ControlledChaos
Nature is analog, ever flowing and continuous.
As I sit here and ponder how I am to write a treatise on the philosophy of psychedelics as I have come to understand it, I find a certain difficulty in finding the words that really drive it home. To attempt to organize the sort of ideas I gained from the psychedelic experience into any sort of organized treatise might be quite the injustice to them, so this post may be a bit out of left-field. However in the spirit of these experiences, I am going to have a bit of fun with trying to unpack these thoughts and associations, without taking the task all too seriously. Let's begin.
First, I'd like to bring your attention to this guy-
I'm sure we're all familiar with this guy. The one who lives in a pineapple under the sea. Now you may be wondering why I would be talking about Spongebob Squarepants on a post about the philosophy of psychedelics. Well, I would argue that Spongebob Squarepants is a prime example of how your perception can shape your reality- something I recently learned all too well in my most recent Ayahuasca experience.
Despite it being a kid's show, most of the characters in it are adults, living adult lives. If you ignore his attitude, Spongebob's life is really just the same type of tough grind that many people have to face. He goes to work every day for a greedy boss that only values the money he earns him. He deals with asshole customers. His neighbor is a grouch who dislikes him. Every day, he ends up in rather ridiculous situations, which are very stressful. Most people in bikini bottom would crumble in the face of the adversity Spongebob has to deal with. Yet somehow, he often comes out of the situations he finds himself in on top. How does he do that? To answer this, let's take a look at his polar opposite:
Squidward is the foil to Spongebob Squarepants. He has the same job and the same neighbors as Spongebob. He deals with the same greedy boss. He knows the same people. He often ends up in the same ridiculous and stressful situations. Yet oftentimes, he ends up pretty worse off. Why is his outcome so much different? What really sets Spongebob and Squidward apart?
It's their attitude and the way they look at life. Spongebob is a relentless optimist. Despite being an adult, he is full of childlike exhuberance. He doesn't take himself or life too seriously. He can find joy in the small things in life, and even in his job. Being a burger flipper may be mundane, but Spongebob's enthusiasm for it is so strong that he manages to elevate the task to a sort of art form; a delicate dance with everyday life. In all of the absurd situations he ends up in, he simply rolls with the punches with a smile on his face, and effortlessly gets through it. He wakes up to the myriad complexities and drama of everyday life, and dares to shout "I'm Ready!".
Now look at Squidward. He is a complete pessimist. He can't stand his job or his life, taking it out on his neighbor for being too joyful. He also takes himself very seriously and is very prideful. He sees himself as somebody entitled to a better life and considers himself to be a genius. He often crumbles under adversity, panicking or lashing out. He considers himself to already be a great artist and can't handle the idea that he has room to improve, and this keeps him stuck in place. He tries very hard to prove something to the world, and crashes in the process. He is so desperate for a future he is too miserable to change, that he cannot be present enough to help himself rise above his circumstances.
Squidward takes everything seriously, and lives a miserable life. Spongebob doesn't take anything too seriously, and he manages to thrive in the situations he ends up in. Spongebob isn't all caught up in his ego, therefore he is able to respond to situations as they come in a dynamic fashion. He surfs on the ebb and flow of life's happenings and enjoys himself in untroubled ease, finding joy and wonder in even the mundane, because he makes no distinction between "mundane" and "profound".
During the peak of my last strong Ayahuasca trip early last year, I got a very zoomed out perpsective on the daily routines of my life- those little "mundane rituals" and random happenings that defined my daily life. In that moment, I recognized those things as part of my own delicate dance dance with the universe. All these little "mundane" routines in my life came together to tell a story, my story. These rituals may repeat, but each repetition is just a bit unique. As time goes on, those repetitions slowly change- new rituals creep in, borrowing from the old ones, yet also taking from new influences. These little things were the notes in the symphony of my consciousness unfolding eternally, with no beginning or end. Each note was placed absolutely perfectly.
Take for example, my childhood ritual of watching Spongebob Squarepants- the pineapple under the sea who perhaps danced the dance of life with more grace than the best of us. Were my little routines not unlike his? Even the placement of this show in my childhood was a perfectly placed note in my story, its true signifigance only to be revealed later in this moment. During that Ayahuasca trip, I saw my whole life in its true essence- a grand unfolding, with every moment perfectly placed. I thought of all my routines, and it reminded me a bit of Mr Squarepants. Like him, I am a person who tries their best to be enthusiastic about everyday life and I try my best to be reliable without stressing too much. I thought of how I could execute my routines enthusiastically and holistically, without needing to stress myself out; of how I could keep my mind and body healthy, and work smart but not hard... and wake up to all life's challenges and shout I'm Ready with a smile. The nausea and vomiting also got very intense and I thought I was going to die, like I couldnt breathe. I overpowered this, and coughed strongly until I could sit up and breathe. I felt powerful at the exertion of effort, like the act of putting in effort was a powerful thing. As this was happening I felt a feeling of being reborn that completely overwhelmed me as these ideas and concepts flashed through my head. I felt a sense of understanding, rebirth, and peace... Like a cosmic celebration was taking place at me finally reaching that moment, with entities shouting and cheering as a rainbow sunset faded into the horizon and fireworks went off. I felt like I had finally come to an absolute understanding, that my life was perfectly placed, and everything made sense. And as the trip faded back to normal consciousness and the sounds of the early morning phased in, I was struck with this thought-
"In a world full of Squidwards, be a Spongebob. Wake up to this chaotic, unpredictable world each day and shout, "I'm Ready!", even if you work from 9-5 and are surrounded by assholes. You will rise above it all, and live out your story. It's all unfolding perfectly as it is supposed to."
First, I'd like to bring your attention to this guy-
I'm sure we're all familiar with this guy. The one who lives in a pineapple under the sea. Now you may be wondering why I would be talking about Spongebob Squarepants on a post about the philosophy of psychedelics. Well, I would argue that Spongebob Squarepants is a prime example of how your perception can shape your reality- something I recently learned all too well in my most recent Ayahuasca experience.
Despite it being a kid's show, most of the characters in it are adults, living adult lives. If you ignore his attitude, Spongebob's life is really just the same type of tough grind that many people have to face. He goes to work every day for a greedy boss that only values the money he earns him. He deals with asshole customers. His neighbor is a grouch who dislikes him. Every day, he ends up in rather ridiculous situations, which are very stressful. Most people in bikini bottom would crumble in the face of the adversity Spongebob has to deal with. Yet somehow, he often comes out of the situations he finds himself in on top. How does he do that? To answer this, let's take a look at his polar opposite:
Squidward is the foil to Spongebob Squarepants. He has the same job and the same neighbors as Spongebob. He deals with the same greedy boss. He knows the same people. He often ends up in the same ridiculous and stressful situations. Yet oftentimes, he ends up pretty worse off. Why is his outcome so much different? What really sets Spongebob and Squidward apart?
It's their attitude and the way they look at life. Spongebob is a relentless optimist. Despite being an adult, he is full of childlike exhuberance. He doesn't take himself or life too seriously. He can find joy in the small things in life, and even in his job. Being a burger flipper may be mundane, but Spongebob's enthusiasm for it is so strong that he manages to elevate the task to a sort of art form; a delicate dance with everyday life. In all of the absurd situations he ends up in, he simply rolls with the punches with a smile on his face, and effortlessly gets through it. He wakes up to the myriad complexities and drama of everyday life, and dares to shout "I'm Ready!".
Now look at Squidward. He is a complete pessimist. He can't stand his job or his life, taking it out on his neighbor for being too joyful. He also takes himself very seriously and is very prideful. He sees himself as somebody entitled to a better life and considers himself to be a genius. He often crumbles under adversity, panicking or lashing out. He considers himself to already be a great artist and can't handle the idea that he has room to improve, and this keeps him stuck in place. He tries very hard to prove something to the world, and crashes in the process. He is so desperate for a future he is too miserable to change, that he cannot be present enough to help himself rise above his circumstances.
Squidward takes everything seriously, and lives a miserable life. Spongebob doesn't take anything too seriously, and he manages to thrive in the situations he ends up in. Spongebob isn't all caught up in his ego, therefore he is able to respond to situations as they come in a dynamic fashion. He surfs on the ebb and flow of life's happenings and enjoys himself in untroubled ease, finding joy and wonder in even the mundane, because he makes no distinction between "mundane" and "profound".
During the peak of my last strong Ayahuasca trip early last year, I got a very zoomed out perpsective on the daily routines of my life- those little "mundane rituals" and random happenings that defined my daily life. In that moment, I recognized those things as part of my own delicate dance dance with the universe. All these little "mundane" routines in my life came together to tell a story, my story. These rituals may repeat, but each repetition is just a bit unique. As time goes on, those repetitions slowly change- new rituals creep in, borrowing from the old ones, yet also taking from new influences. These little things were the notes in the symphony of my consciousness unfolding eternally, with no beginning or end. Each note was placed absolutely perfectly.
Take for example, my childhood ritual of watching Spongebob Squarepants- the pineapple under the sea who perhaps danced the dance of life with more grace than the best of us. Were my little routines not unlike his? Even the placement of this show in my childhood was a perfectly placed note in my story, its true signifigance only to be revealed later in this moment. During that Ayahuasca trip, I saw my whole life in its true essence- a grand unfolding, with every moment perfectly placed. I thought of all my routines, and it reminded me a bit of Mr Squarepants. Like him, I am a person who tries their best to be enthusiastic about everyday life and I try my best to be reliable without stressing too much. I thought of how I could execute my routines enthusiastically and holistically, without needing to stress myself out; of how I could keep my mind and body healthy, and work smart but not hard... and wake up to all life's challenges and shout I'm Ready with a smile. The nausea and vomiting also got very intense and I thought I was going to die, like I couldnt breathe. I overpowered this, and coughed strongly until I could sit up and breathe. I felt powerful at the exertion of effort, like the act of putting in effort was a powerful thing. As this was happening I felt a feeling of being reborn that completely overwhelmed me as these ideas and concepts flashed through my head. I felt a sense of understanding, rebirth, and peace... Like a cosmic celebration was taking place at me finally reaching that moment, with entities shouting and cheering as a rainbow sunset faded into the horizon and fireworks went off. I felt like I had finally come to an absolute understanding, that my life was perfectly placed, and everything made sense. And as the trip faded back to normal consciousness and the sounds of the early morning phased in, I was struck with this thought-
"In a world full of Squidwards, be a Spongebob. Wake up to this chaotic, unpredictable world each day and shout, "I'm Ready!", even if you work from 9-5 and are surrounded by assholes. You will rise above it all, and live out your story. It's all unfolding perfectly as it is supposed to."
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