Guest speaker: Terence McKenna
PROGRAM NOTES:
[NOTE: All quotations are by Terence McKenna.]
“I cannot conceive of mature human beings going from the cradle to the grave without ever finding out about [the psychedelic experience]. It’s like not finding out about sex or something. It’s just too weird. It’s a part of our birthright. It’s not a cultural artifact. . . . This is, as far as I can tell, the dimension in which we most fully experience ourselves as ourselves.”
“We have to be very careful about the corrosive effects of culture.”
“There was almost a kind of symbiotic relationship between early human beings and plants, specifically psychedelic plants.”
“Human culture has become, charitably, a random walk, uncharitably a kind of cancerous, exponential cascade of unstoppable effects.”
“It’s a very hopeful sign to look around and notice that the only barriers to the solution to our problems are intellectual barriers, barriers in our own minds.”
“There is no percentage in paralysis here at the brink.”
“Then I discovered psychedelic plants, and it was like the descent of an angel into the desert of reason.”
“I’m convinced that the impulse that I feel in myself and that I see in other people toward the psychedelic experience has to do with its potential historical impact.”
“Ideology, to my mind, is the denial of the obvious and the substitution of something else.”
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Thank you Lorenzo. This is one of the first TM lectures I ever heard and he sucked me right in. (Did I send you this on DVD?) Great to hear intelligent discussion with the Orange Imbecile filling the news.
Not voting?!? Who would suggest such a thing?
https://youtu.be/Gq3Fp-xp0l0?t=25m31s
🙂
[COMMENT by Lorenzo: Thanks for that link. I had completely forgotten about that. Here is one of Leary’s quotes from that talk, “You, the younger generation in particular, have got to drop out, and by drop out I mean all the way. You can’t vote, I urge you not to do politics, don’t picket, don’t get involved in any of these menopausal mind games because it doesn’t make any difference.” . . . and I think that it’s the one in podcast #199, https://psychedelicsalon.com/podcast-199-timothy-leary-at-mit-1967%e2%80%b3/ ]
Thank you for continuing to do these, even if there are some of us who are not so grateful. I’m interested in Terrance’s ideas on the evolution of language. Do you know where I could find some more information on this? Maybe it’s coming up in the next podcasts. Thanks again kind sir.
[COMMENT by Lorenzo: If you go to our Podcasts page, you’ll see a CATEGORY dropdown button. Language is one of the categories, and there are now 64 podcasts that mention it in some way, most are from Terence. Here’s the link:
https://psychedelicsalon.com/category/topics/language/
Hopefully you will find your answer in one of those. Sorry that I can’t be of any more help.]
Search youtube for “The Meaning of Meaning, Reality, Cognition and Linguistics (Noam Chomsky, Terence Mckenna)” for some ideas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA4MNyVw7OE&t=375s
Collaborating with the russians is treason. Justice department needs to indict him. Inagurating trump is a crime against humanity.
Hey Lorenzo,
Hope you’ve been well.
Looking forward to the next talk.. when will that be? Oh that’s right whenever you can be bothered..
It’s so in tune with this whole community ( at least the ones making abit of $$ out of it, including erowid ) You hold onto these talks and drip feed it to us. People PAY you weekly for this. This place is full of donate now buttons. Send the box my way and I’ll release them all at once for the world and pay out of my own pocket.. Others would jump at the chance.. Or at least get them out there.. It’s been years man.
Saves them from rotting in a “box in the garage”..
Oh well enjoy the cash and respect you get for holding onto the tapes oh gatekeeper.
Thanks anyway I’ll keep listening as you have the content/power.
What a lame comment, Shaman. Some of us happy with each post. Something can be said for delayed gratification.
What a pleasant surprise while working today to hear a thank you to Palm Springs Pool Service. It was completely unexpected. Brightened my day. No problem with the recurring payments, in fact I will try to donate more often then I have. Your podcast has a lot of value in my life. Thanks for everything you do and have done! Sad to hear you wont be as involved with the 2.0, but it sounds like it will be awesome once it gets going. I would like an invite to the slack if that would be ok. Hopefully you will still do the occasional guest spots like you recently did on the 3rd Eye Drops podcast. Thanks again Lorenzo!
[COMMENT by Lorenzo: News of my “retirement” is incorrect. I’m still going to be very involved, but I won’t be the person selecting the talks. That will be up to whomever we figure out to pass it on to. I’ll still introduce the, hopefully, completely packaged podcast done by others. But I’ll still open each podcast, at least for several years. As an old nemesis of mine so famously said, “You haven’t gotten rid of me yet.” 🙂 . . . And thanks for being a part of the salon, Palm Springs saloners.]
It’s great that Mckenna’s spirit lives on through all the audio of his voice that has been recorded.
Terence lives on!
Hi Lorenzo,
Regretted posting my comment on the previous episode soon thereafter and more so now after you called me out for it. Should have just skipped listening and let it go at that, no comment necessary. Anyway, no malice was intended and judging by the sarcastic way you read it, you may have taken offence. Also I did not accept your invitation to join in on Version 2.0 because at sixty-six, I’m nearing your own age, am pretty much a loner, have no contacts of interest, and thus would have nothing to contribute. I’m personally wishing you would just continue as is, as long as possible. Listening won’t be the same without your commentary and familiar voice.
Thanks for the heads up regarding Jill Stein, albeit too late for me as I mailed my ballot in long ago, and also voted for her in the last election. I learned too late again of an alternative party, more in keeping with my own values, the Humane Party. While they weren’t on the ballot here in California, I could’ve written in their candidate. While I share your disgust with our fake democracy, I’m not yet at the point of non-participation. All the best to you Lorenzo.
[COMMENT by Lorenzo: Thank you for your thoughtful comment. And thank you also for your previous comment, as it allowed me to point out the fact that as we move forward, dialogue with people we disagree with is important, and with Trump in the White House we’d better figure out how to dialogue with his supporters.
Personally, I see this as a great chance to make some real change in this country. Both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party are now in disarray. If ever there was a chance for a third party to move up to equal status now is the moment. If the Bernie Bros and Black Lives Matter can find a way to involve themselves with the Green Party, that might work. Or, a completely new party may evolve. But at least there is now an opening here.
Now, as to you being too old to participate in Salon 2.0, I just sent you an invite to join our Slack team. I’m an old loner myself, and I think that you and I still have something to add to the discussion. Your opinion as to the quality and selection of speakers would be quite valuable for us all, I believe. Whether you realize it or not, many, many of our fellow saloners are also loners, and some are even older than you and me. I hope to see you there :-).]
I’ve actually got this series downloaded in my mckenna folder but the recordings skip quite a bit in certain places. Hopefully your files are better!