Project: Psychedelics and Radical Resistance

[Praxis.]

Greetings everyone! I've been working on a project for some time now and it's come to the point where I'd really like to get any folks who might be on board here involved.

In a nutshell, I'd like to work with others to produce a small booklet of information pertaining to psychedelics and radical resistance. It is of my opinion, and many others, that globalized civilization is rapidly approaching a breaking point that puts much of life on earth in jeopardy. The crisis is absolutely real and demands that radical action be taken; we can no longer afford to idly sit by and buy into false solutions that act as band-aids and not as remedies to the root issues. As we all know, the psychedelic experience provides an experience that drastically alters human perception in such a way that shatters pre-existing notions of identity such as race, gender, or class and reveals our inherent connection to the systems of nature. These states of consciousness can foster modes of being where we find that we can process information in ways we never before imagined possible, overcoming interpersonal conflicts and providing the means for stepping outside of our conventional selves and genuinely thinking outside of the box. Psychedelics can show us how internal processes traditionally referred to as ego can affect our actions, attitudes, and beliefs; and how our upbringing in culture and society can shape our sense of identity, ego, and ultimately how these things can manifest as various forms of oppression.

When used in the right context, psychedelics can show us all of these things and more; and yet when I look I see a vast disconnect between the worlds of psychedelic culture and meaningful resistance. Well intentioned psychonauts seem to often fall into the trap of green/new age consumerism and escapism. Psychedelic culture has been high-jacked by a mentality of self-indulgence and ignorance that is not sustainable.

On the other hand, in my more limited experience with radical culture, I've been equally disappointed to find a lack of reverence for reality (for lack of better phrasing) that one finds in the psychedelic community. Radicals tend to struggle with finding effective ways to organize whilst recognizing that we all carry around with us internalized systems of oppression (eg racism, patriarchy, etc...). Radicals will spend hours upon hours in meetings trying to find a structure that works and is accessible to as many people as possible, but they work entirely off of the notions of pre-existing ideologies and academics. Many in this circle scoff at the notion of spirituality, automatically equating it with institutionalized religion (which historically has been an extension of the state, used as an instrument of oppression) -- the idea that one can use chemicals to potentiate genuine spiritual experience without dogma is entirely alien and practically infeasible to many within radical culture.

My aim is to provide a primer of sorts for both parties. For example, one could be at a psychedelic music festival and trying LSD for the first time (or perhaps they are very experienced); and someone at a booth is passing out this primer. For someone invested in or just discovering psychedelic culture, this primer will provide them a context for the psychedelic experience in the hopes that they may use this information to apply what they learn from psychedelics to methods for promoting meaningful change. Information includes why radical resistance is necessary, what radical culture is, outlets for plugging in (eg earth first, rising tide, etc...), and what psychedelic resistance might actually look like. So for example, if you eat mushrooms and you learn that we are all one life-force intrinsically connected to the ecosystems which are virtually under assault so that you may live comfortably, and/or that you have been a misogynistic douche-nozzle your whole life and have unconsciously separated yourself from the world, what do these lessons look like when put into practice? How can we take what we learn from these experiences and cultivate them in our lives in ways that actually challenge systems of power? This should serve as an analysis of where psychedelic culture is at by addressing its shortcomings and offering insight as to how the community can evolve to be all inclusive and truly revolutionary.

Now lets say one is at an action camp (where activists and whatnot come together to host workshops, plan protests and whatnot) and someone has a table full of zines and info. One of the booklets is this primer, and for the curious radical who may not have much knowledge of/exposure to psychedelics it provides all your basic info. What are psychedelics, history, general experience, etc...For the radical, information regarding psychedelics will be laid out in a way so that they can consider these substances as potential tools--whether for organizing campaigns or rethinking strategy, or so that he/she may consciously work towards deconstructing internalized racism, or even so that he/she may come to discover God and recognize that spirituality can be an effective tool for social change.

So that's a really basic rundown and I'd be happy to go into it in more depth if anyone wishes. There's no set time limit for this and I'd like to do it in a way that is accessible to anyone who wishes to participate. My hope is that this could be something free--if someone wanted to distribute a bunch of these primers at some event or to friends or whatever, they could download it and print it themselves--they could cover the cost of printing or charge people x amount for a copy to cover costs.

Now all of this is just a general idea right now, but to make it a reality there are a variety of specific tasks that need to be done. The biggest job that needs doing now is actually writing the damn thing. I imagine that the primer will essentially be a collection of essays with some artwork and perhaps a trip report or two. I’ve started one of the essays that I’d like to write, and I’ve compiled a very basic outline of the content. What I’ve tried to do here is provide the framework or skeleton of the project so that people can easily plug in and work on whichever aspect of it appeals to them. Obviously people can collaborate with eachother if more than one person would like to write about one topic, and of course if there’s anything not listed here that you think would make a nice addition please feel free to offer your ideas and thoughts. For those who wish to write, we are shooting for a down to earth and easy to understand dialect/tone. It doesn’t have to sound professional or academic but should be factual, informative, and easy to follow. It can be written casually and you’re obviously free to deviate from anything outlined here.

What is this booklet?
Rallying call: The need for resistance
General overview of psychedelics and culture
General overview of radical left
Purpose of this booklet

What are psychedelics?
General
Brief history
How they work
Association with radical left and counterculture movement
MK ULTRA

Why must we fight?
Analysis of the post-modern world
A brief historical overview
The state and its toolbox
What is the state?
Tools of the state
Industrialism and ecological genocide
Imperialism/Globalization
Capitalism

Pillars of oppression
Racism in the modern world
Sexism and patriarchy in the modern world
The class struggle

Sustainability of psychedelic culture
Impact of Aya tourism
The ecological impact of one extraction
Is the festival culture sustainable?
Growing/gardening and eco-friendly teks

Green Capitalism and other false solutions
Analysis of the ‘green’ economy
Carbon credits
Bridge fuels
‘Renewable’ energy sources
Green consumerism
Understanding root causes

Women in psychedelic culture
The psychedelic experience as a woman
How psychedelics affect perception of gender
Women in the psychedelic community

Psychedelics and race
How psychedelics affect perception of race and cultural differences
Colored people in the psych community

Capitalism and psychedelics
Marketing psychedelic culture
Festivals
New Age consumerism
Cultural appropriation in psychedelic culture
Ayahausca
Indigenous cultures
Eastern cultures
Class privilege and psychedelic use

Re-thinking spirituality within the struggle
Implications of the psychedelic experience
Institutionalized religion vs. personal/collective spirituality
Spiritual experience as a means for social change

Harm reduction
Set and setting
Intent
Dosage and substance interactions
Introducing someone to psychedelics
Taking a psychedelic for the first time

What is the radical left?
The organizing tradition
The need for (and what is) direct action
History/examples

Resist!
What does resistance look like?
In what ways can psychedelics be used as effective tools of resistance?
Why unplugging is not the answer
Starting affinity groups
Solidarity

Outlets for plugging in (pre-existing groups, organizations, coalitions, etc…)

Further reading

As mentioned I’d like to include at least one trip report. Anyone who’d like to submit one should post it here (or if its really long create a separate thread and provide a link here) and we can collectively decide which ones to use.

Art is the other major thing that needs doing, but is less immediate. If anyone would like to volunteer to provide artwork for this project feel free!

I will update this thread as we go—what I can do is start a list of those who would like to participate and include their ‘job’ in the list, and it can be updated/modified as we go. People can upload their work here so we have it all in one place.

I’d like to briefly note that this thread is not for the debate of whether or not radical action is necessary and I’d like for it to not be deviated by discussion of that sort. I think debate and questioning is important and I understand someone might want to participate but they have questions pertaining to political theory or whatever it may be, but that is discussion I’d encourage creating a separate thread for. This thread is specifically for working on this project and it is up to you to be knowledgeable/aware of current events and/or radical theory if you would like to participate.

I think this is pretty much it. I’ve put a lot of energy into this already and I’d love to get the help/input of all y’all—if it’s something you’re into.

NOTES:
underlined text in the outline implies a whole article/essay
bold text in the outline implies general subject matter
regular text in the outline implies specific subject matter

I'd like to take the essay on spirituality and resistance; though if anyone would like to contribute/collaborate let me know!

I think a woman should write the essay regarding women in the psychedelic community, and a colored person should write the one regarding colored people in the community.


VOLUNTEERS/TASK:
VTSeeker48/Re-thinking Spirituality Within the Struggle

 

[Enoon]

VTSeeker,

interesting project you are proposing here. I wish you good luck with it. Concerning the artwork I can give you a few pointers, since when I was working on the OHT I asked for the same kind of help and received, lamentably, almost no artwork at all. What I did do is go through the threads on artwork here on the nexus and when I found an image I liked I asked the member by PM if I could use it and how they would like to be credited. This almost always worked and I was able to use lots of wonderful images.

For non-psychedelic art I used wikimedia commons, with care to chose the pictures with the right type of license for publishing and making sure that none of them showed recognizable people, unless specifically stated that it was ok to use.

As for the sections on psychedelics, set, setting, how they work etc. I have some very relevant chapters about those in the OHT (see the link in my signature to download the pdf) which you can take a look at or also reference in your project.

Now let me ask you, what is a woman supposed to write about psychedelics and women? I mean is the experience supposed to be any different for us? I am a woman and am totally perplexed at this chapter. I have no idea what would or should be different... Is there something specific you are going for for this section - seen as I'm a woman perhaps I could write something or at least give some ideas/input, but from where I'm standing I just don't know what you want to hear.

 

[Tyler_Trismegistus]

I think something good to write about, rather then the effects of psychedelics on women, would be tgr involvement of women in the psychedelic community. It seems to be over run with men and I'd love to gear more women get their messages and points across.

 

[Tyler_Trismegistus]

Oh looks like you already have that sorry

 

[Praxis.]

Thanks for the suggestions Enoon! I'll most definitely poke around the artwork on here if nobody seems to show interest/initiative. I was given a pretty fair warning that it can be difficult to get people on board with projects like this so chances are that's what I'll likely end up doing.

I also just want to briefly mention that I was just able to get around to downloading the OHT the other day and though I've only skimmed through it due to lack of time, it's a very impressive collection of work! Thank you for taking the time to compile all of that information. I was actually planning on asking if I could use it as a resource and/or if you or anyone else who helped to put it together wanted to work on the harm reduction section of this project.

Anyways to answer your question, there's no real strict guidelines as to what you could/should write. The psychedelic community is dominated by males and I think that's important to address. So essentially I was thinking that a woman could write about her experience as a psychonaut; from your perspective, why is it that the culture is so dominated by men? In what ways could more women be encouraged to experiment with psychedelics and become an active part of the culture? From a woman's perspective, how does patriarchy play out in the psychedelic 'scene'?

As for the subjective psychedelic experience itself, I don't think it's any different for a man or a woman--but psychedelics break down barriers and annihilate traditional conceptions of identity such as gender and sexuality. Psychedelics teach us that we are more than the sum of our parts. I am more than 'man' and you are more than 'woman'. When one's social identity breaks down all one is left with is the purest conception of Self, and things like gender become arbitrary at best. As a woman, have you ever had experiences with psychedelics that challenged how you think of gender roles, or even gender as a whole? How might women benefit socially and personally from using psychedelics in how they see/value themselves? Many people speak of the divine feminine and mother goddess archetypes as common themes of DMT experiences, is this something you can speak to?

Really you can go in any direction you'd like with it; I just think it's important to get the feminine perspective.

No worries Tyler, I appreciate the input regardless!

 

[Praxis.]

I just want to unabashedly bump this.

I want to re-iterate that I'm very open to suggestions and I won't be offended if anyone has critique to offer. I understand this might not be the audience for this kind of project and not everyone is going to agree with these politics/perspectives.

But regardless it'd be great to get some feedback--I'd like to know what the Nexus thinks!

 

[Chadaev]

Just saw this thread, VT.

I like the impetus. Inner liberation and outer liberation are intrinsically connected, and historically psychoactives have played a huge role already, but somehow the potential for cross-pollination with the revolutionary left doesn´t ever take off.

One could start more modestly, making some lightning dashes into the topics you mention, but without any ambition to 'explain' things to your 'ordinary person'. Each of the areas you mention is a kind of puzzle, and maybe the point at this stage is simply to make some dimensions of the puzzle visible to ourselves.

One of the background puzzles, for example, is why Nexians in general are apparently cold on a project like this...

Perhaps approach it more as something fun to write.

How about this: Write a series of questions on each topic. Consult your preferred entheogen. Rewrite questions after getting plant feedback and distribute to those on the Nexus who have written thoughtfully on those areas (if you can't cover them all, no worries). Ask them to read the questions before their next journeys and to write something in response afterwards. Undertake to cut and paste from their answers to produce a 'Situationist' type text to get people thinking. If you don't get any joy from them, cut and paste from texts on the net, seeking permission for anonymous use.

Here is a model. It could be borrowed from without the intellectual wankery. Though there is no reason to be afraid of theoretical innovation. We're not going to get through this historical bottleneck without thinking boldly.

https://libcom.org/files/jeune-fille.pdf

 

[form is emptiness]

i've always been contrary, so...

IMHO, while entheogenic substances have the potential to momentarily 'expand' ones awareness and perception of 'reality', they offer little scope for undoing the type of social conditioning virtually all in the modernized world have been subjected to, particulary in regard to abstracted concepts of 'value'.

Undoing the brainwashing, imo, also requires dedicated study of relevant history of the last 2 centuaries. Particulary the study of politically incorrect ideas and movements which have directly challenged the structures imposed by the powers and principalities. The radical left, imo, is just another tentacle of controlled opposition.

One has to study the roots and seeds of current movements and memes to discern who or what they really serve, to form - to the best of ones ability - a 'big picture' view of the past. On the other hand, ignorance is bliss.

I don't believe that mass or fringe forms of current politics can be influenced in any meaningful way by the psychedelic movement. I believe the psychedelic experience leans and drives towards a non-rational nirvanic state of existence rather than the heavy over rationalism of modern thought control systems.

"Paradise Is exactly like. Where you are right now. Only much much. Better." Laurie Anderson

Anyways, enough babbling from me

(and sorry - no futher elaborations)

 

[SnozzleBerry]

Hey VTSeeker and Chadaev, I've been meaning to get in touch with both of you but have been absolutely swamped. Glad to see this discussion taking place and hope to contribute to it as time permits

I don't believe that mass or fringe forms of current politics can be influenced in any meaningful way by the psychedelic movement. I believe the psychedelic experience leans and drives towards a non-rational nirvanic state of existence rather than the heavy over rationalism of modern thought control systems.

I must say I don't find anything compelling in the above post, but this passage particularly stood out.

Numerous people report feeling incredibly deep connections to ecosystems and biodiversity under the influence of psychedelics. This alone presents massive potential for political action given the current state of affairs. And that's just at a cursory glance.

As a foundation for radical approaches—methods of analyzing and acting that target the root of the crises we encounter in our lives—we should be able to understand what we have learned to value as a result of our psychedelic experiences and engage with it in the world in a manner that defends it from that which would see it destroyed. That is to say, if we have experiences that present our connection to our fellow human beings as important, then we must oppose those systems that seek to shatter these connections and find ways to build communities that nurture them. If we come to the understanding that ecological systems are sacred to all life, then we must find ways to defend them against those who would liquidate them in the name of profits for extractive industries. If we come to the understanding that “all there is is love,” then we must find ways to oppose systems of commodification that are predicated on convincing us that we are unlovable unless we buy certain things.

As you've indicated you have no interest in "further elaboration" I'll just leave it at that. But really, why even engage in a thread if you're not open to discussion?

 

[datdmt]

this has got SJW written all over it. Radical left groups are filled with illogical ideas and often have a very skewed world view, with undertones of fascism. call me a racist , bigot , misogynist whatever. but in this day and age, radical political activism is completely dead. and even if it wasent, the powers that be are not evil rich white men. the powers that be are a collection of evolutionary baggage. Power corrupts all, hatred spreads like wild fire, people only care about those who are close to them, Social and physical dominance is everything. if you overthrow a system, you will only replace it with an equal or more oppressive system.

BUTTT , don't get me wrong, i hope for a better tomorrow just as much as you do. the key tho, is to allow capitalism to make its own self obsolete. we have to allow innovation to disintegrate the system it self. Innovations in renewable energies, 3d printing, urban gardening, bio fuels, mechanization, the internet. this will decentralize everything and give us something Thomas Jefferson only dreamed about. you have to start asking the question of how can i stop relying on society, and do it myself.

 

[obliguhl]

Radical left groups are filled with illogical ideas and often have a very skewed world view, with undertones of fascism.

Sadly, i have to agree. I've been involved with left groups and such and this is what i found. All about gaining power to overcompensate for not having power because of "I'm different!". I don't believe in "Protest" and any kind of activist ego games. I DO believe in Action. Action starts with oneself, not with others. If found that a ton of activists love to plan things and feel comradery just for the sake of it. That is sad to me.

Thinking about PRACTICAL ways on how to solve problems - well, yes, that is indeed a very good idea, and having a "psychedelic" approach to it - why not. I'm just find it meaningless to erect ego structures to fight egostructures if you know what i mean.

I don't believe that mass or fringe forms of current politics can be influenced in any meaningful way by the psychedelic movement. I believe the psychedelic experience leans and drives towards a non-rational nirvanic state of existence rather than the heavy over rationalism of modern thought control systems.

I would agree, but to me that is radical itself, given the "current state of affairs".

 

[SnozzleBerry]

the key tho, is to allow capitalism to make its own self obsolete. we have to allow innovation to disintegrate the system it self. Innovations in renewable energies, 3d printing, urban gardening, bio fuels, mechanization, the internet. this will decentralize everything and give us something Thomas Jefferson only dreamed about.

First, capitalism isn't currently making itself obsolete. Decentralization does not equal the end of capitalism. In fact, the current boom of decentralization, frequently referred to as "The Sharing Economy," is touted by neoliberals as a "smarter" form of capitalism. Yet if you actually examine the so-called "sharing economy" it's immediately apparent what a load of garbage that is.

The "decentralization" you are speaking of simply isn't decentralization. Look at things like airbnb and Uber. Someone still owns the companies...someone still owns the houses...someone still owns the cars. The only difference is, these companies are capable of cutting out huge chunks of overhead, which allows them, in-turn, to undercut all of the traditional competitors. But, wait...there's more.

Undercutting the competitors doesn't mean just absorbing some other company or forcing it to close its doors. It means literally making it that much harder for EVERYONE employed in the more traditional sectors to make a living. It means scarcity and precarity in the daily lives of innumerable people. This level of workforce destabilization is something that economists and CEOs LOVE because it means that the cost of labor goes down, people are less likely to organize into unions, there is usually a surplus of labor resulting from the tanking of traditional competitors, etc.

Many advocates of this structure will happily tell you that it's wonderful. That, not only does it provide a much needed service to tons of people, but it also gives people the opportunity to pick up jobs on the side, to freelance, to work multiple jobs, etc. But why the hell should we have to do this? Why should we be subjected to ever-increasing job-precarity...and jobs that generally don't pay particularly well or provide soid social welfare benefits when compared to "traditional" work.

Now, don't get me wrong, I think that work in its current form should be abolished. But the argument that the sharing economy or industrialized decentralization is going to ultimately save us from the future that's unfolding all around is seems preposterous to me. You can't make your 3-d printers without perpetuating ecocide. "Innovation" within a capitalist framework isn't conscious or interested in fixing the planet, it's interested in one thing and one thing only (and for some reason the "conscious capitalists" will never be able to grasp this despite the mountains of evidence staring them in the face): Profit.

And frankly, when it comes to Thomas Jefferson...I'm not really interested in fulfilling the wet dreams of a man who raped his slaves.

Radical left groups are filled with illogical ideas and often have a very skewed world view, with undertones of fascism.

As far as this...it's a cute ad hominem, but it evidences little more than a poor understanding of what fascism is. So, here are a few definitions to help sort this out:

Fascism is a form of radical authoritarian nationalism that came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe.

Fascists seek to unify their nation through an authoritarian state that promotes the mass mobilization of the national community

Fascist ideology consistently invokes the primacy of the state. Leaders such as Benito Mussolini in Italy and Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany embodied the state and claimed immense power. Fascism borrowed theories and terminology from socialism but replaced socialism's focus on class conflict with a focus on conflict between nations and races.

The terms neo-fascist or post-fascist are sometimes applied more formally to describe parties of the far right with ideological similarities to, or roots in, 20th century fascist movements.

a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition

So...I think you'd be hard pressed to make the straight-faced argument that "Radical Leftists" are fascist in any sense other than the "oooooooooh, fascism sounds like a bad word, let's call them that!" sense. As Orwell commented years ago, thanks to this sort of usage, fascism has largely lost its meaning, making the application of its terminology to true cases of fascism that much more difficult.

Finally, for what it's worth, I'm not interested in what the "radical left" has to offer. For me, I work from an anarchist framework and go from there. Before you tell me that they're one in the same, I would offer you some reading materials:

The accessible: Your Politics are Boring As ****

The wiki:Post Left Anarchy

The academic (and slightly old): Post-Left Anarchy: Leaving the Left Behind

The interwebz comment/overview:

A Brief Overview of Post-Left Anarchy

1. The Left
-critiquing the Left as an nebulous, anachronistic, distracting, a failure, and at key points a counterproductive force historically ("the left-wing of capital")
-critiquing Leftist activists for political careerism, celebrity culture, self-righteousness, privileged vanguardism, and martyrdom
-critiquing the tendency of Leftists to insulate themselves in academia, scenes, and cliques while also attempting to opportunistically manage struggles

2. Ideology
-a Stirner-esque critique of dogma and ideological thinking as a distinct phenomenon in favor of "critical self-theory" at individual and communal levels

3. Morality
-a moral nihilist critique of morality / reified values / moralism

4. Organizationalism
-critiquing permanent, formal, mass, mediated, rigid, growth-focused modes of organization in favor of temporary, informal, direct, spontaneous, intimate forms of relation
-critiquing Leftist organizational patterns' tendencies toward managerialism, reductionism, professionalism, substitutionism, and ideology
-critiquing the tendencies of unions and Leftist organizations to mimic political parties, acting as racketeers/mediators, with cadre-based hierarchies of theoretician & militant or intellectual & grunt, defailting toward institutionalization, and ritualizing a meeting-voting-recruiting-marching pattern

5. Identity Politics
-critiquing identity politics insofar as it preserves victimization-enabled identities and social roles (i.e. affirming rather than negating gender, class, etc.) and inflicts guilt-induced paralysis, amongst others
-critiquing single-issue campaigns or orientations

6. Values
-moving beyond anarchISM as a static historical praxis into anarchY as a living praxis
-focussing on daily life and the intersectionality thereof rather than dialectics / totalizing narratives (except anarcho-primitivists tend toward epistemology)
-emphasizing personal autonomy and a rejection of work (as forced labor, alienated labor, workplace-centricity)
-critiquing Enlightenment notions of Cartesian dualities, rationalism, humanism, democracy, utopia, etc.
-critiquing industrial notions of mass society, production, productivity, efficiency, "Progress", technophilia, civilization (esp. in anti-civilization tendencies)

We're starting to get a bit off topic, so before I end this post, let me try to steer us back on course.

The notion that radical politics don't engage with practical means to change the world in which we live is without basis. And for me, the simple fact is that psychedelics are capable of catalyzing radical thought and action. I would wager that most of the people who are making claims in the negative in this thread haven't actually taken the kinds of action they are claiming that others have not. Don't talk about it, be about it. Don't post on a forum telling me that radicals or activists are "sad" because they "love to plan things and feel camaraderie just for the sake of it"...go do something.

This sort of armchair quarterbacking disgusts me. The currents of "oh let's just wait for it to correct itself" or "they're not doing it right" don't actually engage with the world around you. And the sad irony is the fact that it's precisely the critique you are leveling. You might as well just point the finger right at yourself and repeat the words.

 

[SnozzleBerry]

Why do I think that psychedelics are catalysts for radical thought/action? Because I've experienced it. The following is an excerpt from the talk I gave at Boom and will (hopefully) be appearing as the full text in the forthcoming anthology of talks:

My first significant experience with psilocybin-containing mushrooms presented me with what I consider to be my first radical synthesis. By this, I mean that a number of formerly disjointed and seemingly disconnected understandings came together, when viewed from my altered perspective. They revealed themselves not only to be seamlessly interwoven, but also to point toward the root cause of many destructive institutions and processes.

I was 19 at the time of this experience, in my first year of university studies. While I had been staunchly anti-drug for much of my youth, experiences with cannabis during my teenage years led me to question drug war propaganda. After researching mushrooms, I decided that they were fairly low-risk and that I wanted to try them. I ate 3.5g in my dorm room and then set out to the 90+ acres of woods located between the edge of the university and the surrounding town.

As the trip started to peak, I came across a massive fallen tree, whose roots extended into to the path I was on. As I approached the rootmass, which was teeming with ants, beetles, and a variety of other insects, I suddenly found myself “within” a nature documentary. A simultaneously familiar and yet strongly “other” consciousness entered and began to steer my awareness. I experienced the cycle of life, getting a glimpse at how the life cycles of the trees, bugs, fungus, and all of the other life I was present with in the forest were intertwined and inseparable. The notion that any cycle starts or ends in any concretely-defined place or time evaporated in a gasp of ecstatic realization.

And suddenly, my consciousness was overridden again, although, this time on a much larger scale than had just happened. In thinking about the implications of the interconnectedness of this tiny patch of forest, in the middle of a completely domesticated college town, I was suddenly filled with a profound sense of environmental catastrophe. As I allowed myself to fully realize the infinitesimal interconnection and interdependence of life on Earth, I could not help but feel the emotional charge that accompanied reflecting on the fact that humans are destroying ecosystems for profit. I was floored by the emotional depth of this experience and its focus not on the loss of biodiversity, but on the loss of the complex relationships that are inherent to thriving ecosystems.

And then, another mental thread wove itself into the emotional fibers of these realizations—that it is not humans destroying the ecological wonders of the Earth, but humans organized within corporate hierarchies. These tyrannical structures are literally engaged in acts of for-profit insanity: poisoning the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the ground we derive sustenance from. Humans have always created a certain level of ecological disturbance, but the same could be said for most other animals. There are even studies that show that a certain amount of ecological disturbance actually increases biodiversity. In order to survive, we need food clothes, and shelter, which all carry a certain ecological cost. Yet we have surpassed these necessities and raced to the most extreme reaches of mass-produced technological trinkets. In our absurd paradigm of industrial capitalism, perpetuated by market-driven consumerism, many of us find ourselves, to borrow from Fight Club, “working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need”.

So as I’m standing in the woods, literally mindblown at the things I’m seeing and feeling, the catastrophic tension of ecological integrity and industrial capitalism is starting to really dominate the experience. And as I watch hallucinated vines drop out of the trees all around me, more realizations come spilling into my consciousness. Food, clothes, and shelter are locked into a globalized industrial paradigm within the society in which I find myself. Furthermore, I have no ability to remove myself from this system without also criminalizing myself; vagrancy and homelessness are criminalized acts and land—at one point the global commons—has been roped off by people with superior resources and declared off limits to everyone else.

It’s at this moment that my initial mourning for the integrity of ecological connections became more inwardly focused. I realized that I was trapped in an industrial economy, at a school in order to secure papers that would contribute to my own survival within such a paradigm, survival which carried its own ecological cost. Economies as they are currently conceived are inherently destructive, relying on extractive and exploitative processes in order to generate “profit” for a small minority. Participating in industrial economies is both destructive and coerced. I can’t opt out and even if I did, it wouldn’t have a tangible impact, as my miniscule purchasing power is irrelevant. People who talk about voting with their dollars forget that this is for people who have dollars in the first place. Then, of course, there’s the completely lopsided global distribution of dollars, a living legacy of colonialism and imperialism, as well as the fact that corporations and militaries are the largest consumer entities on the planet.

Thus, my head swimming with tryptamine-facilitated visions and my heart surging with the emotional tidal waves that have been washing over me, I realize that the only option is to resist. The logic of capitalism is a race to the bottom that seeks to commodify and incorporate the entirety of existence into capitalist enterprise. Attached to this logic are the implements of industrial civilization, which are destroying planetary ecosystems at truly alarming rates. I can’t opt out of this system, and even if I could, opting out won’t protect me or other life on this planet if these destructive processes obliterate the life-support systems on spaceship earth. The logic of capitalism dictates that it will not stop on its own—stopping is not profitable—thus, resistance is necessary.

And so, as I come down, I reflect on what I have been shown. The mushrooms present the death of planetary ecosystems, and the intersection of capitalism and industrial civilization evidences that this death will be ongoing unless forcibly forestalled. Therefore, the conclusion is resistance. This conclusion is made that much more profound because I can EXPERIENCE the planet being alive. I can SEE the flowers breathing, I can SEE the connection of the forest, I can FEEL that I am tied to all of these living systems in a fundamentally deeper way than mere intellectual knowing. This is experiential knowledge. Experiential knowledge is by no means limited to the psychedelic experience, but mushrooms provided me with this profound and memorable encounter.

The beauty of experiential knowledge and its danger to entrenched systems of power is that it cannot be taken from you. Whether it’s the felt realization that all life and ecosystems on this planet are interconnected, the self-confidence that accompanies mastering a particular skill, or the cascading possibilities that come with liberating an abandoned piece of property, these experiences are subjectively processed in the present. They are not constructed abstractions or intellectual understandings; they carry a weight that is undeniable and inalienable. You cannot effectively tell a person they have not experienced a mystical state or a liberating moment, because these experiences, by definition, are subjectively encountered. They can only be invalidated in the minds of those who have not experienced them, those who have not participated in them, those whose opinions about them are ultimately irrelevant to the experiencer.

 

[datdmt]

That's a beautiful post Snozz , do you have the whole thing?

Also I think we could clear some things up. I used the wrong term , I said radical leftist groups had undertones of Facism , but I was really referring to this new phenomenon of radical feminism/SJW. Their tatics would make orson wells proud. They change word definitions , create new words and identities all to fit thier purpose. They dehumanize thier opponents and cosider all men to be rapists pieces of garbage. You are not allowed to critisize , you are not allowed to discuss. If it was up to them , all men would be considered guilty until proven innocent. This new movement is taking the internet by storm, and it's beginning to leak into other movements. It's almost a religion at this point , and it's claiming the minds of ignorant young people everywhere. It's founded in hate and a deep desire for score settleling.

Now let's discuss what I mean by letting capitalism make itself obsolete. What I mean by that is allowing innovations to occur that would allow 3d printers to print 3d printers. When you can print metal parts and solar panels. When yeast has been genetically modified to turn any food source into high volumens of ethanol fuel. When vegetables have been modified to grow hardy , fast and big. I could go on and on , but the end result would be a world without profit thirsty corporations or a dependent need for scarce resources. Only urban co ops and people who own thier own land. Capitalism would be reduced back to its beautiful basic components .

...go do something.

That's another problem . We only have one option, if you do something radical , you will go to prison. If you organize a movement that shows promise , they will derail you. You can educate all you want , but at the end of the day, the average person just won't care. The only thing you can do is work with others to develope technology. Show others it can be done, show others the everyday man can do these things.

 

[dreamer042]

After reading this whole thread, this is what I got out of it:

Spoiler

uh huh huh huh, he said douche-nozzle :lol:

Regarding the OP, I commend your idea, I think it's great and could be a powerful agent of change. I do have a strong critique though... Going off your proposed skeletal outline, this is not a flyer, this is not a handout, this is an opus. I'll be honest with you, I stopped paying attention less than halfway through the proposed table of contents. You are going to have a hard time getting people to voluntarily print hundreds of copies of a book to pass out and an even harder time getting someone to sit down and read through that whole book, particularly someone on LSD at their first festival. This could make a wonderful book for a niche crowd, but such an ambitious document won't really fall in alignment with your proposed purpose for it, imo. My advice is consolidate, consolidate, consolidate. Something closer to the short writeup in the OP on a flyer would be far more effective, perhaps with an address to a website you could fill with the rest of the topics.

Now I really don't follow politics and political definitions closely enough to have any valuable input on this whole leftist/anarchist/fascist/capitalist discussion. I will however point out that these are all just labels, words, semantics. Perhaps it's my ignorance of the definitions, but I personally don't see a lot of value in adopting any of these labels, or trying to box my personal beliefs/understandings/philosophies/outlook into any kind of label whatsoever. Bad stuff is happening on this planet, I want that bad stuff to stop happening. Call me anything you like, but give some idea of how I can do my part to make it better. Can I plant a garden, or teach a child, or meditate more often, or donate to a charity, or go to a sustainable festival, or work for an NGO, or organize a protest, or join a union, or...? I agree with what Snozz says about go do something, but I for one could use some guidance on exactly what can be done in the face of corporate-governmental wealth controlling megaliths.

I'm not sure I agree that we cannot just simply opt out and I'm not sure that I agree resistance is any more effective or tangible an action. On the personal and collective scale I see the same issues. Sure, if I opt not to work a job that destroys the environment and vote with my minuscule paycheck, it makes little difference in the grand scheme. On the same level if I occupy my park or try to monkeywrench the local branch of Ecodepredation Inc. I'm also not going to accomplish much and very likely going to end up locked in a cage. Now if everyone in my town/county/state/country/continent decides they don't want to work for unethical corporations and votes with their collective dollars for a sustainable future, suddenly we have a revolution. If all those same people instead decide they want to engage in direct dissent, we also have a revolution. The only difference I see is the latter is a lot more likely to become violent than the former. The destiny of an unsustainable system is for it to come to an end. Business as usual is not an option in our case, the future we create is literally reliant on the individual choices each of us make, blown up to the collective scale. So the question I consistently ask myself, and the question I pose to each person reading these words is: What are you working for?

 

[Praxis.]

Wow! Gotta say I'm pleasantly surprised to see this thread back from the dead. It makes me happy to see conversations such as this taking place here on the nexus (and in the psychedelic community at large) ever more frequently.

To start, thank you Chadaev for your input. I agree that a modest approach is best, and looking back my original proposal was a bit optimistic, hehe. I really like the idea of creating questions for Nexians to reflect on during/after psychedelic experiences and will most definitely be refining it when time allows. I've checked out the .pdf and so far it's a great read--I wasn't familiar with Tiqqun until now. Thanks for sharing!

Snozz, I'm not left with too much to add to what you've already stated but as always your words are informative and inspiring. Your first psychedelic experience is eerily similar to mine; I'd also love a full transcript of your talk if it's available.

datdmt, I appreciate your perspective even though I may not agree. It can be tricky to talk about these things without stepping on people's toes, but I genuinely think it's really important to engage in ongoing and open dialogue. So with that said I'd like to address a few of your points while maintaining that we're all friends here and nothing should be taken personally.

I think that it's super important to be well informed when discussing very real problems that face our world. Capitalism is not an abstract idea or distant object, it is real and it affects millions of people daily who are just as real and complex as you and me. To suggest that we simply sit back and wait for capitalism to correct itself through industrial innovation is to dismiss the suffering and outrage of everyone who has been touched by it, especially when such a statement is coming from someone who benefits off of the exploitation put into place by the system.

Now let's discuss what I mean by letting capitalism make itself obsolete. What I mean by that is allowing innovations to occur that would allow 3d printers to print 3d printers. When you can print metal parts and solar panels. When yeast has been genetically modified to turn any food source into high volumens of ethanol fuel. When vegetables have been modified to grow hardy , fast and big. I could go on and on , but the end result would be a world without profit thirsty corporations or a dependent need for scarce resources. Only urban co ops and people who own thier own land. Capitalism would be reduced back to its beautiful basic components .

Firstly, capitalism does not allow innovation to occur if it does not fit the capitalist model. There are countless sustainable technologies that exist right now, but they are not being adopted for use because they would not be profitable.

Secondly, global industrialism is the problem plain and simple. We cannot paint it a different color and call it sustainable when it is exactly the same thing. New technologies sound great and all, but when you look into the resources required to manufacture things like windmills, solar panels, and hybrid cars they don't actually make much sense at all. A global economy fueled by the need for profit cannot function without exploitation, period. We do not need fields of windmills constructed out of oil and plastic refined from the earth, we need solutions that empower individual communities to be self-sufficient and autonomous. Industrialization of any kind is simply not sustainable, and showering "green" corporations with money for making small changes in policy does not challenge any of the structures in place that are fundamental aspects of capitalism. 3d printers will not make foreclosed homes available for the homeless, they will not stop clear-cutting or hydraulic fracturing, and they will not challenge those who actually engage in and profit off of ecological genocide.

And let us assume for a moment that capitalism is not fundamentally flawed and could be 'fixed' over time as technology evolved. Even if this were the case, even though mountains of evidence would say otherwise, we are fast approaching the point of no return. It is the near future. Even if capitalism could fix itself, the amount of change the system can allow for at any given time is way too little, too late. We need alternatives NOW, not in 50 years when it's convenient for the market.

Additionally, new technology is expensive, especially if it's sustainable and not really all that profitable. Anyone who understands economics can understand that to offset the rising cost of green technologies, budget cuts will have to be made elsewhere. Historically it is always working class people who must bear this burden; green capitalism means lower wages, a higher cost of living (which means things like food and housing are more expensive). Green capitalism is a false solution; all it would do is allow for the privileged few to continue business as usual while everyone else deals with the mess it would create.

And finally, what do you mean the 'beautiful basic components' of capitalism? The premise of capitalism is profit at any cost. Capitalism exists with the presupposition that the market alone is real, and everything else is a commodity that does not run out. The basic components of capitalism are growth and exploitation, there is nothing beautiful about it and it cannot evolve beyond what it is 'programmed' to do.

I don't want to toot Snozz's horn or anything, but he wrote a great article for the Nexian here that I think is appropriate--you may find it enlightening if you haven't read it already. This is also a good article. I don't agree with everything in it, but its a good read.

I also want to address this:

I was really referring to this new phenomenon of radical feminism/SJW. Their tatics would make orson wells proud. They change word definitions , create new words and identities all to fit thier purpose. They dehumanize thier opponents and cosider all men to be rapists pieces of garbage. You are not allowed to critisize , you are not allowed to discuss. If it was up to them , all men would be considered guilty until proven innocent. This new movement is taking the internet by storm, and it's beginning to leak into other movements. It's almost a religion at this point , and it's claiming the minds of ignorant young people everywhere. It's founded in hate and a deep desire for score settleling.

Radical feminism is not new. Women have been resisting oppression throughout human history. Your statement is a huge generalization and as someone who works with feminist women regularly I seriously resent it. I could spend a lot of time explaining that women have to deal with patriarchy every day and they are not allowed to question it or speak out about how it affects them, and when they do they are regarded in the manner of the statement above. I do not know your experience with radical feminists and I cannot speak to it, maybe the women you met weren't very cool--but imagine if a white person said the same thing about black organizers in the 50's and 60's; it would seem pretty racist in retrospect, wouldn't it? I don't want to dwell on this, but I think you should educate yourself more about patriarchy and feminism before generalizing and passing judgement on an entire movement, especially as a white male. (Forgive me, perhaps this is wrong and correct me if so, but I'm assuming you're a white male)

I want to leave you something to dwell on. These are a few excerpts from a spoken word track by Immortal Technique; not very scholarly but to the point and easy enough to understand. He's coming from a perspective of race and class but all resistance is intersectional and I thought his words were relevant to your comments about feminists. I'd post the whole thing but I paraphrased to keep it simple. (Sorry for the language)

I'm quite sure that people will look upon my attitude and sentiments and look for hypocrisy and hatred in my words. My revolution is born out of love for my people, not hatred for others.

...

As different as we have been taught to look at each other by colonial society, we are in the same struggle and until we realize that, we'll be fighting for scraps from the table of a system that has kept us subservient instead of being self-determined. And that's why we have no control over when the embargo will stop in Cuba, or when the bombs will stop dropping in Vieques.

...

I want a better life for my family and for my children, but it doesn't have to be at the expense of millions of lives in my homeland. We're given the idea that if we didn't have these people to exploit then America wouldn't be rich enough to let us have these little petty material things in our lives and basic standards of living. No, that's wrong. It's the business giants and the government officials who make all the real money. We have whatever they kick down to us. My enemy is not the average white man, it's not the kid down the block or the kids I see on the street; my enemy is the white man I don't see: the people in the white house, the corporate monopoly owners, fake liberal politicians, those are my enemies...In fact, I have more in common with most working and middle-class white people than I do with most rich black and Latino people.

...

In other words, I don't want to escape the plantation. I want to come back, free all my people, hang the mother-fucker that kept me there and burn the house to the god damn ground. I want to take over the encomienda and give it back to the people who work the land.
You cannot change the past but you can make the future, and anyone who tells you different is a fucking lethargic devil.

dreamer, thanks so much for your input! I must admit that this was an overly ambitious proposal, but I think it's proven to be fertile ground for these kinds of conversations, and I couldn't have hoped for more.

Now I really don't follow politics and political definitions closely enough to have any valuable input on this whole leftist/anarchist/fascist/capitalist discussion. I will however point out that these are all just labels, words, semantics. Perhaps it's my ignorance of the definitions, but I personally don't see a lot of value in adopting any of these labels, or trying to box my personal beliefs/understandings/philosophies/outlook into any kind of label whatsoever. Bad stuff is happening on this planet, I want that bad stuff to stop happening. Call me anything you like, but give some idea of how I can do my part to make it better. Can I plant a garden, or teach a child, or meditate more often, or donate to a charity, or go to a sustainable festival, or work for an NGO, or organize a protest, or join a union, or...? I agree with what Snozz says about go do something, but I for one could use some guidance on exactly what can be done in the face of corporate-governmental wealth controlling megaliths.

I couldn't agree more; labels and names are divisive and I personally don't care what you identify as. The fact of the matter is that the global industrial complex is destroying the planet and its people and we need to do something about it, regardless if we think we're anarchist or socialist or any of the million and a half sub-affiliations. The problem is that unless you can offer viable alternatives, nobody is going to listen to the person shouting "tear it down, tear it down!". You ask what exactly can one do in the face of such massive oppression; my response would be to start in your community. Organize with like-minded folks to create autonomous spaces where people can share power, feel safe, and think of real and meaningful ways to make your community a better place. If you and your neighbors are disgusted by GMO's, start a community garden. If you are revolted by the prison industrial complex, write an inmate and organize with prison abolitionists in your state. If fracked gas pipelines scare you, find out where they are building them near you and fight them with others in the community. Lasting change occurs at the local level; massive international non profits and NGO's will gladly take your money but they cannot and will not challenge the institutions that ultimately affect real individuals in real communities. Direct action gets the goods!

While this discussion is great, I think we should try and keep the thread on topic. The original purpose was a proposal for a specific project; I think we should keep the dialogue going but maybe we could try to include ways that our community here on the Nexus could (or is already engaged in) work for change.

 

[datdmt]

VTseeker48 thank you for your articulate response. Yes I am a white middle class 20 something male. And yes my ideas of improving technology to dissolve the system would only be plausible for middle class people and land owners. It's hard to consider people who do not have the means or resources, I begin to feel a sense of helplessness , like my hands are tied. I believe this is the individual micro response to the macro problem of the system. Also , I can't tell you how many times I have had the feeling that man should turn off the machines and go back into the woods while of psychedelics. I just don't see any practicality in it. Yes the system is oppressing every third world country , but if you dismantle the system, 90% of the people in those nations will starve to death. It makes me think it's too late to turn it around now.

About feminism, I have encountered radicals in college and on the internet. But I don't condemn all of feminism. Take Emma Watson for example, Emma Watson and what she is doing is something I can stand behind, but unlike Emma , these radicals deal in absolutes. And it is ignorant to deal in absolutes.

And without a doubt , this is the greatest community on the internet , such kind people. And I totally dig the immortal technique quote, I feel the same way.

 

[SnozzleBerry]

Don't want to derail the post any more than I already have. I'm gonna think about some things related to the OP and come back to this when I have some time.

For people asking about the talk, no transcripts exist yet (still cleaning up the text version) but I just found out it's up on youtube.

 

[--Shadow]

Great idea. Any action promoting re-legalization of plants I support and encourage.

I think it would be really important to include a section dispelling common myth's and fears about psychedelic use - see some examples here: Mythbusters: Urban psychedelic legends

Just think "What would I need to convey to my conservative parents to make them comfortable or less worried about undertaking a psychedelic experience?"

...I haven't figured out the answer yet :? :? :?