We all know the cliche, the person who experiences psychedelics and thinks "This could heal the world!"
I think we've all been somewhere similar at some point, at least I'd like to think that. When you have that smooth going journey and feel "I'm great, I need nothing." and your thoughts turn outward to those who aren't on the same level as you. When you begin to analyze your own life and those of people you know. World problems seem petty, that if we could actually come together in this same moment our problems would be solved.
In the realm of psychedelics, this is often seen as a somewhat unrealistic moment. For most of us, we come back down and become what we might describe to ourselves as "imperfect" again. We're back to making stupid mistakes even though we just saw how pointless they were for ourselves. It's an interesting cycle to say the least.
One hypothesis I think often about is the state of our society today and the hierarchy of needs. Perhaps psychedelics simply make us feel as though every need has been taken care of, freeing our minds to be something more than our everyday selves. Something great.
Otherwise, we are left climbing the ladder trying to fill those needs. The further down the ladder we slip, the worse mistakes we are bound to make. I fully believe in the idea that what goes around comes around. That it is important to broadcast good so that it may spread more and more throughout humanity. But often as we all know, it's hard to do so flawlessly. We can't do that while checking boxes on that hierarchy. We have to worry about our image, our ability to be in and maintain a relationship. Take care of our physical needs. Whatever we feel we are lacking to achieve happiness.
The result is a world where we have neighbors who are one more bill away from an eviction. A family eating ramen because someone made a poor choice. We often don't help one another and justify this action in various ways. Maybe they'll take advantage of the help. Perhaps you can't afford it.
I think we've all fallen into these traps. I have, still do, and probably will continue to.
On psychedelics, that fades away. I love getting personal with people. I want to fix everything I'm capable of fixing. I want to help people climb that hierarchy of needs and become the person they themselves are struggling to be. Many of you can probably relate to that as well. The solutions often become clear as day yet fade away again as we slip back down the ladder.
In my own mind, I think of this as the undermining of evil. Removing the root source of it by bringing others up that ladder. So that we can help one another without hesitation or fear of negative consequence. Without that, those left behind begin to take worse and worse actions to climb out of their current position as their growing list of needs turn them into a completely different person. I think humanity at its core, even those we would consider despicable, share that same desire to just keep climbing and find inner peace and happiness. So it's a shame when this happens.
We all know the feelings we get when we lack something badly enough. Our actions of course define us but anyone can find themselves a person they could have never imagined. We've all been someone else in a moment. Single minded hunger, the person you are in a moment of lust compared to the person you become after you've satisfied it, rich, poor, important, a nobody...
It is my personal belief that the greatest goal of humanity should be to bring everyone to this apex. To render this struggle up the hierarchy of needs a thing of the past while preserving and honoring all of nature that brought us here. Of course, it's a little far fetched. I'll grant you that, and I don't expect everyone (maybe even anyone) to agree.
However, while this topic might seem a bit big on thoughts and vague on solutions I suppose that's ok. But I think an awareness of that hierarchy and applying it to each and every encounter can go a long way. And if the topic makes you think on it even just a little, that's enough.
Hope everyone is doing well on their own struggle up that ladder. We're all in this together.