{"id":87,"date":"2023-03-08T00:31:05","date_gmt":"2023-03-08T00:31:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beingawake.net\/wp\/?page_id=87"},"modified":"2024-04-12T22:11:51","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T22:11:51","slug":"exploring-the-mind","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/beingawake.net\/wp\/exploring-the-mind\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the Mind"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In August 1974, a few weeks before starting a new job at the University of Washington, I went by myself to Maui for three weeks. Upon arrival, I bought my first pair of Birkenstock sandals and, for a cost of $3.33, a copy of \u201cBe Here Now\u201d by Ram Dass. By the way, this was during a time in my life when the number “3” was showing up repeatedly, everywhere, usually in multiples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The friends I hooked up with suggested I might want to try the \u201cmagic mushrooms\u201d which I had read about in that book. So we journeyed to Hana, found the grassy mound upon which sits \u201cFagan\u2019s Cross,\u201d hopped over a fence, and made our way up the hill. It was a grazing area, and the mushrooms grew happily in the cow patties.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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I\u2019m sure the dose was way too high (I certainly got way too high). I remember, as the drug kicked in, nervously asking in my mind \u201cAm I going to die?\u201d and hearing a voice (it was my own voice) saying gently, \u201cyes, but not today.\u201d It wasn\u2019t an entirely blissful trip, but it was definitely life-changing.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The net effect on me was to initiate a major psychological reset. I lost a lot of my critical self-doubt and floated through the next several months with a contented grin on my face, loving everyone and everything. I wondered if I was experiencing what it felt like to be Jesus. I also recall that if something tickled my funny bone, I could easily begin laughing nearly uncontrollably. About that time, Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon, and that seemed perfectly fine to me. I was all into forgiveness and light. That lasted for two or three months, fading slowly in intensity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ayahuasca Trips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Subsequent to the mushroom trip of 1974, I did not venture into the world of psychedelics until much later, although before married life I did enjoy occasional altered states of consciousness listening on headphones to my favorite LPs on the turntable. After a couple of tokes of cannabis I could really immerse myself into the musical experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More recently, in January, 2018 on the recommendation of a spiritual comedian we liked, Kyle Cease, we traveled to Guanacaste, Costa Rica, to “Rythmia Life Advancement Center”<\/a> on a get-away vacation. Kyle would be there and we thought it would be fun to spend some time with him in a group. The yoga, metaphysics classes, hydro-colonic cleanses, volcanic mud baths, dead sea cleanses, breathwork, massages, and farm-to-table organic food were definitely calling us as well. We didn’t realize at the time that Rythmia is known for being one of the few places in the world that is legally authorized to offer plant medicine (ayahuasca) ceremonies. We decided to go for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A visit to Rythmia typically involves arrival on a Saturday, and staying through until the following weekend. We met Gerry Powell, the center’s founder, and very much enjoyed the “orientation” talk he gave on Monday morning. In many ways it was like a hilarious comedy stand-up routine, as he described in a self-deprecating way his personal history as a very successful but rather unscrupulous entrepreneur who had been addicted to sex, alcohol, and other substances. Even though he had sold his cosmetic surgery company for $94 million, had 5 houses, 20+ cars, and 2 planes, he was never satisfied with anything in his abundant life. As he has admitted, “I became a world class asshole, one of the biggest walking pricks on Earth. And not only was I an asshole, I was unhappy.” Suicidal, in fact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When he hit bottom, he realized something had to be done and he allowed himself to be hauled in to a rehabilitation center in Los Angeles. After many months, rehab wasn’t working. A friend said, “I’ve found something that might work for you, but I don’t think you’re strong enough to do it.” The challenge was to visit a shaman in Costa Rica for a plant medicine ceremony, and it was one that Gerry accepted. His experience with the shaman, who expertly guided him on the journey, is documented in Gerry’s book Shit the Moon Said: A Story of Sex, Drugs, and Ayahuasca.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Gerry says “It was during my eighth or ninth plant medicine journey that I was finally getting a real sense of freedom.” He says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I got to see how the universe really works and I understood for the first time what love was and I understood why I was the way that I was, why I was that way with women, why I was a drunk, why I was a sex addict, why I couldn\u2019t connect with people, why I had attachment disorder, why I was a nut. I understood why and next morning, I was a different human. And this is all from one night. I was a different man in one night.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Here’s a photo of us with Gerry at Rythmia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plant medicine experience at Rythmia starts on Tuesday and involves four ceremonies beginning in the evening and lasting till about midnight each night, except for the Thursday night marathon event does not end until daylight Friday morning. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I didn’t experience anything really life-changing during these ceremonies, though I had a clear sense that I was purging unwanted or obsolete energy patterns in my mind and body as I threw up in the bucket each person had handy next to their mat. Purging is not at all unexpected and can be beneficial. It also explains why no one considers ayahuasca use to be in any way habit-forming! The first time vomiting was quite intense, as I unsuccessfully tried to hold in whatever was trying to be expelled. After that, I got much better at letting go, so that was good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actually, the most intensely engaging part of that experience for me was the music. Rythmia employs actual practicing shamans, who not only administer the brew, but also chant or play instruments during the ceremony. They also had a recorded playlist of evocative music, the “icaros” traditionally used by shamans in healing ceremonies. Here’s an example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n