Thanks Chan, completely agree with what you wrote as well, and happy to hear that you have experienced these compassionate & empathetic views for the earth as well in these expanded states of consciousness.
I recently read on-line of a pastor who outright said that plants and animals "do not have spirits" and that we have no business caring about what happens to the environment....that the earth will be destroyed in the end anyways, so what does it matter basically were his thoughts...then I read a second pastor later in the column blasting his thoughts and telling him that indeed plants and animals do have spirits and that we do have a right to take care of this planet. I agree with the second pastor.
Animals and plants seem to be very much aware of God, you can even see an animal's spirits in their eyes is what I believe. They have souls and do live on after death. Now I ask, if the 1st pastor were to have an entheogenic experience, do you think he might be awakened to see things as the second pastor? Besides entheogenic plants, I don't know of anything else that can turn someone around overnight and make them into a more compassionate person.
Our planet's biosphere is currently experiencing a serious crisis. A massive loss of biodiversity, toxic nuclear and petroleum leakage into the oceans, heavy metals spewing into the atmosphere, climate change, and other frightening ecological dangers could easily lead to our own extinction.
Environmental instability and unsustainability exist on many levels, due to our species lack of foresight and ecological blindness, which places the future of human civilization in great peril. The very perspectives that we need and that we seem to lack as a species--compassion, ecological awareness, empathy, cultural boundary dissolution, creative thought, and spiritual connection--appear to be fostered by the use of entheogenic drugs and plants. Sadly, Western cultures universally prohibit the personal use of these sacred medicines.
Plant spirits--the wisdom of botanical intelligence--activate those parts of the human brain that cause us to question the integrity of our culture, and to place a greater value on primal intelligence than on cultural beliefs.
Research into the members of ayahuasca churches for instance revealed that many of them decided to change their professions after participating in ayahuasca rituals so that they could work with natural products or on environmental protection issues.
Considering the toxic state of the world at present and what lies at stake, perhaps it might be a good idea to listen to what the people who know the most about these strange substances have to say.
Shamanic plants have the potential to help us survive as a species. I truly believe that these plants can help us to save the world. I think that they can help to raise ecological awareness, make our sacred interconnection and interdependence on the biosphere obvious, and set many people off on a course of spiritual evolution.
I don't think that there's much time left on this planet, as we may be driving ourselves into extinction with runaway pollution and toxic waste.
Entheogens inspire novel thoughts, new ideas, and alternative perspectives, and they strengthen problem-solving abilities, and improve creativity and artistic performance.
Aldous Huxley said it well when he said these entheogenic experiences are what theologians might call "a gratuitous grace", not necessary to salvation but potentially helpful. I feel the same way, not everyone need have these experiences, but they are often helpful to those who do have them in those who are sensitive to their effects.
The concentration of wealth and the centralization of control of resources in a powerful minority are creating a host of problems. I do realize if these are not soon remedied, industrial society will become even more dysfunctional and may well take the rest of the world with it.
Lack of compassion can be seen in all tiers of our current society, for example, last year the place I work for got rid of all sick time for us (the workers)...any time someone calls in sick it is considered a "violation", it only takes a couple of these violations before a person is then fired, whereas before we had at least 5 sick days a year...we also cannot even be a minute late to work...I have had to be on time for the past 2 years...as being late just one minute twice in a year is equal to "one whole violation" ! This is a sick society we live in. The managers who put these %^!! up policies in place then leave the job and we are left to abide by their garbage for the rest of a lifetime, they never get rid of the policies, only add more %^!@^!^ up ones every year. The turnover rate is insane and workers are treated like objects only.
A worker the other day accidentaly cut himself slightly on the job and you know what that means now? He get's drug tested immediately, they pull a piece of his hair, and he is fired as they found a drug in his system, whereas in the past there was some "compassion" and you would be sent to a drug class for several weeks 3 times a week for 3 months...not anymore, now you just get fired right away.
And I'm not kidding about the entheogenic places on the web who all the sudden find they are no longer able to accept credit cards...simply because they were recently found in violation of the credit card issuer's policy of carrying a harmless plant they deemed not approved by themselves....I can count the number of these places on two hands that find they are no longer able to take orders except by money order or bitcoin...they are being driven out of business by the man...scary stuff going on.
The law in the uk prohibiting all plant remedies, psychoactives, etc. except for alcohol & caffeine & pharmaceuticals from the billion dollar drug companies...was created by one person...similar to what I've seen on the job...one non-compassionate person creates havock for the rest of society, creating a sick society, because we know it should not be like this. The power goes to the head of these sick managers and corrupt people in charge.
I am so glad we are all here to remind each other.