Coming out of the Psychedelic Closet
posted by ˉΓ Callahan | October 23, 2011
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IcerocketHello all,
I am writing this in a fairly impromptu manner but cannot help but feel this is as good a place to start voicing these feelings and thoughts of mine. I intend for this to be both a sharing of my opinion as well as a welcomed invitation for discussion and responses; I am truly craving the thoughts of others. Please bear with me if it seems I ramble; I hope to maintain the most cohesive and concise speech possible.
For quite some time now, probably the better part of the past two years at least, I have come to identify what I refer to as the "psychedelic closet". Stemming from a sense of alienation that can seem all too common when one voices a concept or opinion relating to alternative or non-ordinary realms of reality, I have undoubtedly grown increasingly frustrated. As such I have dubbed the term "psychedelic closet" as a means to encompass all that may stand to shed even the smallest sliver of light upon the mind of the individual and the whole.
Existing in our current state of present, the idea of the "closet" in general has gained significant momentum due primarily to the well deserved support for the equal rights of gay and lesbian individuals. As such, amongst many this closet has come to stand for a place in which said individuals remain until ready to openly express their sexual identity with the world. At the same time, the notion that one does not simply choose a sexual identity but is simply born one way or the other holds a dominant position within the conversation. With a growing respect given to the gay community this perspective has become increasingly accepted and rightfully so. No longer are we to question whether the individual has made a decision to be gay or not, one simply is. Following from this, the act of "coming out the closet" is then hopefully to be greeted with the support and acceptance deserved by every individual. As such, I have found myself wondering about a similar application of this dilemma in dealing with a psychedelic awakening within our world. Why is it that many continue to be ostracized upon relaying a [third]-eye-opening experience?
Speaking as someone who is well aware of the good fortunes that I have been blessed with in this life, I forever hope to maintain the deserving respect and gratitude to those, notably my family, that have taught and provided me with so much. That said, I have also been extremely fortunate to play participant in some incredibly enlightening experiences throughout my life. Be it the result of an entheogenic substance, a guided meditation or an incredible Kundalini yoga session I know my mind has expanded to include some incredible insights I could have only ever hoped for. Grateful for these experiences and the lessons I have learned as a result, the notion of ever being able to remove these from my life is utterly impossible. As such, moving forward from these experiences can at some times pose a daunting task in and of itself. Whether it is synthesizing these powerful experiences purely for one's own self or within the context of a greater setting such as family, friends or society as a whole, the act of expanding one's consciousness allows for incredible growth but in turn demands a great level of mindfulness.
In the spirit of remaining as brief as possible I would like to turn this around to ask those that have read for any personal advice, experience, opinions and input they may have. As we continue to work towards a planetary awakening we are only as strong as those that surround us. To quote one of the founders of the Evolver movement, Daniel Pinchbeck, "Unlike material phenomena that is quantifiable, metaphysical phenomena is only as powerful as the thought which it is given." To those that wish to give thought to the ideas that may shape a new world, how do we come out of this psychedelic closet?
Comments
Integration
— Oct 23, 2011
How do we come out of the psychedelic closet...
I sometimes refer to myself as a "closet hippie" I also refer to myself as a "mind hippe" as opposed to other hippie strains that are more centered with a focus on the environment, although the deeper you go in either path, the more you realize how interdependent they are.
So why am I a closet mind hippie and not an out of the closet mind hippie? Well on paper I am out of the closet but talking to me, I just don't look like it. I joined a fraternity but also created an introspective student organization... which earned me a little nickname from my fraternity brothers, "IntrospectiveFRAT" So I may think a long the same lines as most people who are occupying this or that city, but I dress like most people who make fun of those people. Not because I'm faking it, but because I'm just sort of a preppy kid. I focus on integrating all people and their beliefs around a basis of the truth, (metaphysical and sociological) and look towards the future, as opposed to the present for the possibility of this ideal.
Although academia is still a little behind, it's good to look at the the entertainment world as a source for exposing people like us to the point where the closet isn't really necessary. For instance, a friend of mind gave me the movie Harvard Man last night... a 2002 film starring Adrien Grennier and Sarah Michelle Geller about a harvard student who takes LSD for the first time and is interested in understanding the part of him behind his identity.
Although sometimes I feel the urge to walk around with a sign that says "psychedelics increase awareness" I focus on the work I wish to pursue and the goals I have set for myself and realize I have an opportunity to make a realistic impact, which makes me happy. Aside from that, I just answer a question or two or voice my little opinion whenever interesting topics like the one you just raised come up.. regardless of whose sitting in front of me.. and that way I can peak my head out of the closet often enough for everyone to see that the need for the closet at all is largely unecessary because the ideas the closet is containing are slowly becoming transitioned from the unbelievably novel to the powerful, but common sensical.
As slavery moved to equal rights and now to "duh no one cares about skin color"
So will "refer madness" move to legalization and "duh this makes you more aware, that's why scientists are researching it, and churches are forming around it"
It's just a matter of evolution, and integrating the closet hippie through the main stream is a natural part of it.
Thanks
— Oct 23, 2011
Thanks for the thoughtful insight to my original post. I appreciate your taking the time to provide a well formulated response that really did speak to a lot of what I had discussed.
Here's to the future and the integration of "mind hippies" around the world.
sharinterdimensional awareness
— Oct 23, 2011
I have always had a deep awareness of how multi fauceted the world is.. but when I hit my Twenties I stepped into the shoes of a psychedelic warrior ...which later brought me to the path of a shaman.now that I have had such a wide spectrum of spiritual truth in my day to day I have found more and more ways to accept that most people could not have my vision of the world and still function amongst society.a simple fact about my perspective:i see the layers to life,constantly changing frequency.in order for me to start explaining that view to people I ussually have a few visual aids that are derived from scientific research... such as the book the Secret life of water by Masaru Emoto .. this book shows the affect words have on ice crystals...its has been a good way for me to start building a bridge with people who have no spiritual background.. .no matter how many bridges have been built from this world into the next,it is never an easy task to cross the border into un tamed territory ..
first off, I'd like to
— Oct 23, 2011
first off, I'd like to mention the concept of "wu wei", or "do without doing"
I literally used to smoke DMT in my closet alot... so I guess I'm a closet case
a few things that I have to remind myself of: Not everyone has had the same experiences that I have (duh). Alot more people than I realize have had experiences like i have (in the most unlikely of places). Lots of very straight-laced friends have been able to easily come up with/perceive concepts that I wasn't able to understand until I'd taken many drugs.
So yeah... It can be really tricky trying to not weird people out/ create controversy/confusion, but it can also help you to understand your humanity.
These days I stick to pot and meditation but the mystical experiences just never stopped.
i'm amazed at how i'll get high and experience this giant culmination of trip-flashbacks which completely terrify me at times... but I calmly sit through it and realize that they've made me who I am.... and the inner peace is still there the whole time.
advice from some mother I used to talk to: "you have to treat all young kids as if they were tripping"
... we're all tripping... all the time...
Hollywood media has been subtly pushing these concepts on us for awhile now.
Food for thought
— Oct 24, 2011
All of these responses continue to provide a lot of good food for thought. Thanks for taking the time to share these with myself and others.
Good topic
— Oct 24, 2011
Aside from being illegal, I think the main reason out-of-the-closet psychedelic enthusiasts are met with ostracism is due to what happened back in the 60's. The acid wave swept through and led to lots of changes, but it fell short of accomplishing the new age of enlightenment that it was advertising. I think the overall approach to these substances was rather immature back then. Plus there was a lack of organization, cooperation, and hard work to follow up the best ideas coming out of the movement, and it ultimately lost nearly all of its momentum.
I do believe that era planted a seed, and a lot of work has been going on underground since then, preparing that seed to bloom. As a people we're learning from the past and figuring out the best ways to delve into the power, mystery, and beauty that psychedelics can open up. Simply going through the psychedelic experience can show a person things they never could have imagined and can change them deeply, but in my mind that isn't enough to create any real change in the attitude of the population at large. Those of us lucky enough to know the potentials psychedelics hold HAVE to use them to do amazing things. We have to accept the responsibilities that come with our blessings and run with them. That means listening to the lessons our experiences teach us, showing the proper appreciation by making the necessary changes to ourselves, and going out and accomplishing things that are in line with each of our unique dreams. After that, we have to give credit where it's due and be open about the role psychedelics have played in our lives. Two small examples of this are Francis Crick -admitting to "discovering" the structure of DNA while under the influence of LSD- and Steve Jobs -saying his psychedelic experiences were some of the most important of his life. We need more people to bravely open up and pour their psychedelic energy back into the world so everybody can see the proof of it's value. Until that happens we'll continue to be looked at as lazy hippies getting high.
Everybody loves seeing dreams come true, so if you have some awesome ones, share them with people, do what you can to help them become real, and the energy to make it happen will follow. I've got faith in all of us, and I know we're each playing our part in this amazing thing called life, where the possibilities are endless and the future keeps looking brighter. Shit yeah. Let's do this :)
"As we continue to work
— Oct 24, 2011
"As we continue to work towards a planetary awakening we are only as strong as those that surround us". i dig that, good shit man
It's great to read your
— Jan 06, 2012
It's great to read your post. I often think of the psychedelic/drug use movement as needing to come out of the closet and wander what would happen if we all just stood up once and for all - surely the state cannot arrest the millions of people across the world (billions even) who have dared to change their consciousness through the use of substances or through other means.
I've written a little more about it here: http://monicabarratt.net/?p=264 - but I'm still thinking it through. How is the best way to represent one's own experiences when inhabiting a world that demands such parts of ourselves remain hidden?
