Many things have been happening in my life lately, and probably the one that is surrounding me right now has to do with finding my real ME!
Bedore doing ayahuasca, I was already on the path of understanding money ain't the real deal, money shoudln't be an objective in life and how society has plans for you (so you can make them money), and so on and on.....
I call this society's trap ( la trampa de la sociedad).
I was just letting my sister know yesturday the difference between a new self parking lexus around 50k and a honda around 20k. None, both have ac, and will take you there... Is there really a 30k difference?
As for me, I have a 1955 vw bug and probably happier than a friend of mine, a ferrari owner, who once said " I thought I was going to be a happy person once I had my ferrari, so I bought it, and now I know how money doesn't make you happy".
Some day I watched a video from Alan Watts, what if money was no object. This gave me a clue. Then I saw the simplest one... Never watch television! And everything makes sense.. This is what I call, society's trap.
I always tell my girlfriend how she shoundn't be wearing high heels, how besides uncomfortable, it will only worsen her leg pain problem. ( in through one ear out the other) she only wants to look and feel good (that what those stupid fashion channels and magazines tell her).
To make the story short, I don't watch tv (just a movie ocassionally), No NEWS! Wow! This is the best, stopping news was my first step... You"ll feel a lot better without it. I am not into changing my car for the last model every 2 years. I'm not into fashion, I just don't wear broken or clothes with holes....
I often think how the members of the consuming society are the new slaves...
Now I stop to read the advertisemnts on some products like, on a coffe jar, "taking at least 30 min a day to take a rest iprooves life". Other one I saw..stamped on some cheap motorcycle tires " this is all you need so you can travel through the path in life"

Things like these, just make me laugh, and at least I am happy I am noticing it.
I just think aya and dmt are eye openers specially on this topics. I just can't wait to take my girl to do aya.

hi gusss, welcome to the nexus.

I like the sound of "la trampa de la sociedad" and I like how you put it. I feel similar to many things you state. As a girl I've never been into wearing makeup or high heals or things like that. I don't have nor watch TV nor the news, and I have a job that pays very little but allows me to enjoy life (and travel).

I feel like la trampa is like a spiritual challange for all of us to overcome. All these things we grow up to believe are so important (respectable job, objects of status like cars or houses, fashion, ...) we have to leave them behind in some way, at least internally in how we value them, in order to achieve spiritual liberty and openness to the euphoria of the universe (some people call this happiness).

bueno, pues me alegro que no hayas caído en la trampa

DMT and ayahuasca but also mushrooms are very good tools to see through these games. I still struggle with this philosophy to some degree however. How do I decide what really holds importance and what is just an illusion I am clinging to? I can't always tell the difference.

I wish you all the best on your journeys.

thanks for the welcome, and thanks for not making me feel crazy.
I guess it is really hard to jump out of the trap when you are living in the city and having a job. But understanding this makes me feel grateful.

Hey gus. Good post, i'm sure most people here can relate

I watched a lot of television as a kid. But the first time i watched while stoned, it really freaked me out.. It was like all the specific ways each little part of a show or advertisement (intentionally or not) plays a role in programming social behaviors and values, and conditions ways of thinking to make happy absent minded consumers who cling to the status quo of the time, became blatantly apparent. I don't watch it at all anymore, just movies every now and then. Watching so much growing up, i think TV played a huge part in the level of mental 'noise' in my head, which took a while to shake off once i stopped

"How do I decide what really holds importance and what is just an illusion I am clinging to? I can't always tell the difference."

good post, i would agree

Gusss I feel like I can really relate to you with the whole money thing, I really wish I had discovered this before I went to college. The whole reason I chose my major/career was to make the most money which was a huge mistake. It's really easy to think that money is the most important thing when that's all everyone seems to care about.

Society has distorted the definition of happiness, to most people in the world today I think that happiness has become synonymous with envy. The only reason people want a $50k lexus is because they want others to be envious of it, this is the direct result of capitalism, capitalism is the problem.

One of my favorite quote's that I like to bust out when trying to appear intelligent:
"He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature" - Socrates

Wrap your mind around that quote for a min.
If you look at any living organism, it's only real objective/purpose is to find shelter, eat, and reproduce. Once you can do satisfy that basic purpose, you should just be happy(content). Because jealousy, anger, and greed are things that result because of society, not nature.

hi gusss i enjoyed reading this post as i too constantly find myself battling society's trap and its temptations,its a real take the red or blue pill kind of scenario and at times had myself wishing i could be more naive and ignorant just so everyday would stop being an effort to integrate and get by.

with psychadelics of various kinds though you find another world far more facinating and with dabbling further society becomes 1 dimensional and boring and when your forced to partake you always have your shelter to return to and keep you grounded to what really matters.

the difficulty is indeed with loved ones though i found it most restricting as some as you say its in the one ear out of the other and its frustrating to watch and sometimes it can have get quite out of hand with them involved thats why having your secrets is all in all not that bad as their choices is their own and then so is yours

i too refrain from buying myself things to peacock myself up and more things that stimulate my imagination or spirituality,i have stopped watching tv years ago and even found that i cant anymore i tried once i cant watch a movie for longer than 30mins then i get distracted and go do something else and it wouldnt be something that exciting either like mostly just going to sit down and think about stuff,video games aswell i lose interest fast.

i subjected myself alot to society while under the infuence of hallucinogens which would most likely be advised against as alot of people would reccomend to seclude oneself frm those enviroments which is wise aswell dependin,but thinking back to me personally it wasnt a bad idea at all it gave me a clear perspective of whats actually going on around me.for instance being on lsd and cruising through our local waterfront i had some really in my face truths aswell as several instances ending up in malls,bars and clubs which was not a reckless decision of going there on these powerfull mind altering substances but circumstantially ending up there,another instance was watching tv and the advertisemnets freaked the hell out of me where it felt like my brain is getting cattle prodded with these you got to have this forces,kind had me figuring their magic like spells being put on people

so it all contibuted and i think thats why the mindsets are so similiar these truth revealing mind strenghtening interest we are so lucky to have

let it spread peace nexians and thanks gusss

Interesting dialog! I recall during my first few experiences with entheogens, society and the money system really struck me as deeply dysfunctional. While I still agree that a lot of the aspects of consumerism go against the grain of an emotionally healthy lifestyle, I have come to appreciate certain aspects of the market system, partly through study and partly through participation.

While paper fiat money is an illusion, it is a very persistent one. However, if you use money to acquire tangible assets such as real estate, this can be a good use of it. Money is ideally just a vehicle to convert your labor into a proper asset. Where the system remains sick is that the government can demand a percentage of this every year simply to keep letting you own it.

I contend that being able to understand money and wealth and integrating it into the context of the more subtle worldview most of us share, is not per se a bad thing. In fact, it could put you in a position to support the needs of fellow seekers who are not equipped with this knowledge, as well as more effectively resist those forces which would seek to snuff us out.

Food for thought... again I don't dispute that the intersection of culture and money in the western world can be extremely alienating.

Best Regards
PD

It should be pretty self evident to people that society is broken, psychedelic users or not.
I never personally came to this realisation through psychedelics, but rather through researching things on the internet. Slowly you'll just find yourself slipping out of society's hands and become much more liberated.
Throwing out my TV was certainly a good decision.