A Psychedelic Manifest - your thoughts and ideas

[lauralindegaard]

Dear all

I've got an idea to co-create a psychedelic manifest (those are so popular these days - thank you MANiphesto for the inspiration)
Personally psychedelics has been the most transformative thing in my life and I want to honour them and correct the misunderstood concepts that I find among non-users and in the public discourse.

So the idea is to co-create a manifest with those who want and have the acquired knowledge (whatever that would be). Afterwards present it to people within the sciences, culture, politics and ask them to collectively stand by the manifest. Then it would be published and those most expert within the field could write articles, debate post, blogs posts etc on the release day. Also a hashtag could be created so that everyone who identified with the manifest could jump out of the closet with the people behind the manifest.
I have a few concerns though. Is the world ready to change its concepts and if not would it then risk backfiring? and would anyone even stand up for it given that it is illegal in most countries?

What do you think?

/Laura

[Alexander Bard]

Dear Laura

The world is as ready as we who want to sign such a manifesto are ready.

Which organisations work with a psychedelic-positive approach these days? In Europe and in North America to begin with?

I'm thinking organising a kind of Psychedelic Pride Movement.

Best

Alexander

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[Laura Lindegaard]

Haha that's a great idea! I'm mainly thinking the psychedelic societies. I don't know how many countries have them but at least Denmark and UK. Then there's MAPS and an endless amount of organisations working more specifically with one approach. There are lots of psychedelic conferences around the world and prominent people within the field but the interesting thing could definitely be for them to speak with one voice and get those many many people who use, but don't tell, to jump out.

[Brent Cooper]

Alexander and all,

Do you know about Erowid Vault? I sweat they've been around for like 20 years. I remember reading it in the very early days of the internet, after I had done mushrooms, but before I had done LSD. Learned a lot. I think its exactly what you mean, these best most established example of it that I know about.

And in terms of science, MAPS.org (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) is at the forefront of this research, and has been for a while. In Vancouver/Canada there is MAPS-Canada too, I have a loose connection to the director. They fund a lot of studies, and there are ayahuasca studies and advocates here too. 

Ready or not, here we come. 

Regards, 

Brent

[Alexander Bard]

Dear Laura, Brent et al

The current organisations that a scientific approach to psychedelics. But they are not psychedelics-positive activist groups.

A Psychedelic Pride Movement would essentially claim that psychedelics should be removed from the category of criminal narciotics and become legalised.

This would also mean that the current oppression of psychionauits would have to stop.

So perhaps Psychonaut Pride is reallt the term we are looking for here?

Best

Alexander

[Brent Cooper]

Alexander,

Perhaps, but MAPS is heavily engaged in activism. Although their focus is not recreational use, they well understand the spiritual and other benefits besides medicinal. They are all for decriminalization and legalization of all drugs. Definitely psychedelic-positive. 

It has key members who were instrumental in the beginning of this research of the 60s, people who have had their careers marginalized for it. 

As for encouraging psychonautics, that's more risqué, but it certainly needs an educational campaign with it, so its not just a free for all. 

This is why under my startup TATO I created one (of 12) worldview campaigns and policy platforms that is specifically meant to address this. I am your psychedelics-positive think tank. We could help move this forward together.

Regards, 

Brent

[Alexander Beiner]

Hello fellow psychedelic thinkers, 

I'm just catching up on this interesting thread. I'm one of the organisers of Breaking Convention (www.breakingconvention.co.uk) - we're Europe's largest conference on psychedelic medicine and culture. 

I love the idea of a manifesto - there are some challenges in engaging the likes of MAPS and Beckley Foundation and Breaking Convention to stand behind it. There's a split within the psychedelic community between those interested in the therapeutic potential and those interested in the cultural potential - it's a friction as I think many in the medical and psychological community want to distance themselves from the latter.

There are legitimate reasons for this - not least because people like Rick Doblin at MAPS have spent 30 years working within the system toward legalisation - which is going to come first through MDMA in the next 5-10 years, then hopefully psilocybin and LSD in clinical settings (eventually, their vision is to create treatment centres for a wider community)

As a Libertarian I don't recognise or respect the validity of drug laws, but I do think the tactic of working within the system through the medical / psychotherapeutic model is the best option right now. Why? Because legitimacy in our culture comes through science - it's our religion. People lap it up unquestioningly - throw some neuroscience at them and they believe it. More importantly - it's working. It's getting into the culture - the first Breaking Convention 7 years ago was 300 of us, all feeling like we were coming out of the shadows... now it's 1000 strong and we had a press conference, with resulting (very positive) coverage from major newspapers. 

Likewise, 7 years ago I wrote an article for the Guardian around the need to legalise psychedelics for spiritual practice - the comments were brutal, showing a huge lack of research or awareness. Now, I see similar articles getting a very different response - there's a cultural shift happening. 

Just to add to the power of including the therapeutic potential argument for any manifesto - it really works astoundingly well and there's evidence to draw on. I do believe psychedelics should be used as part of a wider therapeutic process wherever possible, and that the lessons from that process should be integrated into the spiritual use wherever possible. The amount of new age bullshit you see in 70% of Ayahuasca ceremonies - the bypassing, the ridiculous blending of philosophies, the big egos, the lack of shadow work - all of that needs to be called out, because it's dangerous and often retraumatises people. The golden egg really is psychedelic therapy - it saves lives, and it's the Western contribution to indigenous magic.

So back to the manifesto - that's something I would get behind as an individual just on the basis of the statement it makes. I wonder though what would make it most effective - my initial thought is that it could do something that hasn't really been done convincingly yet... linking the therapeutic psychedelic community and the spiritual / philosophical / self-development people under one ethos. Perhaps the human right for effective treatment is a place to look at initially... 

In any case, early thoughts but I'm happy to help however I can - I have good connections with the global psychedelic community and would be happy to help spread a final manifesto, as well as contribute where I can :)

Ali

[Alexander Bard]

Dear Ali

Totally behind you on every word. And we're seeing each other soon in London anyway so let's discuss this more then.

It is absolutely correct that the current slow but sure swing in the cultural understanding of psychedelics is the result of decades of hard and very science-focused work. Let's therefore build on that and not rush into anything that contradicts this successful and meaningful approach.

Meaning a Psychedelic Pride must first focus on the therapeutic gains from psychedelics and then work towards legalisation and a wider cultural expression. Whcih is why timing is of the essence. A Psychedelic Pride without a functioning system of internal critical thinking and fronted by a bunch of hippie club kids will be too easy to dismiss and will do us all a disservice rather than a service. So let'äs think strategy first, and then act.

Best

Alexander

[Kenneth Morningstar99]

To all Syntheists.

I have an online comic coming out next month, which will start with several 5 to ten page story arcs, and then be printed once there is 30 pages of material.  It deals with Syntheist topics like transhumanism, AI, dividualism, and...

It is apologetically pro-psychedelic drugs!​

 Inkedre1_LI.jpg

​  

I have experience with Psylociben, LSD, Amanita, and Salvia.  I am one of the few people born with Autism who can read social ques and I owe it all to Psychedelics.  I do my Psychedelics in a more traditional format.  I pick a mantra to sing, and just sing it till the drug wears off.  I usually prefer Ashem Vohu as a mantra as only positive things come out of it.  Even Cannabis I use in a more traditional way.  I brew it in a tea, often known as Bhang.  With a positive mantra, the effects are amazing!

"Life... The opposite of life is not death, but non-existence.  To die means having lived, but to not exist means being... NOTHING!  To live means to influence the cosmos!  One's actions.  One's presence, changes every being he meets!  The cosmos is everything!  To affect any part of the cosmos is to affect the totality!  Life is the most precious gift the cosmos can bestow." --Steve Englehart; Marvel Premier Featuring: Dr. Strange #12

[Alexander Bard]

Dear Kenneth

This mix makes total sense.

Good luck with the publication of your comic.

Best

Alexander

[Laura Lindegaard]

Dear all

Very interesting and enlightening points, Ali! I totally agree and find the human rights angle quite interesting as well. I know of people going to court as individuals for their right to use cannabis as medicine, but haven't heard of anything in relation to psychedelics. Do you know of any cases? It could be an interesting 'battle' as an organisation to work towards psychedelics as a human right, Initially for therapeutic reasons and that would probably later ease the development into it being a human right independently of therapy or not. Santo Daime and Uniao de Vegetal have won some cases to use Ayahuasca for spiritual use. I'm affiliated with/part of Santo Daime in Denmark and we recently got free process in the supreme court on the same topic. It will be interesting to see what happens here.

I think it would be so beautiful if the 'therapists' and the 'culturalists' could work together instead of antagonizing each other. The gap needs to be bridged.

And thank you for your story, Kenneth. I've worked with it in a similar way but just listening to mantras and not singing them. Will do that next time :)

/laura

2017-08-30 8:03 GMT+02:00 Alexander Bard <bardi...@gmail.com>:

Dear Kenneth

This mix makes total sense.

Good luck with the publication of your comic.

Best

Alexander

[Brent Cooper]

FWIW, here is a paper on a metamodern approach to counselling. (PDF attached)

Regards, 

Brent

On Wed, Aug 30, 2017 at 4:00 AM, Laura Lindegaard <laurali...@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear all

Very interesting and enlightening points, Ali! I totally agree and find the human rights angle quite interesting as well. I know of people going to court as individuals for their right to use cannabis as medicine, but haven't heard of anything in relation to psychedelics. Do you know of any cases? It could be an interesting 'battle' as an organisation to work towards psychedelics as a human right, Initially for therapeutic reasons and that would probably later ease the development into it being a human right independently of therapy or not. Santo Daime and Uniao de Vegetal have won some cases to use Ayahuasca for spiritual use. I'm affiliated with/part of Santo Daime in Denmark and we recently got free process in the supreme court on the same topic. It will be interesting to see what happens here.

I think it would be so beautiful if the 'therapists' and the 'culturalists' could work together instead of antagonizing each other. The gap needs to be bridged.

And thank you for your story, Kenneth. I've worked with it in a similar way but just listening to mantras and not singing them. Will do that next time :)

/laura

2017-08-30 8:03 GMT+02:00 Alexander Bard <bardi...@gmail.com>:

Dear Kenneth

This mix makes total sense.

Good luck with the publication of your comic.

Best

Alexander

[Alexander Bard]

Dear Laura & Co

The "therapists" and the "culturalists" definitely can and should work together. Or rather in parallel. I believe the point is that the two activities should perhaps best proceed under two different umbrellas. But in sync with each other. The therapeutic/scientific approach should be the strategic top priority for now. But later there will definitely also be room for a Psychonaut Pride Movement. Syntheism can play into both. Not that all syntheists are ardent psychonauts. But many are and the movement as a whole is truth- science- and psychedelics-positive for sure.

Love

Alexander

2017-08-30 13:00 GMT+02:00 Laura Lindegaard <laurali...@gmail.com>:

Dear all

Very interesting and enlightening points, Ali! I totally agree and find the human rights angle quite interesting as well. I know of people going to court as individuals for their right to use cannabis as medicine, but haven't heard of anything in relation to psychedelics. Do you know of any cases? It could be an interesting 'battle' as an organisation to work towards psychedelics as a human right, Initially for therapeutic reasons and that would probably later ease the development into it being a human right independently of therapy or not. Santo Daime and Uniao de Vegetal have won some cases to use Ayahuasca for spiritual use. I'm affiliated with/part of Santo Daime in Denmark and we recently got free process in the supreme court on the same topic. It will be interesting to see what happens here.

I think it would be so beautiful if the 'therapists' and the 'culturalists' could work together instead of antagonizing each other. The gap needs to be bridged.

And thank you for your story, Kenneth. I've worked with it in a similar way but just listening to mantras and not singing them. Will do that next time :)

/laura

2017-08-30 8:03 GMT+02:00 Alexander Bard <bardi...@gmail.com>:

Dear Kenneth

This mix makes total sense.

Good luck with the publication of your comic.

Best

Alexander