Entheogenerator
Homo discens
I wasn't exactly sure which subforum to post this article in, but I feel like this one is appropriate because the article describes different methods of utilizing psychedelics.
I thought this article would be appropriate to post here at The Nexus because I see a lot of people (myself included at times) leaning towards the elitist mindset that this article describes. I feel like the author makes some very intelligent points about the validity of recreational psychedelic use, from a viewpoint that I had hardly even considered before reading this.
Sacredness is in the Eye of the Beholder
I thought this article would be appropriate to post here at The Nexus because I see a lot of people (myself included at times) leaning towards the elitist mindset that this article describes. I feel like the author makes some very intelligent points about the validity of recreational psychedelic use, from a viewpoint that I had hardly even considered before reading this.
Sacredness is in the Eye of the Beholder
Now I’m a big fan of viewing psychedelics as sacraments, and I too have deep appreciation for both the chemicals and the long history of traditions surrounding their use. But that doesn’t mean such traditions should monopolize everyone’s attitudes and practices. No one knows what a particular drug is “meant for” or how it is “supposed to be used.” It’s the height of arrogance to claim knowledge of nature’s or God’s intentions, and we gain nothing by judging other people’s entheogenic journeys by our own deeply personal values.
Sacredness is inherently subjective; nothing is universally revered. A medicine or a ritual can only be sacred to someone. Amazonian shamans revere their psychoactive plants as wise spiritual teachers, so Mimosa bark and Caapi vines are sacred in their culture. But not in all cultures—the ayahuasqueros govern DMT use in their own thatched temples, not all over the globe. Likewise I am master of my bodily temple, but have no moral ground on which to judge the entheogenic habits of others. Recreational drug users are not profaning my gods or values, they’re just exploring their own psychedelic frontier. Maybe irreverently, maybe stupidly, but exploring all the same.
Consider Communion wafers. In the context of Holy Communion, they are revered as the sacramental body of Christ. But to me they’re just crackers. If I order a box and snack on them at home, who is harmed? Some Christians may be outraged, but that just betrays their hypersensitivity; when you’re upset because someone else is eating crackers, it’s time to reconsider the fervor with which you pursue your beliefs. That’s exactly how I view the “sacred molecule” zealots of the psychedelic community—well-meaning but smug. I want to shake them and say, “Chill out, pal! Not everyone shares your values, and that’s okay! Here—have some of these delicious unleavened crackers.”