Sincerity vs Seriousness in the Ceremonial Space

I'm a sincere person, but I don't know that I'm a serious person.

I think there is a difference. I honor the processes people go through to heal, I honor the lineages of practitioners who have worked tirelessly to support others and preserve teachings, I deeply appreciate the sacredness of all life and the interconnectedness of us all. There are so many things that make my heart humble. ​

I was also blessed wth a strong sense of humor, a gift from my dad. We nurtured it from a young age, and then it was really pushed to its limits by my early psychedelic explorations. I was confronted squarely with the cosmic joke, and my options were to either laugh or go mad. Of course, greedy kid that I was, I chose both.

I'm lucky that my introduction to psychedelic culture included interviews with the Beatles and the Grateful Dead, who were scathing and pulled no punches. I'm glad it included Cheech and Chong. Dave's not here, man. I worry for generations of psychonauts who may only have clinical papers and wide-brimmed hat wearing, newly minted shamans with their soft, breathy ASMR voices designed half to soothe, half to hypnotize.

I'm a silly person, and I'm the son of a silly person. While used as an insult by John Cleese's Insulting Frenchman in the classic, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," I think it's a badge of honor. I want to have fun after all, I'm a spiritual being having a human experience, and why not enjoy it? The Buddha taught that suffering was mandatory. Fun is optional. Fun requires commitment. I'm committed.

And I love sincere students and clients. I love when they show up for class ready, attentive, straight spines, and notebooks at the ready. But it bums me out when they don't laugh at my jokes. I know it's funny. I've been telling for over a decade, it works. Geez.

Don't get me wrong, I've got my own ASMR voice. I sometimes I worry it lulls people into a sense of seriousness. Sometimes I think as my beard gets whiter or as my instagram follower count grows, people get a little more scared of me. They better be serious or they're going to get in trouble.

Sometimes I think it's our culture. So much of what passes for funny in our culture is at someone's expense. American culture often makes fun of people, it often punches down. It's not good natured, it's a socially acceptable form of aggression.

Can we be silly and sincere? Can we learn to make jokes that produce a feeling of togetherness, well being, and joy? I think we can. I don't think that's hard.

On the flip side, I'm not suggesting we allow our skin to be paper thin as we tiptoe around each other, terrified to exchange little jabs once in a while. The brits have a great term, 'taking the piss.' I think it's genius. Among close friends and family, taking the piss usually only serves to strengthen relationships. Knowing that your relationship can survive some teasing builds resilience. And on a psychedelic note, laughing in the face of our besties as they hassle us for our shortcomings prepares us to laugh in the face of our own pernicious self criticism.

"Yes psychedelic monster, I know I'm getting fat and going bald. My friends pointed that out just the other day. And they still love me, and I still love me, and I love you, so can you step aside because I'm on my way to see God."

It was when Ram Dass realized that Maharajji knew everything about him, good and bad, and still loved him, that his live really changed. Ram Dass was a funny, funny man. And utterly sincere and devoted. What an example.

I bow to the silliness in you. I bow to your sincerity. I bow to your commitment to your practice and your commitment to fun.

If you want to laugh with me as we sincerely study topics that will help us to grow and serve our communities, I've got a few options.

Meditation for the Journey is a 6 week class that will give you the tools needed to offer individualized meditation practices to your clients. It includes a virtual cannabis Yoga Nidra ceremony, and it starts July 7th. Here's the link.

Golden Road is a group of coaches and guides that are growing their practices and coming together in the spirit of personal and professional peer support. You also get some teaching and Q&A with yours truly. The main group meeting is Thursdays at noon Eastern. Here's the link to that.

Breathwork and Emotional Clearing for Psychedelic Integration Training Weekend - November 6-8, I'll be co-leading a weekend in San Francisco with one of my dear friends, Alyce Bacine. We became friends at the local yoga studio in 2001, and have both been doing our things ever since. We'll be training practioners how to show up for and support the clearing of big emotions in preparation, journey, and integration. Learn practice to keep you grounded when things get weird. There will be a virtual aspect, and 3 days of in person training. This will be awesome. Stay tuned, more details to come.

Coaching Training - Starts February - I'm pushing the training back a couple of months so I have a little more room to breathe and work on other projects. You can fill out the interest form below.

1:1 Coaching - The most fun of all!

Music from people who followed me on instagram this week.

Sometimes cool musicians follow me on social media and it makes me feel cool, too.

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The Golden Road - Mentorship, Peer Support, Supervision, and Skill Building for Serious Psychonauts and Healing Professionals

The Golden Road has evolved into a wonderful group of practitioners.

We meet every Thursday at noon eastern, and there are monthly masterclasses as well.

There is also a large archive (over 200 hours) of psychedelic education and past talks.

The wonderful people who show up share not only their journeys, but the journeys of those they steward. It's become a place of learning, support, accountability, and peer review. Folks are learning some things from me, but they are also learning from each other. We all face unique challenges as we work in this space, and it's great to have a place where we can bring them for non-judgmental feedback and reflection. You're invited. Click here to join​

The Tam Integration Coaching Training Program - Winter 2027 Cohort

This cohort is full, and we're now interviewing for the fall session. If you're interested, fill out this form, and we'll reach out soon: https://forms.gle/oB9Xk6RrkDE6xtsV9​

Learn More Here: https://tamintegration.com/psychedelic-coach-training/​

Disclaimer

Nothing in this email should be considered medical or legal advice. We're not suggesting that you break any laws or do anything dangerous. This email is offered as education and entertainment in the spirit of harm reduction. Consult medical and legal professionals if you have questions.

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