There is a wealth of information built into us … tucked away in the genetic material in every one of our cells … without some means of access, there is no way even to begin to guess at the extent and quality of what is there. The psychedelic drugs allow exploration of this interior world and insights into its nature. (ALEXANDER SHULGIN)
Psychedelics help to accelerate a maturation process, where we can see that we’re not operating within silos. Instead, we’re operating as part of a larger collective and part of a larger community. Thanks to the revival of psychedelic science, we’ve (re)discovered that psychedelic therapy can benefit sufferers of severely debilitating conditions where current treatments fail. We’ve started to develop an understanding of what psychedelics do to the brain, and how psychedelics can have such transformative power…
They See Me Pourin’, They Hatin’: Interview with Kentucky Ayahuasca Shaman Steve Hupp
Over the years I’ve noticed a growing number of haters in the psychedelic space who condemn anyone serving medicine in a way that does not resonate perfectly with them. Some hate on accepting money for ceremony, some hate on Western people appropriating Amazonian medicine, and so on. Yet there’s a good side to this as well. The ayahuasca scene in the United States is still the Wild West, and the community needs to self-regulate in some way. So I wonder, how can the ayahuasca community hold itself accountable to certain standards without condemning well-meaning facilitators who are doing safe and therapeutic work? And how do you personally deal with the haters?
First thing we do is we don’t focus on any negativity or negative comments; we’re not here to argue with anyone. If I ever got distracted by haters and keyboard warriors, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
I remember when I first started out, oh man did I get flamed on the internet: “He’s a felon, he’s a convict.” People made up all kinds of stories and innuendos, and you know what Mother Aya told me? “Just focus on doing what you’re doing. All that, don’t even give it a moments thought. If you keep doing ceremonies and do it with the right intent, you’re never going to have a problem.” So that’s just what we did. We kept doing ceremonies, we kept working with people who wanted to work with us. I’ve been very open about my past— I mean, my whole life is splayed out here. I wouldn’t change a thing either, because it’s been a tremendous growing experience for us, and for me especially.
As far as the haters go, I don’t focus on them, and I’m not going to argue with them. Will I make a point when it needs to be made? Yeah I will. We’re not defenseless, but the reality of it is we’re just here to work with people who want to work with us. You’re totally correct, it’s the Wild West out here, and the question is how we come up with a way to police ourselves. There’s no structure, and what I’ve tried to bring to our organization is structure. I really do believe the protocols I have in place are why we have not had a medical emergency when many other operators have had them, and far worse.
The MDMA Underground on The Evolver
The healing potential of psychedelics and their cousins, empathogens, has drawn the devoted attention of a small group of dedicated people committed to providing them to those in need. These brave warriors have taken this on as a personal mission, despite the fear and stigma surrounding these substances and what they can do.
On the latest episode of The Evolver Podcast, I talk with three underground therapists who lead sessions with MDMA. Because of the legal issues, we don’t mention their names. But they speak candidly of their own healing experience with MDMA, and how they work with clients. You’ll find them to be intelligent, sensitive, grounded people who bravely offer an important service that should be so much more widely available.
MDMA’s Effects on Cooperation Are Key to Its Benefit for Patients
Evidence shows that MDMA, initially popular as a club drug, has the potential to significantly alleviate anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. That’s because it affects the social brain in profound yet little-understood ways which bolster it as a therapeutic tool. In a study published Monday, a team of researchers became the first to determine exactly why MDMA impacts cooperative behavior — a cornerstone understanding that explains why it has the potential to help thousands.
The First Step Act is not the criminal justice reform we need. But it’s a start.
The First Step Act also reforms other mandatory minimum guidelines—not to be applied retroactively. It expands the “safety valve” that federal judges can use to avoid prescribing mandatory minimum sentences. They will now be able to use this exemption not only for people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses with no prior criminal record, but also for people with limited criminal histories. This can affect up to 2,000 people each year according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
HOW ONE IBOGAINE CLINIC HAS LEARNED FROM ITS MISTAKES
After first hearing about iboga around ten years ago (from a friend, on a London bus!), I knew that I would get drawn in. I’d spent 12 years living in Nigeria: and finding out there was an African entheogenic spirit tradition – Bwiti – from the next-door region of the continent – the Congo basin – was seismically interesting. Fast forward to 2017, and I first met Alvaro de Ferranti at an ibogaine forum in Vienna I co-organized. Jump again to July this year and we found ourselves opening an iboga retreat centre in Portugal.
Alvaro’s route to ibogaine had been somewhat different to mine. He had tried both hypnosis and luxury rehabs, only for a visionary flood dose of iboga to finally blast away the remnants of a cocaine addiction that had threatened to implode his life as a successful London-based businessman and father. After an intensive period attempting to bring clinical trials of ibogaine to Portugal, developing a research protocol, hiring a highly qualified team and engaging senior government officials only to fall at the last insurmountable financial hurdle, Alvaro became an ibogaine provider. He initially went the Airbnb route to ibogaine treatment before deciding that opening a fully fledged ibogaine clinic was the best use of his time.
Both of us shared the same vision: offering ibogaine treatments, mainly to addicts, in a holistic setting with a strong focus of pre- and aftercare, avoiding the “drivethru ibogaine” that is all too often found elsewhere. Instead of the four or five day reset that these retreats typically offer, we would take a two week visit as the absolute minimum, meaning that repeat visits are less likely and long-term recovery is improved.
7 Books For Ayahuasca Explorers
I was recently asked for some book recommendations by someone who is exploring journeywork with Ayahuasca. I figured I might as well put this list here, so that other people can enjoy as well. Some of the books I’ve only read part of, but I’ve certainly enjoyed what I’ve gotten out of them thus far.
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