THE ENTHEOBOTANY CONFERENCE
The Past, Present and Future
Uses of Psychoactive Agents
On October 18 - 20 of 1996, an international gathering of 1000
scientists, poets, mystics and psychonauts gathered at the Palace of Fine Arts in
San Francisco to attend the Entheobotany Conference... A multi- disciplinary colloquium
on psycho-active plants, Shamanism and ecstatic states...
The proceedings began on a high-note with profound lyrical poetry
expressing the beatitudes, majesty and mystery of life... A tribute and appreciation
to nature for its bountiful gifts of diverse natural psycho-active plants, which
have been used throughout the aeons of time to "Inspire, Delight, Heal and Enlighten"
humankind...
From here we moved on to hear Antonio Escohotado speak of the history
of inebriation, the Dionysian impulse, and how our natural impulse toward transcendence,
joy, love and freedom has been consistently attempted to be thwarted by oppressive
religious, political and economic institutions... These opposing forces reached a
crescendo here in America in the LSD-50 induced psycho-spiritual/socio-political
revolution of the late 1960's... The full impact and ramifications of these momentous
times are still being felt today... We see the growth of the Internet, the decentralization
of power through the dissemination of knowledge, and more young people than ever
experimenting with LSD and other psycho-active agents... The recent passing of the
"prophet to many," Timothy Leary, reminded us once again to deeply examine
ourselves, our freedoms, our society and our current socio-economic and ecological
challenges... The need to confront and peacefully and intelligently transform ourselves
and our current materialistic techno-bureaucratic society is our #1 challenge...
Indeed our survival, and our progressive evolution as psycho- spiritual beings evolving
here on Gaia is fully dependant upon it... Indeed the time and opportunity for an
unprecedented global renaissance is at hand, and this conference on Entheobotany
testified to this as it provided profoundly important, professionally presented information
on the conscious use of psycho-active agents to further our individual and collective
awakening into higher consciousness... A consciousness which is rooted at source
in Love, Laughter, Beauty, Truth, Creativity, Compassion and Mystery...
Throughout the conference, we learned of the ancient indigenous
peoples use of sacred plants such as Peyote, Ayahuasca, Ibogaine and of course the
magnificent sacred Psilocybin "magic" mushroom...
These organic sacred substances, which have been ingested from
time immemorial to induce inner states of higher awareness, are the substrate and
foundation of all Pagan (Earth Based) religions... In listening closely, one becomes
aware that all religions, including the Judeo-Christian religion, are Pagan in origin...
There is a profound difference between having a belief about God(dess)... All That
Is... And experiencing God(dess)... All That Is... The former, which promotes unconsciousness,
constitutes dogmatic orthodox religion... The latter, which promotes consciousness,
constitutes a mystical/spiritual/religious awareness of the sacredness, beauty and
mystery that is Life...
This is the priceless gift that the ritual use of psycho-active
plants hold for the individual who chooses to move beyond the confines of his/her
own conditioned mind... And, thus, effect true healing... Yes, indeed, psychedelic
mind expanding agents have the unique intrinsic ability, when used with awareness,
to liberate the mind of illusion(s), while providing core insights into the nature
of reality... A reality which transcends linear thought processes of everyday reality...
Indeed, one comes to understand that we live in a perceptual reality which is a reflection
of our own attitudes and beliefs... Life is Good!... Yes, psycho-active plants and
the new designer empathogenic drugs such as MDMA (Ecstasy) have the innate abilities
to open one's feelings and perceptions to the finer things of life... Better living
through chemistry... Moreover, if we are so blessed, we may come to experience the
ineffable beauty of our true self, which is one with God(dess)... All That Is...
In this sublime experience we come to know directly the foundation for all mystically
inspired science, art, religion and philosophy... A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS...
Modern science, through intensive research by pioneering biochemists
such as Alexander Shulgin (the creator of MDMA and other designer drugs), has unlocked
the biochemical substrates and various neuro-transmitters in the brain which are
primarily responsible for the creation of "metaphysical experiences"...
i.e.: Psilocybin (4-hydroxy-N.N-dimethyltryptamine) are the active hallucinogenic
agents... These compounds contain the basic indole structure characteristic of most
hallucinogens found in nature, including various amides of lysergic acid (of which
LSD is a semi-synthetic representative), N,N-dimethyltryptamine, harmine and its
analogues and ibogaine. The most notable exception to this basic structure is mescaline
(Peyote) which chemically is 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylethylamine and hence is in the
same class as amphetamines...
"Brave New World" is here and has been for sometime...
The future looks bright as modern science has unlocked the biochemistry of ecstatic
states of consciousness... Indeed we are at choice to responsibly experiment, as
we so please, to consciously use these psycho-active agents to "Inspire, Delight,
Heal and Enlighten" ourselves... A future trend of immense evolutionary importance
in our psycho-spiritual development concerns itself around the possible creation/availability
of oral DMT (dimethyltryptamine)... DMT is a very powerful, rapidly metabolized,
short acting psycho-active agent... DMT, as noted, is the basic active chemical substrate
of most hallucinogenic drugs...
In the immediate future, as the Age of Awareness and Spiritual
Freedom progresses, we will enter into the world of "Haves and Have Nots"...
Those who have had a transcendental/mystical experience, and those who have not...
In the "Brave New World" of advanced chemically pure psycho-active agents,
many of us will be asking each other whether we "Have" or "Have Not"
taken our trip today... Why Not?!... All good clean fun and quite democratic in that
many of us will choose no drugs or psycho-active agents at all; since many of us
will be naturally high on Light and Life itself... The essential point being that
each and every individual has the fundamental right to experience reality as they
so choose... No more "Big Brother," thank you very much...
To summarize: We, humanity, are now passing through a gateway in
our psycho-spiritual development. We have now come to a turning point in our evolution.
We are witnessing, participating in, and experiencing the disintegration and reintegration
of the socio-economic and philosophical matrix of this planet. We are becoming increasingly
aware that we are co-creators of our own destiny. Our future is being created NOW,
through the choices we are all making. We are part and parcel of a poly-tantric multi-dimensional
mind whose experience of itself is ecstatic. We are programmed for bliss! We shall
come to know that our limits are limitless as the light of pure reason shines within
and without, dissolving and evaporating the shadows and the illusions of our collective
"past," leading us onward, inward and upward, into heretofore un-imagined
realms of pure experience. We are awakening to our true selves as sons and daughters
of the most high, as children of the light, empowered by this light to live a life
of freedom, love, and joy, consciously co-creating and manifesting a life here on
Earth, which reflects the wisdom, love, and intelligence of our Creator. Certainly,
in time, as the consciousness of humanity expands, prophecy will be fulfilled as
"There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there
by any more pain; for the former things are passed away." Amen, Selah, Allelujah!!!
In Joy, DaVid, M.D. Medical Director The San Francisco Medical
Research Foundation Founder The Light Party
Books: Psychedelics and Entheogens
Copyright © 1996. The Light Party.
The Light Party,
20 Sunnyside Ave., Suite A-156
Mill Valley, CA 94941.
Tel: (415) 381-2357 * Fax: (415) 381-2084
Dedicated to "Health, Peace and Freedom for All"
|
