What's an Entheogen?

"When compassion and justice are in conflict with current law, then the law must change."
- NORML Foundation July 31, 1997

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What is an Entheogen? It is what most people would call "drugs" (all young viewers better leave the room now...) Actually, the word refers to "substances which generate god or spirit within". Now the use of the word "god" is not meant to have any specific religious relationship, but it is rather used in the more general, spiritual sense. In case this is not clear, Entheogens do not invoke that cranky Old Testament deity who'll beat the crap out of you if you so much as masturbate (I'm simply amazed that some people still believe that this miserable old fart actually rules the entire universe --all 120 billion galaxies-- like some sort of malevolent Santa Claus... I'm also amazed that some people don't masturbate-- probably the same group of people... but I digress ;)

Now let us use an example-- let's fabricate an entirely hypothetical friend named George. George is a super-cool, wealthy young white man who goes out one evening and snorts a bunch of Cocaine. Then he drinks 12 Budweiser and goes for a drive. Miraculously he makes it back to his father's sumptuous estate without killing anyone. He has a few cigarettes, then passes out on his bed and drifts off with sweet dreams of one day becoming some sort of mini-Jehovah (sort of like Dr.Evil's sidekick, only he'd have the power to execute people... and maybe breath fire). Now did this hypothetical prick named George have an entheogenic experience that night?

No, he did not. Cocaine is a stimulant. Snort enough of it, and instead of finding God, you might find that bullets can't hurt you. Thus it is more appropriate for L.A. gang members and investment bankers (no offense to any investment bankers I might know ;). Cocaine is certainly not the Powder of Instant Death, as the media would like you to believe; But it's addictive, often encourages destructive behavior, and is thus a bad scene.

Now the beers that George threw back are a depressant. Booze will give you a lift at first, but the final result is often the urge to punch people and call your ex-girlfriends so you can cry into the phone for them. Not pretty. Alcohol can be fun, but you likely won't have any spiritual insights (...and praying to the Porcelain God as you vomit doesn't count). Since alcohol is the Official Sponsor of Everything, most people know what this is all about.

And what about the smokes? Of course any idiot knows that cigarettes are not drugs! (Never mind the fact that they are mind-altering and quite addictive). But once again, unless you eat a bunch of it, nicotine won't change the way you view life very much... unless you consider that whole lung cancer thing, since cancer can certainly change your view on life.

So now we know what they're not, what are some good examples of entheogens? LSD is certainly one... just ask any ex-Hippy (that is if they admit to using acid). Another is the king of fungus, magic mushrooms, whose active chemical is (usually) psilocybin. American Indians can certainly testify to the significance of the Peyote cactus. And there are even more obscure members such as the plant Salvia Divinorum, whose powerful effects are stranger than the weirdest weird. Such entheogens are typically NOT addictive in nature and are NOT physically harmful to your body in moderate doses. These substances should not be considered "drugs" in the popular (mis)use of the word (as in, "Let's all be good citizens and fight the War on Drugs"). Then of course there is the potentially entheogenic and infamous Marijuana and that newest Bogey Man, Ecstasy (I think we should create a Police State to "protect the children", what do you think?). I could rant (and rave?) about the politics of these two substances for hours.

If you don't understand, do a little research; The Internet is full of information on entheogenic substances. And after you spend some time learning like a responsible person ought to (indeed education is the key), you might even want to try some for yourself. There is absolutely no substitute for experience. It pains me when I hear otherwise intelligent people preach uneducated drug propaganda, when they really have NO CLUE.

So let's all hope for a day when someone can publish views like these without it being considered political suicide. (I, for one, do not enjoy wallowing in complacent idiocy, and thus say these things with a clear conscience). Awareness of entheogenic experience should not be an "underground thing" reserved for modern-day hippies or mischievous teenagers who think they are doing something vaguely "bad" to annoy their parents. It should be something available to all law-abiding people, without all the dishonest subterfuge and meddling of the local police force. So maybe next time you celebrate Christmas Mass, you'll have some homegrown mushrooms in your pocket. And instead of just praying to God and hoping he gets your message, you can personally shake her hand and say "Thanks for a job well done-- and those stained glass windows are REALLY pretty."

Anyway... I'll get off the soapbox now. If you haven't already, please check out the ElfTrance videos in the Story section. I've watched them hundreds of times now, and those monkeys still make me giggle...

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