As an adjunct to the Stoned Ape Theory:

At the start of human history (50-35,000 Years ago) psychedelics had a very different effect. The noticeable trademark of plant drugs with history is the impression of Educate experience derived from all of the lessons learned and taught by the individuals and cultures that used them. All of the possibilites that the ‘supernatural’ realm opened us up to.

Here, at the end of human history, the effect of these drugs invokes all these lessons; is informed by the influx of novelty and acceleration of history so as to have an effect that is as unexpected and alien as the effects of prehistoric drug use. As unlikely as that is. The kick-start was an introduction - an exposition in musical terms. A time when we were first exposed to these other possibilites. Now we enter the development stage. We are now expected to follow through with some of these possibilities.

Human history has been - to the unfolding of consciousness - as the midlife-crisis is to the unfolding of the personal human drama. The tools that we have designed and materialized no longer serve the purposes we are most concerned with. The same way flint tools, elementary traps & foraging no longer satisfied our ancestors drive for efficiency and complexity.

The psychedelic experience seems to interject at this stage in our history because we now need to flesh out some of what we were offered during that prehistoric kickstart. These plants and the world they open up now require us to do right by them on their own terms. This is their world to some degree and if they have information to impart, it is only natural that it would be defensive against ecological disruptions, mineral mining, deforestation - all of these, sort of, wound-like activities that we take for granted.

LSD was only synthesized in 1938. DMT isolated in ‘31. Psilocybin and Amanita mushrooms were popularized by R.G. Wasson in the mid-fifties with Maria Sabina. I’d say these plants and chemicals have been very, very patient with us. And now the time has come.

The counter-cultural revolution of the 1960’s was fuelled mostly by a childish curiosity. There wasn’t really any frame of reference to go on when encountering these substances. Shamanism and traditional wisdom-driven, user-plant relationships were nowhere to be found. It was also a big factor that the two most widely-spread of the psychedelics were synthesized LSD and DMT. But since then, probably only since the early 90’s, there has been a quiet but powerful resurgence of interest in tehse experiences but very much the wisdom - and in a lot of cases, the plant - in tact. As someone who was not there trying; trying to look objectively at what preceded me, the 60’s definitely look like a bit of a misfire. The awareness that the movement generated can’t be faulted. While a good deal of the bad press can be faulted, and a good deal can’t. Through figureheads like Tim Leary and Mr. Kite through, a structured persona was built around the psychedelics; the experience AND the user with an irresponsible, party-like attitude built in. Once the War On Drugs was declared in ‘67, it was past the turning point.

We’ve had to wait 45 years for the current situation, to see this suppositions created by the media change somewhat. Much more scientific work has been done and more bad stuff has happened globally to turn large demographics into de-fact counter-culturalists. The psychedelic experience is no longer considered an enemy to society. Society has shown itself to be very fragile, and recidivistic. Culture is failing to respond to the lateral pressure put on it to extend past the capitalist, consumer-driven basis and now also make space for a psychospiritual (and in many cases shamanistic) element. Society and Culture wont budge. So these alternative experiences and ways of thinking are no longer held at arms length. We are, again, dancing with the Devil, but this time we have ‘Some’ clue about what steps to take.

The use of psychedelics in the 21st century is increasingly, and very fiercely centered around, at the least, conversational recourse to the traditions that used any of the plant-drugs. The spiritual element is no longer promised in a tab of LSD at the Lilliput course. But it can almost be promised in the tryptamines, when used in certain ways with certain contexts. Of course, these experiences can be reached in many ways (meditation, fasting, flagellation, honest travelling) and not everyone necessarily would come into contact with them.. but these tryptamines and some other related compounds, are the most direct, reliable, repeatable and least offensive to human biology.. Of all the method we know.

To be completed….

Thanks Amadeus.

I think that psychadelic plants were part of the balanced diet of country people before life started getting heavily ruled. Now that there exists cities and big towns, i think people look back at these medicines with fear, almost like a backward way of living.

Who is to say that cities were the right way?..Whatever, we can't ignore that nature shapes humanity. Man has lived the powerful countryside experience, and is now doing the sparse consumer and trivialities based City living where he constantly needs to consume crap to return to the same levels of happiness that were provided effortlessly and freely by living in the natural countryside- as he once did, and called home.

I think that when man makes friends again with nature, then there's gonna be hope for mankind- man is simply too "citified", to realise what he's been missing out on for ages. He really misses his mother but doesn't recognise it.