In current discussions, psychedelics are often referred to as promising tools for therapy, transformation and self-knowledge. After decades of talking about them as just dangerous drugs you need to stay away from, this tool perspective offers an opportunity to reframe the way we talk about psychedelics, thus enabling constructive conversations without the heavy stigma of the drug war.
Author, public speaker, and podcast host James W. Jesso questions the tool perspective: When we refer to something as a tool, we tend to perceive it as something that exists solely for its use by humans. But psychedelics, especially when it comes to non-synthetic ones such as psilocybin mushrooms, exist and extend beyond our human conceptions of their usefulness. They’re living organisms with ways of being in the world that we only partly understand, and even much of their effects on us are still an enigma.
We don’t really know what psychedelics are – their innate nature seems to challenge our attempts at pigeonholing them. There are many positive intentions motivating such attempts, such as trying to create space in mainstream discussions for considering the possibility that psychedelics might have something positive to offer us. But as we narrow down their mystery into neat, often anthropocentric categories, something important might get cut off in the process. When we take our labels too seriously, we restrict our ability to think clearly about psychedelics and interact with them in a constructive way.
To facilitate a more open-ended and respectful approach to psychedelics, especially mushrooms and the experiences they catalyze, James suggests a language and an attitude that orients us towards communion and communication. Instead of focusing on what we want from them, we can cultivate our curiosity about what we can learn through relationship with them, thus emphasizing listening and connection over utilization and dominion.
On December 3nd at 6 PM UTC+2, James will join us for the Q&A webinar session “In relationship with the mushroom” over Zoom. He will give an introductory talk, presenting an outline of his thinking on the topic, which forms a basis for an interactive audience discussion which we hope you’ll be joining.
Webinar tickets (€9/€6) are available on our web store. The webinar is free of charge for members of Psykedeelisen sivistyksen liitto (Association for Psychedelic Association & Culture) who have paid their membership fee for 2021 – members will receive a registration link through email. Memberships are also available on our web store.
James W. Jesso is an author, public speaker, and podcast host with a deep respect for psychedelic medicines. His work is inspired by his healing path through depression, substance abuse and trauma, and focuses on translating the profound insights of the psychedelic experience into a higher quality of life, for both the individual and society.
His two books, Decomposing The Shadow: Lessons From The Psilocybin Mushroom (2013) and The True Light Of Darkness (2015), present a model for working with the ‘magic’ psilocybin mushroom as an ally in personal transformation and in developing psychospiritual maturity.
Adventures Through The Mind – his podcast and Youtube channel – is an effort to contribute to the psychedelic culture at large. Featuring interviews with luminaries in science, art, and culture across a range of disciplines, this platform expands James’ work into a more broad exploration of progressive social developments, and the potential role psychedelics might play within them.
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Brief English info on our organization here.