^^^

Very well said, Tregar I have indeed received such messages...

I don't really get a sense of any 'elitism' as per OP. But I definitely get a sense of a kind of tribalism between...those in white-coats, and those with bare chests?

One group is all about the imminent gene-edited "utopia," which the other sees through a dark dystopic mirror. Which is right? Well, none of us can predict the future, but key trends can be assessed (rates of extinction, extraction, temperature etc)

And frankly, while lack of sanitation is still by far the biggest killer of humanity today, I could definitely care less about speculative gene-therapy for exceptionally rare genetic defects affecting <0.00001% of the global population.

lol.
in my case pink lab coat.
i would actually show up for advanced chem labs in college ,
in a full length tailored pink lab coat, with pink rimmed safety glasses.
^this explains my art degree.



im seriously speculating GMO psilocybes.
or GMO lophs.
i know ........another thread.

chan brings up a good point on tribalism.
i have no problem wih it,
but i do suspect hippies are always trying to take over ,
and the only thing keeping a lid on it is a handful of geeks with actual science capability.

^ of course, that comes back to larger society also.

as for nexus.
i think the place is run about as well as it can be,
and for the most part , the members are reasonable.
as a psychedelic round table, its a good place.
yes there is social stratification and tribalism,
but so what, as long as theres respect on some level................

I'm so happy you have created this Thread Nathaniel because it makes me feel less alone.

It is one thing to know that you have had certain experiences and that your mind is somewhat different to other people. It is also fine to believe that you have an advantage in this aspect. But it's another thing wanting to talk about that be it to strengthen ones own identity or to..well, just feel "better".

Empathy and humility goes a long way, and being able to love and understand those who are NOT close to you as an individual, is a skill or attitude worth cultivating. It's the essence of what love really is.

Although I understand a lot of what you say, I have particular exception to this statement. I would guess there are many people doing these things that are not a part of the psychedelic community, and many who don't that are.

Also, im not active in "global politial activism". Also, i'm not better at protecting the earth than your average joe.

Interesting topic Nathaniel. I definitely have seen users of these medicines end up with inflated egos infact ego is something I've seen crop up more and more on the nexus lately but just assume that it's all doing exactly what it needs to and after all ego isn't a bad thing if it's in a proper relationship to the whole of ones being. It's my experience that sometimes the ego gets frightened by these medicines and tries to overcompensate but we have to ride that out because to lose ego entirely forever is something that I am not sure anyone who talks about it would actually enjoy..they definitely wouldn't

I've also experienced growth and opened awareness in myself and others. I believe that at some point along the road it's easy to point the finger and talk down and belittle others and some just get stuck here and you know what, that's totally fine and perfect for where a person is at in their lives. A wisdom was once shared with me by someone very dear to my heart that life is a mirror. In my humble opinion the people who talk about the others in a way that elevates themselves are trying to cope with the very problem that they witness in others or society at large. When you truly do 'clean something out' I think a tell tale sign is an increased compassion toward your fellow being who is still in that very struggle, I know how hard this can sometimes be but if you are feeling strong feelings about another's behaviours the important question to ask is - what is this telling me about myself?

Stay humble nexians

The ego is a tricky thing...

Say you are in a situation that your ego wants to react to, but you are able to be aware and control it. You are able for once to not be a victim of your ego, that's great right? Well, as soon as you have that 'victory', your ego will immediately use the victory for itself and be like; "see how great I am, I control the ego".

It is an ongoing process of keeping it in check...

Dead on the money there Endlessness! It takes constant consciousness and awareness to keep it all in balance but I guess it's a bit like meditating. You can have the thought 'I'm so great I can control my ego completely' and hold onto it or you can just let it fall back into the chaos from which it sprung. At the end of the day though it's not easy and sometimes one slips up, I definitely do but being unaware or unconscious also is not easy because of the other areas of life it effects. Round and round the merry-go-round we go Also on another note it's not bad to celebrate yourself and acknowledge when you've done well, just as long as it doesn't consume you and take on a life of its own.

Liberalism on drugs

Using psychedelics is an art form. The artist should not judge the non-artist and vice versa. The artist is the artist and the non-artist is the non-artist.

I call it an art form because it takes practice. It takes a commitment. My guitar will not play itself. I must pick it up, practice, and play.

I gotta say, I've spent my entire life being the smartest guy in the room, and I feel barely mediocre here at the Nexus. I've laughed in the face of death, on the battlefield, but I find myself far more impressed by the courage I witness here. Months and years between entheogenic doses, and I can get pulled right back into the days proceeding that heightened state by hanging onto the words of the enlightened folks here.

I know, not everyone is in a position to use these tools in a way that's conducive to developing these qualities, but IME it helps most along the path from where they were. Very typical reactions are broader perspectives, keener analysis, more compassionate foundations.

It is so easy to remember to operate from the heart, when you're so poignantly reminded every time you take a short step away from that ego, for a little adventure.

And the synchronicity around here is phenomenal, and so much less annoying than "The Church o' Bob" . I can't even count all the threads that someone started on a subject I had currently been thinking of; or when I wonder about a member who hasn't posted for a few months or a few years and suddenly they pop up the next day. And, of course, it gets much more personal than that.

Hell! I'm participating in a thread that was generated to remind us to keep our ego's in check, and to not be judgmental of others. If this isn't an elite community, then there is no such thing! I am so glad we are all here to remind each other.

Thanks Chan, completely agree with what you wrote as well, and happy to hear that you have experienced these compassionate & empathetic views for the earth as well in these expanded states of consciousness.

I recently read on-line of a pastor who outright said that plants and animals "do not have spirits" and that we have no business caring about what happens to the environment....that the earth will be destroyed in the end anyways, so what does it matter basically were his thoughts...then I read a second pastor later in the column blasting his thoughts and telling him that indeed plants and animals do have spirits and that we do have a right to take care of this planet. I agree with the second pastor.

Animals and plants seem to be very much aware of God, you can even see an animal's spirits in their eyes is what I believe. They have souls and do live on after death. Now I ask, if the 1st pastor were to have an entheogenic experience, do you think he might be awakened to see things as the second pastor? Besides entheogenic plants, I don't know of anything else that can turn someone around overnight and make them into a more compassionate person.

Our planet's biosphere is currently experiencing a serious crisis. A massive loss of biodiversity, toxic nuclear and petroleum leakage into the oceans, heavy metals spewing into the atmosphere, climate change, and other frightening ecological dangers could easily lead to our own extinction.

Environmental instability and unsustainability exist on many levels, due to our species lack of foresight and ecological blindness, which places the future of human civilization in great peril. The very perspectives that we need and that we seem to lack as a species--compassion, ecological awareness, empathy, cultural boundary dissolution, creative thought, and spiritual connection--appear to be fostered by the use of entheogenic drugs and plants. Sadly, Western cultures universally prohibit the personal use of these sacred medicines.

Plant spirits--the wisdom of botanical intelligence--activate those parts of the human brain that cause us to question the integrity of our culture, and to place a greater value on primal intelligence than on cultural beliefs.

Research into the members of ayahuasca churches for instance revealed that many of them decided to change their professions after participating in ayahuasca rituals so that they could work with natural products or on environmental protection issues.

Considering the toxic state of the world at present and what lies at stake, perhaps it might be a good idea to listen to what the people who know the most about these strange substances have to say.

Shamanic plants have the potential to help us survive as a species. I truly believe that these plants can help us to save the world. I think that they can help to raise ecological awareness, make our sacred interconnection and interdependence on the biosphere obvious, and set many people off on a course of spiritual evolution.

I don't think that there's much time left on this planet, as we may be driving ourselves into extinction with runaway pollution and toxic waste.

Entheogens inspire novel thoughts, new ideas, and alternative perspectives, and they strengthen problem-solving abilities, and improve creativity and artistic performance.

Aldous Huxley said it well when he said these entheogenic experiences are what theologians might call "a gratuitous grace", not necessary to salvation but potentially helpful. I feel the same way, not everyone need have these experiences, but they are often helpful to those who do have them in those who are sensitive to their effects.

The concentration of wealth and the centralization of control of resources in a powerful minority are creating a host of problems. I do realize if these are not soon remedied, industrial society will become even more dysfunctional and may well take the rest of the world with it.

Lack of compassion can be seen in all tiers of our current society, for example, last year the place I work for got rid of all sick time for us (the workers)...any time someone calls in sick it is considered a "violation", it only takes a couple of these violations before a person is then fired, whereas before we had at least 5 sick days a year...we also cannot even be a minute late to work...I have had to be on time for the past 2 years...as being late just one minute twice in a year is equal to "one whole violation" ! This is a sick society we live in. The managers who put these %^!! up policies in place then leave the job and we are left to abide by their garbage for the rest of a lifetime, they never get rid of the policies, only add more %^!@^!^ up ones every year. The turnover rate is insane and workers are treated like objects only.

A worker the other day accidentaly cut himself slightly on the job and you know what that means now? He get's drug tested immediately, they pull a piece of his hair, and he is fired as they found a drug in his system, whereas in the past there was some "compassion" and you would be sent to a drug class for several weeks 3 times a week for 3 months...not anymore, now you just get fired right away.

And I'm not kidding about the entheogenic places on the web who all the sudden find they are no longer able to accept credit cards...simply because they were recently found in violation of the credit card issuer's policy of carrying a harmless plant they deemed not approved by themselves....I can count the number of these places on two hands that find they are no longer able to take orders except by money order or bitcoin...they are being driven out of business by the man...scary stuff going on.

The law in the uk prohibiting all plant remedies, psychoactives, etc. except for alcohol & caffeine & pharmaceuticals from the billion dollar drug companies...was created by one person...similar to what I've seen on the job...one non-compassionate person creates havock for the rest of society, creating a sick society, because we know it should not be like this. The power goes to the head of these sick managers and corrupt people in charge.