As students of the psychedelic domain, we understand that the situation of being in the world requires us to participate in culture in ways that promote interconnectedness and love. This is the consistent understanding these medicines carry with them. In contrast, the cultural message that we often experience as men is one promoting insulation and emotional suppression. One of these messages is an invitation toward curiosity and furthering understanding; the other is a coaxing toward severance and self abandonment.
We know from being in touch with our basic humanness that a state of interconnectedness and love is a state of naturally thriving. We know from psychology that repressing that which desires to blossom from within degrades both psyche and physiology. We understand from being networked in relationships that when we’re living in a state of discontent, we radiate negativity to those in our circles of influence, which often radiates outward from there.
”In order for us to become agents of healing for others, we must first
heal ourselves, so that we may embody a position of healing in the world.
From this understanding we can see how being told by culture to repress and isolate makes us sick, which leads to the perpetuation of sickness in the culture. We recognize that we must stop being agents of sickness in the cultural system. We recognize that we must become agents of healing and regeneration. In order for us to become agents of healing for others, we must first heal ourselves, so that we may embody a position of healing in the world.
Those who have experienced psychedelic states know that, as agents of healing themselves, the psychedelic medicines allow us to face with openness the parts of ourselves that we typically close ourselves off to. If we are in a container of safety, this attentive openness facilitates integration and healing. In the same way, by creating a safe container for men to explore the parts of ourselves that we don’t give enough attention to, we can facilitate healing in ourselves, and feed that healing forward throughout our families, communities, and the greater global consciousness. When we take the message of the psychedelic domain seriously and put it into practice, we each become what I call “the psychedelic man”.
The psychedelic man understands that the process of integration is a lifelong undertaking that imbues life with meaning. The psychedelic man speaks courageously, listens deeply, embraces humility, and approaches all issues with curiosity. The psychedelic man leads other men toward integration through wisdom, action, and firm but compassionate guidance. The psychedelic man looks at all beings as his brothers and sisters, and thereby takes responsibility for engendering the thriving of all beings. The psychedelic man looks to the entire ancestry of humanity as teachers. The psychedelic man looks to archetypal stories and myths rather than cultural trends for guidance. The psychedelic man understands that a system of support is a prerequisite for
flourishing. The psychedelic man lives his purpose and undertakes only what is meaningful. The psychedelic man is the man the world is waiting for us to become.
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I have not much dabbled in psychedelics, but nevertheless I seem to qualify as one with a commitment to the values and principles of The Psychedelic Man.