Art Shaman from Times Square

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In September of 2014, through our mutual friend, musician Anthony Sepulveda, I met Myztico Campo in his Brooklyn studio and immediately proposed that we do an article for Reality Sandwich. The following is edited together from emails, text messages, and conversations.

ST: We initially talked about doing an interview, and one of the ways not to do an interview is for the interviewer to talk about himself. But I think there are situations where a conversation is better than an interview. We’ll see how this goes.

MC: I definitely like the idea of conversation; it makes it more interesting.

ST: I was immediately struck by your paintings and as I researched your film and music work, I realized that we have a number of things in common. You and I are both immigrants, we both arrived in the New York area as children in the mid 1960s, and we both have connections in the North of England and in Cuba.

MC: What’s your connection with Cuba and northern England?

ST: I was born in Manchester and married a Cuban in America.  You were born in Cuba and married a woman in Leeds.

MC: So you learned Spanish?

ST: Not really. My father in law was always after me to study the language seriously, but I was too dumb and lazy. I studied some, and learned enough to pass a language exam in grad school, but the language doesn’t possess me, que pena. Monolingualism is a curse. It’s a curse on the North American honky. It’s the fall of America.

So you and I are both writers and musicians, and we both worked in bands in the 1980s that looked like they might be going somewhere. It seems important to note these things at the start. We don’t know each other, but the parallels are striking.

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MC: Yes I played in NYC bands that were moments away from being signed by Danny Goldberg (X-it-5 and HEAL!). There are videos of these bands posted on YouTube.

ST: I’m getting a message from the love world, which is my wife Judy, so I’m going to go with it. If you want to jump in on this, go for it. Judy is quoting the poet and dance critic Edwin Denby saying, “to perceive non-perception is the real McCoy.” I would have said, “to perceive perception is the real thing.” To perceive non-perception is maybe the German Romantic idea of the sublime. Do you know this line?

MC: I’m familiar with it and I would add to this by saying, “To perceive perception is but one prism constrained by the human species’ five senses and limited activation of the brain and DNA.”

ST: We are capable of understanding that there is something that we cannot understand. It’s a kind of ecstatic vision or moment of breakthrough, often depicted in 19th century Romantic art as the perception of some massive natural phenomenon. Caspar David Friedrich’s “The Wanderer above the Mists” from 1817-18 is a good example of an artist’s take on the sublime because the sublime is not nature per se, it is the experience of “man” in nature.

Caspar_David_Friedrich_-_Wanderer_above_the_sea_of_fog

MC: I love this image and the concept that direct experience is best within nature, exploring our power animals, connecting with our divine creator, experiencing astral travel, going on vision quests, worldly travel, multi-cultural and spiritual experiences, etc. All are powerful informants and nurturers of spirit. Direct experience is a true path towards pure awareness, knowledge, imagination and evolution of spirit.

ST: The massive gravity of the self or the subject in contemporary culture seems to me an artifact of the Romantic period generated largely by, and in the service of, capitalism. I think the degree of narcissism that is considered normal or not questioned in our time is evidence of the persistence and insanity of the Romantic/Capitalist focus on the individual. It seems that we will stop at nothing to get what “I” wants.

MC: Humans are conditioned from a young age to chase after a consumerist existence. It is a pattern that feeds the ego, to consume, to discard, to corrupt the natural balance of Gaia, all while feeding the sense of a “void” to buy the next shiny gadget that will make one’s life more fulfilling via the brainwashing marketing tactics of Madison Avenue and Big Media. Iphones, Ipods, Ipads, Iwant… Buying shit (made mostly by slave-like labor) that ultimately becomes dust collectors once the latest version is released, while a great majority of people around the world live in deep poverty and in war stricken areas struggling for peace, food, a roof over their heads.

So in most western culture the “ego” + Madison Ave. marketing = a population of rabid consumers that for the most part lack critical thinking skills, who rarely question authority. They are for the most part lost in the sea of Samsara chasing the ever elusive “I” that has only become a layer of masks one wears to cope with modern day society, losing authenticity of spirit in the process.

ST: I read somewhere that the majority of children in the U.S., when asked what they are going to be when they grow up, say they are going to be some kind of celebrity.

MC: This doesn’t surprise me, some of them may manifest this dream, yet a majority will only experience a boulevard of broken dreams. The narcissism of fame is evident in the me, me, me “selfie” trend. Celebrities are looked upon as having transcended the mundane. Consider the so called “reality shows” where the viewers live vicariously through these lame TV beings in mostly staged situations. It’s truly a sad excuse of a life. I personally stopped watching TV over a decade ago, nor do I read any lamestream newspapers. Because I know that 99% of it is fear-based manipulation of the masses via deception and distractions. They’re not called “TV programs” for nothing. It is mind programming and the dumbing down of the masses.

ST: A colleague of mine, a specialist in learning and child development used to say, “You can’t get the kids to stop watching TV so you have to teach them how to deconstruct it.” I mean, we’re not getting over the “I” any time soon. We can’t live without it. But we can look at it as an object, or as a social phenomenon.

MC: Let’s face it, the education system in most countries, especially in America, is truly a sad calculated disaster. It has become simply a system of dumbing down the population via indoctrination, misinformation and fear. Children are force-fed a lot of trash through the first 12 years of their impressionable minds. What better way for any government to maintain control of a population than via promoting the lack of critical thinking and offering a plethora of distractions via gladiator sports, junk TV, fear porn, lamestream media and false flag events. We then have young adults forced to take out huge loans to fund their college education. In other parts of the world education for the most part is virtually free! Entering life as a young adult with a $100k in debt is an abomination of common sense and a great obstacle to the evolution of humanity.

Many students are getting degrees in fields that are over saturated or are difficult to break into. Then they wind up landing jobs that are minimum wage and are over taxed. This is just another form of economic and mental slavery. Just imagine if children would be taught meditation, yoga, martial arts, permaculture, farming, tantric philosophy, peaceful civil disobedience, critical thinking, creative arts, volunteering, etc… What a different world we would be living in if this was the case. George Carlin stated it best in his “Education Sucks” clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILQepXUhJ98

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ST: I think art destabilizes the I. In art (or at least in what Theodor Adorno calls “genuine art”) everything goes into flux. That painters do this with fixed, stationary media is magical.

MC: Art in all its forms is what gives humanity its greater purpose and value. It gives us a sense of mystery while providing us a glimpse into deep inner space and beyond. Art is a great healer when channeled correctly.

ST: Judy says, “When a man knows his light and keeps his dark, that is the law of the universe. Thus his steady virtue does not err; he rejuvinates and is goal free.” She must be quoting one of the Taoist sages here.

MC: The Yin Yang of the soul is a constant reminder about balancing these two elements within so we may worship at the altar of infinite love, creativity and awareness.

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ST: I’m of the 1960s generation, but latish. I became a teenager in ’68. Looking back, I see that period as an extension of the Romantic era. Christopher Lasch’s The Culture of Narcissism (1979), comes to mind as a cogent critique of what followed the activist generations of the 50s and 60s. There was a turning inward after that, which Lasch saw as a kind of sell-out or loss to capitalist/narcissist ideology and economics — taking the energy that had gone into, say, social justice or the peace movement, and turning it inward, into a vanity project based in “self-help” consumerism.

MC: It’s an interesting perspective in the sense that there seemed to be a lot more passion in social activism back in the sixties than the decades that followed. America has become the land of apathy and silent acquiescence allowing the District of Criminals (Washington, D.C.) to plunder the economy, perpetrate endless false flag wars, the shredding of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, the raping of our environment at will and so forth. The soul of America is being sold to the highest bidder.

The most recent spark of let’s say the Occupy Movement or Arab Spring was a glimmer of a mass awakening that was snuffed out by a militarized police state. So much for freedom of speech and the right to peacefully assemble. Where is the outrage by the masses when this type of action is being taken out against us? If this is the type of “democracy” that this shadow government is trying to export internationally, then “We the People” are being completely duped by a few ego tripping power hungry sociopaths who are hell bent on creating a dystopian society that benefits and enriches the very few.

ST: There is a new wave of social critique and activism, it seems, but there is a wing of that still very much situated within a kind of consumerist narcissistic energy, an extension of the predatory nature of capitalism into an ostensibly liberationist or spiritual-salvationist agenda. To take one example, the native peoples here have been pointing this out for years: we took their land, now we want their religion.

At Naropa one summer, we were hanging out with a Canadian Indian guy who pointed out that although any one of us could book a weekend sweat lodge by looking on a local bulletin board, he didn’t get his first sweat until he hit 40 years old.

MC: Old traditions, ceremonies and ways of meaningful life that have co-existed with nature for thousands of years have become commoditized in a form that is largely unaffordable for the people from whom these teachings originated. Indigenous Americans and their cultures have suffered greatly. This is a shameful part of America’s past that still resonates to this present day.

ST: So I guess what I’m after in the present context is art not as self-expression but as a way of getting over oneself or out of oneself, or “beside oneself.” I like that old expression. I’m beside myself. Conventionally it means being extremely emotionally moved as in, she is “beside herself” with laughter or despair.

MC: Channeling creativity is all about getting out of oneself. Why get in the way of this blessed expression? I get lost in the flow of manifesting art or music, losing track of time and space, as if I’m walking between worlds.

ST: The dancer Ralph Lemon used the title “I Get Lost.” This is how I feel in my own practice: outside of the work process, I can’t get lost. I work all the time because I want to stay lost. You were saying that when you’re painting you feel it’s like channeling something.

MC: Yes. I don’t feel like it’s me as the way I see myself as a manifesting being. I feel like I’m just this channel and a vessel that the art or the music or words flow through. It’s like a sacred practice. I don’t allow the ego or the idea of criticizing or trying to be logical about the source of creativity to get in the way.

ST: Yes.

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MC: A lot of times people ask me do you have any idea – you asked me this as well – of what I’m going to paint on a canvas and I would say 99% of times I don’t. It’s all improvised. Whatever destiny that canvas has, I try to unveil it, if you will.  I think as a creative person, if you become too analytical of the process of that source of creativity, then I think you are placing obstacles in front of yourself. And you are kind of diluting the true potential of the art form, if that makes sense.

ST: Yeah I have the same experience of music. When I sing I feel like it comes up out of the ground; when it’s working, it comes up out of the ground, up through my body and out the top of my head. It certainly doesn’t “belong to me” in any way that makes sense.

MC: Yeah.

ST: It’s just ecstatic. And when I’m writing music it’s similar, it comes out of a fog. Bob Dylan talks about this in his Chronicles memoir. He says, I don’t know where the songs come from. There’s like a fog and things start to come out of the fog.

To me, it’s basically paying attention. You’re looking at the canvas or the blank page, looking at the mind.

MC: That’s right.

ST: For what comes forward. Poetry is very much the same way.

MC: Sure.

ST: Robert Duncan has this notion. He has a poem that goes, “Often I am permitted to return to a meadow as if it were a scene made-up by my mind, that is not mine, but is a made place.” The idea being that the mind is a kind of open field that is not mine, and whatever comes into the field is for art.

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MC: So an interesting analogy I would say is that the Hubble space telescope pointed its sights toward one dark place in deep space for several days and it just appeared dark, but after capturing all the light that was coming from that darkness, they found something like ten thousand galaxies within that darkness. So whatever you focus your third eye on, or your attention toward as a creative process, you unveil things that you can’t anticipate. For me, that’s the magic of the process.

I never went to school for it, I never studied formally, and in some ways maybe it was good that I didn’t, because I didn’t get stuck with rules, etc., although there are some areas of my work that I’d like to refine, which I will do some studies on, but I know a lot of peers who went to art school and are just very rigid in their output. It’s the same with classically trained musicians, they’re great at sight-reading, but they cannot improvise.

ST: This is my problem. I am now improvising more, but that’s always been a thing with me. I was trained as a classical guitarist, and in orchestration and so on, but now it’s much freer; always had some improvisatory practice but now really doing it big time since I started working with the dance company.

I just this afternoon saw this Yogananda documentary (Awake: the Life of Yogananda). They had a scientist, a neurologist (in Theoneurology, dig that) who does brain scans of people who meditate and he showed a picture of the brain and when you meditate the part of the brain that is the ego or place of self-consciousness becomes less active.

MC: Interesting. So we creatives may get stuck in the ego because we want to make something we think is going to sell or be trendy and then we’re doing a disservice to the source. If that’s your trip, so be it. Who am I to judge? It’s interesting to see different perspectives of it. But that’s where I feel almost like I’m doing shamanic work during the process of creativity

ST: Right.

MC: Walking between worlds and diving into areas that are kind of unknown and trying to bring back into this reality some of those visions from dreams or meditations, trying to depict as best I can with whatever skills I have for the viewers to experience.

It’s interesting to get feedback from different people because they get different takes on it. Because I’ll get asked what does this mean to me, well, I’m curious to see what it means to you, cause it’s all part of a bigger puzzle. All these different pieces and angles and perspectives.

ST: I remember playing a show in San Francisco, and a critic, a really perceptive great critic, wrote that I had cleverly accessed the music of some musician; but in fact this was a musician that I had actually never heard of.

[Laughter]

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ST: As I said, your paintings struck me immediately. And I am interested in your personal history. Can we go there? Where were you born and when did you come to the U.S.?

MC: I was born in a small town called Palma Soriano (immortalized in an iconic Cuban folk song by the same name) in the province of Oriente, Cuba. My father left for NYC, around mid 1961, moving into a Hells Kitchen apartment with his cousins. He soon found work and saved enough money to bring my mom Martha and myself over. I was 18 months old. Family rumor has it that Fidel Castro wanted to be my godfather since he knew my grandparents but my mom said no, since I already had a godfather. My father eventually managed to save enough money (working 2-3 different jobs) to help his brothers and sister and their children to also move to the states. My father is an amazing man of courage, good will and humor, such a wonderful human being on many levels. I am honored to be his son.

ST: I had an uncle who did that thing of being the father coming over first, but we were lucky enough to all come at once. Like you, I really admired my parents’ courage to make this big move. My father was a working man all his life, left school at 15, was an artist, a singer, who gave up his opportunity to go professional for the sake of family. I was once told by a palm reader that I went into music professionally because my father had a disappointment. Not that he ever looked back.

One of my first big experiences of America was the 1964 World’s Fair. I got a plastic dinosaur, which I got to see made by an extruder. Wow. Did you do that? That brontosaurus was a sacred object.

MC: I have some memories of that (especially the dinosaur being made) I remember the 1967 Worlds Fair a bit more vividly. I especially have fond memories of Future World, which truly intrigued me and sparked my imagination in a very profound way.

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ST: Hakim Bey talked one time about animal symbols. He said, stand on any corner in the city and look around. Chances are that wherever you look you can see some animal symbolism, some decoration, architectural ornament or piece of clothing or toy depicting the animal world. Animals have always been symbolically important to us, and in the modern world, this persists. Did animals appear in your earliest drawings? I think it may be a kind of through-line for you.

MC: Yes they most certainly did as a matter of fact. I recall as a child drawing all sorts of dinosaurs, T-Rexs, cats, dogs, elephants, and snakes. I went through 12 years of Catholic school and recall that during lunch breaks while my schoolmates were playing games I’d be sitting by the blackboard drawing T-Rex chewing on bloody nuns. Needless to say my nun teachers weren’t too happy about my drawings, but the kids loved it!

ST: I get the sense from your work and from your interest in entheogens that animals appear as messengers. Is this true for you? If you have this sense of animals, when did you first get it or how did it evolve?

MC: Animal spirits came to me at a very young age in the form of large wild cats, prehistoric animals (especially T-Rex), hammerhead sharks, snakes, wolves, butterflies, spiders and condors. It felt as if they were communicating with me and I would spend hours drawing them and coloring them in very vivid colors, rather psychedelic now that I think of it. In hindsight I wish I would’ve saved those drawings as it would be interesting to see them now as an adult.

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ST: You say you grew up in Times Square. Where exactly? That seems an odd place to land. Can you tell me about it? In my time, first coming into the city on my own in the mid 70s, Times Square was pretty rough.

MC: I grew up in a modest middle class Cuban family on the second floor of a five-story walk up on the corner of 44th Street and 8th Ave. Our neighbors were mostly Italian, Greek and Spanish. The building has undergone renovation and still stands to this day. My parents then moved a few doors down and are now closer to 43rd Street. It is one fast moving and extremely busy part of Manhattan full of tourists and curious passersby. When people ask me where I grew up they can’t believe it, it boggles their minds that families actually lived there.

Yes it was rough growing up there, prostitution, pimps, drugs, muggings, porn shops, gangs, shootings, graffiti, runaways mostly from the Midwest lured to the bright lights of NYC like moths to a wild flame. It was certainly a major street-wise upbringing. I must commend my parents for the way they raised us. A lot of the kids I grew up with came from broken homes, many got into gangs and hard drugs, most of them are now dead or in jail. My brother William (r.i.p) and I instead got into the martial arts, playing instruments and performing in theatre.

ST: The city in the 70s was in bad financial shape, really falling apart, but there was a lot going on in the arts, a carry-over from the big sort of Renaissance of the 50s-60s in terms of an avant-garde that was challenging whole cultural structures in theater, cinema, poetry, music. I came into that beginning in ’76, but I was coming from the Jersey suburbs. You were in the heart of Babylon. What was that like?

MC: Growing up in the 70s in NY was very magical and gritty at the same time. And then you mix the cocktails of psychedelia and everything else that was going on at that time. To have experience the night life at that time. What was available at that young age was almost like a free for all, a Felliniesqsue rock and roll free for all. And I’m so glad that I got to experience that.

It’s funny because when I talk to people, younger people, and they say I wish we could have experienced the 70s, we’re not from that era, we grew up during the late 80s or 90s and there’s a whole different vibe and I still feel very connected to this generation, the younger generation as well, so it’s interesting when you’re able to bridge that era and where we are now at present. Does it make the present any better? Or are you getting stuck in nostalgia for what was and the beauty of what it was, as gritty as it was?

ST: I think art puts you in the present because art can only take place in the present, so that frees you from nostalgia. The spontaneous nature of your art in the moment now.

MC: Yes.

ST: You can have nostalgia and it’s not going to mess you up.

M.C: That’s right. So as an artist yourself, when you grew up, during the 70s in New York . . .

ST: Well I was mostly in the suburbs in despair.

[Laughter]

MC: Because you were in New Jersey.

ST: So my out was like, yoga, meditation, marijuana, music, that kind of thing. Reading mystical texts, anything to get out, you know? Ginsberg was the way out, man, big time.

MC: So Ginsberg was your first introduction to mysticism?

ST: No. I had studied some Buddhist texts and Hindu texts and old Vedantist literature, whatever I could get my hands on. And took TM, transcendental meditation, when I was about 17. And then got to college and started taking acid and going to see Ram Dass, who was on the lecture circuit at the time.

MC: So were any of your peers in New Jersey on that wavelength at all?

ST: Yeah, There were always some people. It was prime time for the New Age.

MC: I am so thankful that I grew up in Hell’s Kitchen during the 70’s and early 80’s. As a kid, before we entered our teens, Times Square seemed like one large flashy film set that attracted all sorts of people from around the world to visit a city that has blazed its legend across the collective subconscious. We had so much fun hanging out at CBGBS, MAX’S KANSAS CITY, GILDERSLEEVES, CHINA CLUB, TRAMPS, CAFE WHA, KNITTING FACTORY, LONE STAR ROADHOUSE, VILLAGE GATE, FAT TUESDAYS and so many other now defunct clubs that should’ve become NYC landmarks.

My brother and our friends had such great wild times at these places. The music and the art were truly exciting way before all of the MTV crap that followed. We were immersed in the passion of punk, new wave and NYC rock, it inspired us to form our own bands and play at these clubs ourselves. At that time just about anything went, it was an innocent time of mind-expanding exploration for us. No cell phones, Internet, NSA, big brother crap; it was very liberating.

We’d be dropping mescaline, eating acid, toking on ganja along with some social drinking. We would have incredible hallucinatory evenings of raw on-the-edge culture happening every night right in our own backyard. Not to mention the sex that came our way via many beautiful young women who wanted to have fun, be wild, all before the advent of AIDS. We had Madison Square Garden ten blocks from us and we’d go see KISS, QUEEN, ELTON JOHN, DAVID BOWIE, ZAPPA, ZEPPELIN, AEROSMITH, PINK FLOYD, SABBATH and others. These guys rocked our world and they were the soundtrack for our time. In the smaller clubs we’d go see bands like BLONDIE, TALKING HEADS, RAMONES, DEAD BOYS, RUNAWAYS, LIVING COLOUR, HEARTBREAKERS, IGGY POP, SPRINGSTEEN, RICHARD HELL AND THE VOIDOIDS and so many others before they broke big.

In my teens I used to hang out with much older friends at TRAMPS on 15th Street off Park Ave South. This was THE Blues Mecca for any legit blues musician making their way through NYC. I had many memorable nights at that intimate venue and was lucky enough to see the likes of LIGHTNING HOPKINS, MUDDY WATERS, BIG JOE TURNER, OTIS RUSH, BUDDY GUY, ALBERT COLLINS, STEVIE RAY VAUGHN, JOHN LEE HOOKER and so many blues greats. I was enraptured by a great cauldron of music that I was exposed to. Besides the Spanish and world music my parents would listen to at home which I appreciate more now as an adult. We were also surrounded by all of the local Broadway theatres and pretty much knew all of the managers so we would get in for free and meet so many talented actors, it was a magical world.

At the age of 15 I joined an improvisational theatre group sponsored by NY MEDICAL COLLEGE known as “The Family Life Theatre Group” whose focus was all about urban teen life. We played out all sorts of scenarios that a NYC teen would have to deal with in their lives. At times it got very heavy/intense and we would have the audience in tears. We toured the country and performed consistently for over 2 years. It was an amazing journey which led to a three- month off-Broadway showcase; it was certainly hi jinks fun. I then served as an intern for the Circle Repertory Theatre in NYC, from which the actors Danny Aiello and Jeff Daniels emerged. It was so much fun to be a part of it during the late 70s. The soirees that these theatre companies put on were like scenes from a Fellini film plus massive amounts of cocaine freely offered in candy bowls as disco music pounded in the background.

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ST: Was your family situated in any kind of larger nuyo-Cuban milieu or were you isolated?

MC: My family was and still is very active in the Cuban community, here in NY, Miami and with family back in Cuba. They are very proud of their heritage and culture.

ST: Cuba seems to me to be a kind of vortex, a great mass of syncretisms on a tiny mass of land. This is most evident perhaps in music, but it exists in religion and food culture and politics as well. Santeria is the seed of it. I mean of the great African American vortex, where the term “African American” refers not only to people of African ancestry in the Americas, but really to the larger cultural complex that is the Americas. It is all inescapably African. The sooner we get straight with that the better.

MC: Before African slaves were integrated into the Cuban landscape by force there existed the Taino-Arawak Indians. Columbus recorded “Their naked innocence and quick response to the influences of kindness rather than acts of force… Their hair, thick as a horse’s mane, falls in long locks upon their shoulders. They are shapely of body and handsome of face. So ignorant of arms are they that they grasp swords by the blade! They are very gentle, without knowing what evil is, without killing, without stealing.”

So let’s get this straight, the voyages of Columbus were murderous rampage waged against a peaceful beautiful people via vicious acts of cruelty & oppression. I never have celebrated Columbus Day even as a youth. I sensed that we were being told historical lies. Columbus’s mission was about gold and conquest of lands that did NOT belong to power hungry ego centric kings or queens. I personally see no glory in these intentions and the TRUTH of Columbus’s violent rampage should be taught in schools and NOT sugar coated the way I learned it as a child. Columbus should go down in history as an outright murderer not as a hero. It boggles the mind as to how he has been even endowed with such false credibility.

ST: So how does Cuba and being Cuban figure?

MC: I have pride in being born in Cuba and my Latino heritage. I despise the tyranny that Castro bought to the people of Cuba as well as the continued 50+ year Embargo that the US and Israel continue to uphold against the people of Cuba. Despite all of the pathetic and violent politics towards Cuba I celebrate its accomplishments. I’m happy that I’m able to speak and read Spanish and am grateful that my parents spoke to us as children in Spanish as we learned English at school at the same time of our early development.

I visited Cuba with my family during June 2001 and spent a month travelling around the island nation. It was a bittersweet journey for all of us especially for me in many ways. I found it difficult to maintain my rage when the local police would not allow my cousins to eat at the same restaurants as us since they did not want to expose them to the foods that were readily available although for the Cuban people they can only have rations, I found it to be extremely disturbing.

ST: Yes. My wife Judy books international dance acts, and she brought Los Muñequitos de Matanzas to a festival she was producing. Their performances were totally awesome, just deep deep deep. We hosted them in a big empty frat house on a college campus and provided them with a chef for a week and when they left we went into their rooms and found dresser drawers full of food. They were stashing food the whole time. It’s way overdue time to end the boycott.

Speaking of syncretisms, I see motifs from Egypt, India, Africa, and old Meso-America in your work. Where does that come from?

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MC: I have always been interested in the history and art of ancient cultures. There seemed to be such a sense of mystery, nobility and other worldliness embedded in their arts and architecture. These motifs appeared in my earliest of drawings and paintings and are always a source of inspiration in my creative transmissions. Compared to the blandness of conservative American history, these ancient cultures were so far ahead of their time and quite visionary as well. A lot of these motifs come from lucid dreams as well as vision quests and I just try my best to interpret it, incorporating my approach in a non-technical manner.

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ST: Your pictures look like some Native American pictures that I have seen – the broad, flat perspective, which I associate with nomadism, and the abstraction of natural shapes. Any influence there?

MC: As a child I had many vivid dreams of being connected to Native American tribes in the southwest, in particular to the Navajo and Hopi Nations. I feel a deep compassion towards these people. A sadness overwhelms me at times at how they were treated by Europeans and the U.S .government, even to this day. Imagine how much Europeans could’ve learned from these people to coexist peacefully on these lands with nature. America needs to have a Native American as president, now this would be truly historical. There are so many profound messages to us from Native Americans going back a century or more. In 1854, Chief Seattle said, “Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”

ST: Why did the Museum of the American Indian buy one of your pictures for its permanent collection?

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MC: I had a client several years ago who was curating works for the museum and he was having a fundraising event back around 1998, he saw my paintings and this particular piece “Shamanizing” connected with it and so he made me an offer for it to have it as part of their permanent collection. I was very honored by this. It’s interesting to see it now in its digitized version and how the NYC skyline is completely covered by vegetation.

ST: I guess we have to talk about psychedelics. You say in one of your articles that you never had a bad trip. I find that extraordinary. Got any thoughts on that?

MC: I consider myself a seasoned psychonaut exploring the deep recesses of inner space. I have encountered dark visions at times during these journeys but none so overwhelming that it threw me off course. It all boils down to state of mind and setting. If one is going through a troubled time in one’s life, it may not be the best idea to dabble in with these sacraments unless one is supervised by a guided presence. This doesn’t mean that I haven’t had any bad trips in the default world. I honestly feel that most humans should have an entheogenic experience at least once in their lifetimes to better understand the mysteries of innerspace and transdimensional realms. In most cases it’s an introduction to the source of all that is, or the one soul source.

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ST: Looking at your paintings in person, as it were, I noticed that some of your pictures are done such that the line is raised off the canvas, almost like decorations on a cake, where the line stands out from the surface. That texture is very attractive. What is the medium there?

MC: It’s basically a combination of acrylic, fabric paint and glazes set up in a way to create more space and texture on the canvas.

ST: There is also a strong element of collage. Where did you get that?

MC: I’ve always enjoyed the flow of combining a variety of patterns, images, textures and spontaneity in my work to tell a story or to combine them to create an image. It’s a great way to utilize repeated viewings because at times there can be more than meets the eye at first glance. For example in this particular piece I was channeling a multitude of spirit entities that showed up and created a whole image.

ST: Have you studied art history? You say you didn’t study art formally but history comes through. How did you get your art education?

MC: Yes I studied art history pretty much on my own and have been drawn to the evolution of art since a child. Living in NYC has offered me the opportunity to visit great museums, art galleries, street art, etc… As well as my interest in the art of ancient cultures internationally. I taught myself how to draw and paint via instinct, trial and error, I am my own worst critic, yet compassionate towards the process of being a channel for creativity to flow through me without being overly analytical about the end results.

ST: Can you name some of your painterly influences?

MC: Prehistoric cave art, international indigenous art, Bosch, William Blake, Frida, Dali, HR Giger, Alex Grey, Android Jones, Cameron Gray, Alejandro Jodorowsky are among the influences I resonate with.

ST: What is your process? To what extent do you see the painting before you execute it?

MC: Before I commence, I have an internal prayer that expresses gratitude for being a vessel of creativity, it becomes a sacred act for which I am just a humble servant. I don’t just see a blank canvas in front of me; I see already something on it that I just need to manifest to be seen by the naked eye. As if the canvas has a destiny already and I am just uncovering what is meant to be on it. The only time I see something specific before I start a painting is when I receive commissioned work and the patron is seeking something specific like I did for the Book Cover below for “Gone Hallucinogen Freeway”.

ST: There are a number of pictures featuring two figures facing each other. Why?

MC: These themes come up because after all its about human communication, gazing deeply into each other’s eyes, sharing thoughts, ideas, poetry, wisdom, love, laughter, tears, dreams, fears, etc…all without having our heads buried in our cell phones. When we face each other we have a sacred mirror in front of us reflecting ourselves and the divine within each of us. When we look at humanity we recognize these divinities and the miracle that is life itself, it is rather humbling in many ways. I love exploring this theme as it can be approached in all sorts of manners.

ST: Was there a particular moment when you realized you were an artist?

MC: Yes, early on around the age of 14, I was offered my first commission to paint the back of a denim jacket with the band RUSH 2112 album cover and it came out great. From there I was asked to paint a bunch more jackets and I thought to myself, WOW I can make money doing what I love to do and people are digging it. Over the years since I’ve received all sorts of commissioned work, I love painting wall murals the best especially when there’s total freedom to express the energy of the space that I’m painting.

ST: You have expressed dissatisfaction with organized religion. Is there a particular spiritual tradition in which you feel rooted?

MC: I went through 12 years of Catholic school, and although my parent’s intentions were for the best because the public schools in NYC were in a terrible state, I learned that there was a lot of hypocrisy in the way that religious dogma was taught in these institutions. Some of the nuns and the brothers appeared to be rather sadistic in the way they handled the students by inflicting physical pain.

I’ve studied the concepts of various world religions and it all boils down to the essence that “Infinite Love is the only truth, all else is an illusion.” If the essence of all of these religions is love toward all life then why has humanity suffered through so many wars? Trillions of dollars wasted destroying the environment, killing and maiming innocents around the world. All this war money can be used to serve such a much higher good that can uplift humanity for its pure evolution of spirit and intellect. Therefore I resonate more towards the spirit of Buddhism or Krishna consciousness that has much more to offer than just dogma. It’s all about the power of Love being greater than the love of power.

ST: Is there a particular regular practice of, say prayer and/or meditation (if you feel you can discuss such things)?

MC: Yes, ART is a sacred practice for me and always will be. My meditation is always for the higher good of humanity. To heal the witness of art through the experience is a blessing of its own. I like working with mantras as well as the Moses code, they are both rather interesting to dig into. Meditation and Yoga postures are also part of the mix to help remove any mental obstacles and to allow the free flow of source.

Here are a couple of upcoming NYC events: Myztico is having an art show at Bashar Studio 34, located at 45 East 30th Street, on Thursday November 13th from 7-10pm. On Friday the 24th, he is premiering a music video and showing recent paintings at Professor Thom’s, 219 Second Avenue, top floor. 

Myztico Campo is a Multimedia Visionary Shamanic artist. He has toured Europe and the States with a variety of bands as a guitarist/hand percussionist. His paintings are collected internationally and he has had a multitude of gallery shows both in Europe and in the States. He paints live at festivals as well as conducts Shamanic Art workshops. His articles on the subject of Art and Creativity have appeared in various magazines. Visit his website: www.myzticocampo.com 

Psychedelic Resources

A Foraging Trip: Where Do Magic Mushrooms Grow?
Eager to learn more about the origin of psilocybin species? Read this article to find out where magic mushrooms grow and more!

How to Make Shroom Tea: Best Recipe and Dosage
A step by step guide on how to brew shroom tea, and why entheogenic psilocybin tea is a preferred method for psychedelic connoisseurs.

R. Gordon Wasson: Author and Mushroom Expert
Learn about R. Gordon Wasson, the “legendary mushroom expert” and popular figure within the psychonaut community.

Shrooms vs Acid: Differences and Similarities Explained
Ever wondered what the differences are between shrooms vs acid, or if you can take both together? This guide explains what you need to know.

Quantum Mechanics, Reality, and Magic Mushrooms
Scientist and author Dr. Chris Becker takes an in-depth approach in understanding how we perceive reality through magic mushrooms and quantum mechanics.

Psilocybin Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to Psilocybin has everything you want to know about this psychedelic fungi from its uses to its legal status.

The Psilocybin Experience: What’s the Deal With Magic Mushrooms?
From microdoses to macrodoses, the psilocybin experience has been sought after both medicinally and recreationally for millennia.

Psilocybin and Magic Mushroom Resources
Curious to learn more about psilocybin? This guide is a comprehensive psilocybin resource containing books, therapeutic studies, and more.

Paul Stamets Profile: Mushroom Guru, Filmmaker, Nutritionist, Scientist
Learn about Paul Stamets, read his thoughts on psilocybin mircodosing, the future of psilocybin, and his recent film “Fantastic Fungi”.

Microdosing Psilocybin & Common Dosage Explained
Microdosing, though imperceivably, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing psilocybin.

Psilocybin Nasal Spray: Relief for Anxiety, PTSD, and Depression
Microdosing nasal spray with psilocybin, is that possible?! Oregan a start-up Silo Wellness believes so and has created this new option for PTSD treatment.

Mazatec Mushroom Usage: Notes on Approach, Setting and Species for Curious Psilonauts
A look at traditional Mazatec psilocybin mushroom usage, and a comparison to the cliniical therapeutic approach, with an examination of the Mazatec setting and species used in veladas.

María Sabina: The Mazatec Magic Mushroom Woman
Magic mushrooms are incredibly popular today. How they became introduced to into American culture isn’t usually a topic discussed while tripping on psilocybin fungi. We all may have María Sabina to thank for exposing the Western world to the healing properties of the psilocybin mushroom.

Guide to Magic Mushroom Strains
Are there different types of psilocybin? Read our guide to learn about the different magic mushroom strains and their individual effects.

Kilindi Iyi: Mycologist, Traveler, Teacher
Learn about traveler and mycologist Kilindi Iyi known in the psychedelic community for his research and exploration of psilocybin.

How to Store Shrooms: Best Practices
How do you store shrooms for optimal shelf life? Learn how and why the proper storage method is so important.

Shroom Chocolate Recipes: How to Make Magic Mushroom Chocolates
This recipe provides step by step directions on how you can make mushroom chocolates with the necessary ingredients. Read to learn more!

Why Do People Use Psilocybin? New Johns Hopkins Study
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicines has just published a new study on psychoactive effects of psilocybin. Read here to learn more.

How-To Lemon Tek: Ultimate Guide and Recipe
This master guide will teach you how to lemon tek, preventing the onset of negative effects after consuming psilocybin. Read to learn more!

How to Intensify a Mushroom Trip
Learn about techniques like Lemon tekking, or discover the right time to consume cannabis if you are looking to intensify a mushroom trip.

How to Grow Magic Mushrooms: Step-by-Step
This step-by-step guide will show you how to grow magic mushrooms at home. Read this guide before trying it on your own.

How to Dry Magic Mushrooms: Best Practices
Read to learn more about specifics for the best practices on how to dry magic mushrooms after harvesting season.

How to Buy Psilocybin Spores
Interested in psilocybin mushrooms? We’ll walk you through all you need to know to obtain mushroom spores. Nosh on this delish How To guide.

Hippie Flipping: When Shrooms and Molly Meet
What is it, what does it feel like, and how long does it last? Explore the mechanics of hippie flipping and how to safely experiment.

Having Sex on Shrooms: Good or Bad Idea?
Is having sex on shrooms a good idea or an accident waiting to happen? Find out in our guide to sex on magic mushrooms.

Gold Cap Shrooms Guide: Spores, Effects, Identification
Read this guide to learn more about the different characteristics of gold cap mushrooms, and how they differ from other psilocybin species.

Guide to Cooking with Magic Mushrooms
From cookies to smoothies and sandwiches, we cover various methods of cooking with magic mushrooms for the ultimate snack.

2020 Election: The Decriminalize Psilocybin Movement
Are you curious if mushrooms will follow in marijuana’s footsteps? Read to learn about how the U.S. is moving to decriminalize psilocybin.

Oregon’s Initiative to Legalize Mushrooms | Initiative Petition 34
Oregon continues to push ahead with their initiative to legalize Psilocybin in 2020. The measure received its official title and now needs signatures.

Canada Approves Psilocybin Treatment for Terminally-Ill Cancer Patients
Canada’s Minister of Health, Patty Hajdu approved the use of psilocybin to help ease anxiety and depression of four terminal cancer patients.

Mapping the DMT Experience
With only firsthand experiences to share, how can we fully map the DMT experience? Let’s explore what we know about this powerful psychedelic.

Guide to Machine Elves and Other DMT Entities
This guide discusses machine elves, clockwork elves, and other common DMT entities that people experience during a DMT trip.

Is the DMT Experience a Hallucination? 
What if the DMT realm was the real world, and our everyday lives were merely a game we had chosen to play?

How to Store DMT
Not sure how to store DMT? Read this piece to learn the best practices and elements of advice to keep your stuff fresh.

What Does 5-MeO-DMT Show Us About Consciousness?
How does our brain differentiate between what’s real and what’s not? Read to learn what can 5-MeO-DMT show us about consciousness.

How to Smoke DMT: Processes Explained
There are many ways to smoke DMT and we’ve outlined some of the best processes to consider before embarking on your journey.

How to Ground After DMT
Knowing what to expect from a DMT comedown can help you integrate the experience to gain as much value as possible from your journey.

How To Get DMT
What kind of plants contain DMT? Are there other ways to access this psychedelic? Read on to learn more about how to get DMT.

How DMT is Made: Everything You Need to Know
Ever wonder how to make DMT? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how DMT is made.

Having Sex on DMT: What You Need to Know
Have you ever wondered about sex on DMT? Learn how the God Molecule can influence your intimate experiences.

Does the Human Brain Make DMT? 
With scientific evidence showing us DMT in the brain, what can we conclude it is there for? Read on to learn more.

How to Use DMT Vape Pens
Read to learn all about DMT vape pens including: what to know when vaping, what to expect when purchasing a DMT cartridge, and vaping safely.

DMT Resources
This article is a comprehensive DMT resource providing extensive information from studies, books, documentaries, and more. Check it out!

Differentiating DMT and Near-Death Experiences
Some say there are similarities between a DMT trip and death. Read our guide on differentiating DMT and near-death experiences to find out.

DMT Research from 1956 to the Edge of Time
From a representative sample of a suitably psychedelic crowd, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who couldn’t tell you all about Albert Hofmann’s enchanted bicycle ride after swallowing what turned out to be a massive dose of LSD. Far fewer, however, could tell you much about the world’s first DMT trip.

The Ultimate Guide to DMT Pricing
Check out our ultimate guide on DMT pricing to learn what to expect when purchasing DMT for your first time.

DMT Milking | Reality Sandwich
Indigenous cultures have used 5-MeO-DMT for centuries. With the surge in demand for psychedelic toad milk, is DMT Milking harming the frogs?

Why Does DMT Pervade Nature?
With the presence of DMT in nature everywhere – including human brains – why does it continue to baffle science?

DMT Substance Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to DMT has everything you want to know about this powerful psychedelic referred to as “the spirit molecule”.

DMT for Depression: Paving the Way for New Medicine
We’ve been waiting for an effective depression treatment. Studies show DMT for depression works even for treatment resistant patients.

Beating Addiction with DMT
Psychedelics have been studied for their help overcoming addiction. Read how DMT is helping addicts beat their substance abuse issues.

DMT Extraction: Behind the Scientific Process
Take a look at DMT extraction and the scientific process involved. Learn all you need to know including procedures and safety.

Microdosing DMT & Common Dosages Explained
Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing DMT.

DMT Art: A Look Behind Visionary Creations
An entire genre of artwork is inspired by psychedelic trips with DMT. Read to learn about the entities and visions behind DMT art.

Changa vs. DMT: What You Need to Know
While similar (changa contains DMT), each drug has its own unique effect and feeling. Let’s compare and contrast changa vs DMT.

5-MeO-DMT Guide: Effects, Benefits, Safety, and Legality
5-Meo-DMT comes from the Sonora Desert toad. Here is everything you want to know about 5-Meo-DMT and how it compares to 4-AcO-DMT.

4-AcO-DMT Guide: Benefits, Effects, Safety, and Legality
This guide tells you everything about 4 AcO DMT & 5 MeO DMT, that belong to the tryptamine class, and are similar but slightly different to DMT.

How Much Does LSD Cost? When shopping around for that magical psychedelic substance, there can be many uncertainties when new to buying LSD. You may be wondering how much does LSD cost? In this article, we will discuss what to expect when purchasing LSD on the black market, what forms LSD is sold in, and the standard breakdown of buying LSD in quantity.   Navy Use of LSD on the Dark Web The dark web is increasingly popular for purchasing illegal substances. The US Navy has now noticed this trend with their staff. Read to learn more.   Having Sex on LSD: What You Need to Know Can you have sex on LSD? Read our guide to learn everything about sex on acid, from lowered inhibitions to LSD users quotes on sex while tripping.   A Drug That Switches off an LSD Trip A pharmaceutical company is developing an “off-switch” drug for an LSD trip, in the case that a bad trip can happen. Some would say there is no such thing.   Queen of Hearts: An Interview with Liz Elliot on Tim Leary and LSD The history of psychedelia, particularly the British experience, has been almost totally written by men. Of the women involved, especially those who were in the thick of it, little has been written either by or about them. A notable exception is Liz Elliot.   LSD Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety LSD, Lysergic acid diethylamide, or just acid is one of the most important psychedelics ever discovered. What did history teach us?   Microdosing LSD & Common Dosage Explained Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing LSD.   LSD Resources Curious to learn more about LSD? This guide includes comprehensive LSD resources containing books, studies and more.   LSD as a Spiritual Aid There is common consent that the evolution of mankind is paralleled by the increase and expansion of consciousness. From the described process of how consciousness originates and develops, it becomes evident that its growth depends on its faculty of perception. Therefore every means of improving this faculty should be used.   Legendary LSD Blotter Art: A Hidden Craftsmanship Have you ever heard of LSD blotter art? Explore the trippy world of LSD art and some of the top artists of LSD blotter art.   LSD and Exercise: Does it Work? LSD and exercise? Learn why high-performing athletes are taking hits of LSD to improve their overall potential.   Jan Bastiaans Treated Holocaust Survivors with LSD Dutch psychiatrist, Jan Bastiaans administered LSD-assisted therapy to survivors of the Holocaust. A true war hero and pioneer of psychedelic-therapy.   LSD and Spiritual Awakening I give thanks for LSD, which provided the opening that led me to India in 1971 and brought me to Neem Karoli Baba, known as Maharajji. Maharajji is described by the Indians as a “knower of hearts.”   How LSD is Made: Everything You Need to Know Ever wonder how to make LSD? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how LSD is made.   How to Store LSD: Best Practices Learn the best way to store LSD, including the proper temperature and conditions to maximize how long LSD lasts when stored.   Bicycle Day: The Discovery of LSD Every year on April 19th, psychonauts join forces to celebrate Bicycle Day. Learn about the famous day when Albert Hoffman first discovered the effects of LSD.   Cary Grant: A Hollywood Legend On LSD Cary Grant was a famous actor during the 1930’s-60’s But did you know Grant experimented with LSD? Read our guide to learn more.   Albert Hofmann: LSD — My Problem Child Learn about Albert Hofmann and his discovery of LSD, along with the story of Bicycle Day and why it marks a historic milestone.   Babies are High: What Does LSD Do To Your Brain What do LSD and babies have in common? Researchers at the Imperial College in London discover that an adult’s brain on LSD looks like a baby’s brain.   1P LSD: Effects, Benefits, Safety Explained 1P LSD is an analogue of LSD and homologue of ALD-25. Here is everything you want to know about 1P LSD and how it compares to LSD.   Francis Crick, DNA & LSD Type ‘Francis Crick LSD’ into Google, and the result will be 30,000 links. Many sites claim that Crick (one of the two men responsible for discovering the structure of DNA), was either under the influence of LSD at the time of his revelation or used the drug to help with his thought processes during his research. Is this true?   What Happens If You Overdose on LSD? A recent article presented three individuals who overdosed on LSD. Though the experience was unpleasant, the outcomes were remarkably positive.

The Ayahuasca Experience
Ayahuasca is both a medicine and a visionary aid. You can employ ayahuasca for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual repair, and you can engage with the power of ayahuasca for deeper insight and realization. If you consider attainment of knowledge in the broadest perspective, you can say that at all times, ayahuasca heals.

 

Trippy Talk: Meet Ayahuasca with Sitaramaya Sita and PlantTeachers
Sitaramaya Sita is a spiritual herbalist, pusangera, and plant wisdom practitioner formally trained in the Shipibo ayahuasca tradition.

 

The Therapeutic Value of Ayahuasca
My best description of the impact of ayahuasca is that it’s a rocket boost to psychospiritual growth and unfolding, my professional specialty during my thirty-five years of private practice.

 

Microdosing Ayahuasca: Common Dosage Explained
What is ayahuasca made of and what is considered a microdose? Explore insights with an experienced Peruvian brewmaster and learn more about this practice.

 

Ayahuasca Makes Neuron Babies in Your Brain
Researchers from Beckley/Sant Pau Research Program have shared the latest findings in their study on the effects of ayahuasca on neurogenesis.

 

The Fatimiya Sufi Order and Ayahuasca
In this interview, the founder of the Fatimiya Sufi Order,  N. Wahid Azal, discusses the history and uses of plant medicines in Islamic and pre-Islamic mystery schools.

 

Consideration Ayahuasca for Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Research indicates that ayahuasca mimics mechanisms of currently accepted treatments for PTSD. In order to understand the implications of ayahuasca treatment, we need to understand how PTSD develops.

 

Brainwaves on Ayahuasca: A Waking Dream State
In a study researchers shared discoveries showing ingredients found in Ayahuasca impact the brainwaves causing a “waking dream” state.

 

Cannabis and Ayahuasca: Mixing Entheogenic Plants
Cannabis and Ayahuasca: most people believe they shouldn’t be mixed. Read this personal experience peppered with thoughts from a pro cannabis Peruvian Shaman.

 

Ayahuasca Retreat 101: Everything You Need to Know to Brave the Brew
Ayahuasca has been known to be a powerful medicinal substance for millennia. However, until recently, it was only found in the jungle. Word of its deeply healing and cleansing properties has begun to spread across the world as many modern, Western individuals are seeking spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical well-being. More ayahuasca retreat centers are emerging in the Amazon and worldwide to meet the demand.

 

Ayahuasca Helps with Grief
A new study published in psychopharmacology found that ayahuasca helped those suffering from the loss of a loved one up to a year after treatment.

 

Ayahuasca Benefits: Clinical Improvements for Six Months
Ayahuasca benefits can last six months according to studies. Read here to learn about the clinical improvements from drinking the brew.

 

Ayahuasca Culture: Indigenous, Western, And The Future
Ayahuasca has been use for generations in the Amazon. With the rise of retreats and the brew leaving the rainforest how is ayahuasca culture changing?

 

Ayahuasca Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
The Amazonian brew, Ayahuasca has a long history and wide use. Read our guide to learn all about the tea from its beginnings up to modern-day interest.

 

Ayahuasca and the Godhead: An Interview with Wahid Azal of the Fatimiya Sufi Order
Wahid Azal, a Sufi mystic of The Fatimiya Sufi Order and an Islamic scholar, talks about entheogens, Sufism, mythology, and metaphysics.

 

Ayahuasca and the Feminine: Women’s Roles, Healing, Retreats, and More
Ayahuasca is lovingly called “grandmother” or “mother” by many. Just how feminine is the brew? Read to learn all about women and ayahuasca.

What Is the Standard of Care for Ketamine Treatments?
Ketamine therapy is on the rise in light of its powerful results for treatment-resistant depression. But, what is the current standard of care for ketamine? Read to find out.

What Is Dissociation and How Does Ketamine Create It?
Dissociation can take on multiple forms. So, what is dissociation like and how does ketamine create it? Read to find out.

Having Sex on Ketamine: Getting Physical on a Dissociative
Curious about what it could feel like to have sex on a dissociate? Find out all the answers in our guide to sex on ketamine.

Special K: The Party Drug
Special K refers to Ketamine when used recreationally. Learn the trends as well as safety information around this substance.

Kitty Flipping: When Ketamine and Molly Meet
What is it, what does it feel like, and how long does it last? Read to explore the mechanics of kitty flipping.

Ketamine vs. Esketamine: 3 Important Differences Explained
Ketamine and esketamine are used to treat depression. But what’s the difference between them? Read to learn which one is right for you: ketamine vs. esketamine.

Guide to Ketamine Treatments: Understanding the New Approach
Ketamine is becoming more popular as more people are seeing its benefits. Is ketamine a fit? Read our guide for all you need to know about ketamine treatments.

Ketamine Treatment for Eating Disorders
Ketamine is becoming a promising treatment for various mental health conditions. Read to learn how individuals can use ketamine treatment for eating disorders.

Ketamine Resources, Studies, and Trusted Information
Curious to learn more about ketamine? This guide includes comprehensive ketamine resources containing books, studies and more.

Ketamine Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to ketamine has everything you need to know about this “dissociative anesthetic” and how it is being studied for depression treatment.

Ketamine for Depression: A Mental Health Breakthrough
While antidepressants work for some, many others find no relief. Read to learn about the therapeutic uses of ketamine for depression.

Ketamine for Addiction: Treatments Offering Hope
New treatments are offering hope to individuals suffering from addiction diseases. Read to learn how ketamine for addiction is providing breakthrough results.

Microdosing Ketamine & Common Dosages Explained
Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing ketamine.

How to Ease a Ketamine Comedown
Knowing what to expect when you come down from ketamine can help integrate the experience to gain as much value as possible.

How to Store Ketamine: Best Practices
Learn the best ways how to store ketamine, including the proper temperature and conditions to maximize how long ketamine lasts when stored.

How To Buy Ketamine: Is There Legal Ketamine Online?
Learn exactly where it’s legal to buy ketamine, and if it’s possible to purchase legal ketamine on the internet.

How Long Does Ketamine Stay in Your System?
How long does ketamine stay in your system? Are there lasting effects on your body? Read to discover the answers!

How Ketamine is Made: Everything You Need to Know
Ever wonder how to make Ketamine? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how Ketamine is made.

Colorado on Ketamine: First Responders Waiver Programs
Fallout continues after Elijah McClain. Despite opposing recommendations from some city council, Colorado State Health panel recommends the continued use of ketamine by medics for those demonstrating “excited delirium” or “extreme agitation”.

Types of Ketamine: Learn the Differences & Uses for Each
Learn about the different types of ketamine and what they are used for—and what type might be right for you. Read now to find out!

Kitty Flipping: When Ketamine and Molly Meet
What is it, what does it feel like, and how long does it last? Read to explore the mechanics of kitty flipping.

MDMA & Ecstasy Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to MDMA has everything you want to know about Ecstasy from how it was developed in 1912 to why it’s being studied today.

How To Get the Most out of Taking MDMA as a Couple
Taking MDMA as a couple can lead to exciting experiences. Read here to learn how to get the most of of this love drug in your relationship.

Common MDMA Dosage & Microdosing Explained
Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing MDMA.

Having Sex on MDMA: What You Need to Know
MDMA is known as the love drug… Read our guide to learn all about sex on MDMA and why it is beginning to makes its way into couple’s therapy.

How MDMA is Made: Common Procedures Explained
Ever wonder how to make MDMA? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how MDMA is made.

Hippie Flipping: When Shrooms and Molly Meet
What is it, what does it feel like, and how long does it last? Explore the mechanics of hippie flipping and how to safely experiment.

How Cocaine is Made: Common Procedures Explained
Ever wonder how to make cocaine? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how cocaine is made.

A Christmas Sweater with Santa and Cocaine
This week, Walmart came under fire for a “Let it Snow” Christmas sweater depicting Santa with lines of cocaine. Columbia is not merry about it.

Ultimate Cocaine Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
This guide covers what you need to know about Cocaine, including common effects and uses, legality, safety precautions and top trends today.

NEWS: An FDA-Approved Cocaine Nasal Spray
The FDA approved a cocaine nasal spray called Numbrino, which has raised suspicions that the pharmaceutical company, Lannett Company Inc., paid off the FDA..

The Ultimate Guide to Cannabis Bioavailability
What is bioavailability and how can it affect the overall efficacy of a psychedelic substance? Read to learn more.

Cannabis Research Explains Sociability Behaviors
New research by Dr. Giovanni Marsicano shows social behavioral changes occur as a result of less energy available to the neurons. Read here to learn more.

The Cannabis Shaman
If recreational and medical use of marijuana is becoming accepted, can the spiritual use as well? Experiential journalist Rak Razam interviews Hamilton Souther, founder of the 420 Cannabis Shamanism movement…

Cannabis Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to Cannabis has everything you want to know about this popular substances that has psychedelic properties.

Cannabis and Ayahuasca: Mixing Entheogenic Plants
Cannabis and Ayahuasca: most people believe they shouldn’t be mixed. Read this personal experience peppered with thoughts from a procannabis Peruvian Shaman.

CBD-Rich Cannabis Versus Single-Molecule CBD
A ground-breaking study has documented the superior therapeutic properties of whole plant Cannabis extract as compared to synthetic cannabidiol (CBD), challenging the medical-industrial complex’s notion that “crude” botanical preparations are less effective than single-molecule compounds.

Cannabis Has Always Been a Medicine
Modern science has already confirmed the efficacy of cannabis for most uses described in the ancient medical texts, but prohibitionists still claim that medical cannabis is “just a ruse.”

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If you’re a human being living in the world today – you’re in the rat race. It doesn’t matter where you live, or what you do for work or play – your nervous system needs support.

Check out Organa Fuel – this liquid nutrient works at a cellular level with super potent antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory levels. All the ‘antis’ you’re after, it’s got ’em.

Our Partners

We’re now streaming consciousness and medicine music all day, every day. Turn on, tune in, drop out.

Hear from the RS community in our new video series, spotlighting shared experiences and stories with plant medicines, psychedelics, consciousness, dreams, meditation, etc.

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