drugo

Hi Seldom. Thanks for the in-depth response. I appreciate it. I haven't read Deleuze for a couple of years now. Your post makes me want to go a read some more. My comment on Deleuze's anti-drug perspectives comes from Peta Malin's work: Thanks Compost, I'll check out on sorcery. I am not sure where I picked up the notion of Deleuze being a staunch atheist. I have definitely heard it among his surrogate pupils at different universities over the years. You did make me think of this piece that critics the readings of Deleuze as athiest, which again, I read years ago. It may be of interest, if you haven't read it already: Interesting to hear that DeLande is a tripper. I know what you mean about the problems of trying to move, apply, or operationalise Deleuze to the social sciences -- making it 'intelligible' to the sciences. Often it comes out the other end like a clunky structuralist account that naturalises (or objectifies) phenomena; bagged and tagged as covert taxonomy. Seldom, would you be so kind to tell me the title and segment of the Deleuze on Hume text that explores drug experience and the negation or redundancy of self. It ties in with a paper I am writing on spirit possession at the moment. Many thanks.

Anyway, just some ideas to consider how some other cultures (that live imbedded deep in nature) perceive, understand, and relate to nature.

It would not be unreasonable for "low birth rates, suicide and unhappiness" to be understood as being the result of different animal and nature spirits attacking the indigenous Amazonian community and vulnerable souls.

Woodwomen! Thanks the poetic sharing. Thinking of shapeshifting into animals, in thoughts, feelings, and actions, and this being grounding, natural, and connection to 'harmonic resonance', it's interesting that for many indigenous Amazonians, this reality of the possibility of turning into an animal in thoughts, feelings, actions, and even corporality, is the source of both moral esteem and moral decay, of health but also of sickness. The cosmology of animality in Amazonia is also replete with toxic, insane, and corrupt sensibilities. Shapeshifting haunts the indigenous Amazonian imagination and helps to communicate and embody moral life and social relations in communities. Thus in this cosmology and this idiom, the spirit of alcohol, may be seen to punish and betray the drinker on the day after boozing up.

Yes, I think Deleuze's philosophy and in particular his monistic ontology fits well with much psychedelic thought and with narratives of psychedelic experience. It has become a powerful discourse in the anthropology of indigenous Amaoznian shamanism and cosmology, as detailed in the work of Viveiros de Castro. It is a shame that Deleuze was so vehemently critical of mysticism and drugs. And it was a shame that William James didn't get to try the range of psychedelics that are more or less readily available in Western society today. This is not to say that nitrous can't do the trick, the qualitative difference of nitrous on its own to nitros with, for example, LSD, is something that James' writing would have benefited from. I do have a lot of time for continental philosophy. I'm reading Benjamin's On Hashish at the moment. But the hype of obfuscated wordsmith-ery and French theory snobbery that permeates much continental thought and contemporary acolytes of the tradition does bore me more and more over the years. Chip Horner wrote an interesting thesis that explores Deleuze and ayahuasca. You might be interested: https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CDUQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.neip.info%2Fhtml%2Fobjects%2F_downloadblob.php%3Fcod_blob%3D1174&ei=BDxvU6OtOoPUkwWs_4FI&usg=AFQjCNHmgJXczRIZ-u2_xBXX9u_f6ku2lg&sig2=2JlJXJ1eiijAqaAyn6nMeA&bvm=bv.66330100,d.dGI Thanks for the immanence of life chapter. I look forward to reading that!

I've just uploaded some thoughts to my blog about shamanism, social science, and the nonhuman. Has the 'feeling' spoken about in the piece moved you at any times? What about with using psychedelics? I've certainly had some 'unity' experiences that deflated my humanly ego down to the level of a shared mutli-specied earth http://culturaladmixtures.wordpress.com/2014/04/29/claude-levi-strauss-anthropologist-or-shaman/

Thanks Micromegas. You too. And thanks for the input! It is a massive discussion. You should consider coming to http://www.aya2014.com/en/ Cheers, Alex

Hi Micromegas, Thanks for the detailed and evocative responses. I also ponder these questions and ideas, especially the comparative stuff. Though my understanding of Amazonian shamanism is limited to reading anthropology (and sitting circle in Australia with some Amazonian vegetalismo curanderos). While the anthropology of Amazonia is incredibly rich and diverse, the depth of the research is comparable to the anthropology of Africa in the 1960s. There are still a lot of questions remaining and the uniqueness of Amazonian cultures arguably will revolutionise our understandings of humanity -- for one thing, 1/3 of the worlds linguistic diversity is in the Amazon (and PNG has about another 1/3!), and of course the Amazon jungle is by far the most ecologically complex and dense system on the planet. I am not an expert on indigenous Amazonian shamanism and will not pretend to be one. But some research comes to mind in response to your generous post above. Bernd Brabec de Mori mounts a persuasive argument on the history and distribution of ayahuasca in northwest Amazonia by analysing ayahuasca ritual music ('icaros') in relation to research on language diversity in the area. He determines that for many indigenous groups the practice of ayahuasca is relatively recent in history, as in the last 100 years, and probably began up the Putamayo river in Colombia (See 'tracing Hallucinations' 2011). Similarly, Peter Gow, a specialist in the region, argues that indigenous ayahuasca practice has grown largely from the rubber tapping industry as a balm to heal the traumas of cultural upheavals and related conflict. Gow goes as far as saying that indigenous ayahuasca use was learnt from mestizos in the rubber tapping industry (in the period of 1850s - 1910s) (River People: Shamanism and History in Western Amazonia). And Brabec (in press) argues that ayahuasca is currently not so important to Amazonian cultures outside of attracting tourists, academics, and conservationists. I am not siding with this research but am simply offering the perspectives. Having said all that, I have just posted a paper to the blog that attempts to distil some general notions of indigenous Amazonian shamanism, focusing on shapeshifting. The post is taken from a more comparative piece in which the lack of shapeshifting in Australian ayahuasca practice is considered against the centrality of shapeshifting (and sorcery) in not only Amazonian shamanism but in Amazonian social life more generally. One last thought on tradition. In Eduardo Luis Luna's famous PhD on vegetalismo shamanism in Peru, a few renowned ayahuasca curanderos stated that they learnt (in more or less urban settings) directly and solely from the plants, i.e. 'outside' of 'tradition'. If this is the case, if the doctores are the teachers, then why would people drinking ayahuasca in Australia not be potentially open to (and indeed embodying) a 'full comprehension' of authentic 'archaic shamanism' ?

Hi, Thanks micrograms. Glad you enjoyed the pieces. I would like to head to the Amazon one day. I have no plans to at the moment. Not for research. I think you will find that there is no "norm" in Amazonia -- hence the "" you used. And i think this is important. Indigenous Amazonian religious perspectives and practices have never been static, pure, and absolute. The long study of Amazonian millenarian movements and Christianity is a good example of this. But there are many examples of remote non-Christian cultural fluidity, hybridity, shape-shifting! An excerpt from my thesis that explores this: Calderon, a Peruvian shaman hosting ayahuasca ceremonies in Peru for New Age spirituality markets, developed a kind of ceremony that speaks to the fears and hopes and cultural idiosyncrasies of the New Age. This is what makes it a success and legitimate ceremony in this context... Joralemon asks ‘was he [Calderon] really doing for tour group members anything different from what his Peruvian predecessors had done for generations? The ability to adapt received wisdom, what we anthropologists like to call “tradition”, to new social and cultural circumstances has always been key to the survival of shamans in the Peru… Calderon is different only in that his habit of reading texts on world religions and psychology enables him to innovate on a broader foundation of traditions’. (Joralemon 1990, 111) .

I have started a blog about my research into ayahuasca culture, psychedelics and related thing. Check it out here http://culturaladmixtures.wordpress.com/

Some boredom I turned into cultural fusion: film removed by vimeo due to copyright

Only illogics can find, Hidden flaws in a straight logic line. Only erratics recognize, Errors in patterns of a perfect design.

Making me work on Sunday is worse than a church without drugs.

Ayahuasca is a relatively new poison to enter the Australian population. The intoxicant is prepared from a variety of botanical sources and has some antiquity to the human central nervous system given the resonant molecular coding of our neurochemistry to the abominable concoction. The admixtures know as the ‘light’ are the botanical components of the brew from which certain visionary qualities, the optical spirits, and the doorways to the ineffable may come to life. This molecular ‘light’ grows in the bark and leaves of Australian acacia trees yet is also invested naturally in each and every human, in babies and elders, criminals and judges, musicians and truck drivers, and is responsible for the tantalising decay of true blue moral purity. Despite the encompassing distribution of this natural biological poison of ecstasy throughout the population, the historical and social design of the human sensorium and imagination Downunder hinders the internal production of 'light' and makes ayahuasca intoxication appear extremely novel to the horizons of Australian consciousness. The population in question has been subject to historical processes of disenchantment and a subsequent lack of cosmological larrikinism that channel perception, affect, and creativity into the narrow bandwidths of alienation, boredom, and despair. The means of evoking the ‘light’ in the dusty hallways of human biology may be acquired not only through ingesting plants but also simply by transcending disenchantment and occasioning the finesse of spontaneous human exaltation, the ecstasy of social communion and trickery, the absurd and inseparable twists and turns of story and everyday life, not to mention the strange practice of mentally absorbing the philosophical written word. But similar to the cultural location of the ayahuasca intoxicant in Australia, our own endogenous or internal poisons are hidden, obscured, and rendered obsolete under the massive exterminating force of civilsation and its spirits of mediocrity, its demons of exploitation, its shallow celebrity cults and its consumer gauntlet of identity, and, of course, behind the sweet smile of your lovely neighbour who has stopped cleaning for a moment to wonder what in the hell is that strange music and pungent vaporous smell swirling out your window.

http://evolverlearninglab.com/products/aya-awakenings http://evolverlearninglab.com/products/aya-awakenings January 8, 2014 8:00 p.m. New York • 5:00 p.m. San Francisco>>> simulcast same time>>> January 9, 2014 12:00pm East Coast Australia Join Rak Razam and guests Dennis Mckenna, Mitch Schultz, Richard Meech and Aya Awakenings director Tim Parish for an exclusive online discussion about this groundbreaking film and the contemporary explosion of interest in Shamanism. See the 90 min shamanic feature film online over two days and then join the live, interactive 90 min video webinar. When you join this course, you will receive a link for viewing the film Aya: Awakenings, which will be available for online screening anytime from January 6-8. The online discussion takes place the evening of January 8 at 8:00 p.m. New York time. By participating in this live webinar, you will receive: 1 60-minute live video seminar with Rak Razam and guests on January 8 at 8:00 p.m. EST/ 5:00 p.m. PCT 30 minutes of question and answer time 1 online screening of Aya: Awakenings (available January 6-8) Unlimited online access to recordings of all seminars http://evolverlearninglab.com/products/aya-awakenings

A complete rupture of the mundane plane. And you fall back into this hallucinogenic space, and what you see is a slowly rotating red and orange kind of thing, which, over the years we've nicknamed, uh, 'The Chrysanthemum'. https://www.erowid.org/culture/characters/mckenna_terence/mckenna_terence_time_mind.shtml

Street art in Brisbane.

Just finished part two of the Tripper's Guide. This film is designed to support idiosyncratic augmentations of consciousness and is subject to the constraints of the viewer's psychoactivity and imagination. **WARNING** avoid watching unless the following conditions are set in motion: HD video projector, good sound system, persian rugs, mercurial surroundings, and, most importantly, cherished compounds and entheonauts. Optimal time for beginning the film is during peak sensory and molecular flourishing of the cherished conditions. Best to download Original (1080p) version. This requires you to log in (or sign up, its free) to Vimeo upon which the Original file (4GB) will become available to download. Do not blame me for this rigamarole. But role the rig into download action and your senses will be carved to indispensable depths. Music: Brian Eno – “2/1” Pt. Lacchu Maharaj – “Untitled tabla solo” Jean Langlais – “Solennelle Sanctus” Rafael Anton Irisarri – “Für Alina” Nustrat Fateh Ali Khan – “Beh Haadh Ramza Dhasdha” Tipper – “Maximus Rotundas”Hughes de Courson – “Inongo”Gelug Monks – “Mandala prayer” Bulgarian Voices – “Di-Li-Do” prod. Marcel CellierCarl Orff – “Carmina Burana, O Fortuna”Clark – “Brigitte” Beethoven – “Missa Solemnis, Sanctus Benedictus”

Check it out! http://melbournefreeuniversity.org/?p=3794 On DrugsPosted on 01/10/2013, 5:49 pm, by admin, under Courses. SHAREBARAustralians are world leaders in recreational drug use, but we seem chronically incapable of an honest appraisal of the issues this raises. The ‘war on drugs’ paradigm dominates the mainstream while drug-taking subcultures flourish at the margins: something has to give. Through an examination of the history, politics, law, science and culture of drugs and drug use in Australia, this course will stimulate open discussion of this controversial subject. When: Thursdays from 10th of October 2013, 6.30 – 8pmVenue: The Alderman (upstairs), 134 Lygon St E. BrunswickFormat: 45 minute presentation, 45 minute open conversationCo-ordinator: Sebastian Prowseweek 1 10.10.13 Why do people take drugs? Monica Barratt (National Drug Research Institute) week 2 17.10.13 Options for drug law reform Nick Crofts (Melbourne University / Nossal Inst.) week 3 24.10.13 How drugs work Andrew Lawrence (Florey Institute) week 4 31.10.13 New and emerging drug trends Steven Bright (Curtin University) week 5 7.11.13 Alcohol: The most dangerous drug of all? Robin Room (Turning Point / Monash University) week 6 14.11.13 Australia and the international drug business John Rainford

Interesting, planthelper. I have seen Metropolis, though not for a long time. I will watch it again, now, thanks to your observation. The Steve Reich track is from an incomplete series of works he did called The desert music & John Adams Shaker Loops - in case you're interested. I did change the track though (got rid of the middle of it and also dubbed Emporor Penguins over the top). Re Metropolis, I recently enjoyed the Tarkovsky classic Solaris (1972). It is much more psychedelic than Metropolis imho. And it is simply amazing. I especially liked watching it while considering the idea of 'solaris' (the sentient, mysterious, oceanic consciousness) as a symbol of psychedelics. The metaphoric quality between the two resonance is uncanny!

http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/threads/304197-The-Big-amp-Dandy-Guide-to-Rectal-Administration-(Plugging)/page12

For those interested: I've done a radical (and final) arrangement of the Tripper's Guide, adding a lot of new music and film, and some general tweaking also. It really has come together with this final edit. Be sure to download the 5gb file for total sensory orgasm affect. Enjoy! The Tripper's Guide to the Galaxy This film is designed to support idiosyncratic augmentations of consciousness and is subject to the constraints of the viewer's psychoactivity and imagination. **WARNING** avoid watching unless the following conditions are set in motion: HD video projector, good sound system, persian rugs, mercurial surroundings, and, most importantly, cherished compounds and entheonauts. Optimal time for beginning the film is during peak sensory and molecular flourishing of the cherished conditions. Best to download Original (1080p) version. This requires you to log in (or sign up, its free) to Vimeo upon which the Original file (4GB) will become available to download. Do not blame me for this rigamarole. But role the rig into download action and your senses will be carved to indispensable depths. Music 1. Steve Reich ‘No. 1 Fast’ feat. Emperor Penguins 2. Brian Eno ‘Dormienti’ feat. Weddell Seals - on land 3. Max Richter ‘Shadow Journal’ feat. Weddell Seals - underwater 4. Isao Tomita ‘Stravinsky, Infernal Dance’ feat. Weddell Seals 5. Tetsu Inoue ‘SpirIt of Data’ feat. Weddell Seals 6. Coil ‘Telepathine’ feat. Glacier in Canada then Wind Harps of Taylor Valley 7. Alice Coltrane & Pharaoh Sanders 'Shiva-Loka' feat. Weddell Seals

For those interested: I've done a radical (and final) arrangement of the Tripper's Guide, adding a lot of new music and film, and some general tweaking also. It really has come together with this final edit. Be sure to download the 5gb file for total sensory orgasm affect. Enjoy! The Tripper's Guide to the Galaxy This film is designed to support idiosyncratic augmentations of consciousness and is subject to the constraints of the viewer's psychoactivity and imagination. **WARNING** avoid watching unless the following conditions are set in motion: HD video projector, good sound system, persian rugs, mercurial surroundings, and, most importantly, cherished compounds and entheonauts. Optimal time for beginning the film is during peak sensory and molecular flourishing of the cherished conditions. Best to download Original (1080p) version. This requires you to log in (or sign up, its free) to Vimeo upon which the Original file (4GB) will become available to download. Do not blame me for this rigamarole. But role the rig into download action and your senses will be carved to indispensable depths. Music 1. Steve Reich ‘No. 1 Fast’ feat. Emperor Penguins 2. Brian Eno ‘Dormienti’ feat. Weddell Seals - on land 3. Max Richter ‘Shadow Journal’ feat. Weddell Seals - underwater 4. Isao Tomita ‘Stravinsky, Infernal Dance’ feat. Weddell Seals 5. Tetsu Inoue ‘SpirIt of Data’ feat. Weddell Seals 6. Coil ‘Telepathine’ feat. Glacier in Canada then Wind Harps of Taylor Valley 7. Alice Coltrane & Pharaoh Sanders 'Shiva-Loka' feat. Weddell Seals

Nice stuff!