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 OneMoreRobot3021
punky jewster
Registered: 06/06/03
Posts: 60,570
Loc: new york city
Last seen: 2 days, 20 hours
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 Postcard from the MAPS Conference, 4/16/10 edition  4
#12405577 - 04/16/10 05:45 PM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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Happy anniversary of the first (unintentional) LSD trip in history. On this day 67 years ago, Albert Hofmann found himself feeling a little fuzzy, and couldn't quite figure out why. Three days later he would dose himself intentionally, and the rest, as they say, is Ourstory. 
It's a beautiful day in sunny California. Last night there was a poolside mixer/reception and I hung out with suimush, laska, Alan Rockefeller, and Arden for a good bit. To be honest, I'm gushing with Shroomery love right now. Love this place, and love what it's brought into my life. (Light, goodness, kinship, love, community - all the words that make my family roll their eyes!)
This morning kicked off with keynote addresses from Rick Doblin, head of MAPS, Dave Nichols head of the Heffter Institute, Amanda Fielding head of the Beckley Foundation and then one of my personal heroes, Bob Jesse the convener of the Council on Spiritual Practices. They did a wonderful job of setting the tone for the conference. What is that tone? You know, I've been reading essays by Einstein on the divisions between science and religion and their seeming natural opposition. Einstein was a true yogi, a perceiver of cosmic consciousness, a scientist too aware of his own insurmountable awe at the mystery of consciousness and reality to sign off on religious sensibility completely.
There's a real candid honesty here at the conference, and from MAPS and Rick Doblin especially. Although it is the scientific and medical model largely being embraced here in re: psychedelics, there is an openness about two other elements of the psychedelic experience and the psychedelic community. It would be easy for the researchers and academics here to try and wriggle the psychedelic community into the mainstream simply by speaking the language of science but they aren't doing that. They're taking a word with a lot of baggage (like psychedelic) and embracing it - that word is spirituality. And that opens up a door beyond the medical/scientific dynamic in regards to psychedelic research. That door leads into our bedrooms, our living rooms, our public parks, our music festivals. It leads to where you and I and the psychedelic experience intersect. No one here is pretending that we aren't tripping in our living rooms. On the contrary - there are lectures/classes here geared towards helping us, the intrepid psychonauts of the streets and avenues of the world, get the most out of our psychedelic experiences.
After the keynote addresses I caught a wonderful talk by Neal Goldsmith, PhD, a New York City bases psychotherapist who also co-organizes and MC's the yearly Horizons Conference in New York City. Terence McKenna once said he didn't know why more people weren't speaking up and giving testaments of their own psychedelic experiences. Neal shared some very personal, profound experiences with us that helped illuminate his own philosophies on the doctor-client (not patient, client!) dynamic in psychotherapy and his views on how we can use psychedelics to better ourselves and better our lives and better the world at large.
I've just come from another three hour series of lectures. Two hours were presentations on psilocybin studies in metastatic cancer patients - one the study at UCLA (Charles Grob spoke!) and the other the study at Johns Hopkins (Roland Griffiths and Bill Richards and Mary Cosimano spoke!). But the kicker so far today was an hour-long talk from THE MAN - a.k.a. Dr. Andrew Weil. This was one of the most multidimensional, expansive talks of the weekend, as Andrew spoke in free form, not from notes, riffing on psychedelic psychotherapy, marijuana legislation, and his desire that research be done to follow up on the vast body of anecdotal evidence that psychedelics can heal not only the mind but the body as well. Really fascinating stuff, and his calm passion is a true inspiration!
I'm taking a break from lectures for a moment to breathe in the cooling California air and to write this. What has really marked the last couple of days moreso than any particular lecture or talk has been the vast amount of good conversation happening. There's a lot of truly beautiful, interesting human beings here and no matter where you turn you either find yourself in a captivating conversation or within earshot of one.
And beyond fascinating conversation with fellow conference attendees, there is a wonderful mingling of presenters and attendees. The lecturers, the researchers, the people I've been reading for years, aren't keeping themselves apart. They sit with and dine with us. They talk with us openly and receptively and don't try to put themselves above us. This morning, as dwpineal and another fellow and I discussed the ramifications of the DMT experience Sasha Shulgin and Ralph Metzner were hugging hello at the table next to us. What. A. Trip! Earlier, crossing the street, I walked right by Stanislav Grof. I need to shake that man's hand!
I had lunch today with a group of young peole and James Fadiman, PhD was sitting with us. One of the coolest people I've ever met. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to make it to his lecture tomorrow: "Psychedelics as Entheogens: How To Create and Guide Successful Sessions" but after having a 45 minute open and frank discussion with him about tripping and trying to get the most out of it, I feel I have so much to learn from this man who is a lesser known elder statesman of psychedelia. He is helping to create this site:
Entheo-Guide: A Wiki
Anywho, I'm going to get back to mingling, meeting, communing. Hope you're all having a very wonderful day.
-
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Acid doesn't give you truths; it builds machines that push the envelope of perception. Whatever revelations came to me then have dissolved like skywriting. All I really know is that those few years saddled me with a faith in the redemptive potential of the imagination which, however flat, stale and unprofitable the world seems to me now, I cannot for the life of me shake.
-Erik Davis
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Rocker232
Stranger
Registered: 10/17/08
Posts: 6,631
Last seen: 9 months, 3 days
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Re: Postcard from the MAPS Conference, 4/16/10 edition [Re: OneMoreRobot3021]
#12405608 - 04/16/10 05:51 PM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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Thanks for posting this man it really put a smile on my face to know that there are people trying to make something so beautiful seen in the light of day and not behind closed doors.
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With Allure I Look to the Sky With Awakened Eyes
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dill705
Amazed
Registered: 12/10/07
Posts: 3,779
Loc: The Cat's Cradle
Last seen: 1 year, 1 month
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Re: Postcard from the MAPS Conference, 4/16/10 edition [Re: Rocker232]
#12405710 - 04/16/10 06:14 PM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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Sounds super amazing and full of love 
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My advice is to find those things that give pleasure and do them often without too much attachment and relax and wait for the show to end.
-Icelander-
I like free markets and all. Truly I do, at least in general, but there needs to be some kind of oversight in recognition of sustainability. Life works the same way, on a bunch of sustainable systems. Why not honor what made us what we are and take some lessons? Nature FTW!
~dill705~
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 FurrowedBrow
Free yourself from yourself
Registered: 10/26/06
Posts: 2,396
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Re: Postcard from the MAPS Conference, 4/16/10 edition [Re: dill705]
#12407270 - 04/17/10 12:23 AM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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DUDE, I was there.  There really are a lot of people here. It's great to see this kind of a turn out. I find myself filled with excitement. The atmosphere is electric. How about that visual dance presentation tonight? I will look that up when I get home. It was just amazing, and I didn't think I would be into it. I did a write up of my pre conference and real-time conference experience too, if anyone gives a shit....
https://www.growery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/402339#402339
Ya, Jim Fadiman is a really cool guy. I had a chance to meet and converse with him briefly at lunch. Cheers to an even more wonderful day tomorrow!
ps - Does anyone else find Alicia Danforth extremely sexy? I will also note that as I see it the vast majority of people here are anglo-saxon. I saw a few women wearing burkas and a few black wo/men too. Seems to be about equal male to female ratio from what i gathered. Such a great community!
pps - sorry to hijack your thread OMR!!
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Arden
לנשום
Registered: 09/01/08
Posts: 7,648
Loc: Α & Ω 
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Re: Postcard from the MAPS Conference, 4/16/10 edition [Re: FurrowedBrow]
#12407475 - 04/17/10 01:39 AM (2 years, 1 month ago) |
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Thanks for writing this up, man. Eloquently stated, obviously, but also full of love and honesty--which has been circulating in the air and affecting everyone here. And to think this conference is only a tiny fraction of how big the psychedelic community is becoming.
Couple random thoughts. The interesting confluence between the old veteran crew and the new generation is fun to observe (fashion styles included). At the same time, I think the younger folks are actually making more of an effort to interact and socialize with the expressed academic community; the same elasticity of behavior cannot be said of them. Then again, some of them are getting pretty damn old, lol.
Also, Andy Weil has great charisma and a bold stage presence. But I believe this replaced genuine responses during the Q&A especially; he only gave brief anecdotal info that isn't characteristic of someone who is regarded as an expert. To his credit, he did acknowledge an unfamiliarity when appropriate. Grob did a good job, as did Roland Griffiths.
Alex Grey was a cosmic super hero, he had the crowd bubbling with energy, slinging puns and wisdom in the same breath. He doesn't let his ego get in the way it seems, which helps even more with spreading his message/purpose and discussing the creativity that is being channeled. [Can't wait to see the new painting tomorrow]
Blah, I'm tired as shit.
Peace and love, Shroomery.
- A
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Dan4th
Psilocybin Researcher
Registered: 10/22/07
Posts: 31
Loc: San Francisco Bay Area
Last seen: 11 hours, 14 minutes
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Re: Postcard from the MAPS Conference, 4/16/10 edition [Re: FurrowedBrow]
#13959165 - 02/13/11 11:42 PM (1 year, 3 months ago) |
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I am Alicia Danforth, and I approve this message
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FurrowedBrow
Free yourself from yourself
Registered: 10/26/06
Posts: 2,396
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Re: Postcard from the MAPS Conference, 4/16/10 edition [Re: Dan4th]
#13975191 - 02/16/11 05:43 PM (1 year, 3 months ago) |
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Keep up the great work Alicia!
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morrowasted
Registered: 10/30/09
Posts: 7,552
Loc: USA
Last seen: 9 hours, 4 minutes
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Re: Postcard from the MAPS Conference, 4/16/10 edition [Re: FurrowedBrow]
#13975339 - 02/16/11 06:12 PM (1 year, 3 months ago) |
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thanks for the write up 
I was thinking about attending the upcoming MAPS dinner thing here in Houston in March, but it's a little outside of my budget right now  wish I could support this cause more directly
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x Ju x
Aubergine Of The Sun
Registered: 10/07/08
Posts: 5,046
Loc: Shpongleland, Canada
Last seen: 9 hours, 8 minutes
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Re: Postcard from the MAPS Conference, 4/16/10 edition [Re: OneMoreRobot3021]
#13975614 - 02/16/11 07:03 PM (1 year, 3 months ago) |
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Thanks man, :thumbup 
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