Podcasts about visionary experience

Bright on Buddhism - Episode 115 - Who is Kumarajiva? What did he do in his life? How did that affect Buddhism in East Asia?Resources: Chandra, Moti (1977), Trade and Trade Routes in Ancient India, Abhinav Publications, ISBN 9788170170556; Eitel, E.J.; Edkins, Joseph (1871), "Handbook for the Student of Chinese Buddhism", The Chinese Recorder and Missionary Journal, 3, FOOCHOW.: American Presbyterian Mission Press: 217; Greene, Eric Matthew (2012), Meditation, Repentance, and Visionary Experience in Early Medieval Chinese Buddhism (PhD dissertation), University of California, Berkeley; Kumar, Yukteshwar (2005), A History of Sino-Indian Relations, APH Publishing Corporation, ISBN 978-8176487986; Lu, Yang (2004), "Narrative and Historicity in the Buddhist Biographies of Early Medieval China: The Case of Kumārajīva", Asia Major, Third Series, 17 (2): 1–43; Nan, Huai-Chin (1998), Basic Buddhism: Exploring Buddhism and Zen, ISBN 978-1578630202; Nattier, Jan (1992), "The Heart Sutra: A Chinese Apocryphal Text?", Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, 15 (2): 153–223, archived from the original on 2013-10-29, retrieved 2013-10-23; Nattier, Jan (2005), A Few Good Men: The Bodhisattva Path according to The Inquiry of Ugra (Ugraparipṛcchā), University of Hawaii Press, ISBN 978-0824830038; Pollard, Elizabeth (2015), Worlds Together Worlds Apart, New York: W.W. Norton Company Inc, p. 287, ISBN 978-0-393-91847-2; Puri, B. N. (1987), Buddhism in Central Asia, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited, ISBN 978-8120803725; Singh, Upinder (2009), A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century, Pearson Education India, ISBN 978-8131716779; Smith, David Howard (1971), Chinese Religions From 1000 B.C. to the Present Day, Weidenfeld & Nicolson; Wu, Ching-hsing (1938), "Some Notes on Kao Seng Chuan", T'ien Hsia Monthly, 7, Kelly and Walsh, ltd.; Zürcher, Erik (2007) The Buddhist Conquest of China: The Spread and Adaptation of Buddhism in Early Medieval China. BRILL. Do you have a question about Buddhism that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by emailing us at Bright.On.Buddhism@gmail.com.Credits:Nick Bright: Script, Cover Art, Music, Voice of Hearer, Co-HostProven Paradox: Editing, mixing and mastering, social media, Voice of Hermit, Co-Host

What can be scarier than Halloween ghouls? How about a trip through the LSD underground?Today, the Spotlight shines On Erik Davis, and this trip is no bummer. Erik is an author, award-winning journalist, and teacher in San Francisco. He is the author, most recently, of Blotter: The Untold Story of an Acid Medium_, a study of LSD blotter art. And that's what he's joined us to talk about.Erik also wrote one of my favorite books, High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies. His scholarly and popular essays on music, technoculture, drugs, and spirituality have appeared in many books, magazines, and journals. He is also one of the founders of Alembic, a center in Berkeley, California, devoted to meditation, movement, and visionary arts and culture.Enjoy our talk about the hysteria surrounding LSD, the cultural significance and risks of the LSD blotter art trade, as well as the intersection between that art and the illicit drug market.–Dig DeeperVisit Erik Davis at techgnosis.comSubscribe to Erik Davis's newsletter Burning Shore at burningshore.comPurchase Blotter: The Untold Story of an Acid Medium and other books by Erik Davis from MIT Press, Bookshop, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Powell'sEight LSD Blotters That Defined Psychedelic CultureInside the LSD Museum That the DEA Somehow Hasn't Torn to the Ground‘I'm high as a Georgia pine': Dock Ellis's no-hitter on LSD, 50 years onDig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com–• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What can be scarier than Halloween ghouls? How about a trip through the LSD underground?Today, the Spotlight shines On Erik Davis, and this trip is no bummer. Erik is an author, award-winning journalist, and teacher in San Francisco. He is the author, most recently, of Blotter: The Untold Story of an Acid Medium_, a study of LSD blotter art. And that's what he's joined us to talk about.Erik also wrote one of my favorite books, High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies. His scholarly and popular essays on music, technoculture, drugs, and spirituality have appeared in many books, magazines, and journals. He is also one of the founders of Alembic, a center in Berkeley, California, devoted to meditation, movement, and visionary arts and culture.Enjoy our talk about the hysteria surrounding LSD, the cultural significance and risks of the LSD blotter art trade, as well as the intersection between that art and the illicit drug market.–Dig DeeperVisit Erik Davis at techgnosis.comSubscribe to Erik Davis's newsletter Burning Shore at burningshore.comPurchase Blotter: The Untold Story of an Acid Medium and other books by Erik Davis from MIT Press, Bookshop, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Powell'sEight LSD Blotters That Defined Psychedelic CultureInside the LSD Museum That the DEA Somehow Hasn't Torn to the Ground‘I'm high as a Georgia pine': Dock Ellis's no-hitter on LSD, 50 years onDig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com–• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Mastodon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Erik Davis' “Blotter” is really three books in one: It's about the way LSD tabs were embedded in blotter paper so they wouldn't be detected by the authorities; it's also a deep dive into the psychedelic underground; and finally, it's an art book — gorgeously illustrated, with lots of very trippy blotter art. Steve talks with Erik about the wildness of psychedelic experiences and whether they reveal a deeper dimension of consciousness.Original Air Date: July 20, 2024Guests: Erik DavisFor more from Luminous: ttbook.org/luminous

Erik Davis, PhD, is an author, award-winning journalist, sometimes podcaster, and popular speaker based in San Francisco. He is the author of 6 books which include: Blotter: The Untold Story of an Acid Medium (MIT Press) High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the 70s (MIT Press/Strange Attractor Press). Nomad Codes: Adventures in Modern Esoterica (Yeti, 2010). The Visionary State: A Journey through California's Spiritual Landscape (Chronicle, 2006), with photographs by Michael Rauner. Led Zeppelin IV (Continuum, 2005) - 33 1/3 volume. TechGnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information (Crown, 1998; republished by North Atlantic Press). Topics Discussed In This Episode:  Erik's work and his areas of interest (00:04:37) Deciding what projects to dedicate his time to (00:06:36) Finding his authentic voice (00:13:27) The transformation of subcultural movements into mainstream cultural (00:13:18) Trying to make sense out of confusing times (00:24:22) Learning to appreciate banality, and simplicity in an increasingly more technologically focused world (00:36:33) Separating yourself from devices and giving yourself the space to allow the muse to enter (00:46:15) The consensus trance and becoming more conscious (00:49:38) Having good “epistemological hygene” (00:57:04) Getting back to basic joys (01:05:09) Erik's new book “Blotter: The Untold Story of an Acid Medium” (01:07:09) artistdecoded.com techgnosis.com x.com/erik_davis burningshore.com

In this episode of the Rachel Hollis podcast, Rachel delves into the realm of spirituality, focusing on spiritual awakening, growth, and practices. Featuring insights from guests like Rainn Wilson, Michael Beckwith, and Carla Hall, the episode covers a variety of topics including shadow work, the importance of recognizing one's negative traits alongside the positive, and the impact of spiritual practice on personal development. This mastermind series aims to provide listeners with a comprehensive view of spirituality, encouraging openness to learning and growth.Get the Start Today Journal - https://starttoday.com/products/start-today-journalHave a question you want Rach to answer? An idea for a podcast episode??Call the podcast hotline and leave a voicemail! Call (737) 400-4626Sign up for Rachel's weekly email: https://msrachelhollis.com/insider/Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RachelHollisMotivation/videosFollow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MsRachelHollis/To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices.   00:00 Unlocking Spiritual Growth: A Deep Dive01:55 Exploring Spirituality with Today's Guests03:01 Shadow Work and Spiritual Practices05:51 Navigating Life's Challenges with Spiritual Insights07:34 Embracing Reincarnation and Spiritual Journeys11:15 The Power of Speaking Your Truth14:08 Astrology and the Future of Spirituality17:05 Navigating Fame and Spirituality in Hollywood19:58 Understanding Life, Death, and the Beyond24:54 Exploring Past Lives and the Possibility of Reincarnation26:00 A Mysterious Voice and a Life-Changing Realization27:15 The Journey to Self-Discovery and Spiritual Awakening28:15 The Impact of Cannabis on Consciousness29:19 A Visionary Experience and the Path to Enlightenment37:39 Embracing a New Perspective on God and Spirituality39:09 Navigating Faith, Questions, and Spiritual Growth46:23 The Power of Spiritual Practice and Awareness51:55 Finding Your Path in Spirituality and Healing

Join me and the host of the Supernormalized podcast CeeJay Barnaby for part one of our pod swap. This initial conversation focuses primarily on my shamanic experiences and how I use trance to engage in healing dreams on behalf of others. Part two, which will be released later this season, will focus on CeeJay and his otherworldly experiences, but you'll get a taste of his experiences in today's episode. Mighty intense! Check out Deejay's podcast Supernormalized Learn more about Wendy's practice “Gifts and Tools to Explore and Celebrate the Unseen Worlds” - The Lucid Path BoutiqueLucid Cafe episodes by topic Listen to Lucid Cafe on YouTube  ★ Support this podcast ★

Host Michael Taft speaks with author and journalist Erik Davis about the power of partaking in the forbidden and the loss when formerly forbidden things become normalized, particularly in the case of psychedelics; Tantric and Christian modes of transgression, power relationships and the guru, hedonism, rule-breaking, the desire for having safe spiritual practice environments, and the role of risk in spiritual development.Erik Davis is an author, podcaster, award-winning journalist, and popular speaker based in San Francisco. He is probably best known for his book TechGnosis a cult classic of visionary media studies that investigates how our fascination with technology intersects with the religious imagination. Erik's most recent book is High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies. Erik is also a long-term practitioner of meditation, particularly in the Zen tradition. Erik Davis' Substack: The Burning ShoreYou can support the creation of future episodes of this podcast by contributing through Patreon.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Across cultures and traditions, there have always been those that speak with the dead, hear voices, enter states of oracular trance, and receive visions of what is to come. Such sensitivity, traditionally, is common. It's common to have premonitions that come to pass, to have dream experiences that translate into day-to-day life, and to be in continual felt dialogue with ancestors, with the dead, and with a larger world of animate forces. For most of human history, the people that received such visions lived right at the center of culture. But what happens when the seer is ripped from the ecology in which they traditionally lived? The intuitive is cast out, othered, vilified, and pathologized. Cast aside, relegated to the margins of society, without the context that once held it, oracular seeing can veer into charlatanry and delusion. So these days visions — like everything else in the modern world — are immediately monetized, translated into marketable pop-spirituality and much of the mastery and depth of visionary tradition is lost. But what this points to isn't something “wrong” with intuition or the practice of oracular vision — it points to something wrong with modernity's relationship with it. The proclivity towards vilifying and pathologizing intuition on the one hand and claiming it as an exotic and monetizable gift useful for attracting internet followers on the other — all of this is a function of the othering of intuition in the modern world. Societally, we would do well to rediscover the central role of the seer.  For if we lose our ability to learn from the visions of seers, we lose the feeling body of culture —  the very thing that drives culture forward. Featuring music by Marya Stark, Char Rothschild, and Peia, and featuring discussions with author Frederick Smith, psychoanalyst Bernardo Malamut, and Sophie Strand, this multi-part episode series seeks to place the seer back in their rightful place at the center of culture. It is simultaneously a celebration of the gifts of the intuitive and a reminder that dreams and visions need an ecology of accountability in which to live and grow. Listen on a good sound system, at a time when you can devote your full attention. Support the show

Max Harwood and Dr Daniel Opperwall discuss his journey from nominal Christianity, to agnosticism, to the Reformed Church, to Orthodox Christianity.  Have a question about Orthodox Christianity? Submit it here: https://forms.gle/RNvnj8G4ALctqWhb6 Dr Daniel G Opperwall is an Orthodox Christian writer, creator, and academic based in Hamilton, Ontario. His work runs the gamut from academic essays, to spiritual non-fiction, to children's and young adult fiction and poetry. Along with Greg Wiebe, he is also the creator of the Men Among Demons podcast. Daniel teaches Orthodox theology and Church history in the Faculty of Divinity at Trinity College, University of Toronto. He and his wife and three children are founding member of St Maria of Paris Orthodox Mission in Hamilton. Max Harwood attends Holy Nativity Orthodox Church in Langley, BC, Canada. He has an Undergrad in Biblical Studies (Columbia Bible College) and a Masters in Theology (Orthodox School of Theology, University of Toronto).

In recent months, we've witnessed the rise of chatbots that can pass law and business school exams, artificial companions who've become best friends and lovers and music generators that produce remarkably humanlike songs. It's hard to know how to process it all. But if there's one thing that's certain, it's this: The future — shaped by technologies like artificial intelligence — is going to be profoundly weird. It's going to look, feel and function differently from the world we have grown to recognize.How do we learn to navigate — even embrace — the weirdness of the world we're entering into?Erik Davis is the author of the books “High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica and Visionary Experience in the Seventies” and “TechGnosis: Myth, Magic and Mysticism in the Age of Information” and writes the newsletter “Burning Shore.” For Davis, “weirdness” isn't just a quality of things that don't make sense to us, it's an interpretive framework that helps us better understand the cultures and technologies that will shape our wondrous, wild future.We discuss how Silicon Valley's particularly weird culture has altered the trajectory of A.I. development, why programs like ChatGPT can profoundly unsettle our sense of reality and our own humanity, how the behaviors of A.I. systems reveal far more about humanity than we like to admit, why we might be in a “sorcerer's apprentice moment” for artificial intelligence, why we often turn to myth and science fiction to explain technologies whose implications we don't yet grasp, why A.I. developers are willing to keep designing technologies that they think may destroy humanity and more.This episode contains strong language.Mentioned:Pharmako-AI by K Allado-McDowell“AI EEEEEEE!!!” by Erik Davis“The Merge” by Sam Altman“The Weird and the Banal” by Erik Davis“There Is No A.I.” by Jaron LanierBook Recommendations:God, Human, Animal, Machine by Meghan O'GieblynPsychonauts by Mike JayWeird Studies (podcast)Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast, and you can find Ezra on Twitter @ezraklein. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” is produced by Annie Galvin. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris. Mixing by Efim Shapiro. The show's production team is Emefa Agawu, Annie Galvin, Jeff Geld, Roge Karma and Kristin Lin. Original music by Isaac Jones. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta. The executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to Sonia Herrero and Kristina Samulewski.

Author of High Weirdness, Erik Davis discusses psychedelic politics, media paranoia, conspiracy theories, and consensus reality in the time of COVID-19. A study of the spiritual provocations to be found in the work of Philip K. Dick, Terence McKenna, and Robert Anton Wilson, High Weirdness charts the emergence of a new psychedelic spirituality that arose from the American counterculture of the 1970s. These three authors changed the way millions of readers thought, dreamed, and experienced reality--but how did their writings reflect, as well as shape, the seismic cultural shifts taking place in America? In High Weirdness, Erik Davis--America's leading scholar of high strangeness--examines the published and unpublished writings of these vital, iconoclastic thinkers, as well as their own life-changing mystical experiences. Davis explores the complex lattice of the strange that flowed through America's West Coast at a time of radical technological, political, and social upheaval to present a new theory of the weird as a viable mode for a renewed engagement with reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Author of High Weirdness, Erik Davis discusses psychedelic politics, media paranoia, conspiracy theories, and consensus reality in the time of COVID-19. A study of the spiritual provocations to be found in the work of Philip K. Dick, Terence McKenna, and Robert Anton Wilson, High Weirdness charts the emergence of a new psychedelic spirituality that arose from the American counterculture of the 1970s. These three authors changed the way millions of readers thought, dreamed, and experienced reality--but how did their writings reflect, as well as shape, the seismic cultural shifts taking place in America? In High Weirdness, Erik Davis--America's leading scholar of high strangeness--examines the published and unpublished writings of these vital, iconoclastic thinkers, as well as their own life-changing mystical experiences. Davis explores the complex lattice of the strange that flowed through America's West Coast at a time of radical technological, political, and social upheaval to present a new theory of the weird as a viable mode for a renewed engagement with reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

Author of High Weirdness, Erik Davis discusses psychedelic politics, media paranoia, conspiracy theories, and consensus reality in the time of COVID-19. A study of the spiritual provocations to be found in the work of Philip K. Dick, Terence McKenna, and Robert Anton Wilson, High Weirdness charts the emergence of a new psychedelic spirituality that arose from the American counterculture of the 1970s. These three authors changed the way millions of readers thought, dreamed, and experienced reality--but how did their writings reflect, as well as shape, the seismic cultural shifts taking place in America? In High Weirdness, Erik Davis--America's leading scholar of high strangeness--examines the published and unpublished writings of these vital, iconoclastic thinkers, as well as their own life-changing mystical experiences. Davis explores the complex lattice of the strange that flowed through America's West Coast at a time of radical technological, political, and social upheaval to present a new theory of the weird as a viable mode for a renewed engagement with reality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/drugs-addiction-and-recovery

Erik Davis, PhD, a religious historian is author of TechGnosis: Myth, Magic and Mysticism in the Age of Information. His other books include Led Zeppelin IV; High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies; Visionary State: A Journey Through California's Spiritual Landscape; and Nomad Codes: Adventures in Modern Esoterica. This wide-ranging conversation covers many … Continue reading "Magic and Science with Erik Davis"

Many are so trapped in the temporal space of reality that they forget to connect with the entities our naked eye couldn't see. In this episode, Anand Sukhadia profoundly reflects on his most recent weekend experience with Grandmother Ayahuasca. This tea allows him to seek the truth as it floods you with information in your soul consciousness. Anand reflects on the lessons his "Higher Self" and Grandmother Ayahuasca shared about the temporary nature of reality, connecting with Divine entities, and delves into his renewed mission. Walk the path to finding your higher self by tuning into this profound episode with Anand.

Today we meet Erik Davis, award-winning journalist and author, most recently, of High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies.Erik guides us in an imagination-based open awareness practice that for him is about cultivating a very specific kind of watchful attention. This turns out to be the perfect setup to discuss one of Erik's specialities: the defiantly unclassifiable weirdness of psychedelic experience.We explore the ins and outs of the current psychedelic revival, the heretical nature of psychedelics as “practice,” even the possibility of the Buddha himself being a psychonaut. Can we scale-up psychedelic use for the mainstream? Do we even want to? And down we go, into a highly entertaining rabbit hole. Erik's immersive 16 minute practice begins at 8:36 and ends at 24:20.  Links:• Erik's website: https://techgnosis.com • Erik's substack• High Weirdness Book• Psychedelic Sangha: https://psychedelicsangha.org • Erik's Guided Psychedelic Meditation Music Album ExperienceSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/explorerspod)

On this episode, Laura Chandler highlights an excerpt of a talk given by Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. called Shamanic Paths to Inner Experience. Traditional shamanic cultures have long held an understanding of nature, spirit, and non-ordinary realms of being that contemporary cultures have lost touch with in the larger mainstream of experience. In this fascinating talk, Isa Gucciardi explores some of the ways healers from indigenous traditions have accessed larger aspects of consciousness and the realm of the unseen, for guidance, healing, and insight and speaks about their relevance for us today. The three topics she covers in this talk are Dreams, Visionary Experience, and the Vision Quest. Isa Gucciardi is the author of three books, creator of the therapeutic model Depth Hypnosis, and the Founding Director of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream. She has studied with indigenous healers and lineage holders from many traditions, including the Huichal and Pueblo, First Peoples of Central and North America. Isa's goal is to protect and preserve the sacred teachings of traditional cultures while helping bring forward what can be respectfully shared in order to create greater harmony, understanding, and healing to the earth.

Erik Davis, PhD, is an author, award-winning journalist, sometimes podcaster, and popular speaker based in San Francisco. He is the author of five books: High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the 70s; Nomad Codes: Adventures in Modern Esoterica; The Visionary State: A Journey through California's Spiritual Landscape, and the 33 1/3 volume Led Zeppelin IV. His first and best-known book remains TechGnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information. Erik hosted the podcast Expanding Mind on the Progressive Radio Network for a decade, and earned his PhD in Religious Studies from Rice University in 2015. He currently writes the Substack publication Burning Shore. Theme music by Joseph E. Martinez of Junius Follow us on social at: Twitter: @WakeIslandPod Instagram: @wakeislandpod David's Twitter: @raviddice --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wake-island/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/wake-island/support

Erik Davis and Julia Pond talk about psychedelic dance and the way altered states of mind and movement interact. Topics range from bone-dancing at Grateful Dead shows ("The bands were incidental to the dance"), the way movement resonates through time and generations, and the salvage rhythms of late capitalism (with thanks to Anna Tsing for the phrase). People: Erik Davis, PhD, is an author, award-winning journalist, sometimes podcaster, and popular speaker based in San Francisco. He is the author of five books: High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the 70s (MIT Press/Strange Attractor Press); Nomad Codes: Adventures in Modern Esoterica (Yeti, 2010); The Visionary State: A Journey through California's Spiritual Landscape (Chronicle, 2006), with photographs by Michael Rauner; and the 33 1/3 volume Led Zeppelin IV (Continuum, 2005). His first and best-known book remains TechGnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information (Crown, 1998), a cult classic of visionary media studies that has been translated into five languages and most recently republished by North Atlantic Press. He has contributed chapters on art, music, technoculture, and contemporary spirituality to over a dozen books, including Suzanne Treister's HFT: The Gardener(Black Dog), Future Matters: the Persistence of Philip K. Dick (Palgrave), Sound Unbound: Writings on Contemporary Multimedia and Music Culture (MIT, 2008), AfterBurn: Reflections on Burning Man (University of New Mexico, 2005), Rave Ascension (Routledge, 2003), and Zig Zag Zen (Chronicle, 2002). In addition to his many forewords and introductions, Davis has contributed articles and essays to a variety of periodicals, including Bookforum, Arthur, Artforum, Slate, Salon, Gnosis, Rolling Stone, the LA Weekly, Spin, Wired and the Village Voice.A vital speaker, Davis has given talks at universities, media art conferences, and festivals around the world. He has taught seminars at the UC Berkeley, UC Davis, the California Institute of Integral Studies, and Rice University, as well as workshops at the New York Open Center and Esalen. He has been interviewed by CNN, NPR, the New York Times, and the BBC, and appeared in numerous documentaries, as well as in Craig Baldwin's underground film Specters of the Spectrum. He wrote the libretto for and performed in “How to Survive the Apocalypse,” a Burning Man-inspired rock opera. He hosted the podcast Expanding Mind on the Progressive Radio Network for a decade, and earned his PhD in Religious Studies from Rice University in 2015. He currently writes the Substack publication Burning Shore.Julia Pond is a dance artist, teacher and researcher interested in how embodied practices and dance interact with social and political themes. Julia has worked primarily in the UK, US and Italy, and is currently completing an MFA in Creative Practice: Dance Professional at Trinity Laban / Independent Dance, as well as podcasting, parenting, and teaching. Read More: Erik Davis: https://techgnosis.com/Burning Shore Substack Newsletter: https://www.burningshore.com/Tsing, Anna Lowenhaupt. (2017) The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

In this episode Brynn and I listen to a very rare lecture from one of the greatest philosophical and psychedelic minds of the 20th century...Aldous Huxley. Aldous talks about the different ways the visionary experience has manifested for humans throughout the centuries, and how these experiences can help us. Listen In! Aldous Huxley Bio:Aldous Leonard Huxley was born in Godalming on 26th July, 1894 in an upper scale family. He came from a literary background, his father also being a biographer, editor and poet. Huxley was educated at Eton College in Berkshire from 1908-1913. When he was just fourteen years old, his mother died. During his teenage years, he also suffered from an attack of Keratitis Punctata and thus became blind for about eighteen months, but then by wearing some special kind of glasses, he was able to recover his eye-sight a little and at least read, but consequently also learned Braille. Even though he had frequent conditions of near blindness, Huxley went on relentlessly with his studies at Balliol College in Oxford, where he received his B.A in English. He was confused whether to pursue his career as a scientist or take part in the World War. Since, he was unable to decide, he took up writing.He wrote several poems, which appeared in 1916 and the second volume, which appeared in 1920. Huxley’s novel, Crome Yellow came in 1921, which blended criticism, dialogue, wit and satire and also established Huxley as one of the most important literary authors of the decade. Within a period of 8 years, Huxley had written several books. Amongst these novels, the most notable ones are Point Counter Point published in 1928 and Do What You Will published in 1929.At this time, Huxley became involved in the study and practice of mysticism. His new philosophical outlook informed his novel Eyeless in Gaza (1936), which promoted pacifism on the eve of World War II.After Many a Summer Dies the Swan (1939) makes the case for the emptiness of materialism. Gradually, Huxley moved toward mystical writings, far from the tone of his early satire. The Perennial Philosophy(1945) and The Doors of Perception (1954) represent Huxley’s non-fictional expression of his interests, including even experimentation with psychedelic drugs. The Doors of Perception is a book by Aldous Huxley. Published in 1954, it elaborates on his psychedelic experience under the influence of mescaline in May 1953. Huxley recalls the insights he experienced, ranging from the "purely aesthetic" to "sacramental vision", and reflects on their philosophical and psychological implicationsHuxley’s last novel, Island (1962), returns to the theme of the future he once explored so memorably in Brave New World. The later novel, in which Huxley tried to create a positive vision of the future, failed to come up to readers’ expectations. Brave New World Revisited, a series of essays addressing the themes of his early novel, represents a more successful rethinking of future (and present) social challenges.Huxley died of cancer in California on November 22, 1963. Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Part 2, we jump back in with a more controversial topic, that of John Lamb Lash, and how his interpretation of the concept of Gnosticism has become intertwined with the Mandela Effect. We explore whether or not conspiracy theories are dangerous to society, but also note their more playful quality as we re-visit the old pranksters, the Discordians. We then move on to the topic of memory, how memory affects history, how remembering something actually creates new experiences and can affect our future memories, and what the reward could possibly be for people who believe in the Mandela Effect. Aaron also shares some interesting content regarding a possible PRE-Mandela Effect, and we close with Aaron sharing some other information about his work as a writer and editor of fantasy fiction.PROGRAM NOTESAaron J. French, "The Mandela Effect and New Memory" (99+) (PDF) The Mandela Effect and New Memory | Aaron French - Academia.edu"'The Mandela Effect' is the perfect film for our age of distrust and doubt" in The Conversation  'The Mandela Effect' is the perfect film for our age of distrust and doubt (theconversation.comErik Davis, High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies  High Weirdness | The MIT PressMicheal Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America  A Culture of Conspiracy by Michael Barkun - Paperback - University of California Press (ucpress.edu)Karen M. Douglas et al., "The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories" The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories (sagepub.com)Jan-Willem van Prooijen & Mark van Vugt, "Conspiracy Theories: Evolved Functions and Psychological Mechanisms" Conspiracy Theories: Evolved Functions and Psychological Mechanisms (sagepub.com)Matthew Dillon, "The Heretical Library: The Nag Hammadi in American Religion and Culture" The Heretical Revival: The Nag Hammadi Library in American Religion and Culture (rice.edu)Trailer Steins;Gate Steins;Gate | Anime Trailer [HD] | 2011 - YouTubeWiki fanpage Steins;Gate Steins;Gate Wiki | FandomTake the Mandela Effect Test HOME - Test Mandela EffectAaron J. French on Soundcloud Aaron J. French | Free Listening on SoundCloudAaron J. French Author Page Facebook Aaron J. French | FacebookTheme Music: Daniel P. SheaOther Music: Stephanie Shea

In Part 1, Aaron and I bring everyone up to speed on what the Mandela Effect (ME) is, where it comes from, and why it is an important area of research for the study of esotericism. We discuss examples of ME, found with book titles (Berenstein/Berenstain Bears), pop culture references (what did Darth Vader actually say to Luke Skywalker?), and how all of this affects our notions of reality and of our memory. We also talk about how Christian elements have come to interact with more esoteric concepts found within the cultic milieu.PROGRAM NOTESAaron J. French, "The Mandela Effect and New Memory" (99+) (PDF) The Mandela Effect and New Memory | Aaron French - Academia.edu"'The Mandela Effect' is the perfect film for our age of distrust and doubt" in The Conversation  'The Mandela Effect' is the perfect film for our age of distrust and doubt (theconversation.comErik Davis, High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies  High Weirdness | The MIT PressMicheal Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America  A Culture of Conspiracy by Michael Barkun - Paperback - University of California Press (ucpress.edu)Karen M. Douglas et al., "The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories" The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories (sagepub.com)Jan-Willem van Prooijen & Mark van Vugt, "Conspiracy Theories: Evolved Functions and Psychological Mechanisms" Conspiracy Theories: Evolved Functions and Psychological Mechanisms (sagepub.com)Matthew Dillon, "The Heretical Library: The Nag Hammadi in American Religion and Culture" The Heretical Revival: The Nag Hammadi Library in American Religion and Culture (rice.edu)Trailer Steins;Gate Steins;Gate | Anime Trailer [HD] | 2011 - YouTubeWiki fanpage Steins;Gate Steins;Gate Wiki | FandomTake the Mandela Effect Test HOME - Test Mandela EffectAaron J. French on Soundcloud Aaron J. French | Free Listening on SoundCloudAaron J. French Author Page Facebook Aaron J. French | FacebookTheme Music: Daniel P. SheaOther Music: Stephanie SheaThumbnail image credit: www.gaia.com 

In Part 2, Christian discusses the influential Discordian trilogy of books called "Illuminatus!" and we make a little sidestep into discussion about how 'Bill and Ted' may or may not fit into the picture as we move throughout the 80s and 90s. We also talk about Discordianism's links to science fiction and fanzines, and Christian starts interviewing me at a certain point due to the topic of Furries that comes up in our conversation. We then discuss how Discordianism became a type of cyberculture and how hacking relates to it. Christian shares his ideas about the scholarly side of researching this group, and why 'being in conversation in a spirit of generosity' is important for researchers. PROGRAM NOTESAcademia.edu website Christian Greer: (99+) J. Christian Greer | Harvard Divinity School - Academia.edu(99+) (PDF) Discordianism | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu(99+) (PDF) Church of the SubGenius | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu(99+) (PDF) "Discordians Stick Apart" : The Institutional Turn within Contemporary Discordianism | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu(99+) (PDF) Religion Can't be a Joke, Right? | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu(99+) (PDF) [book review] Carole M. Cusack. Invented Religions: Imagination, Fiction and Faith. | J. Christian Greer - Academia.eduCarole Cusack, Invented Religions: Imagination, Fiction and Faith: Invented Religions: Imagination, Fiction and Faith: Cusack, Carole M: Amazon.nlErik Davis, High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies: High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies (The MIT Press): Davis, Erik: 9781907222870: Amazon.com: BooksMichael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America: A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America (Volume 15) (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society): Barkun, Michael: 9780520276826: Amazon.com: BooksDavid Chidester, Authentic Fakes: Religion and American Popular Culture: Amazon.com: Authentic Fakes: Religion and American Popular Culture (9780520242807): Chidester, David: BooksJohan Huizinga, Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture: Huizinga, Johan: 9781621389996: Amazon.com: BooksMikhail Baktin, Rabelais and His World : Rabelais and His World: Bakhtin, Mikhail: Amazon.nlAldous Huxley, The Doors of Perception: The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell: Huxley, Aldous: Amazon.com: BooksAdam Gorightly, Historia Discordia: Historia Discordia: the origins of the discordian society: Gorightly, Adam: Amazon.nlHistoria Disordia website: Historia Discordia – Documenting the Origins, History, and Chaos of the Discordian SocietyPrincipia Discordia (online source): Principia Discordia | the book of Chaos, Discord and Confusion | Fnord!Gnosis Magazine (online): Gnosis MagazineRobert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson, The Illuminatus Trilogy: The Illuminatus! Trilogy: The Eye in the Pyramid, The Golden Apple, Leviathan: Robert Shea, Robert Anton Wilson: 9780440539810: Amazon.com: BooksTom Wolfe, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test: The Electric Kool - Aid Acid Test: Tom Wolfe: 9780552993661: Amazon.com: BooksAdam Curtis article: Adam Curtis Explains It All | The New YorkerAdam Curtis, "Can't Get You Out of My Head" - YouTube: Can't Get You Out of My Head (2021) - YouTubeDr. Christian Greer's Instagram Page: JCG (@angelheadedhipstersarchive) • Instagram-foto's en -video's'Visions of the Occult' Summer School Online Course Information: Summer course: Visions of the Occult - Introduction to Western Esotericism - History of Hermetic Philosophy (amsterdamhermetica.nl)Podcast Theme: Daniel P. SheaOther Music: Stephanie Shea

In Part 1, Christian will go into the history of the concept of laughter found in American religion/spirituality, as well as talking about the term 'psychedelicism' and the ways that psychedelics were viewed with regard to spiritual growth. We then get into the Discordians, their history, their ideas about chaos and hoaxes, and how Lee Harvey Oswald fits into the picture.PROGRAM NOTESAcademia.edu website Christian Greer: (99+) J. Christian Greer | Harvard Divinity School - Academia.edu(99+) (PDF) Discordianism | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu(99+) (PDF) Church of the SubGenius | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu(99+) (PDF) "Discordians Stick Apart" : The Institutional Turn within Contemporary Discordianism | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu(99+) (PDF) Religion Can't be a Joke, Right? | J. Christian Greer - Academia.edu(99+) (PDF) [book review] Carole M. Cusack. Invented Religions: Imagination, Fiction and Faith. | J. Christian Greer - Academia.eduCarole Cusack, Invented Religions: Imagination, Fiction and Faith: Invented Religions: Imagination, Fiction and Faith: Cusack, Carole M: Amazon.nlErik Davis, High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies: High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies (The MIT Press): Davis, Erik: 9781907222870: Amazon.com: BooksMichael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America: A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America (Volume 15) (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society): Barkun, Michael: 9780520276826: Amazon.com: BooksDavid Chidester, Authentic Fakes: Religion and American Popular Culture: Amazon.com: Authentic Fakes: Religion and American Popular Culture (9780520242807): Chidester, David: BooksJohan Huizinga, Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture: Huizinga, Johan: 9781621389996: Amazon.com: BooksMikhail Baktin, Rabelais and His World : Rabelais and His World: Bakhtin, Mikhail: Amazon.nlAldous Huxley, The Doors of Perception: The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell: Huxley, Aldous: Amazon.com: BooksAdam Gorightly, Historia Discordia: Historia Discordia: the origins of the discordian society: Gorightly, Adam: Amazon.nlHistoria Disordia website: Historia Discordia – Documenting the Origins, History, and Chaos of the Discordian SocietyPrincipia Discordia (online source): Principia Discordia | the book of Chaos, Discord and Confusion | Fnord!Gnosis Magazine (online): Gnosis MagazineRobert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson, The Illuminatus Trilogy: The Illuminatus! Trilogy: The Eye in the Pyramid, The Golden Apple, Leviathan: Robert Shea, Robert Anton Wilson: 9780440539810: Amazon.com: BooksTom Wolfe, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test: The Electric Kool - Aid Acid Test: Tom Wolfe: 9780552993661: Amazon.com: BooksAdam Curtis article: Adam Curtis Explains It All | The New YorkerAdam Curtis, "Can't Get You Out of My Head" - YouTube: Can't Get You Out of My Head (2021) - YouTubeDr. Christian Greer's Instagram Page: JCG (@angelheadedhipstersarchive) • Instagram-foto's en -video's'Visions of the Occult' Summer School Online Course Information: Summer course: Visions of the Occult - Introduction to Western Esotericism - History of Hermetic Philosophy (amsterdamhermetica.nl)Podcast Theme: Daniel P. SheaOther Music: Stephanie Shea

The image of the QAnon Shaman in the United States Senate is the perfect symbol of how unfortunate members of the psychedelic community have fallen down QAnon trapdoor during this pandemic. Today on the show Erik Davis, renowned psychedelic author and wizard of the weird, returns to Life is a Festival to address the worrying trend of “conspirituality” and what we can do to inoculate ourselves against it. On the show we discuss the metaphysical mud that can flow in psychedelic experiences. Erik acknowledges his ethical responsibility to help foster discernment and shares tools we can use to protect ourselves and each other. We explore our own vulnerabilities to conspiracy thinking and discuss the practice of “withering self-observation.” Finally we rap about the evolution of the Life is a Festival philosophy for these difficult times. Erik is journalist, author, and public speaker. His is best known for his works Techgnosis and High Weirdness, as well as his essays on Burning Man and the human potential movement. He is also the author of Burning Shore, a sub stack that I high recommend subscribing to. This is his second time on the show after his appearance extolling the virtues of psychedelic weirdness on episode 23, Keep Psychedelics Weird. Links Burning Shore Substack: https://www.burningshore.com/ High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BT6DBKT Techgnosis: Myth, Magic and Mysticism in the Age of Information: https://techgnosis.com/ Keep Psychedelics Weird: https://www.eamonarmstrong.com/lifeisafestival/erik-davis The Emergence of Conspirituality: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13537903.2011.539846?journalCode=cjcr20 “Conspirituality” by Jules Evans: https://julesevans.medium.com/conspirituality-the-overlap-between-the-new-age-and-conspiracy-beliefs-c0305eb92185 Timestamps :11 - Metaphysical mud and extremist rabbit holes :20 - Ethical responsibility to strengthen discernment :31 - How to inoculate yourself with an inner superhero team :48 - Recognizing your own vulnerabilities and having compassion for others’ :59 - The practice of “withering self-observation” 1:10 - How life is like a festival in difficult times

Recorded November 17th, 2020https://www.patreon.com/conspirinormalErik Davis joins us for a fun and informative episode. We speak to Erik about his book "High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies". Erik's book accounts the experiences of the McKenna Brothers, Robert Anton Wilson, and Phillip K. Dick and how they influenced the continuing counter culture of the 70s and down to today. We also speak to Erik about the current conspiracy climate and how he now sees the information war as it's own form of intiation and it's own form of Chapel Perilous.If you would like to find out more about Erik Davis go to his website at: https://techgnosis.comhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Conspirinormal/445112635502740

Recorded November 17th, 2020 https://www.patreon.com/conspirinormal Erik Davis joins us for a fun and informative episode. We speak to Erik about his book "High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies". Erik's book accounts the experiences of the McKenna Brothers, Robert Anton Wilson, and Phillip K. Dick and how they influenced the continuing counter culture of the 70s and down to today. We also speak to Erik about the current conspiracy climate and how he now sees the information war as it's own form of intiation and it's own form of Chapel Perilous. If you would like to find out more about Erik Davis go to his website at: https://techgnosis.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/Conspirinormal/445112635502740 Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/conspirinormal-podcast/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

21. Building a better self: Demystifying stoic anthropotechnics with Erik DavisWelcome to Episode 21! We have a new website: www.beautifulloserspodcast.com Currently the site is a page to direct you to either the substack or your preferred podcast player. More coming soon. We also debuted our new theme song. Written and performed by Zach Nichols. We’ll discuss the theme in greater depth in a future episode. Today’s episode revisits the themes from episode 14, where we discussed media, masculinity, and self-help culture in the context of theories of fascism and totalitarianism.We’re diving into a specific constellation of thinking around stoic philosophy, mindfulness, self-help, and contemporary culture. Why is an ancient philosophy like stoicism suddenly popular today? Why is it often talked about in context with vaguely eastern practices of mindfulness? How do all of these things relate to an emergent industry of self-help and self-care?We are dissatisfied with the materialist critiques that simply point out the ways that these practices are often schemes to make money—though the critiques themselves are undeniable. These entrepreneurs often have branded and sponsored content, apps, and other pay-to-play lifestyle gear to help you detach yourself from the material world. Occasionally these schemes are especially malicious, like with the example of the MLM-Cult NXIVM, as documented in the HBO documentary series The Vow. Cultish marketing schemes aside, it is more often the case that they’re the intellectual and commercial products of marketing entrepreneurs as amateur philosopher, trying to engage with ancient philosophy in a way to help improve the lives of people today. Our dissatisfaction with the straight-line materialist critique stems from our own experiences. These practices are useful. They do yield positive, objective benefits. More important, they are valuable systems of knowledge, these are legitimate systems of thought that merit consideration and deliberation. As is often the case on Beautiful Losers, we find ourselves with a classic baby and bathwater situation. To help us chart a course through this constellation we have Erik Davis, who most recently authored High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies. Erik is more than deft thinker and superb writer: he is our friend. Although we hail from different discursive traditions, we share certain sensibilities and foundational insights that cut across discipline, genre, and historical period. Erik is another member of this small intellectual enclave that existed in Houston, Texas in the second decade of the aughts. It’s always a pleasure for us to bring members of that community back together, if only to capture a small fragment of the intellectual curiosity and geniality that shaped our advanced degrees. For this discussion we read a lot of stuff. Contemporary blogs on stoicism and mindfulness along with ancient stoic texts, we also looked at more popular and contemporary critiques of happiness culture. As a sort of “meta text” to organize all of these ideas we used Peter Sloterdijk’s book You Must Change Your Life. At the risk of becoming the official Sloterdijk podcast, we went to this text because Sloterdijk offers something akin to a “systems theory” account of spiritual practice. He argues that one of the key distinctions for the human is our ability to “have a practice” and he uses the word “anthropotechnic” to define the particular complexes of external and internal actions. A person in prayer may bow his head and fold his hands while he simultaneously directing his internal thoughts toward the divine; a soccer player taking a penalty kick empties her mind of all distractions and becomes completely focused on visualizing her immanent physical actions. These anthropotechnic complexes can result in what Sloterdijk describes as a “vertical tension” a general sense of a higher level of being. In religious contexts this is understood as communion with the divine, in sport this is getting “in the zone.” According to Sloterdijk’s account, it’s the act of the practices themselves that produce the vertical tension, not that the practices themselves reveal a hidden world.For Sloterdijk, to be a human is to have these practices, we cannot but be a creature that practices. It’s for this reason — our permanent state of having a practice — that something like religion will never go away. On the question of religion, Sloterdijk’s argument comes from two directions: on the one hand he clearly shows how no amount education, enlightenment, “progress” will eliminate religion from culture, while on the other hand he reduces the metaphysics of religious experience to a functionalist relationship between practices and perceptions.The reason that we lean on Sloterdijk is because we want to produce a very nuanced critique of our subject, but in order to do that we need to be able to distinguish between practices, behaviors, feelings, meanings, interpretations, and metaphysical reality. Often what frustrates us is how one of these terms is mean to justify or explain another term. For some, the feeling of transcendence reveals that a transcendent reality exists. Sloterdijk’s book suggests a much more simple interpretation: what if the complex of activity you practice has as consequence the feeling of transcendence? What stoicism and mindfulness practice reveals is that their functionalist nature doesn’t diminish or invalidate the experience itself. Like Sloterdijk, we don’t make this point in order to dismiss the category of truth, rather our purpose is to reconstitute these ideas within the context of a more grounded understanding of what these experiences actually are.Stoicism is a powerful discourse. It teaches a set of practices that provide very real and tangible techniques for self-preservation. Principles like the dichotomy of control help you understand the difference between things you can control and things you can’t control. This principle is taken up in myriad therapeutic ways, from the serenity prayer in 12 step programs to founding principles in cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT). Techniques like these help buoy the self and help people get through tough times. There’s a reason that the caricature of the stoic is a hard man with a stiff upper lip: these techniques merge nicely within a broader concept of masculinity. But for those of us that are committed to a more porous notion of subjectivity, collective organization, and materialist outcomes, what does stoicism offer? The paradox comes into focus when thinking about the self. Stoicism today is inflected with contemporary notions of the self. So the project of boundaries and control become gamefied: rather than passively accepting that which we can’t control, we’re encouraged (incentivized) to expand our domain of control in specific, technical ways. It’s from that central tension that our conversation achieved lift-off. As has often been the case with our advanced theory episodes: We seek to offer the critique, and then critique the critique. With someone like Erik on board, we also tried to go one level further: to critique the critique of the critique. Or in other words: can we disassemble the object, put it back together differently, take it apart again in a different way, and put it back together again? We’ll let you be the judge the this heady little experiment. Stay beautiful, losers Get on the email list at beautifullosers.substack.com

In the world of esoteric mysticism, psychedelic exploration, and counter-cultural thought, few people are as enigmatic and thoughtful as Erik Davis. His writing places contemporary cultural phenomena within the context of a greater human story, which he accomplishes masterfully in his book High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the 70s. To learn more about Erik's work, visit his website or find him on Twitter @erik_davis.Want to support the show? Consider a free trial of The Great Courses Plus. Try it for free fnord a month and the Mapping Minds Podcast will get a little kickback.

Author, podcaster, award-winning journalist, and cultural historian Erik Davis speaks with host Michael Taft about QAnon as a new religion, Gnostic psychology and the power of the secret truth, new narrative warfare exploiting human psychology, technologically-sophisticated divination techniques, the “disenchanted paranormal,” taking responsibility for your own processing of reality, the angel of the library, Metal Hurlant, and more. Erik Davis is an author, podcaster, award-winning journalist, and popular speaker based in San Francisco. He is probably best known for his book TechGnosis a cult classic of visionary media studies that investigates how our fascination with technology intersects with the religious imagination. Erik’s most recent book is High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies. Read Erik’s newsletter The Burning ShoreHelp to keep this podcast going by contributing here.

I speak with author, podcaster, and journalist, Erik Davis about his book “High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies. We mainly talk about Terence McKenna but we also talk about the cultural context of California in the early ’70s and how it helped to form not only the life and interests of... Read More

In this episode, Joe and Kyle interview Erik Davis, Author of High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies. In the show they cover topics on La Chorrera, uncertainty, synchronicities and more. 3 Key Points: Erik is the Author of High Weirdness, a study of the spiritual provocations to be found in the work of Philip K. Dick, Terence McKenna, and Robert Anton Wilson. These 3 authors chart the emergence of a new psychedelic spirituality that arose from the American counterculture of the 1970s. Erik examines the published and unpublished writings of these thinkers as well as their own life-changing mystical experiences. Erik is America's leading scholar of high strangeness, and talks of synchronicities, uncertainty, and all things weird. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes About Erik Erik went into the PhD program and always wanted to write about Phillip K Dick He got a sense that he didn't want to spend 3 years in Phillip’s head He looked into the works of Phillip K Dick, Robert Anton Wilson, The McKenna brothers, etc He wanted to find a way to take their experiences seriously, without taking them literally The Book Much like understanding religious experiences, unpacking psychedelic experiences involves clinical analysis, free-thinking, pragmatism, and skepticism. “Creative insecurity is one of the greatest gifts of these compounds.” People want an answer, but maybe there isn’t always an answer. “There’s something else that’s going on that's more cosmic, and difficult in a lot of ways. I want to invite that difficulty in.” A large reason people have difficulty with uncertainty is because often, there are many “answers” right there, likely from someone trying to sell them something. Studying religion made Davis more critical of these “sellers,” but gave him much more sympathy and patience for religious people because of the fact that they’re seeking something. Davis’ favorite image for the idea of courage in trying to understand the unknown is that of a tight-rope walker. The tight-rope walker steps away from solid ground, and the only way to survive is to maintain balance. “There is a way of continuing to be reasonable, asking questions, respecting balance and homeostasis, even as you enter into really difficult situations.”  He wanted to tell these stories because “that’s what the weird is. [Psychedelic experiences] are great- they can be holy, they can be integrative, they can be healing, they can be unifying, they can be restoring- all those things are true, and they’re totally weird! And what are you going to do with that? You’re going to pretend that’s not there?” The healing part of psychedelics is great, but viewing psychedelics as a learning tool is equally as important. La Chorrera Erik says that it's the great story He says that no one had taken it seriously, and he wanted people to recognize what their work was, which was their experiences Its half science, and half a ritual It was a theater of transformation and novel experience The purpose is to avoid the traps of blaming it on psychosis, and look at it as a creative venture “I think a lot of us wrestling with psychedelics and visionary experiences have our own challenge of, how do we put these pieces together?” - Erik Uncertainty “I want to invite that difficulty in, it's not always love and light” - Erik When someone is uncomfortable, people just turn away from it, and they just live in this lie  Erik says he blames the culture and capitalist scene Because of uncertainty, there are so many experts ready to sell you something “The people who are seeking, I have more sympathy for. The people that are selling, I have less sympathy for” - Erik “If you keep the balance, you can go pretty far and not fall in” - Erik A lot of conspiracy theorists hand over their sovereign-ness “I know” gives you an answer We have reasons to distrust institutions It's good to have a dose of skepticism Conspiracy "Conspiracy theory is a concept that is and has been used to obfuscate real questions” but why do we put our trust in one entity over another? While some of this obviously comes from a growing level of distrust of the media and mainstream authority figures, a lot of it comes from people wanting to avoid “not knowing.” “I see a lot of conspiracy theorists just handing over their own sovereign 'not knowingness' and they can gain a false power of ‘knowing.’" Believing conspiracies gives people an answer and story, makes them feel both knowledgeable and a part of something (they’re an insider vs. all the others who don’t know what's going on), and they’re marginalized because they’re going against the mainstream system- they thrive in an “us-against-them” conflict.   Synchronicities Research synchronicity: “A lot of the synchronicities are actually just books talking to each other in weird and unexpected ways.”   We are pattern recognition machines on a spectrum. Not recognizing enough can make us viewed as cold and unemotional, but if we see a lot of patterns, we’re more open to paranormal or occult ideas. If we see too many, we may have mental issues.   These experiences happen, but Davis doesn’t believe there’s much more to it than that, as we are living in a mystery. “I enjoy the feelings associated with them, but in the same way that we do not “believe” great works of art, I don’t leave with some sense that I have now seen something that requires me to revise my worldview. The take-home prize is mystery.” Cults Erik says he can't write off people like Osho or Crowley Even if they may have caused abuse or bad things, they have done a lot of great things for humanity While misogynistic, creepy and cruel, it is rude to not recognize Crowley's contributions. And “when he was on, he was a great writer. Visionary literature.” Genesis P-Orridge said that cults are actually important to the development of humanity. Davis feels that cults can be like theatre- a creative director sets a stage and usually they’re the only one who knows everything that’s going on, there are practiced, learned scripts, some people like it, while others get screwed and hate it, etc. Cults are more complicated than people give them credit for, and are often seen more negatively because they disrupt families, particularly the role of a parents vs. the parental-like roles of cult leaders. But often, while not a popular opinion, good things can come out of cults. What's a cult? Its a creative director who sets the ‘stage’ and script that people learn etc Links Website High Weirdness Book About Erik Davis Davis was born during the Summer of Love within a stone’s throw of San Francisco. He grew up in North County, Southern California, and spent a decade on the East Coast, where he studied literature and philosophy at Yale and spent six years in the freelance trenches of Brooklyn and Manhattan before moving to San Francisco, where he currently resides. He is the author of four books: Nomad Codes: Adventures in Modern Esoterica (Yeti, 2010), The Visionary State: A Journey through California’s Spiritual Landscape (Chronicle, 2006), with photographs by Michael Rauner, and the 33 1/3 volume Led Zeppelin IV (Continuum, 2005). His first and best-known book remains TechGnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information (Crown, 1998), a cult classic of visionary media studies that has been translated into five languages and recently republished by North Atlantic Press. He has contributed chapters on art, music, technoculture, and contemporary spirituality to over a dozen books. In addition to his many forewords and introductions, Davis has contributed articles and essays to a variety of periodicals. A vital speaker, Davis has given talks at universities, media art conferences, and festivals around the world. He has taught seminars at the UC Berkeley, UC Davis, the California Institute of Integral Studies, and Rice University, as well as workshops at the New York Open Center and Esalen. He has been interviewed by CNN, NPR, the New York Times, and the BBC, and appeared in numerous documentaries. He has hosted the podcast Expanding Mind on the Progressive Radio Network since 2010, and earned his PhD in Religious Studies from Rice University in 2015. Get a 30 day free audible trial at audibletrial.com/psychedelicstoday

Erik Davis is the author of High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies. The book covers the emergence of a new psychedelic spirituality that arose from the American counterculture of the 1970s. The post Erik Davis: High Weirdness appeared first on Plutopia News Network.

Erik Davis is an author, award-winning journalist, podcaster, and scholar based in San Francisco. His wide-ranging work focuses on the intersection of alternative religion, media, and the popular imagination. He is the author, most recently, of High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies, co-published by MIT Press and Strange Attractor, and recently on audiobook. He also wrote Nomad Codes: Adventures in Modern Esoterica (2010), The Visionary State: A Journey through California's Spiritual Landscape (2006), a critical volume on Led Zeppelin (2005), and the celebrated cult classic TechGnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information (1998). Erik's scholarly and popular essays on music, technoculture, drugs, and spirituality have appeared in scores of books, magazines, and journals, and his writing has been translated into a dozen languages. For a decade, he explored the “cultures of consciousness” on his weekly podcast Expanding Mind, which is currently on hiatus. Davis has spoken widely at universities, conferences, retreat centers, and festivals, and has been interviewed by CNN, the BBC, NPR, and the New York Times. He graduated from Yale University in 1988, and more recently earned his PhD in religious studies at Rice University. Connect with Erik Davis: www.techgnosis.com Get High Weirdness Twitter: @erik_davis Connect with Nick Holderbaum: Personal Health Coaching: https://www.primalosophy.com/ Nick Holderbaum's Weekly Newsletter: Sunday Goods (T): @primalosophy (IG): @primalosophy iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-primalosophy-podcast/id1462578947 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBn7jiHxx2jzXydzDqrJT2A The Unfucked Firefighter Challenge

In today’s Solidarity Fridays Episode with Kyle and Joe, they talk about the Shadow Panel, embracing the weird in psychedelia, what is real, re-examining ‘normal’, and more. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes Shadow Panel Topics in the Panel include Ayahuasca retreat centers Maximization culture to use psychedelics for optimization Ketamine therapy and shadow as aspects of character The collective shadow and astrology and much more! Erik Davis Joe and Erik just had a call and they talked about his book High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies (The MIT Press) It is a study of the spiritual provocations to be found in the work of Philip K. Dick, Terence McKenna, and Robert Anton Wilson It's a really nice survey of the weird “Are you acknowledging what you're getting by believing something is true? It's a part of your analysis” Joe says if you're into the weird stuff in psychedelics, this book is for you. If you are only into the clinical stuff, then this is good for you. Kyle says sometimes we don't give enough credit to the weirdness in the psychedelic space Corporadelic is a means of spiritual bypassing The weirdness is core to what the psychedelic experience is What is Real? Psyche means more than just mind When its mind, body, spirit, breath, it seems more accurate It is worth reading Alfred Whitehead and James Fadiman, Philosophy is important We are trying to understand and have helpful language around the psychedelic experience “There are no whole truths, there are only half truths” Kyle said that at the core of our being, how do we know what is true and real? At the fundamental truth of what real is, Kyle says that sitting in the CAT scan machine and being on the brink of death, that's the only place where truth sits for him Psychedelic Liberty Summit Saturday and Sunday April 25th and 26th Receive a discount here This is a psychedelic conference that turned virtual due to COVID-19 Group Work Breathwork, retreat centers, etc are at an undetermined standstill because we don't know how this is going to plan out The Navigating Psychedelics Today Online class has students learn the information first and then come together to talk about it There are so many means of transmission Kyle mentions he read something about COVID being transmitted on the soles of shoes We will probably need additional shelter in place measures all the way until 2022 We are almost hitting 9/11 death toll numbers on a daily basis Re-examining Normal Do we want to go back to the way things were? Or do we want to take this weird/uncertain time and do something with it? The worst of climate change is only a mere 20 years out It's easy to have emotional heartbreak when ecological destruction happens Eco-psychology is a huge field Mind Medicine Australia Australians crippled by anxiety from the coronavirus crisis 'should be treated with MDMA and magic mushrooms', charity claims Final Thoughts Navigating Psychedelics for Clinicians and Therapists, May co-hort is SOLD OUT The wait list for the next co-hort can be found here    Psychedelics and the Shadow: A Series Exploring the Shadow Side of Psychedelia Enroll Today! About Kyle Kyle’s interest in exploring non-ordinary states of consciousness began when he was 16-years-old when he suffered a traumatic snowboarding accident. Waking up after having a near-death experience changed Kyle’s life. Since then, Kyle has earned his B.A. in Transpersonal Psychology, where he studied the healing potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness by exploring shamanism, plant medicine, Holotropic Breathwork, and the roots/benefits of psychedelic psychotherapy. Kyle has co-taught two college-level courses. One of the courses Kyle created as a capstone project, “Stanislav Grof’s Psychology of Extraordinary Experiences,” and the other one which he co-created, “The History of Psychedelics.” Kyle completed his M.S. in clinical mental health counseling with an emphasis in somatic psychology. Kyle’s clinical background in mental health consists of working with at-risk teenagers in crisis and with individuals experiencing an early-episode of psychosis. Kyle also facilitates Transpersonal Breathwork workshops. About Joe Joe studied philosophy in New Hampshire, where he earned his B.A.. After stumbling upon the work of Stanislav Grof during his undergraduate years, Joe began participating in Holotropic Breathwork workshops in Vermont in 2003. Joe helped facilitate Holotropic and Transpersonal Breathwork workshops while he spent his time in New England. He is now working in the software industry as well as hosting a few podcasts. Joe now coordinates Dreamshadow Transpersonal Breathwork workshops, in Breckenridge, Colorado. Get a 30 day free audible trial at audibletrial.com/psychedelicstoday

In 1979, the American psychologist James Hillman published The Dream and the Underworld, a polemical meditation on the nature of dreams. Rejecting the orthodoxies of both Freud and Jung, Hillman argued that the the "nightworld" of dream should not play second fiddle to the "dayworld" of waking life, because in the soul as on earth, day and night are equally essential, and equally real. To reduce a dream to a message or interpretation is to fail the dream. In order for dreams to do their work on us, says Hillman, we must cease to regard them as hallucinations, mere metaphors, epiphenomena, or illusions, and instead see them as the imaginal other life we all must live. Every night, for Hillman, each of us descends into the underworld to encounter those forces that shape us and our surroundings. The way down is the way up. REFERENCES James Hillman, The Dream and the Underworld (https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Underworld-James-Hillman/dp/0060906820) T. S. Eliot, "The Hollow Men" (https://msu.edu/~jungahre/transmedia/the-hollow-men.html) Walter Pater, The Renaissance: Studies in Art and Poetry (http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2398) George Steiner, Real Presences (https://www.amazon.com/Real-Presences-George-Steiner/dp/0226772349) Hakim Bey, Orgies of the Hemp Eaters: Cuisine, Slang, Literature and Ritual of Cannabis Culture (https://www.amazon.com/Orgies-Hemp-Eaters-Literature-Cannabis/dp/1570271437) Erik Davis, High Strangeness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies (https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/high-weirdness) Brad Warner on drugs and Buddhism (http://hardcorezen.info/sex-and-drugs-and-buddhism/5962) Aldous Huxley, [The Doors of Perception](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheDoorsofPerception)_ Jonathan Crary, 24/7: Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep (https://www.versobooks.com/books/1570-24-7) Christopher Nolan (dir.), Inception (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/) Jorge Luis Borges, "Nightmares" in Seven Nights (https://www.amazon.com/Jorge-Luis-Borges-1984-10-16-Paperback/dp/B00H86QLHK) Henri Bergson, Dreams (http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20842)

Episode 134 - Erik Davis Dan Sterenchuk and Tommy Estlund are honored to have as our guest, Erik Davis. Erik Davis is an author, podcaster, award-winning journalist, and scholar based in San Francisco. His wide-ranging work focuses on the intersection of alternative religion, media, and the popular imagination. He is the author, most recently, of High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies, co-published by MIT Press and Strange Attractor. He also wrote Nomad Codes: Adventures in Modern Esoterica (2010), The Visionary State: A Journey through California's Spiritual Landscape (2006), a critical volume on Led Zeppelin (2005), and the celebrated TechGnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information (1998). Erik's scholarly and popular essays on music, technoculture, drugs, and spirituality have appeared in scores of books, magazines, and journals, and his writing has been translated into a dozen languages. He explores the “cultures of consciousness” on his long-running podcast Expanding Mind. Davis has spoken widely at conferences, retreat centers, and festivals, and has been interviewed by CNN, the BBC, public radio, and the New York Times. He graduated from Yale University, and earned his PhD in religious studies at Rice University. You can follow him at: https://techgnosis.com https://twitter.com/erik_davis https://techgnosis.com/category/podcast/ Note: Guests create their own bio description for each episode. The Curiosity Hour Podcast is hosted and produced by Dan Sterenchuk and Tommy Estlund. Please visit our website for more information: thecuriosityhourpodcast.com The Curiosity Hour Podcast is listener supported! To donate, click here: thecuriosityhourpodcast.com/donate/ Please visit this page for information where you can listen to our podcast: thecuriosityhourpodcast.com/listen/ Disclaimers: The Curiosity Hour Podcast may contain content not suitable for all audiences. Listener discretion advised. The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are solely those of the guest(s). These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of The Curiosity Hour Podcast. This podcast may contain explicit language.

This week’s guest is author, culture critic, and philosopher of the weird Erik Davis, whose work has been one of my main inspirations for almost ten years. His latest work of epic scholarship, High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies, is an exploration of topics I presumed inaccessible to academic inquiry so masterful I’ve been evangelizing it for months and basically forced a copy on my boss (David Krakauer, President of the Santa Fe Institute, who was a guest in Episode 75). In this episode we peer into the intersection of psychedelics, madness, systems science, postmodernism, and religious studies to ask about the truly other that refuses to allow us a clean answer to the questions, “What is the Real?” and “Did that just really happen?” Strap in for one of the headiest and most important conversations that we’ve ever had on Future Fossils…Join the Future Fossils Podcast Patreon for exclusive perks like an extra 10 minutes of this conversation, in which Erik & Michael discuss “black goo.”Visit Erik’s website to sign up for his email updates (always wonderful) and stay abreast of upcoming events, such as his talk at the SF Psychedelic Society on Thursday Dec 19.Get a copy of High Weirdness at MIT Press.Erik’s appearance on Future Fossils Episode 99 (a kind of prequel to this conversation).My 2011 and 2012 appearances on Erik’s podcast, Expanding Mind.Erik and I discuss over video chat (part 1, part 2) the revised and expanded third edition of his book Techgnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information.Shop through my Amazon storefront and support the show indirectly with your purchases:https://amazon.com/storefront/michaelgarfieldJoin the Future Fossils Facebook Discussion Grouphttps://facebook.com/groups/futurefossilsShow music by Evan “Skytree” Snyder feat. Michael Garfield, “God Detector”https://skytree.bandcamp.com/track/god-detector-ft-michael-garfieldMentioned:Jacques Lacan. Mark Fisher. Carol Cusack. Eric Wargo. Timothy Morton. Graham Harman. Jeff Kripal. Emelie Gomar. Bruno Latour. Albert Hofmann. Sasha Shulgin. Richard Doyle. Williiam James. Phil Dick. Cesar Hidalgo. Rachel Armstrong. Edward Snowden. Daniel Paul Schraber. We Discuss:The abyss is close to home.“The real, by definition, is not amenable to symbolization. Whatever kind of yen we have to sustain the symbolic in the face of the real is going to fail. And in that sense, the real is fundamentally traumatic.”Perturbations of the reality field.Extimacy.“That’s not me…or if it is, I’m not me anymore.”Refusing to remain within the purely human. To lean out. To open a portal.The Weird vs. The Uncanny.Fiction vs. Religion.“In some sense Burning Man and the spirituality of Burning Man, if you want to call it that – the invention of new subjectivities, the development of an ecstatic culture at this end stage of capitalism and modern mythology – in a way is a kind of later iteration of the things I saw in the 70s.”Material agency in the practice of science. “Science is not practiced by humans alone.” “Drugs as active participants in the enactment of their effects.”“The thing about thinking is that sometimes it’s really clear the way you are actively putting things together, or actively exploring. But then sometimes it seems as if you are almost kind of taken over by an idea, and then the idea has stuff it wants to do, and you are just the connector or vehicle for it. What it means to think is to be in relationship to enigmas that have things to say.”“With reductionism in general, it’s very difficult to explain novelty.”“A psychedelic compound sitting on the shelf is not psychedelic. It’s in the interaction that you explore and discover its phenomenological features.”“There’s no way out of environmental effects in the psychedelic experience - both in the set and setting, and in terms of whatever mysterious multiplicities lie in the material itself. So there’s no way to do capital S Science with psychedelics, despite the fact that they are material molecules that reliably have a certain kind of metabolic arc and can be explained in terms of how they are broken down in the body and even light up certain regions or the brain, etc., etc. I think it’s kind of wonderful. But I think that’s where the weird is: the weird is in that. The weird is in the way you can’t get out of the loop.”Psychogenic Networks and Maximal Entropy Production.“If attention is the fuel, then everywhere we turn, we’re producing self-fulfilling prophecies.”Living Fictions.Weird Studies Episode 36.Lachmann et al. 1999 re: Optimal Encoding & Fermi’s Paradox & “The symbols of the divine first emerge in the trash stratum.”“The revelation is always relativized. Once we’re in this cybernetic situation, then not only do we not know, ‘Is that noise or is that signal?,’ but even when you do get a message, you don’t get to know. Because you’ve knocked out that realm of certainty that in the past said, ‘What you’re thinking is true.’”“Now we get to see what it looks like when the symbolic order, consensus reality, breaks down, melts, mutiplies, becomes weaponized, and we try to make our way through that. And it’s not so fun. It’s not so pretty. It’s not so groovy.”Psychonautics as preparation for the insane world we now live in, where the weird has mainstreamed. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this edition of Parallax Views, the mythology of 20th century counterculture, that zeitgeist in which rebellious youths experimented radically with sexuality and psychedelic drugs, began and ended in the 1960s. Scholar of esoteric Erik Davis, however, excavates the countercultural moment of the 1970s in his new book High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies (MIT Press) through the figures of sci-fi author Philip K. Dick, philosopher Robert Anton Wilson, and psychedelic explorer Terence McKenna. In this conversation Erik and I discuss the possible pitfalls of counterculture in the 60s/70s as well as how Erik came to take on the project of examining 70s counterculture. We particularly hone in on the work of Robert Anton Wilson and its similarities to the ideas of postmodernism that gained ground in continental philosophy around the same period Davis writes about in High Weirdness. Additionally, Erik and I delve into the concept of the Chapel Perilous, an experience which cause one to question his/her reality, in relation to Wilson, Dick, and McKenna and how we, as a society, may be experiencing a collective moment of High Weirdness and the Chapel Perilous in the 21st century. HIGH WEIRDNESS:DRUGS,ESOTERICA,ANDVISIONARY EXPERIENCEINTHE SEVENTIESBYERIK DAVISAVAILABLE NOWFROMMIT Press SUPPORT PARALLAX VIEWS ON PATREON! WHERE YOU CAN HEAR... PARALLAX VIEWSTHE WEEK THAT WASCURRENT EVENTSPROGRAM

Writer and cultural critic Erik Davis joins us to discuss his fascinating, often startling new book, High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies. By connecting the strange experiences of three psychedelic philosophers (Philip K. Dick, Terence McKenna, and Robert Anton Wilson), Davis offers a narrative of the 1970s that goes beyond disco and Jimmy Carter, showing us a world of occult prophecies, paranoid conspiracies, and often drug-induced spiritual fuckery. In this conversation, Davis discusses the origins of High Weirdness, his longer journey as a thinker and writer, and how the transcendent freakiness of California in the 70s produced eerie premonitions of the chaotic dystopias of the 21st century.  

In the 1970’s, Philip K. Dick, Terence McKenna, and Robert Anton Wilson pioneered the emergence of a new psychedelic spirituality founded in American counterculture. These three authors changed the way millions of readers thought, dreamed, and experienced reality—and now journalist Erik Davis joined us to explore how their writings reflected and shaped the seismic cultural shifts taking place in America today. With insight from his book High Weirdness, Davis examined the published and unpublished writings of these vital, iconoclastic thinkers, as well as their own life-changing mystical experiences. Davis explored the complex lattice of the strange that flowed through America’s West Coast at a time of radical technological, political, and social upheaval. Sit in for a glimpse of Davis’ new theory of the weird as a viable mode for a renewed engagement with reality. Erik Davis is a journalist, critic, podcaster, counter-public intellectual whose writings have run the gamut from rock criticism to cultural analysis to creative explorations of esoteric mysticism. He is the author of Techgnosis: Myth, Magic and Mysticism in the Age of Information, The Visionary State: A Journey through California’s Spiritual Landscape, and Nomad Codes: Adventures in Modern Esoterica. Recorded live in the Forum at Town Hall Seattle on August 16, 2019.

This week on The Emerald, a conversation with author Robert Tindall on Homer, Tolkien, Paleolithic cave art, Zen koans, Shakespeare, sacred song, and the visionary, animistic consciousness that connects all of them — a 'once universal mode of consciousness' in which 'reality is understood to be pervaded and structured by powerful numinous forces and presences that are rendered to the human imagination as the divinized figures and narratives of myth'.  You don't have to be a Tolkien or Homer fan to appreciate this episode. Our conversation goes deep into the worldview that was the normative vision for human beings for most of our history and looks at how we lost this worldview and what can be done to help reclaim it in challenging times, when an imaginative vision is increasingly necessary.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/theemeraldpodcast)

"We want to be exemplars of humanity at the end of the time." - Terence McKenna Erik Davis looks at the world in a different way. He’s a novelist, writer, podcaster, and speaker, and his writings have covered everything from rock criticism to cultural analysis to creative explorations of esoteric mysticism. His most recent book, High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies is out now. Erik loves to analyze “the weird” and in High Weirdness, he dives deep into the psychedelic culture of the 1970s; a time that was so strange, it was almost otherworldly. “We don't live in a psychedelic place. That's one of the mistakes that new agers and hippies made, is ‘Oh, I get the vision, and then I try to live there by dropping out and not doing anything.’ Well, no, we have to become much more flexible, and as Huxley said, ‘amphibious,’ where we're operating as intellects in a technological society.” In today’s episode, Erik shares his research, discusses Terence McKenna’s personal history, and paints a picture of a culture many of us never fully understood. Erik also talks about his writing, how being weird has opened the doors for new possibilities, and how he thinks we can go about saving the world. — Mission Daily and all of our podcasts are created with love by our team at Mission.org We own and operate a network of podcasts, and brand story studio designed to accelerate learning. Our clients include companies like Salesforce, Twilio, and Katerra who work with us because we produce results. To learn more and get our case studies, check out Mission.org/Studios. If you’re tired of media and news that promotes fear, uncertainty, and doubt and want an antidote, you’ll want to subscribe to our daily newsletter at Mission.org. When you do, you’ll receive a mission-driven newsletter every morning that will help you start your day off right!

Erik Davis is back in the house for a second time to rap a bit about his latest book High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica and Visionary Experience in the Seventies.  Most of you know Erik from his podcast, Expanding Mind, or from the tome known as TechGnosis, or perhaps from his work on The Exegesis of Philip K Dick. No matter how you know Erik, you know he is the sultan of high strangeness, and High Weirdness may just be his magnum opus, which is saying quite a bit if you’ve read his previous work. High Weirdness charts the emergence of a new psychedelic spirituality that arose from American countercultural voices of the 1970s, including Philip K Dick, Terence McKenna and Robert Anton Wilson. These three authors changed the way millions of readers thought, dreamed, and experienced reality―but how did their writings reflect, as well as shape, the seismic cultural shifts taking place in America?   PATREON EXTENSION Listen at patreon.com/occulture Erik’s idea of weird naturalism Terence & Dennis McKenna’s experiment at La Chorrera Robert Anton Wilson’s idea of Chapel Perilous Verisimilitude and the idea of a hoax The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick as a piece of weird fiction Erik’s thoughts on The Owl in Daylight, Dick’s unrealized novel   RESOURCES High Weirdness on IndieBound High Weirdness on Amazon Erik’s website Erik’s podcast Erik on Twitter   DONATE If recurring monthly support via Patreon isn’t your thing, we do accept one time-donations via PayPal, Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple. Every little bit helps.   MERCH Tees, tanks, hoodies, hats. Check ‘em out on our website or at our Etsy shop.   SOCIAL Twitter Instagram Facebook Tumblr   MUSIC Vestron Vulture - “I Want to Be a Robot (Tribute to Giorgio Moroder)”   PRODUCTION & LICENSING This podcast is produced in the Kingdom of Ohio and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International. Executive Producers: Carter Y., Mauricio G., Daniel R., Kelly C., Bruce H., Marcelo T., Christopher B., Timothy W., Nick F., Michael Q., Jamaica J., Mute Ryan, John W., Andy E., Colleen F., Saliyah S., Michael S., Kevin C., Kyle A., Megan B., Kaleb H.   REMINDER Love yourself. Think for yourself. Question authority.

We explore the earthly and unearthly forces in the early 70s that shaped the minds of Philip K. Dick, Terence McKenna, and Robert Anton Wilson. This leads to how these psychonauts went to both influence and foretell today’s fragmenting culture. We focus more on Dick, including his Gnosticism that was much earlier than most believe and his predictions of a Gnostic nightmare that has come true. Astral Guest – Erik Davis, author of High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies. This is a partial show for nonmembers. For the second half of the interview, please become a member: http://thegodabovegod.com/members/subscription-levels/   or patron at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aeonbyte More information on Erik: https://techgnosis.com/ Get Erik’s book: https://amzn.to/2X4nBpT Listen to this and all shows on YouTube or iTunes (available on all other podcast providers like Stitcher or Spotify). Download these and all other shows: http://thegodabovegod.com/ Become a patron and keep this Red Pill Cafeteria open: https://www.patreon.com/aeonbyte

Expanding Mind is going on hiatus. In this solo show, Erik reflects on a decade of podcasting, the learning curves of the show, the work of conversation, the uncanniness of our moment, and the publication of High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies.  

Journalist and historian of religion Erik Davis joins Phil and JF to talk about his latest magnum opus, High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies. In this masterwork of weird scholarship, Davis explores the simultaneously luminous and obscure worlds of three giants of Seventies counterculture: Terence McKenna, Robert Anton Wilson, and Philip K. Dick. Their psychonautical legacy serve as fuel for a deep-delving conversation on Davis' own ontological leanings, yearnings, and hesitations. We touch on his philosophical development since the release of Techgnosis in 1998, the meaning of "weird naturalism," the primacy of the aesthetic, the uses and abuses of anthropotechnics, the challenges of tightrope-walking across bottomless chasms, and lots more. REFERENCES Erik Davis, High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Expreience in the Seventies (http://strangeattractor.co.uk/shoppe/high-weirdness/) Erik Davis, Techgnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information (https://www.amazon.com/TechGnosis-Myth-Magic-Mysticism-Information/dp/1583949305) Philip K. Dick (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_K._Dick), American science fiction writer Robert Anton Wilson (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Anton_Wilson), American writer Terence McKenna (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_McKenna), Half-elf bard Graham Harman, American philosopher (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Harman) Timothy Morton, British philosopher (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Morton) Jeffrey J. Kripal, The Serpent’s Gift: Gnostic Reflections on the Study of Religion (https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo4126089.html) William James (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James), American philosopher and psychologist Hee-jin Kim, Eihei Dogen: Mystical Realist (https://www.amazon.com/Eihei-Dogen-Mystical-Hee-Jin-Kim/dp/0861713761) Dogen, "Instructions for the Cook" (http://www.thezensite.com/ZenTeachings/Dogen_Teachings/Instructions_for_the_cook.html) Steve Reich, "Music as a Gradual Process" (http://www.bussigel.com/systemsforplay/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Reich_Gradual-Process.pdf) Peter Sloterdijk, [You Must Change Your Life](https://books.google.ca/books/about/YouMustChangeYourLife.html?id=aDcBAAAQBAJ&rediresc=y) Albert Hofman’s famous bicycle ride (https://allthatsinteresting.com/bicycle-day-albert-hofmann) Erowid LSD vault (https://erowid.org/chemicals/lsd/lsd.shtml) George Lackoff and Mark Johnson, Metaphors We Live By (https://www.amazon.ca/Metaphors-We-Live-George-Lakoff/dp/0226468011) Alexander Bard and Jan Söderqvist, [Syntheism: Creating God in the Internet Age](https://www.amazon.com/Syntheism-Creating-God-Internet-Age/dp/9175471833/ref=sr11?qid=1559663582&refinements=p27%3AAlexander+Bard&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Alexander+Bard)_ Special Guest: Erik Davis.

We talk with Michelle Trumble about her work as a Transformational Breathwork and Shadow-Work Facilitator as she breaks down the Practices for us. We rehash some childhood memories and discuss the Subjectivity and Innacuracies of Memory in the Mind. Lastly, Michelle discusses how a Significant Trauma in her youth has helped Shape Who She Is Today. www.breakingopen.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shane-lemaster/support

You may be having the most extraordinary psychedelic experiences. You may be communicating with DMT-entities. Mamma Ayahuasca might be visiting you nightly. But if it's not making you a kinder person. Then it's just a holiday. It's just a thrill. You might as well just be watching a movie. You might as well be watching Disney's Fantasia because it's not making you kinder person. It's not making you a more loving person. It might even be making you a worse person because you're becoming a self-regarding, vein dick. — Jules Evans, HEx Podcast #19 If you look at the literature on ecstatic experiences, it often just focuses on psychedelic experiences, and it says this is the type of experience you can have when you're on LSD or magic mushrooms or MDMA and so on. That's a rather narrow way of looking at it. In fact, people have similar kinds of ecstatic experiences in lots of different domains, in lots of different fields of human activity. I'm a big admirer of Aldous Huxley, because I think he more than anyone else had this kind of bird's eye view of all the different ways in which people get out of their heads and go beyond their ordinary egos. — Jules Evans, HEx Podcast #19 Jules Evans is a practical philosopher, writer, helps run the largest philosophy club in the world, and played a key role in the modern resurgence of Stoic philosophy. Jules' first book Philosophy for Life and Other Dangerous Situations, explores how ancient Greek and Roman philosophies (particularly Stoicism) can help us flourish today. His second book, The Art of Losing Control, explores how people find ecstatic experiences in modern western culture.   In this episode, we discuss: The wonders and limits of Stoic philosophy Near death experiences Why Aldous Huxley was so great The value of ecstatic experiences Ayahuasca retreats stories The dark side of psychedelics Jules' most recommended books And tons more... NOTABLE MOMENTS What to you is the point of philosophy? [02:54] How Jules became interested in Stoicism and Greek philosophy. [04:10] Was your PTSD triggered by a bad LSD experience? [07:27] What Jules could have done differently to manage the fallout from his difficult LSD trip. [10:06] Jon discusses how he believes his levels of neuroticism has declined as he's gotten older. [11:36] Jon shares his interest in Stoicism. [12:36] Jon explains how he used Stoic techniques to help him cope with the fear of jaw surgery. [13:21] How Jules used Stoicism to help him cope with social anxiety. [14:09] Was simply learning about CBT and Stoicism enough for you to reduce your social anxiety, or was there a practical element too? [16:46] Jules explains how cognitive bias, perfectionism, and poor coping strategies prevented hindered hindered his recovery from anxiety. [19:35] Jules explains what happened in his near death experience (NDE). [22:02] How Jules' epiphany from his near death experience led him to CBT. [30:54] Stoicism is about being true to the god within you. [32:28] How Jules connected his mystical experience with Stoicism, CBT, and eventually Buddhism. [32:54] Jules explains his role in the modern resurgence of Stoicism. [34:17] Some of the areas of human nature Stoicism doesn't address. [37:01] Why did you call your second book The Art of Losing Control? [39:34] Jules explains the wide-ranging states of ecstatic experiences. [41:04] What are the main paths to losing control that you discovered in your research? [43:54] Alcohol as a means to escape ordinary consciousness. [45:44] Jules explains what he calls "The Festival of Ecstasy." [46:59] Jules discusses how war, violence, and crowd rallying can be seen as ecstatic experiences. [52:12] The worship of technology as a substitute for religion. [55:34] The 1960s as the antidote to the Enlightenment's pathologizing of mystical experiences. [57:04] Why is it normal for many of us fear going beyond our ego and have ecstatic experiences? [58:59] What is a spiritual emergency? [01:05:46] Jules explains how any route to transcendence can become unhealthy if it isn't approached wisely. [01:09:26] How ecstatic experiences and psychedelics can lead to ego inflation. [01:13:44] Jules discusses his first ayahuasca ceremony. [01:14:18] The easy and the hard path to becoming a shaman. [01:16:34] The dark side of psychedelics. [01:17:39] What can we do to prevent ourselves from falling into the trap of ego-inflation when having ecstatic experiences? [01:19:11] The only value of ecstatic experiences. [01:23:42] Jules explains how after finishing his two books he then saw the limit of them. [01:25:03] The mature Buddhist view of ecstatic experiences. [01:27:11] How do you live your life both on a daily basis and in a more general sense different after doing the research for these two books? [01:29:03] Jules discusses his post-Ayahuasca dissociated experience. [01:31:46] The importance of understanding spiritual emergencies: a spiritual awakening which has temporary psychotic features. [01:34:27] The things that can help people through spiritual emergencies. [01:37:04] Jon shares a story about a friend's spiritual emergency. [01:40:11] The danger of seeing your experience as unique and special. [01:42:37] The rise in reporting of mystical experiences. [01:45:46] Why we need a mature, nuanced terminology for ecstatic experiences. [01:46:54] What are your favorite books on the topics you write about? [01:48:06] Pema Chodron's personal crisis. [01:53:06] Closing remarks and where to find out more about Jules. [01:54:18] RECOMMENDED BOOKS FROM PODCAST: By Jules Evans: Philosophy for Life and Other Dangerous Situations The Art of Losing Control On Stoicism: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Discourses and Selected Writings by Epictetus On Ecstatic Experiences: The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James Moksha: Aldous Huxley's Classic Writings on Psychedelics and the Visionary Experience by Aldous Huxley Spirituality: The Places That Scare You by Pema Chodron Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism by Chögyam Trungpa Ram Dass' Podcast Other Books Mentioned: The Making of a Counter Culture by Theodore Roszak Spiritual Emergency by Stanislav Grof KEEP UPDATED WITH JULES EVANS: Jules' Official Website: http://www.philosophyforlife.org/

What role does mantra play in the lives of Hindu practitioners? Mani Rao takes us on a journey to three sacred sites across India’s Andhra-Telangana region. The practitioners she engages at these sites offer insight into their transformative embodied experience of mantra. Rao dovetails scholarship and practice to grapple with the captivating, eye-opening, mind-blowing narratives of the practitioners she engages. Living Mantra: Mantra, Deity, and Visionary Experience Today (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018)broaches compelling questions such as: what is the relationship between mantras and deities? Texts? Gurus? Do practitioners relate to mantra as vehicles of meaning, or as aesthetic entities? What is the relationship to sound and visions in mantra practice? What is the role of imagination here? Celebrating lived experience, Living Mantra documents the modern-day existence of seers (rishis), thus underscoring the open, ongoing nature of divine revelation in Hindu traditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What role does mantra play in the lives of Hindu practitioners? Mani Rao takes us on a journey to three sacred sites across India’s Andhra-Telangana region. The practitioners she engages at these sites offer insight into their transformative embodied experience of mantra. Rao dovetails scholarship and practice to grapple with the captivating, eye-opening, mind-blowing narratives of the practitioners she engages. Living Mantra: Mantra, Deity, and Visionary Experience Today (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018)broaches compelling questions such as: what is the relationship between mantras and deities? Texts? Gurus? Do practitioners relate to mantra as vehicles of meaning, or as aesthetic entities? What is the relationship to sound and visions in mantra practice? What is the role of imagination here? Celebrating lived experience, Living Mantra documents the modern-day existence of seers (rishis), thus underscoring the open, ongoing nature of divine revelation in Hindu traditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What role does mantra play in the lives of Hindu practitioners? Mani Rao takes us on a journey to three sacred sites across India’s Andhra-Telangana region. The practitioners she engages at these sites offer insight into their transformative embodied experience of mantra. Rao dovetails scholarship and practice to grapple with the captivating, eye-opening, mind-blowing narratives of the practitioners she engages. Living Mantra: Mantra, Deity, and Visionary Experience Today (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018)broaches compelling questions such as: what is the relationship between mantras and deities? Texts? Gurus? Do practitioners relate to mantra as vehicles of meaning, or as aesthetic entities? What is the relationship to sound and visions in mantra practice? What is the role of imagination here? Celebrating lived experience, Living Mantra documents the modern-day existence of seers (rishis), thus underscoring the open, ongoing nature of divine revelation in Hindu traditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What role does mantra play in the lives of Hindu practitioners? Mani Rao takes us on a journey to three sacred sites across India’s Andhra-Telangana region. The practitioners she engages at these sites offer insight into their transformative embodied experience of mantra. Rao dovetails scholarship and practice to grapple with the captivating, eye-opening, mind-blowing narratives of the practitioners she engages. Living Mantra: Mantra, Deity, and Visionary Experience Today (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018)broaches compelling questions such as: what is the relationship between mantras and deities? Texts? Gurus? Do practitioners relate to mantra as vehicles of meaning, or as aesthetic entities? What is the relationship to sound and visions in mantra practice? What is the role of imagination here? Celebrating lived experience, Living Mantra documents the modern-day existence of seers (rishis), thus underscoring the open, ongoing nature of divine revelation in Hindu traditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What role does mantra play in the lives of Hindu practitioners? Mani Rao takes us on a journey to three sacred sites across India’s Andhra-Telangana region. The practitioners she engages at these sites offer insight into their transformative embodied experience of mantra. Rao dovetails scholarship and practice to grapple with the captivating, eye-opening, mind-blowing narratives of the practitioners she engages. Living Mantra: Mantra, Deity, and Visionary Experience Today (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018)broaches compelling questions such as: what is the relationship between mantras and deities? Texts? Gurus? Do practitioners relate to mantra as vehicles of meaning, or as aesthetic entities? What is the relationship to sound and visions in mantra practice? What is the role of imagination here? Celebrating lived experience, Living Mantra documents the modern-day existence of seers (rishis), thus underscoring the open, ongoing nature of divine revelation in Hindu traditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What role does mantra play in the lives of Hindu practitioners? Mani Rao takes us on a journey to three sacred sites across India’s Andhra-Telangana region. The practitioners she engages at these sites offer insight into their transformative embodied experience of mantra. Rao dovetails scholarship and practice to grapple with the captivating, eye-opening, mind-blowing narratives of the practitioners she engages. Living Mantra: Mantra, Deity, and Visionary Experience Today (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018)broaches compelling questions such as: what is the relationship between mantras and deities? Texts? Gurus? Do practitioners relate to mantra as vehicles of meaning, or as aesthetic entities? What is the relationship to sound and visions in mantra practice? What is the role of imagination here? Celebrating lived experience, Living Mantra documents the modern-day existence of seers (rishis), thus underscoring the open, ongoing nature of divine revelation in Hindu traditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Visionary artists draw maps of the ineffable for the rest of us. In today's episode, Alex Grey talks with Ken about his approach to this visionary plane, and the steps it took for him to give himself fully to expressions of the cosmic. In the process, they discuss Alex's deep connection to Ram Dass, his thoughts about gurus, about working with shadow material, the drug war, and what it's like to see your artwork tattooed on thousands of people. They also dive into the inspiration behind the Sacred Mirrors - the series of 21 paintings of spiritual states that took Alex a decade to complete - and the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, or CoSM, the home of those paintings and as well as a home base for Visionary Art and psychedelic spirituality in upstate NY. Alex Grey is the author of Sacred Mirrors, Transfigurations, The Mission of Art, and Art Psalms. His work has graced numerous album covers including those of Nirvana, TOOL, and the Beastie Boys; and been exhibited throughout the world. In 2004, Alex and his wife, artist Allyson Grey, opened the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM) in New York City, a gallery and sacred space for Alex's original paintings and other visionary artworks. In 2009, CoSM, now a church, moved from Manhattan to the Hudson Valley.You can find out more about Alex Grey and his work at http://www.cosm.org and at http://www.alexgrey.com. Follow us on Instagram @TheEvolverPodcast: https://www.instagram.com/theevolverpodcastThe Evolver is sponsored by The Alchemist's Kitchen, a botanical dispensary dedicated to the power of plants, where you can ask an herbalist to recommend the herbal remedy that's most right for you. Visit https://www.thealchemistskitchen.com. For a 20% discount off any online purchase, use the code: podcast20. Theme music is “Measure by Measure,” courtesy of DJ Spooky, aka Paul D. Miller (@djspooky), from his album The Secret Song, and interstitial music are tracks by The Human Experience: "Sunu" from the album Soul Visions with Rising Appalachia, and Here for a Moment on the album Gone Gone Beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Tindall is the author of The Jaguar That Roams the Mind, The Shamanic Odyssey: Homer, Tolkien, and the Visionary Experience and Sacred Soil: Biochar and the Regeneration of the Earth. In this conversation we talk about his exploration of indigenous healing traditions of North and South America, including his work with ayahuasca and peyote, and get into a discussion about mythology and the hero's journey.Robert's Bio:Robert Tindall, M.A. is a writer, father, classical guitarist, long-time practitioner of Zen Buddhism, and an inveterate traveler, whose work explores the crossing of frontiers into other cultures, time depths, and states of consciousness. He is the author of three books on shamanism and indigenous lifeways, "The Jaguar that Roams the Mind," "The Shamanic Odyssey: Homer, Tolkien, and the Visionary Experience," and "Sacred Soil: Biochar and the Regeneration of the Earth," along with numerous articles on themes such as pilgrimage along the Camino to Santiago, the medieval quest, and the indigenous prophetic and healing traditions of the Americas.Robert works as a professor of Literature, a leader of writing workshops, and a meditation instructor. He divides his time between the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, Mendocino, and the San Francisco Bay Area.Free StuffCheck out my short film The Shamanic Roots of YogaNew eBook on a yogic approach to integrating ecstatic experiences Wisdom of the HeartSupport the Podcast!1. Leave a review on iTunes, or share with your friends on social media2. Become a Patreon supporter at http://patreon.com/brianjamesteaching and gain access to many hours of yoga practice resources including vinyasa sequences, breathwork, chanting and guided meditations.Show LinksRobert's websites:http://www.roamingthemind.comhttps://www.roberttindallauthor.comIntro & Outro MusicIcaro expressing gratitude to the plants by Maestro Juan Flores, Mayantuyacu, Peruvian AmazonAbout Brian JamesBrian James is a yoga teacher, musician and artist currently living in Montréal, Canada. He has been exploring the intersection of music, yoga and shamanism for over 20 years.medicinepathyoga.combrianjamesyoga.cominstagram.com/brianjamesyogaSupport the Medicine Path PodcastSubscribe! RSS / iTunes / Google Playtags: shamanism, psychedelics, peyote, ayahuasca, joseph campbell, mythology, santo daime, native american church

Revelation and Visionary Experience.

In this Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Robert Mulholland explains key aspects of the work that must be kept in mind in order to properly understand it.

This lecture examines the Revelation of the Magi, an apocryphal Christian text preserved in Syriac and ostensibly narrated by the Magi of Matthew's Gospel, with a focus on understanding better the unusual phenomena described in this document. After providing a brief overview of this little-known text, it will assess how likely it is that the visionary experiences of the Magi in this writing actually represent the lived experiences of some early Christians, a methodological challenge familiar to interpreters of pseudepigraphical Jewish and Christian literature. Landau argues that there is indeed sufficient evidence to regard these textualized events as derivatives of "real world" religious experience. It will then consider in more detail several of the stranger and more distinctive practices and experiences in the Revelation of the Magi: the Magi's practice of silent prayer; their ingesting of a substance that leads to polymorphic visions of Christ; and Christ's manifestation to them as both a star and a small luminous human being. Brent Landau is Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. His research focus is on early Christian traditions about the birth and childhood of Jesus, with a special interest in the Magi, better known as the "three wise men." His forthcoming first book is a translation of the Revelation of the Magi, an ancient Christian text purporting to be the Magi's own account of Christ's coming.

Institute of Historical Research 'Female agony and visionary experience: Jane Lead (1624-1704), her last days and its impact upon the Philadelphian Society, c.1697-1704' Ariel Hessayon (Goldsmiths) British History in the Long Eighteenth Centu...

Byzantine chants, Gregorian chants, icaros, and sacred songs are featured. Robert Tindall talks to us from the from the Takiwasi clinic in Peru, and discusses his new book, "The Shamanic Odyssey: Homer, Tolkien, and the Visionary Experience", as well as "The Jaguar that Roams the Mind", his book about apprenticing with an ayahuasca shaman in South America. Be sure to check out The Shamanic Odyssey: Homer, Tolkien, and the Visionary Experience and The Jaguar that Roams the Mind: An Amazonian Plant Spirit Odyssey on Amazon.com. YouTube tracks featured in this Episode: Byzantine chant - Praise the Lord, Icaro for peace, Gregorian Chant - Kyrie Eleison, Gregorian Chant - Dies Irae, Song of the Dwarves, Enigma - Sadeness, TheReal Mix - Hard Dubstep Edit & Gregorian Chant, Icaro - Juan Flores, Gregorian Dubstep - Kozmic Klimax

Pastor Boyle compares visions from the OT prophets and "vision casting" from modern day. Pastor Boyle's paper can be read here: http://pastorsconference.yolasite.com/resources/The_Visionary_Experience_of_the_Prophets_Boyle.pdf