Listen to the weird psychedelic voices I remember when you could go to a psychedelic conference and see talks with names like "Xenolinguistics, Psychedelics, and the Evolution of Consciousness." Thanks, Diana Slattery, you're the best! Xenolinguistics is, of course, the study of alien languages, much like the kind you see in your psychedelic journeys or in an Allyson Grey Painting. The talk was weird, and it only made partial sense to my puny rational mind, but it was psychedelic. It was...
7 days ago • 4 min read
Bad Trips, Catharsis, and Breathwork I've got to be honest. I don't think that catharsis is the pinnacle of the psychedelic journey. People seem very attached to their emotional releases; they love rolling around on the floor wailing. I think this has diminishing returns. I think it's part of the zeitgeist. People are told that they've been repressing their emotions for too long (which is probably true), and that the path to healing lies in feeling their emotions (which is partly true). What...
14 days ago • 6 min read
Insight is not excellence; excellence requires practice I was at a lovely, spiritual, daylong event over the weekend. It included a ritual designed for breakthrough and transformation. We broke into small groups, and it was clear this was the first time our group leader had ever led this practice. He was sincere and devoted, but he had to read the steps off of a printout, and stumbled more than once. I had to suspend my cynicism. But you know what? It worked. I felt something, I was moved. As...
21 days ago • 4 min read
Coming Down Gently. Sometimes we think our journey will last forever. And sometimes we think that's awesome, and sometimes we think that's terrible. I've been in both states. I've had the thought, "I'm stuck like this now. I'm going to be this confused and scared forever." I've also had the thought, "This is bliss, I want to be here forever." It's never been the case. They've always ended. I come out a little different each time, but still, they've never been eternal. I've had experiences...
28 days ago • 3 min read
Building a mind that is bigger, funnier, and sexier Here's one of my favorite litmus tests. “A quicker intelligence test, which also indicates the trajectory of your development, is this: If the world seems to be getting bigger and funnier all the time, your intelligence is steadily increasing. If the world seems to be getting smaller and nastier all the time, your stupidity is steadily increasing.” - Robert Anton Wilson, The Illuminati Papers “The only sensible goal, then, is to try to build...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Can Integration Just Feel Good Already? Sometimes I think that we're the architects of our own suffering, even on our quest for healing. We procedurally generate more and more problems for ourselves. Procedural generation is a computer term. It's when we use algorithms and computer code to create data. It's why you can scroll social media endlessly and continue to see content that you're somewhat interested in. Picture an endless, computer-generated world filled with trees and mountains, and...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Integrative Change Takes a Ton of Energy - The Kundalini Awakening The Kundalini Awakening. Maybe you've heard of it. It's a fairly common psychedelic experience. There is an experience of cosmic energy shooting up the spine and reaching the head, where it then expands or blossoms. Usually, an explosion of enlightened insight accompanies it. It doesn't last, and unfortunate are the souls that think it means more than it does. Most people simply don't have the energy to maintain this...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Scarcity and Risk in Your Psychedelic Experiences Sometimes I'm hesitant to use the word scarcity because it shows up so often in the 'manifestation coaching' space. You know, folks who tell you that your business isn't working because of your scarcity mindset. That might be part of it, but I don't think it's ever the whole issue. But what I mean when I talk about scarcity in the psychedelic space is that psychedelics are rare and hard to come by. For most folks anyway. If you aren't...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Integration Circle Burnout - a New Time for Meetups I've been leading free integration circles regularly for over 8 years. First monthly in person in Marin, then weekly online when the pandemic hit. It's rewarding. I've made lasting friendships. People in the circles have made lasting friendships. Folks have let me know that they've really helped and supported them. They've been special. But a year or so ago, I got a little burned out on them. I guess it happens sometimes. I've got to be...
2 months ago • 1 min read