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Terence McKenna's Mega Bad Trip (2025)

psychedelics.community

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Re: Terence McKenna's Mega Bad Trip (2025)

#51

Post by temp0826 »

pstuart wrote: post #40
pfannkuchen wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m also an atheist, but just looking at the huge amount of anthropological information we have, from hunter gatherer bands to large scale civilizations, I am quite sure that a perception of god-like and spirit-like entities is built into the hardware layer in humans. That doesn’t make them “real”, of course, but it doesn’t seem to matter much whether or not they are real, and deleting them from life because they are…

Also an atheist. Used psychedelic recreationally/recklessly in my youth but that was a long time ago. Recently returned to psychedelic use to treat depression and the best takeaway I have for the experience is "swimming with God". By God I mean "the Universe as an entity" for lack of better words. Pro tip: ketamine wins out over psilocybin for treating depression. I did try DMT once a long time ago and saw the machin…

Ketamine treats symptoms and is more like a bandaid from what I see, and comes with its own problems (addiction). Psilocybin and ayahuasca when used properly can help you to process and resolve many types of problems (traumas, past drug/alcohol use, sins). But you have to be willing to work (if you can't bear it alone, this is where the curandero or therapist comes in. If that idea doesn't work for you then probably stick to ketamine)

Re: Terence McKenna's Mega Bad Trip (2025)

#52

Post by state_less »

afro88 wrote: post #47
state_less wrote: post #39

I wouldn't know what to tell someone about what entering a (the?) void is like, but the closest i can imagine is a situation where you're 1000 nautical miles out to sea in a small sailboat on a pitch dark cloudy moonless night, far away from anyone. A storm is brewing and the seas are getting large, though you can't see them, it's too dark for your eyes, though you feel the force as it throws your small boat around.…

Is this a quote from a book? Beautifully written

Thanks afro88. I was inspired by the storm in Terence's story, and my time on my sailboat when it felt like the sea was getting to be too much. Glad to share.

Re: Terence McKenna's Mega Bad Trip (2025)

#53

Post by alwayshuman »

afro88 wrote: post #47
state_less wrote: post #39

I wouldn't know what to tell someone about what entering a (the?) void is like, but the closest i can imagine is a situation where you're 1000 nautical miles out to sea in a small sailboat on a pitch dark cloudy moonless night, far away from anyone. A storm is brewing and the seas are getting large, though you can't see them, it's too dark for your eyes, though you feel the force as it throws your small boat around.…

Is this a quote from a book? Beautifully written

[dead]

Re: Terence McKenna's Mega Bad Trip (2025)

#54

Post by alex1138 »

The famous story of La Chorrera is that Dennis is the one that went seriously off the rails but it's Dennis in some of his public statements and book that cast skepticism on a few of Terence's ideas

What you shouldn't do is just willy nilly tell people to take things. If the article is right about that, it's disappointing. I always saw him as being very academic and quite in tune with the dangers of outright recommendation (perhaps in contrast to Leary but I don't want to misinterpret Leary)

Re: Terence McKenna's Mega Bad Trip (2025)

#55

Post by pstuart »

temp0826 wrote: post #51
pstuart wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also an atheist. Used psychedelic recreationally/recklessly in my youth but that was a long time ago. Recently returned to psychedelic use to treat depression and the best takeaway I have for the experience is "swimming with God". By God I mean "the Universe as an entity" for lack of better words. Pro tip: ketamine wins out over psilocybin for treating depression. I did try DMT once a long time ago and saw the machin…

Ketamine treats symptoms and is more like a bandaid from what I see, and comes with its own problems (addiction). Psilocybin and ayahuasca when used properly can help you to process and resolve many types of problems (traumas, past drug/alcohol use, sins). But you have to be willing to work (if you can't bear it alone, this is where the curandero or therapist comes in. If that idea doesn't work for you then probably…

Everybody's different. I am approaching the problem from multiple angles (pharma, non-pharma); CBT is on the table and I'm open to other non-chemical routes.

Your comment conflates depression with "being sad/hurt". There's biological aspects that no amount of trauma processing (whether talk therapy or spiritual (psilocybin)). Sometimes the machine itself is broken, not the programming.

I've experience significant trauma in my life and, while it shapes my being, is not the basis for my "depression".

Bandaids are valuable tools. I know there are plenty of non-chemical remedies, exercise being a foundational one, that a proper treatment plan includes.

So for everyone, YMMV, but clinical ketamine use has been borderline magical in readily perceptible improvements, with the caveat that it does seem to be temporary. This is a pity, because it's easy to grow mushrooms and DIY in that regard but getting K requires going through expensive gatekeeping.

And to address the addictive concerns of K, for me, the treatments have had their own elements of joy but I see no recreational value for me personally. I've delt with addictive issues in the past and I have no problems facing those particular demons.

Re: Terence McKenna's Mega Bad Trip (2025)

#56

Post by temp0826 »

pstuart wrote: post #55
temp0826 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ketamine treats symptoms and is more like a bandaid from what I see, and comes with its own problems (addiction). Psilocybin and ayahuasca when used properly can help you to process and resolve many types of problems (traumas, past drug/alcohol use, sins). But you have to be willing to work (if you can't bear it alone, this is where the curandero or therapist comes in. If that idea doesn't work for you then probably…

Everybody's different. I am approaching the problem from multiple angles (pharma, non-pharma); CBT is on the table and I'm open to other non-chemical routes. Your comment conflates depression with "being sad/hurt". There's biological aspects that no amount of trauma processing (whether talk therapy or spiritual (psilocybin)). Sometimes the machine itself is broken, not the programming. I've experience significant tra…

I've been pretty blessed with my path- I've spent the greater part of the last 6 years steeped in traditional ayahuasca (Shipibo) work and it has convinced me that there is very likely something at the root that is not biological/genetic/structural in nearly all cases (the exceptions being schizophrenia/bipolar). The issue is that nearly no one is so blessed to be able to take off for the months/years it requires to actually get there. It's a huge commitment, and to support the lifestyle needed to live free of deep depression can require more changes than most are willing to make. In any case I did not mean to denigrate your own journey with my comment and apologize for it- I am glad you've found something to get your head above water and live.

Re: Terence McKenna's Mega Bad Trip (2025)

#58

Post by moralestapia »

state_less wrote: post #52
afro88 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this a quote from a book? Beautifully written

Thanks afro88. I was inspired by the storm in Terence's story, and my time on my sailboat when it felt like the sea was getting to be too much. Glad to share.

It brought me down to tears, thanks.

Do you have ko-fi link?

Re: Terence McKenna's Mega Bad Trip (2025)

#59

Post by comrade1234 »

pixel_popping wrote: post #50
comrade1234 wrote: post #27

I tried lsd with friends in undergrad. It was to me a very interesting experience. Not spiritual in any way - it was like I could tell that my neurons were firing off all over and incorrectly. It was fun and I enjoyed it very much and I've never had the desire to do it again. My friends from that night did still continue doing lsd after that. For one of them he stopped when he had what sounds like a horrible trip whe…

You might want to consider retrying it in a "spiritual/meditative setting", i.e cozy with headset on, music pre-curated (nothing off-tune and so-on) and closed eyes then get lost to eventually breakthrough, strictly only with people you deeply trust.

I don't think it's a spiritual experience, in any way. It's just your neurons going crazy. Any spiritual result that you have had fits with how your brain is wired. The majority of the population is spiritual because in the past atheists were killed. I'm atheist and this experience was not spiritual in any way. It just enforced my atheism.

Re: Terence McKenna's Mega Bad Trip (2025)

#60

Post by LocalH »

Loughla wrote: post #42
SoftTalker wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But we see people promoting psychedelics specifically to "reset" your brain and get rid of depression and anxiety.

My experience is that psychedelics will not get rid of anything on their own. They provide you with a different perspective on what you may or may not already know is going on. This perspective can help you process those issues, absolutely. But they will not solve anything. I was always interested in finding a psychiatrist or therapist that would help me process during a shroom trip, but never found one. And resettin…

A single deep DMT experience "cured" my ADHD for several months before it faded, and I had zero guidance
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