This Week in Psychedelics - 6.5.15

Image by Dahtamnay, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

As an avid Reality Sandwich reader since 2007, I looked forward to each new edition of Neşe Devenot's “This Week in Psychedelics” column. Every week, she would post links to news articles from the mass media that referenced psychedelics and other similar psychoactive substances.

Each week's collection of links attempted to be as unbiased as possible, demonstrating how various forms of mass media represent psychedelic culture and psychoactive substance use. This always included articles that shed psychedelics in a positive light as well as articles that demonized their use (including many articles that are factually incorrect and/or misguided representations of psychedelics).

As far as I can tell, Devenot gave up "This Week in Psychedelics" two years ago. There have been a couple of attempts at a revitalization of the column on Reality Sandwich by other contributors, but it hasn't stuck. My goal is to bring the column back—first on Think Wilder, and then perhaps on Reality Sandwich as well. I hope you find the following links helpful, eye-opening, enjoyable, and/or infuriating:

• 250 hits of LSD found inside car in Middlefield Township (Cleveland.com)

• LSD: Speaking to volunteer users of the drug as trials get underway to see if it cures depression and addiction (The Independent)

• Are psychedelics a fluidity and fluency to cognition? (The Statesman)

• 'At Long Last A$AP Rocky' a psychedelic trip through grief (LA Times)

• Ketamine offered to patients with depression in take-home, DIY packs by controversial clinic (ABC News Australia)

• Silk Road founder gets life for creating online drug site (Fox News)

• Chemical engineer jailed for sending postcards laced with LSD-style drugs to prisoners (Mirror.co.uk)

• Global Drug Survey: what made you stop taking drugs? (The Guardian)

• This LSD could save your life (The Daily Beast)

• Sleaford Mods: 'My first festival, I took LSD by the Pyramid stage and stared at the sky' (The Guardian)

• LSD to be trialled as a potential anti-depressant in the UK (Metro.co.uk)

• Psychedelic Videos Capture Coral in Motion (Yes, Coral) (Wired)

• New research makes a case for psychedelic drugs offering profound spiritual experiences (The United Church Observer)

• Police Helicopters and a Shit Load of Ketamine: The Illegal Free Party Scene that Roamed the Home Counties (Noisey)

• Police in Massachusetts City allow addicts to turn in drugs without arrest if they seek treatment (US News)

• WSU researchers see link between hunter-gather cannabis use, fewer parasites (EurekAlert!)

• Experts Unearth 2,400 Year-Old Solid Gold Bongs in Southern Russia (Tech Times)

• One More Link in Drug Supply Chain Nabbed (New Indian Express)

• Juvenile charged with murder in drug death, another charged with distribution at school (Chatham Star Tribune)

• First ever Psychedelic Action! comes to Brixton's Windrush Square, Sat 6th June (Brixton Buzz)

• Soaring Aloft: Psych Fest 2015 (Premier Guitar)

• Can Ecstasy Replace Xanax? (The Daily Beast)

• Why Pot Smokers are Skinnier (The Atlantic)

• LSD's Medical Comeback Story (Care2)

• British Government Plans to Illegalize All Unapproved Psychoactive Substances (Mad in America)

• House Tells the Feds to Respect Medical Marijuana Laws (Again) (Reason)

• Psilocybin And LSD - The Only Effective Treatment Known For Cluster Headaches (Reset.me)

• America's Quality Pot Is Changing the Drug War (Bloomberg)

• Psilocybin Mushrooms Ease Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Reset.me)

• Bans On Psychedelics Make No Sense (Reset.me)

• LSD kingpin Arif Shaikh sent to judicial custody (The Times of India)

• The Drug Dare: Campaign urges people to upload drug-taking videos to YouTube to highlight "positive experiences" (Mirror.co.uk)

Disclaimer: "This Week in Psychedelics" does not censor or analyze the news links presented here. The purpose of this column is solely to catalogue how psychedelics are presented by the mass media, which includes everything from the latest scientific research to misinformation.

Weekend Thoughts - 5.30.15

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Happy Saturday y'all. Below, I have rounded up some things for you to think about this weekend:

1. Fortune published a piece that explores the jobs that automation will kill next. Careers such as commercial airline pilots, journalists, lawyers, managers, and financial advisors are considered to be in the middle of the difficulty range compared to other jobs. The latest theories about automation predict that middle-skill jobs will be hit the hardest, because employees at the upper-end (engineers and scientists) and lower-end (plumbers and electricians) will be less threatened by automation practices. This article comes at an interesting time for me, as I recently reviewed Marshall Brain's Manna: Two Visions of Humanity's Future, which describes a future where automated robots eliminate half of the jobs on the market.

2. An excellent article from The Age that starts with the powerful lede, "It would be nice to say that the war on drugs had achieved nothing. The truth is far worse." Author Michael Coulter goes on to explain the current state of the drug war by highlighting the damage the war has done to the world's citizenry and pointing out that the damage from the war is far greater than any potential damage from the drugs themselves.

3. This week, I stumbled across this interesting idea: a chat room for psychedelics. The tagline is "Join psychedelic researchers, therapists, explorers and advocates to discuss...". It hasn't launched yet, and it only taking names and email addresses now, so I can't predict how it will turn out. But I wanted to share it with the Think Wilder audience nonetheless!

4. VICE UK has an in-depth article about synthetic cannabinoids (sometimes referred to as "Spice" or "K2"). Well worth a read for someone interested in the topic, concerned friends or family members, people in the medical profession, and psychonauts.

5. For those of us following the news of US Border Patrol's illegal detainment, search and assault of criminal justice student Jessica Cooke, this article from Reason dives a bit deeper and discusses how the organization is actually used (illegally) as an extension of the country's war on drugs.

6. Maj. Neill Franklin, a 34-year veteran with the Maryland State Police and Baltimore Police Departments, wrote a short piece explaining how the drug war has created more violence and made neighborhoods more dangerous. Franklin is also the executive director of LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition), an organization consisting of current and former members of the law enforcement and criminal justice communities who speak out against the failures of our existing drug policies.

That's all for this edition of Weekend Thoughts. Until next week, keep thinking wilder.

Book Review - Manna by Marshall Brain

Marshall Brain (founder of HowStuffWorks) and his novel Manna: Two Visions of Humanity's Future were recently featured on KMO's C-Realm Podcast. In episode 457: Techno Extortion, KMO and Brain talk about the book as well as the United States' current trajectory with regard to jobs, automation, profitability, and societal well-being. I was intrigued by the conversation and decided to read Manna. Although the book is available for free at the above link, you can also purchase the Kindle version for $0.99, which is what I did.

Manna shows us two very different worlds. Each is possible for us to create (or find ourselves in) from the current world we live in. In the first world, robots begin eliminating human jobs in places like retail stores, fast food restaurants, construction sites, and transportation. The key technology that fuels this is inexpensive computer vision systems, and more than half of the jobs in the United States are eliminated. Tasks like restocking shelves, cleaning bathrooms, and taking out the trash are dictated by a management software called "Manna" that speaks through an earpiece each employee wears while on the job. All human managers are eventually replaced by this software. Without getting too much into detail about this world, it could be described as dystopian, and it certainly seems plausible to me, especially because I have experience working in similar jobs. I could definitely see how the management team could be stripped from the job and replaced by a cheaper, more efficient, less forgiving computer system.

The second world is more of a utopian society, where robots are not in control of the humans. Instead, the humans control the robots and use them to make life easier. People living in this world must agree with the following core principles of that society:

1. Everyone is equal.
2. Everything is reused.
3. Nothing is anonymous.
4. Nothing is owned.
5. Tell the truth.
6. Do no harm.
7. Obey the rules.
8. Live your life.
9. Better and better.

There are drastic differences in economics, transparency, energy usage, ownership, honesty, and life quality between the two worlds. It certainly seems to me like we are headed more in the direction of the dystopian world rather than the utopian world, but in the book's Postscript, Brain mentions that the utopian world is still a possibility for us to manifest.

I enjoyed the book. It's a very quick read, and it is thought-provoking. The writing left a little to be desired, because it seemed a bit over-simplified and repetitive to me. I've tried my best to not give away too much of the plot in this review, because there isn't much plot or character development to find in the book itself. I would definitely suggest this book though, because I imagine that it would be eye-opening for the average person. For me, it painted a stark contrast between the two different roads our global society could take, and highlighted a lot of the current issues that we face.

4/5 Stars. 79 pages.  

Weekend Thoughts - 5.23.15

Image by PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Happy Saturday y'all. I have rounded up some things for you to think about this weekend below:

1. A thought piece by Bassnectar, one of my favorite EDM (Electronic Dance Music) artists, about how to think for yourself and question authority. Also, while you're at it, check out what he had to say recently about the licensing of his music and general musings about EDM culture.

2. Geoff Roes at iRunFar.com has an interesting piece about the factors that cause a peak performer in ultra-running to experience a decline in performance. I found the discussion of ultra-runners opting to dabble in multiple race distances to be fascinating. Roes is correct–that isn't something that we see in other race distances, and it certainly could have a lot to do with a decline in overall performance.

3. An article on The Atlantic that discusses the undeserved abuse that the DEA has been handing out to passengers on Amtrak trains as of late. The more news that comes out about the DEA, the less legitimate and more criminal of an organization they seem to be.

4. The couple at Holy Scrap have been on a six-month road trip around the Western United States, living out of a Honda Element with their dog while they travel. They posted a thought-provoking article this week about the lack of available free space in our country. The following question is raised: exactly how long are we allowed to be in a space without forking over cash to a person, business, or organization?

That's all for this edition of Weekend Thoughts. Until next week, keep thinking wilder.

Mantras - An Introduction

Image by mailumes, courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

This is the first post in a series featuring helpful meditation techniques.

In a previous post, I explained the benefits I have experienced by committing to a regular meditation practice. One of the techniques that can be used during a meditation session is the recitation of mantras. In this post I will introduce mantras and give you some advice on how best to use them in your own meditation practice.

What Are Mantras?

Mantras are essentially words or phrases that are repeated many times, over and over again. The symbol in the image shown above is the Sanskrit text for the mantra Om, which is perhaps the most well-known mantra, and often what a novice meditator assumes he or she will be chanting during every meditation session. However, Om is not the only mantra available to a meditator, nor is it the only aspect of meditation.

As described on Deepak Chopra's webpage about mantras:

"The word mantra has two parts: man, which is the root of the Sanskrit word for mind; and tra, which is the root of the word instrument. A mantra is therefore an instrument of the mind, a powerful sound or vibration that you can use to enter a deep state of meditation."

Taken from the Wikipedia article on mantras:

"'Mantra' means a sacred utterance, numinous sound, or a syllable, word, phonemes, or group of words believed by some to have psychological and spiritual power. A mantra may or may not have syntactic structure or literal meaning; the spiritual value of a mantra comes when it is audible, visible, or present in thought."

My personal take on mantras is that using them in a meditation practice helps calm the mind and focus attention. There have been times during my own meditation sessions that reciting mantras has led me to another state of consciousness. These experiences are difficult for me to describe, but the important message I would like to share is that using mantras can be an effective meditation technique.

How Do Mantras Work?

Repeating a mantra allows the mind to focus wholly on one particular sound or meaning. When we practice mantra repetition during meditation, we allow the vibration and meaning of the mantra to meld with our subconscious mind while also detaching from the racing thoughts that often fill our mind. This leads to myriad positive results, including altering the brain's chemical balance, freeing the mind from injurious thoughts, identifying negative habits, elevating our spirituality, and healing diseases.

The practice of repeating a mantra over and over again replaces the normal thought processes that we experience. It is really easy to get caught in our thoughts without even realizing it, and mantras can help us break that pattern by refocusing our attention on one specific word, sound, or phrase. After all, it is difficult to think about one thing while focusing your attention on another!

Three Mantras for Beginners

Included below are three mantras that are excellent for novice meditators. I have included each mantra's respective meaning and pronunciation that will help you started with incorporating mantras into your meditation practice. Please note that executing the correct pronunciation of a mantra is not as important as cultivating an honest intention while reciting the mantra. In addition, there are debates about the correct pronunciation of mantras. When in doubt, just do your best.

1) Om

• Translation: Om is said to be the sound of the universe. It is generally understood to be the original vibration, representing the birth, death, and re-birth process of Samsara.

• Pronunciation: Om has an alternate spelling of Aum, which is the sound that is made when the mantra is pronounced correctly. Position your mouth as you would say the vowel "U". Start vocalizing "Aum" and finish with "M" in the form of a deep hum. Another way to recite Om is to open your mouth, begin to utter "Aahh", slowly close your mouth as it becomes "Ooh", and when you close your mouth the sound becomes "Mmm".

2) Om Namah Shivaya

• Translation: Also known as Panchakshara, the "five-syllable" mantra Namah Shivaya is a holy salutation to Shiva. Shiva is understood to be the supreme deity of transformation who represents the truest, highest self. When an Om is included at the beginning of the mantra, the phrase translates to "I bow to Shiva". When I first started using this mantra, I imagined the meaning to be "I bow to myself", which helped me dedicate myself to my then-new meditation practice and thus, to myself.

• Pronunciation: When the beginning Om is included, this mantra is simply pronounced "Aum-Nah-Mah-Shee-Vah-Yah". I found this video from Yoga Vidya to be very helpful when learning to pronounce this mantra.

3) Om Mani Padme Hum

• Translation: This mantra loosely translates to "The jewel is in the lotus" or "Praise to the jewel in the lotus". It is said that all the teachings of the Buddha are contained in this mantra, and it cannot really be translated into a simple phrase or sentence. If you are interested in further reading, this explanation on Dharma Haven gives a thorough explanation of the meaning behind the mantra.

• Pronunciation: This mantra is pronounced "Aum-Mah-Nee-Pahd-May-Hum". The vowel in they syllable "Hum" is pronounced as in the English word "hook". The final consonant in that syllable is often pronounced "ng" as in "gong".

How to Recite Mantras

Learning to recite mantras is fairly straightforward. It is important to find a physical space that is pleasant to be in for an extended period and a time of day when you will not be interrupted by others. To begin, simply sit in a comfortable meditation pose with either closed or open eyes and repeat the mantra.

A mantra is traditionally repeated 108 times, the same count as the number of beads on a mala. There are many reasons given for the number 108, ranging from numerological theories to metaphysical explanations of the amount of energy lines there are in the human body. A more thorough examination of the reasons behind the number 108 can be found at SwamiJ.com. I have found using mala beads to be extremely helpful when first learning to recite mantras.

It is okay to begin by reciting mantras out loud, however the goal in many spiritual traditions is to arrive at the point where you can recite the mantra silently in your mind. The idea behind this is that once you are able to recite the mantra silently, you are fully entering the silence of the mind. While you repeat the mantra, the process generates a conscious vibration that carries the mind into deeper levels of awareness. As you continue with your meditation, the mantra becomes less prominent in your mind, and eventually you are led to the realm of pure consciousness from which the vibration arose.

Now that you have a basic understanding of what mantras are, how they work, some mantras to begin with, and how to recite them, I invite you to give the technique a try during your next meditation session.

Namaste.