Culture is Not Your Friend
This portrait is of the American philosopher and ‘psychonaut’ Terence McKenna, who is known predominantly for what is labeled the ‘stoned-ape theory’, which is the idea that human intelligence evolution was brought about through our early ancestors interaction with psilocybin containing mushrooms (magic mushrooms).
McKenna believed that within these naturally occurring organic psychedelic substances that contemporary Western culture has demonised as Class A ‘drugs’, are compounds that enable humanity to reconnect to a frequency of spirituality and humanity through responsible and ritualistic practice, rather than connecting to Facebook or Twitter to upload photographs from our participation in the theatre of drink culture.
If we can recognise the contradictions in a culture that allow us to inebriate ourselves with recreational drugs that are completely legal and taxable such as alcohol and nicotine, yet are potentially some of the most harmful substances known to man, then we can begin to question our desire for these initiators of holidays from our everyday states of consciousness.
Is it possible to consider Britain’s love affair with these substances as a by-product of a culture that permits their use as they do not interfere with the capitalist agendas of contemporary society, unlike sacred and visionary plants that connect us to a frequency of humanism and empathy that if where to be made legal would bring about the fall of much of consumerist culture as we know it?
Is it also possible that many of those who do partake in regular alcohol consumption are doing so because it is a culturally permissible norm that is not only encouraged but expected and celebrated as a right in the journey into adulthood, despite the common associations with violence, promiscuity, and other neo-cortex inhibiting activities?
Our culture anticipates that we partake in inebriations as a method of relaxation. It is every adult’s sovereign right to have control of their own consciousness if there is no harm done to others in the process. How much choice are we given to participate in ritualistic alcohol consumption with constant capitalist alcohol-fuelled propaganda in many TV advertisements, popular music, and newspaper article interruptions? What if we where to recognise McKennas idea; “Culture is not your friend”, and so turn our backs on it for the creation of our own meaningful and authentic experiences that increase intelligence rather than inhibit it.
McKenna believed that within these naturally occurring organic psychedelic substances that contemporary Western culture has demonised as Class A ‘drugs’, are compounds that enable humanity to reconnect to a frequency of spirituality and humanity through responsible and ritualistic practice, rather than connecting to Facebook or Twitter to upload photographs from our participation in the theatre of drink culture.
If we can recognise the contradictions in a culture that allow us to inebriate ourselves with recreational drugs that are completely legal and taxable such as alcohol and nicotine, yet are potentially some of the most harmful substances known to man, then we can begin to question our desire for these initiators of holidays from our everyday states of consciousness.
Is it possible to consider Britain’s love affair with these substances as a by-product of a culture that permits their use as they do not interfere with the capitalist agendas of contemporary society, unlike sacred and visionary plants that connect us to a frequency of humanism and empathy that if where to be made legal would bring about the fall of much of consumerist culture as we know it?
Is it also possible that many of those who do partake in regular alcohol consumption are doing so because it is a culturally permissible norm that is not only encouraged but expected and celebrated as a right in the journey into adulthood, despite the common associations with violence, promiscuity, and other neo-cortex inhibiting activities?
Our culture anticipates that we partake in inebriations as a method of relaxation. It is every adult’s sovereign right to have control of their own consciousness if there is no harm done to others in the process. How much choice are we given to participate in ritualistic alcohol consumption with constant capitalist alcohol-fuelled propaganda in many TV advertisements, popular music, and newspaper article interruptions? What if we where to recognise McKennas idea; “Culture is not your friend”, and so turn our backs on it for the creation of our own meaningful and authentic experiences that increase intelligence rather than inhibit it.