światosław / tales from the world

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psychedelic

So you are not afraid of Muslims or other illegal immigrants? Now it is the “objective and universal” threat of virus?

 

 

“Kochaj wszystko jakbyś miał to stracić”

 

A zatem, nie boisz się już nielegalnych muzułmańskich imigrantów? Teraz na pierwszym planie jest “obiektywne i uniwersalne zagrożenie” ze strony wirusa?

 

 

Fundamental teaching of psychedelic work is that fear is not related, not caused by the object of fear. The object serves for projection of something that has its own existence, can be fed or starved, can be projected at ever changing array of triggers – so you can never conquer it by removing the current “threat”. That is why those living on the edge of life threatening situations – free climbers, Afghan fighters, farmers of Third World where no subsidies exist – have less fear, even if their dangers are more real than for those from cushy developed countries, with their spectacular range of paranoias, anxieties, phobias, too long to list here, and constanly updated, with help of busy manufacturers from industrial and political spheres.

 

What does the psychedelic experience show then, again and again, what we see in our work with so many cases of anxiety among our guests/patients? That there is no other solution but calm acceptance – no radical denial and no clinging to this emotion. The more you desire objects of your fear to be removed, the more you become attached to dream of life under control, a life of certainty. Only through acceptance of opposite, unpredictable and uncertain, the path to the other pole of fear – that is love – can be opened and strengthened as one walks it more and more often.

 

This is neither virus that is your biggest enemy, nor the government imposing restrictive measures and new world order. It is that you allow them to distract you from present, into anxiety, that your attention is stolen. As long as you play that game, there will be always another threat around the corner, when you forget about Muslims it will be virus, when you forget about the virus, it will be economy crisis, germs, your personal development not good enough, your retirement not secure enough, your book not good enough, your child, pedophiles, correct diet, you name it, and naming it you can and are master at.

 

The good news : the more that tensions rises, the more likely we will be to finally release the illusion of control and surrender. While you still can avoid your Muslim neighbour, it may not be so easy with invisible threat. Well, then you stand in front of the choice – do you want your life, NOW ( don’t believe what they promise, that after we win this battle, you can then rest ), to be the constant feeling of terror, or you will realize that the terrorist is in you? No buts, no “what if your mother”. These are his disguises, and you are facing AI most perfectly and continually adjusted to your weaknesses. To win, you should not try harder, you should try less.

 

 

Podstawowa nauka jaka płynie z pracy z psychodelicznymi substancjami dotyczy strachu i tego, że nie jest on związany, czy też generowany przez jego obiekt. Ten obiekt, pozorne źródło, w istocie służy projekcji czegoś, co ma swoją własną egzystencję, może być karmione lub zagłodzone, może być projektowane na wiecznie zmieniającą się selekcję pretekstów – więc nigdy nie da się pokonać poprzez usunięcie aktualnego “zagrożenia”. To dlatego ci żyjący na krawędzi, w obliczu zagrożenia egzystencji – wspinacze, afgańscy bojownicy, farmerzy Trzeciego Świata gdzie nie ma dotacji i ubezpieczeń – w większości mają mniej strachu, nawet jeśli ich zagrożenia są bardziej realne niż te w rozmiękczonych, bogatych społeczeństwach, z ich spektakularnym wyborem paranoi, nerwicy, fobii, zbyt długim by go tu wyliczać, i wciąż aktualizowanym, z pomocą zapracowanych producentów z komercyjnego i politycznego świata.

Co psychodeliczne doświadczenie zatem pokazuje, raz za razem, co widzimy podczas naszej pracy z tyloma przypadkami nerwicy u naszych gości / pacjentów? To, że nie ma innego skutecznego rozwiązania niż spokojna akceptacja, ani radykalne wyparcie, ani podążanie za tą emocją. Im bardziej żądasz by usunięto obiekt twojego strachu, tym bardziej przywiązujesz się do snu o życiu pod kontrolą, życiu w pewności. Tylko poprzez akceptację przeciwnego, nieprzewidywalności i niepewności, ścieżka na drugi biegun strachu, jakim jest miłość, może otworzyć się i wzmocnić, w miarę jak nią po raz kolejny podążamy.

To nie wirus jest twym największym wrogiem, ani rządy narzucające absurdalne restrykcje i nowy porządek świata. Problemem jest to, że pozwalasz im odciągnąć się od chwili obecnej, od OBECNOŚCI, w niepokój, twoja uwaga zostaje ukradziona. Tak długo jak grasz w tą grę, zawsze będzie za zakrętem następne zagrożenie, kiedy zapomnisz o krwiożerczych muzułmanach, to będzie wirus, kiedy przyzwyczaisz się do wirusa, czeka kryzys ekonomii, bakterie, nie dość skuteczny rozwój osobisty, nie dość pewna emerytura, nie dość dobra książka jaką piszesz, nieidealne dziecko, pedofile, właściwa dieta, nazwij to sam, a potrafisz to doskonale.

Dobre wieści : im bardziej wzrasta napięcie, ta światowa manifestacja indywidualnego niepokoju zagubionych jednostek, tym bardziej prawdopodobne, że przebudzenie będzie bardziej niezbędne, upuszczenie nieznośnego brzemienia kontroli stanie się jedynym jasnym wyjściem. Podczas gdy jeszcze jesteś w stanie jeszcze jakoś unikać orientalnych kolesi z brodą, nie będzie to już możliwe w wypadku “niewidzialnego zagrożenia”. Stoisz teraz przed wyborem – czy chcesz by twoje życie, TERAZ ( nie wierz już w te bajkę, że jak się jeszcze trochę pomęczysz i wygramy aktualną bitwę, to będziesz miał spokój ) było niekończącym się uczuciem przerażenia, czy też w końcu ujrzysz terrorystę w swoim wnętrzu? Żadnych “ale”, żadnych “a co gdyby twoja matka”. To są jego maski, a mierzysz się z inteligencją najdoskonalej dopasowaną do twoich słabości – twoją inteligencją. Aby wygrać, nie powinieneś starać się jeszcze mocniej, powinieneś spróbować odpuścić, starać się mniej.

 

riding the broom

November 7th, 2019

 

 

Art of healing can be compared to art of carving, in this aspect of removal of excess as a way to reveal hidden beauty. It is not so much by adding something – like a magic pill that makes you full – but by getting rid, purging, removing obstacles that block one from understanding and his body from healthy growth and flourishing, we are allowing patient ( the one who is patient ) to heal.

We are talking of course about so called “alternative” or holistic healing, not paradigm of broken machine, that cares not much what made it broken. This holistic approach does not simply respect spirituality, as some helpful gimmick for aiding proper, biological course of treatment with improvements in psychological well being. Here, spirituality is essential, and what we are personally interested in, is not superficial layer, which god you worship or what colour of robes put on, but what is under the Mask, and what is in common. So if you look at actual practice of many serious spiritual traditions, you will see that activity of cleansing of physical environment is very common one. It may be symbolic, like sage or palo santo smoke to ward negative energies, but very often it is literal, as first step given to apprentice, here is your broom. Remember that quote from Terence Mc Kenna, comparing psychedelics and eastern traditions with their meditation, when admitting his lack of patience, he said that you can either spend 15 years sweeping floor of ashram to get a glimpse of something, or just take psychedelics. Well, maybe that is where his main mistake lied, and why he never was able to connect deeper with Amazonian shamanism with its discipline, but chose rather to experiment with his DMT pipe and mushroom megadoses, blazing trails for legions of current psychonauts, who often also have trouble with sweeping their filthy yard, but no trouble at all breaking next boundary of high.

This example here is given, because grandpa Terence was one of great inspirations on my way, and so I feel entitled in a way to give this advice to fellow psychonauts. The idea of our project here, Psychonauta Foundation, is not to abandon exciting journey into one’s soul, but to furnish the voyager with tools and skills, in other words, give him foundation, so that the journey is more productive and one can bring something back to the port. Because after a while, it is being in the port that can become more difficult, and so I believe Mc Kenna was completely wrong in his quote :

“It’s not hard to sweep up around the ashram, but it’s hard to take psychedelics.”

It is opposite, tells you someone who really has been places. You may have encountered elves or angry Somalis, in this realm or another, but does really more and more continue to bring you more meaning? You might have understood this easily about consumerist society and money, when unhappy with it, you set for your psychedelic oddyssey, but can’t the same happen with unquenchable thirst for experience?

When you sweep the floor and enjoy not only the beauty created by act of cleaning, but act itself, as you enjoyed the ceremony last night, that made it filthy, you come closer to balance and peace with this world, that eventually has to be left behind. But I believe the access to eternity lies not in dreaming about its shape and form that is to come, but in firm grasp of your broomstick, now.

 

 

From the perspective of working within an old, non Western tradition of healing, what limitation and potential problem can be seen in new, so called “psychedelic renaissance” happening in the West? It is perhaps hard to convey with words, because it is precisely about words and intellect. In our opinion one can not effectively break the prison created in modern society by hegemony of mind, using tools and approach that to such extent favours the mind, the logical and disregards in worst case, or in best, is not very skilled in dealing with emotion, vibration, and much less with what is awkwardly labeled supernatural or spiritual.

 

The very idea that so called psychedelic substances are best ( or only ) to be used in clinical setting, by people with years of intellectual, university preparation, to help “patients” blocked in their development by dominant mind ( which is clear in issues such as depression ) seems only paradox when watched from outside of that paradigm. The mind and its relative, language, creates our world, so it is only natural that one living within it, knows no better. However, when then this way of seeing and working is projected upon the Other, who does have an alternative, which could perhaps be a way of salvation, there is a risk that this very alternative will be disregarded and destroyed.

 

Shaman blowing tobacco smoke on patient’s head can be only accepted as cultural relic, ancient practice that civilized people learned to respect ( very recently actually ) but would rather have delegated to museum unless it can be rationally A) understood B) proven C) explained in words/literature , all requisites of mind paradigm.

 

Of course, value of some non verbal “aides” to healing process slowly starts to be recognized, when intuition is given a bit of humble space, some plants will be placed in clinical setting, sometimes incense lit, young assistant to the professor will be permitted to choose playlist to play through patient’s headphones. These efforts are rather considered secondary improvement to the main structure, which is composed of authority of university degree, therapeutic tool of words and belonging of “clinical setting” to whole modern knowledge edifice.

 

From perspective of organic, traditional plant medicine systems this is kindergarten play. Good that these experiments are taking place, but very arrogant when those who are just beginning to get off their head and stand on their feet are looking down on the very foundation.

 

That foundation is somatic. It is emotional. It is, do not be afraid of this, spiritual. Intellectual understanding is just a cherry on top, it should be the addition, not other way around. But what is the biggest obstacle from being so? Impossibility of standarisation and so commercialization of both that non verbal knowledge and healing styles. Our civilization is, at least since spread of print, so much based on knowledge stadarized into small bits, that can be repeated, passed on a mass scale from mind to mind, that it simply does not want to see alternative, or perhaps sees it as shameful relic of pre-modern past.

This attitude is replicated in ways of modern medicine, if something can not be replicated in standarized bits, be it repeatable dose of chemically verifiable drug ( hence the psychedelic renaissance interest in MDMA rather than rough jungle formulas ) or standarized treatment procedures, to be taught in medical schools and books, it remains on the fringe – rather than essence it truly is :

somatic, sensual, magical experience of here and now, lacking rigidness of both religion it sometimes decays into, or fundamentalism of science, religion of urbanized societies; an ancient ART – art back from being lost in wastelands of ego, back to its primary function of making whole – HEALING.

software & hardware

September 14th, 2015

“Earth is hardware upon which software of biology runs
biology is hardware upon which software of culture runs
culture is hardware upon which software of individual personality
individual people are the hardware upon which the software of what will be run?”

 

 

“Ziemia to hardware na którym działa software biologii,
biologia to hardware na którym działa software kultury
kultura to hardware na którym działa software indywidualnej osobowości
poszczególne jednostki to hardware na którym działać ma software czego?”

 

Terence McKenna

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

dance, Banzie / tańczcie

January 30th, 2015

“We thought of life by analogy with a journey, a pilgrimage, which had a serious purpose at the end, and the thing was to get to that end, success or whatever it is, maybe heaven after you’re dead. But we missed the point the whole way along. It was a musical thing and you were supposed to sing or to dance while the music was being played.” ~ Alan Watts

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Myśleliśmy o życiu poprzez analogię do podróży, pielgrzymki, która miała na końcu poważny cel, i chodziło o to, by dotrzeć do tego celu, sukcesu czy cokolwiek to jest, może nawet nieba, jak już jesteś martwy. Ale poprzez całą tę drogę umykało nam sedno. To była muzyczna kompozycja, i mieliście śpiewać lub tańczyć, podczas gdy grała muzyka…” ~ Alan Watts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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