Christian churches are known to do quite some charity work. I can't shake the feeling, that some of them do it for PR reasons, to make their religion look good in the eyes of non believers. It is not my intent to belittle their work as some of it surely is helping.

What would you think about doing in the name of CEL? Would it be ethical? Too manipulative?

I can imagine that the rewards would be great. One thing we need is people to start recognizing us as a group of people with a kind heart. And isn't that the truth? Isn't it our intent to spread what we have learned in these ecstatic states? I can't wait for the common folk to recognize us as people who want to make a difference. Not just some weird hippie drug addicts.

And what speaks louder than action?

I would really appreciate your input on this.

i have and still do alot of charity work.. some of my fav,s are the ,make a wish foundation, dream flight,and give kids the world.. its kinda of a private thing with me..alot of my friends have no idea.. i also help the ones i see in need... the thing thats most important to let them know is that i helped you at this time of your need.. i make them promise when there lives are better that they remember someone helped them and at that time its time to pay it forward..

to me it is not to promote my self or a cause.. its just what is needed and i feel i owe this world so much for the breaks i have been given.. pay it forward is the only thing to be taught... because of how many young people could or can be hurt by this lifestyle i just could not promote it... hope you understand? but i dig the wanting to help others<3 love to you...Oden

I have the deepest respect for people who do these things without letting anyone know. I honor these authentic motives very much, and it almost would feel like betrayel, if one would attach a name or cause to it. Still, i ask myself, if it wouldn't be still a good idea to use charity work as a tool to better our image. Because this way, there is an added incencitive to do the work.



What do you mean by that ?



<3

i just gave advice about the spice to a 15yr old about a week ago and welcomed him to this forum .. then found out he was 15..By the mods that found out and removed him..great work guys!!.. really spooked me on any type of outside promotion.... i just have this thing about anything i do that can lead to any loss or harm that can come to another..I.E getting busted, causing there family loss,or thinking it to be the end all be all of life or even worse?... i do not have a problem with being late to a job to help another. or giving up a weekend to help anyone.. i can control these things better.. i may be wrong about my worries.... but in my heart i just cannot find out later that anything i was apart of .. lead someone down the wrong path.. i have a great deal of respect for you and i love this forum and the spirits here have amazing hearts... and i know so many of them pay it forward.. im for support to change laws or make the powers that be understand more.. im not sure how you wish to do this? but i got the feeling it would be under some sort of banner.... maby someone has an idea how this could be done without the risk i spoke of? but im just not sure how? yet im soo torn because of what i have recieved from this knowledge... but the risk i can not get over this.... respect..Oden

To me.... We change others by changing ourselves..

Well, i was not planning to say "look, I do good things so you should smoke DMT too!! It makes you a better person!!". This would indeed be very foolish and possibly untrue. Thje idea is to shatter unjustified preconceptions about people who take psychedelics. A lot of people believe that there is NO difference between drugs. That DMT is like Meth and Heroin, that mushrooms equal crack and so forth. This misinformation makes the average psychonaught look like a helpless drug addict, incapable od doing anything else but seek his next fix.

Think of it as an image campaign.

I believe that these prejudices are to blame for psychedelic research not advancing at a pace fast enough.
It also causes a lot of pain for those who work with psychedelics because it is hard for them to "come out" to friends and family.
Some also might feel guilt, the society has imprinted on them ... this does lead to negative Trip experiences because one first has to deal with this unnecessary guilt before progressing further.

Only if society takes psychedelics as "what they are" (whatever they are), we will have the chance to do proper education. To my knowledge, the biggest reason why the entry age of the nexus is 18, is for legal reasons. Personally, I would never suggest a minor to smoke DMT. This is not the place and time to do that. Young people have it hard enough already to deal with the guilt inflicted upon them by society. But if psychedelic drugs wouldn'T be so stigmatized, it might open a window for dialogue, making it possible to educate the young ones properly.

Just imagine opening a "Psychedelic education Center for Minors" in this currewnt political climate. Even if this institution would not advocate minors taking psychedelics, it would be shut down in no time.

The problem?

Teenagers do what they want anyways.

Only if we are taken seriously, we can make changes. Only then we can stop misinformation and foolish behaviour. Once you get the call to take a psychedelic, you will do it. We can only try to ensure a smooth ride and fight the stupid guilt-trips!

I worked as a carer for two years in a job which was also a registered charity. However, i didn't choose the job because it was a charity, i just needed to earn some money and chose to work as a carer. I got paid a reasonable wage too.

-I am not a big fan of Charity work, and to be honest i don't entirely agree with it. I believe that it does not help people in the long run and creates a culture of dependance. I also question the real reasons why people choose to do such work, and know for a fact that there are a lot of people that do such work so that they can be seen as being an "upstanding member of a community" in the eyes of others- when behind closed doors they haven't got the time of day to care and be there for their own family.

The whole question is: Is it acceptable? Or is it more acceptable NOT to help others (because you would be helping for selfish reasons)?

- People should help people because they want to, and because they have spare time to do so. They should not let it take from their basic duties, unless it is of course also their paid job. They should also not make an issue about it, as in attempt to promote themselves as a "do gooder" or other cringeworthy type of person.

- I don't think you worded the question well, because everything that people do in life is in some way "selfish", but then again, it's selfish but necessary to do so, such as to eat, and survive in life. However, when people do Charity work for selfish reasons, then they are usually doing it for the wrong reasons,and non-necessary reasons, and should look to fulfill their selfish needs elsewhere with the challenge of non needy victimized peoples, etc. Selfishness should not really be pursued as an un necessary activity, such as simply to look good in a community, or have a "cuddly warm moment" - that is sadness and cringeworthy, and i hope one day will stop!

So it would be better not to help others if the main motivation behind it is not kinda altruistic ?

I'm not asking for ideal situations, i do not believe they exist.

-I think that this kind of "thinking" is wrong anyhow, and based on guilty predispositions thanks to religious and or government brainwashing, and you shouldn't have to ask how you should live, you should just live-where are your fears coming from, what is stopping you?? If you want to help, then do it, but don't do it out of fear, and don't do it because you are too lazy to chase your dreams if you secretly wish to do something else. Charity is nothing more than a modern idea, that never existed or was needed when people lived in a natural close knit society.

>To live honestly means to do what you want to do, that fits in your honest reality. If you want to help somebody for a few hours, then fine, but it's the idea that this should be a life path that to me seems wrong, false, and a product of what the west has created, aka the thing called a "job". Perhaps you help someone for one day, then someone else the next, etc...but not as if it;'s your life purpose-Unless it's your own child, etc. And certainly not for P.R....

>Basically, the only way to live is to strive to be happy, and usually involves being a "sinner, criminal, and drop-out!", because the society of which most of the people's live in is 100% unnaural, and disconnected from the kind of direct life that we should be living, and is instead filled with ridiculous laws that create worry, stress and ocd as a form of people control and diminishment!

For some people, the only way to be happy, is to constantly and consistently devote themselves to helping other people. Not putting much stock into their own live, and only concentrating on helping others (making a career or life path out of it) is what makes them happy.

Personally, I think this is a great idea obliguhl. I think these motives (showing the masses that we are regular people, not crazy-peace-hippies, that truly care about the community and welfare of our fellow man) are just and reasonable. I would love to come out to my family and other people about my psychedelic use, and I wish so hard that I had someway of proving to them that it has made me a better person. But with the climate as it is now, that really isn't possible. These actions just might be a step in the right direction.

I know I cannot personally compare, but it almost seems like a similar situation as homosexuals find themselves in. Some of us are forced to be "closet" psychonauts, and this is not fair or reasonable by any standards. We are oppressed by the mainstream culture, save for our close-knit sparse communities, such as the nexus. The gay community has had do some PR to get as far they are now, and I personally think our situation is similar. Is the gay community advertising that people become homosexual? Absolutely not, the same way we would not be advertising that people take psychedelics.

It will be hard, and we must tread on glass shards, but I think it can be done, but very very carefully.

-Having worked as a carer for people with severe learning difficulties for 2 years, i can say that this is not a job to take lightly, and certainly not the sort of job you want to do for free. It is a hard job that means you can sacrifice your other life duties if you are careless, that is quite draining at times, no matter how "caring" you may be for their welfare. Also, having worked closely with other care workers who have been doing such a job for a lot longer, i can say that working as a carer does not necessarily make you a better person, and some of them are self righteous control freaks!!. It is a highly responsible job, and is one that requires professional training, but in the end it is simply a "job"!



- I doubt that is their ONLY WAY to be happy. Such a statement is over the top as far as i'm concerned. Again, if they are not caring for their own relatives or loved ones, then i must ask what is it they are doing this for, and isn't devoting a lifetime into this a bit of a cop out to other responsibilities??? To properly care for others one must first care for oneself since "caring" is quite a labour intensive job, and not all about simply smiling and saying nice things..

-If you want to be a better person, then smile, be nice, talk to people, and above all, don't be suckered into thinking that what you do is what you are, because you are no different to the next human being no matter how impressive your CV may look!!.

Christian, I am slightly confused by your post.

I did not mean this as a full time job. Is there not charity work that can be done for free, and on the side? It does not need to be as labor intensive as to require professional skill, but there are simple things that can be done.

-I am sorry if my post came off as arrogant, I had no intentions of this. What i meant to say is that i believe my use of psychs have caused me to grow as a person, be more understanding and compassionate, and more well rounded. Others may notice or they may not, it makes no difference to me, as I personally feel more fulfilled. It would be nice for me not to have to hide this fulfillment.



What you do may not be what you are, but...



Words and letters cannot describe who we are, only how we choose to live our lives. What I want the public to know, is that the use of psychedelics can go hand in hand with compassion and caring for the community and fellow man, and that entheogen usage is not the same as drug abuse.

If the psychadelic experience can teach mankind anything , then perhaps it would be to live with nature, rather than against it as we currently do.
That is all we need to do to steer our sinking ship out of the current dire straits, and towards a shore of prosperity where in time help may prevail.


-Your actions only define you as a doing person acting on what you are programmed to action, but not your true core "ayahuasca" self.

-Charity work is a personal issue, something i find boring, and one i no longer wish to talk about. Have a merry Christmas!