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The Tyranny of Psychedelic Setting - Red Things on Tuesday
The Tyranny of Psychedelic SettingI was reading an article today about the development of new concert light-show technology. Chris Kuroda, the guy pictured above, and his team designed entirely new software for Phish's recent run at the Sphere. Usually, they used a live lighting rig. Wanting to virtually simulate both the effects and the live playability of real lights for the 160,000-square-foot curved screen posed a unique challenge. Long story short, they pulled it off. It looked cool. What struck me is something that Trey, the band's guitarist, said about the most advanced, largest, and highest resolution LED screen on the planet. He referred to "The tyranny of the wall." The enormous video screen made the audience choose between watching the band they loved or the videos that surrounded them....How could Phish break that up, to make the space less of a binary? This resonates with me. How do we choose between a wonderfully curated playlist, a wonderful light show, a great movie, and our own mind? It reminded me of how Terence McKenna suggested, "5 dried grams in silent darkness," or Kilindi, who thought the same thing about 40. May their memories be a blessing. It makes me laugh. Just today, I was in a group chat with practitioners talking about the best Bluetooth speakers for a ceremony. I appreciated the research they put into their choices. I have calls with clients who bemoan bad trips, "I know better. It wasn't the right set or setting." I know people who try to get every detail of their environment perfect, and I know people who claim the best place for psychedelics is here and the best time is now. By that logic, I suppose the best intention is 'be!' How much of a curated session is required to make sure we feel safe and held, and at what point does it become a distraction? How resilient is our mind to external influence? How easy is it for us to be knocked off center by the wrong song, the wrong light, or the wrong interaction? There is tyranny of the setting, and there is tyranny of the set. Tyranny of the mind. Watch out for both. Set and setting are nothing without intention. A good mindset requires making conscious decisions. It requires introspection, focus, attention, and discipline. Meditators have a better time. The purpose of meditation is freedom. Freedom from all sorts of tyranny. The tyranny of our own self-centeredness. This is what Meditation for the Journey is all about. Training you towards freedom. It can't take you all the way, but it's a start. Only you can take you all the way. Maybe with a little bit of grace, too. If you believe in that sort of thing. Join me next Tuesday for six weeks of meditation training. Freedom orientation. Liberation Intention. If you get free, really free, imagine how much that will benefit everyone you know. Friends, family, clients. We'll discuss how the environment affects the mind from a yogic perspective, and also how to train the mind to meet the moment with equanimity, bravery, and compassion. 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. As a teaser, here is a sample cannabis yoga nidra playlist I've made. Enjoy!
Some of the lights we were talking aboutA podcast where I'm interviewed about live music and psychedelic integrationThe Golden Road - Mentorship, Peer Support, Supervision, and Skill Building for Serious Psychonauts and Healing ProfessionalsThe 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 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 WeekendNovember 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. The Tam Integration Coaching Training Program - Winter 2027 CohortCoaching 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. 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/ DisclaimerNothing 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. Sometimes, there are affiliate links in this email. It helps support this project. Thank you! |
Tam Integration
Cultivate Your Wisdom as an Integration Professional. Join 13k+ subscribers to Red Things on Tuesday. Every week, you'll get a small, curated collection of music, tips, and psychedelic insight on how to move through this ever evolving psychedelic space.
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