Greetings Good Nexians,

This is an interview I did with VICE.COM after the Breaking Convention (psychedelic) conference in London last week.

I can say that my experiences with DMT have instilled within me a clear cut passion for creativity (expressed through honest research and honest writing) and a clear cut positive mindstate - maintained regardless of any adversity or negativity.

https://www.vice.com/en_uk/artic...&utm_source=vicefbuk

Wishing you all well

I have to say that i was quite dissapointed to not find any pictures of the hyper chicken in any of the publicities for your book....

post 7

Edit.. i have just noticed a chicken at the top of the vice article and am therefore satiated.

Thanks for posting your interview

I have some constructive criticism/questions..

First of all, why use that title? I suppose the author of the article chose it, but it seems really click-baity.. Does it matter how many times you smoked dmt? Would it be any different if you smoked 100, or 900 times? Is the number of times you smoked the most important part of the interview?

When you say "It's not a projection of my mind; I'm clear on that, having undergone 600 experiments. Those sights convinced me that humanity is not the pinnacle of evolution, neither are we alone." , how are you so sure of anything? I know subjectively it certainly feels like its not a part of our minds during the experience, but do we even know what a mind/consciousness is to begin with? A subjective phenomenon that feels the same can have many different consistent explanations.. did you ever check gibran's "improbability of hyperspace" threads (part I and II) , as well as entropymancer's "what is real and when is it useful to ask this" thread? If not, i highly suggest you search that here in the nexus, im on a phone so its hard to link but im sure you can find. I wonder what you would think of it

Also, at some point in the interview the person asks you about your experiences being ' rigorous' . Why? What was rigorous about it? Did you control variables in any way? Did you use any consistent methodology?


The Improbability of Hyperspace
The Improbability of Hyperspace II
A pragmatic approach: What is "real", and when is it actually useful to ask this?

I'd like to echo pretty much everything endlessness said, but I'd also like to point to these, apparently contradictory, quotes:







So "traditional science cannot ignore this field of research if it wishes to be true to its roots," and "science will revolutionize this field of human learning," but "science will fall short because we are essentially dealing with knowledge of the immeasurable."

Can you see how that might be confusing? It also seems worth noting that science (or at least the scientific method) has no "agenda" to speak of. It's a methodological framework for making observations about consensus reality.

Also, in addition to the reading endlessness suggested, I would strongly encourage you to read and engage with dreamer042's comments regarding your BC presentation.

If i was going add another critique i would say that the amount of times that you have done DMT in a particular amount of time may not have given you enough time to evaluate what you may have been experiencing while under the influence and that the continued frequent use may have re-inforced any beliefs you had before taking DMT or delusions that may have arisen from taking it. And i don't mean to say the word delusion in a derogatory manner, as i think that delusions are ok or even beneficial in certain circumstances.

I feel bad and a bit of a party pooper for saying this but i think that "i smoked dmt 600 times in 3 years" comes across as a bit excessive and self indulgent to me. I don't think that the excessive consumption of anything is a good message to send out to the world.

Having said that i haven't read the book (i'd probably buy a copy if it had a picture of a chicken on the cover) and i am glad that it appears to have changed you for the better.

Aside from a couple things others mentioned, I really enjoyed the interview and some of your thoughts about the experience. As many times as I've been down the rabbit hole it always makes me smile to re-read writings like this.

Thanks for posting it

What interests me mostly is how it transforms people in daily life, the outcome, the result. I think of the trips as tools. Carpenters can drool over hammers for ages but for me the houses they make are key. This is just personal !

E.g. I appreciate that DK could integrate fear (for a storm) in a sober life situation.
That is gold to me.

I care less about all that counting and making it a center of gravity

The first thing that came to my mind when i read that article is why the heading or what is the need to mention how many times one has smoked dmt ? Does it actually matter ?
I'm inclined to believe that everything is purely a projection of our mind unless we can substantiate it with evidence. 600 or 6000 sessions proves nothing. Entropymancer's article further convinces me to remain Solipsistic.

Peace & regards.

I've already presented my critiques, and the offer to present your data for community/peer review and join in on our little Collaborative Research Project is open ended.

Actually I'm rather interested in another line of inquiry. I'm curious to know how it is you ended up presenting at BC, writing and publishing the book, writing articles and doing interviews with these larger media outlets. It seems like you've been provided a lot of exposure and platforms to promote yourself and your agenda. I'm curious to know moar of how that all came about as I feel there are several ongoing projects in the psychedelic community both here and elsewhere that would benefit from such platforms and exposure. Feel free to PM me if that's a discussion that you are not comfortable having in a public thread.

Thanks

Seconded

By now, I think DK presented enough material to portraits him (her?) self. For me it is not longer about dmt or research or science or occult or entities, nor about # trip reports walled to extreme masqueraded as whatever. Something else is going on imho and same diarrhea of output could DK have been giving about other subjects, yet in this case it has anchored itself into spice and its spin offs.

My first reaction of "an exploding ego" I no longer hold on to. I suspect another drive(s) is responsible for making such a pathos at large, and wager towards a mere psychological victimization. Comes to mind: messiah complex.

I've seen alikes happening with other persons and there is little stopping. Over the several threads the analysis of "what exactly is said; does this makes any sense; what you make of this; etc etc" is futile and only addressing what reaches the surface, it won't work, stop putting efforts in it is my best guess, there will be no fair discussion.

In no way I want to be pejorative but I'm seeking understanding, understanding the core, not the symptoms like the wall of output presented. I feel for DK truly and this is no irony nor sarcasm, and I can only do that by using a lens of pathology for the moment.

In the end we are all ego's, we all have pathologies, in various degrees and forms, there is nothing wrong with that !!! Leaves the matter how to deal with each others forms and degrees, and the decision if we continue to feed it by participating the unfortunate baits presented.

Wise man told me once: whatever you say, not say, do or not do, there will always be people furious against you, and people carrying you on hands. It's all natural. I've been stunned how messiah complexed people could have as much as thousands of followers as of today, and it feeds the pathology whatever reaction is given, pro or agianst.

I've mentioned messiah complex, little do I know, I'm no shrink, could be something else for sure, but I no longer focus on the material presented and focus from now on how I react to such cases.

I could be wrong, just presenting my personal take on it, in all sincerity. Secretly I hope to make a huge mistake here, but for now can't see it differently. I am too blinded about DK to be sure of anything right now but only telling why I will no longer engage discussing DK's fruits an sich.

Perhaps it's my own pathos to react this way, then please bear with me.

Love and peace, truly.


PS: I believe some complexes can be quite fruitful, just like ego, when it is wielded fruitfully, makes all the difference. It could be an asset or a burden to carry accordingly. In TAO'ism all is energy, all is transformative, nothing's lost. Leaves us what to do with it, our own, and that of others.

Oh yeah? Well, I once smoked DMT 3 times in 600 years, and I still don't know anything about anything.

Anyhow, I aim to learn to keep my thoughts for myself in such matters.
Science of self research tells me so, thanks for the opportunity to learn.

Loved your post previous to this one, and this one also.

Most points you raise in your previous post though I jive with.

On a sidenote - the article title, etc, sure ..some things could've been changed, though it seems w.a.s. poured quite a bit of time and effort into this, and despite healthy criticisms - I still liked some of the things he wrote in the interview, things like I said - I've witnessed firsthand and felt, and I'm sure many members here have felt.

I think most people who've done DMT can relate to the DMT experiences presented, and they're perfectly nice trip reports, but I don't really think that's the crux of the issue here.

In trying to understand some of Dick's thinking that underlies his approach, I did some googling, whereupon I stumbled across this interview.

A few of the more troubling excerpts, imo, are:

From all this relayed info over the last few days, something is bothering me about this Dick poster.



Based off their own experiences. That's it. Which doesn't make it a fact but an idea to consider, entertain and reflect on, or to be possibly studied further. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks like that. It's incredibly easy to be scooped up by novel ideas to confirm unchecked inclinations. If people can relate, that's all well and good. Even I can relate to some extent. But I still do not know to this day what those experiences actually were. And is the integration of those experiences exactly what you know it to be? Not always. Significant consciousness alteration is still new to us. Especially when it comes to DMT and other similar potent drugs.



$.

There are a lot of gullible people on this planet who'd love to factually attach to Dick's ideas and automatically assert them to be correct. Setting the stage for narrow attitudes such as "this must be it," "this is the only way," "smoke DMT over hundreds of times and you'll 'get it'," etc. If it authentically helps others, that's great. He does seem to have some genuine, humbling and open perspectives to his outlook on life, and they make that pretty clear, I think.



What does SETI have to do with agreeing or acknowledging Dicks views? Right, because those seriously studying the fabric of outer space are interested in debating not only the inner space of tryptamine-induced human beings, but the possibility of spiritual beings from the universe interacting with humans through a powerful psychoactive constituent. As if they don't have enough serious work under their belts already such as detecting impending asteroids, comets, potentially harmful meteors, and other space debris.

Sharing these kinds of experiences is invaluable, absolutely. But also quite risky.

LOL! I never made that connection between my hyper-chicken and the image used in the interview. Thanks!

Please forgive the unintentional delay in my response



I didn't choose it. When I set out on my research it was never about the number of experiments undertaken. It was always about coming to my own understanding of the causal nature behind the experiences after inhaling the potent vapour. As you have realised, the interviewer chose the title.



I can only be sure to my own satisfaction. What really strikes me about DMT is how very clear-minded and how rationally cogent one can remain whilst under its influence. The sights that I referred to at that part of the interview were specifically very large and dense transparent forms, exhibiting beautiful symmetrical geometry, and clearly having capacity to interact with me. You can always say these were products of my own mind, and I can always say they were beings with an independent existence. Neither of us can prove or disprove our own position, or that of the other. I am merely reporting and recording my experiences and giving my own interpretation and analyses. What I have found really interesting is that many people - including DMT users - exhibit a resistance to entertaining the notion of spiritual entities. It has also puzzled me as to why other regular DMT users have not reported on seeing the same thing. I believe I have only come across two other accounts detailing something that sounds similar to those things I have witnessed - only one was under the influence of DMT, but both individuals reported their sightings as related to UFO.




I believe the interviewer used 'rigorous' to describe the number of experiments I had undertaken. As I have already stated, for me, it was never about a number, it was about coming to an understanding of what was behind the experiences.

You have no idea how close it was for that cockerel being the cover image to my book! Sorry to disappoint!

Sorry for the delayed response. Not intentional. I will PM you.



My book, my articles and my exposure are a result of my own hard work and wilful drive. The only help I have had is with proof reading my book. Nobody has given me anything by way of favour. And I am not promoting myself - hence the avatar rather than my own mugshot. If I am promoting any agenda it is only to provide my own interpretation of the causal nature behind the DMT experience. That to me seemed like a worthy venture, and good use of my creative energies. That I have done all this as a caring and responsible family man with a full-time job, and a passion for riding BMX as often as I can, has made me question: How I was able to find the time to do all of that stuff?