one responded to this simple fact. Everything this forum was, is, or will be depends on the people who use it. I have no idea about Nexus, but each one of us should pay attention to ourselves and work on our own minds. This will make Nexus worth it, even if not directly.

I admit I didn't read the entire thread, and probably didn't read your post in its entirety, or didn't pay enough attention to it.
I was skimming through the thread on my phone and noticed the ayahuasca forum being mentioned. At a later point I got on my laptop and addressed the aya forum, because it was on my mind, and a quick use of the Find feature led me to your mention of it, but dreamer mentioned it too and my choice on who to quote was somewhat arbitrary.

My reply, including the subsequent points, was hasty as I was on my way out. Not using it as an excuse, but I guess what it shows is that community building requires patience and care, and I may have fallen into the low attention span trap that we associate with the TikTok user base - which seems relevant to this thread.
These days when I see long a post or thread I think may be interesting, I often use AI tools to summarize it. But I hesitate to do that with Nexus threads, because the most convenient way is not anonymous.

That idea about letting go is such a cliché at this point, and people use it here and there like it's a solution to everything.

Re: letting go - point taken. I used a cliché unconsciously without having given it much thought.

Yes, but can you let go of yourself?

I first read it as "Yes, but can you let go yourself?" and then realized there was an "of" there.
No, I can't let go of myself and it's not something I'm seeking at this point. My focus is on letting go "myself" for now.

 

[ABe©eDarian]

Hide & sneak.


So we'll just be good.

 

[northape]

I admit I didn't read the entire thread, and probably didn't read your post in its entirety, or didn't pay enough attention to it.

No worries. I just wanted to point out that my message was a bit different. I agree with your reflections about aya-forums, too.
Maybe I'm just too old and hardened at this point, yet somehow I still care about being understood. Something to let go of, most likely

 

[Jagube]

That idea about letting go is such a cliché at this point

Actually I've had second thoughts about this.

Whether bringing up letting go is warranted depends on the intention.

I didn't mean to judge people for not letting go enough. I offered it as a suggestion and encouragement.
It wasn't about how or whether we do it, but the realization that we can do it.
Because sometimes people forget it's an option. I know I do.

 

[ommani]

One thought (and sorry if this has already been brought up): the drop in traffic may not be just due to not keeping up with the times, but simply because the subject of the forum may have been largely exhausted. How many more teks can we come up with? How many more psychedelic plants can we discover?

That is a valid point. However, I think it can also be valuable, worthwhile, and fun to talk to other psychedelicly oriented people about adjacent and unrelated topics, which is one of my favorite things about this forum.

 

[TheGreenPhantom]

...the drop in traffic may not be just due to not keeping up with the times, but simply because the subject of the forum may have been largely exhausted. How many more teks can we come up with? How many more psychedelic plants can we discover?

Are you sure?

Psychedelics are an inexhaustible well, if you ask me. There are always plants, extraction methods, recipes and experiences to talk about. Just like with the culinary arts, brewing and/or distilling alcohol: there's always something new to discover – or rediscover....


As for the vitality of the NEXUS, I think it's pretty damn good compared to the other message boards I've stumbled upon. There's intelligent conversation, plenty of resources, people doing active research (@stuartroelke)....

About 2 years back, I was searching to see if DMT World was still around – which I was an inactive member of back in the day, since I preferred The Lycium (and couldn't wrap my head around an a/b tek). I was very surprised to see that it had morphed into the NEXUS....