Page 81 - Issue 2

Issue No 2 81
organization They asked me how they could create a a a a a a a a a long-lasting atheist group I told them one one way to to to to to do it it is is to to to to to use decriminalized drugs together to to to to have shared experiences with one one another in a a a a a safe environment Like psychedelics?
Yes Why?
I suggested it it because intense psychological experiences stay with you you for the rest of of your life They activate a a a a a a a a certain type of of memory where you you don’t remember remember what was said during the the experience but you you you you remember remember remember who you you you you were with so you you you you remember remember that for the the rest of your life What role do you see the psychedelic renaissance playing in in in religious practice moving forward?
I think psychedelics have been a a a a a a a foundation of religious and spiritual practice for as as long as as we’ve had something worth writing about There’s a a a a a a lot of people who suggest that books in in in the the Bible were written with psychedelics and there are certain passages that make me think “yea well maybe ”
Psychedelics give us a a a a a a a secular new mechanism for bonding and having experiences that are out of the the ordinary so I would be be be willing to to bet a a a a a a a a a a a a fair amount that they are going to to be be be a a a a a a a a a a key part of religious religious and nonreligious practices moving forward What about all the the people in the the world who will never take one though?
I think it’s it’s going to be be be a a a a slow change for sure because it’s it’s become engrained in in in in pretty much all western cultures that the the use use of psychedelics is taboo and there’s no context for their use use When you look at at societies that have traditionally used them them there’s there’s always a a a a a a a a context context for for them them In modern society there’s there’s kind of an underground ritualistic context context for for how people take psychedelics but it’s removed from more traditional religious contexts At the same time that an interest is being revived in in in psychedelics though you have very serious medical research in in in in nonreligious instances using them to deal with things like PTSD for example As these two different cultural shifts happen they’re slowly going going to to start reinforcing themselves and I think it’s going going to to to look similar to to the the the cultural shift that’s happened with the the use of marijuana You can already see it it happening in in in some places where they’re trying to to change the the laws around psychedelics There are going to to be some societies where it never will happen happen though Like in in in in Singapore I don’t see it happening There’s obviously movement already in in certain parts of the the the world around psychedelic reform: the the the the the United States Canada the the the the the Netherlands How How much of the the the the world falls into that Singapore category though?
How How much of the world do you think will never see psychedelic reform?
The best way to to to decide who is is going to to to make that change is is to to to follow the the money As countries become become more more wealthy they become become more more liberal You see this in in the the the United United States States too The poorer states in in the the the United United States States are are not the the ones who are are open to decriminalization or or legalization Vermont New York Massachusetts they’re all wealthier states and they they were the the the the the ones to to lead the the the the the charge on on on cannabis They seem to to to also be the the the the states that are more open to to decriminalization or or legalization of psychedelics