Aside from the daily practice of silent meditation, my experiences of Psychadelic/Entheogenic agents were probably the most transformative events in my life. (To be treated with profound respect & deep care) I actually feel that these two activities are very synergistic for growth...

Below is from todays page at Alex Grey's site: http://www.alexgrey.com/
A nice picture with this quote below.

========================================================================
Doctor Albert Hofmann
1905 - 2008
 
"Alienation from nature and the loss of the experience of being part of the living creation is the greatest tragedy of our materialistic era.  It is the causative reason for ecological devastation and climate change.

Therefore I attribute absolute highest importance to consciousness change. I regard psychedelics as catalyzers for this. They are tools which are guiding our perception toward other deeper areas of our human existence, so that we again become aware of our spiritual essence.  Psychedelic experiences in a safe setting can help our consciousness open up to this sensation of connection and of being one with nature.

LSD and related substances are not drugs in the usual sense, but are part of the sacred substances, which have been used for thousand of years in ritual settings.  The classic psychedelics like LSD, Psilocybin and Mescaline are characterized by the fact that they are neither toxic nor addictive.  It is my great concern to separate psychedelics from the ongoing debates about drugs, and to highlight the tremendous potential inherent to these substances for self-awareness, as an adjunct in therapy, and for fundamental research into the human mind.

It is my wish that a modern Eleusis will emerge, in which seeking humans can learn to have transcendent experiences with sacred substances in a safe setting.   I am convinced that these soul-opening, mind-revealing substances will find their appropriate place in our society and our culture."

Dr. Albert Hofmann
Thursday, 19th April 2007
========================================================================

A couple of articles:
http://reason.com/blog/show/126249.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/29/AR2008042902738.html?hpid=topnews?hpid=moreheadlines

Rest In Peace dear Friend!

(Continued from Part 1, a little auto-biography exercise)

Doug's Episode #2

Hi Friends,

Fast forward another ~10 yrs...

I'm now 19 years old & incarcerated (~1 yr) in the California Youth 'Authority' (sic) for violating the conventional culture's taboo against altering consciousness in unapproved ways...the 'devil weed'. (BTW, this was preceded by previous short term incarcerations for overdoing the 'approved' drug...alcohol).

At this 'fulcrum' of development, I was fortunate to be exposed to the writings of Ayn Rand by my ever vigilant, agnostic mother (luv ya Mom!). Thus begins a total immersion in the 'Rational Stage of Faith'. I would definitely consider Ms. Rand my Spiritual Authority during this period of development (although certainly not 'seen' that way at the time)...unquestioningly loved her writings, ideas & persona. "Long Live John Galt!". But, as a result, I began to use discriminating intelligence to evalutate declarations of all so called 'authorities', including her eventually.

At the time, I considered myself an atheist; a proponant of rational self interest; an advocate of libertarian (moderist 'liberal') economic & political philosophy. I read Aristotle, Ludwig Von Mises, Nathanial Branden, and just about anyone that didn't demand faith without empirical evidence.

To this day, I'm am still extremely grateful & still using this valued perspective daily.

And to be fair, I need to give some credit for a little 'as if' pre-taste of rationality to my pre- and post-adolescent exposure to the Sci-Fi writings of Asimov, Simak & a few others.

But, this is not the end of the story...stay tuned.

Cheers,
Doug

Edited by Doug Wallack on Apr 21, 2008 at 3:05 PM

(this post part of a thread started here http://kenwilber.meetup.com/59/messages/boards/thread/4558305 ...which may become a series as it progresses.
I have enjoyed very much being associated with this community of inspired and inspiring buddies.)

Hey Lynne,

Thanks for getting the ball rolling again. A wonderful story you started with.

I loved the idea you proposed...so here goes.

This may seem 'light' but was major in my early life...my dog Duke. A shepard/collie mix that was my companion from ~2 yrs to ~10 yrs. I was told later of the time he grabbed me by my diapers and pulled me from hanging on the bumper of the 'ice cream truck' as it was pulling away. He taught me much about loyalty & fierce devotion.

Not insignificant for this youngster at the time.

More later.
Cheers,
Doug

Edited by Doug Wallack on Apr 19, 2008 at 8:50 AM

Here's a video Randy California did in 1995 of a song 1st recorded in 1968 when I worked for the band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEqJbCZHap8&feature=related

I wish there was a way to post mp3's here...(but it probably wouldn't be legal)

If you get a chance, listen to a song by Randy called "Cosmic Smile"...very cool!
It was done a short time before he died body surfing in Hawaii with his son.

He was like my little brother for a while.


Here is a nice tribute here; http://www.randycaliforniaandspirit.com/tribute.html

(Text of letter from a devotee, edited)
On January 11, 2008, Maharishi gave his farewell address to his worldwide family, saying that he had fulfilled his "designed duty to Guru Dev" and was handing over all responsibilities to his Rajas and Ministers and national leaders, and retiring from activity....

....His mortal remains sat upright on a bed, wrapped in white except for his face, garlanded in a few thin strands of flowers from head to foot.

Source http://kenwilber.meetup.com/59/


First off, Cheers to Eliot & Jana for really doing their homework on the environmental issue. If any issue deserves a comprehensive & inclusive (integral) approach, it is environmental concerns.

I thought I would make a little attempt to clarify the meaning Zone 1 and Zone 2 as used by Ken Wilber. I felt in myself (and perhaps in others) a little uncertainty about these points in our discussion at the meetup and also in Eliot's latest post on "A Zone 2 Perspective on Environmentalism".

Eliot said in his post, "Ken Wilber reminds us, for example, that Zone One discloses the beauty of meditation, and Zone Two discloses the meaning of Spiral Dynamics, AND that these two types of development are largely discrete, cognitively ("NO amount of meditation will EVER disclose ANYTHING like SD", KW [my emphasis, for clarity]). "

Here is Wilber in Integral Spirituality. (Note: I added the brackets in quotes below)
(IS, pg. 38)
"Here's the point: you can sit on your meditation mat for decades, and you will NEVER see anything resembling the stages of Spiral Dynamics. And you can study Spiral Dynamics till the cows come home, and you will NEVER have a satori. And the integral point is, if you don't include both, you will likely never understand human beings or their relation to Reality, divine or otherwise.

Meditative understanding involves preeminently a methodology of looking at the 'I' from the inside (using phenomenology)[zone 1]; Spiral Dynamics involves studying it from the outside (using structuralism)[zone 2]. Both of them are studying a person's consciousness, but they see very different things because they are inhabiting a different stance or perspective, using different methodologies. Further, a person could be quite advanced in one, and not in the other, or vice versa, and there is no way to tell using either of their yardsticks; they can't even see each other!"

(IS, pg. 196)
"There is another reason that religions, in order to act as the great conveyor belt of humanity, should incorporate meditative, contemplative, and nonordinary states (gross, subtle, causal, nondual) into their curricula, and that is not just to stop forcing kids into raves and grown adults into tent revivals, but for the profoundly beneficial effect that states have on stages. As we saw: the more you experience various states, the more quickly you develop through the stages.

Under no circumstances that we are aware of can you skip stages in any line--stages cannot be skipped--but considerable research has demonstrated that the more you experience meditative or contemplative states of consciousness, the faster you develop through the stages of consciousness. No other single practice or technique--not therapy, not breath-work, not transformative workshops, not role-taking, not hatha yoga--has been empirically demonstrated to do this. Meditation alone has done so. For example, whereas around 2% of the adult population is at second tier, after 4 years of meditation, that 2% goes to 38% in the meditation group. This is truly staggering research.

As we saw, the reason meditation does so is simple enough. When you meditate, you are in effect witnessing the mind, thus turning subject into object--which is exactly the core mechanism of development ('the subject of one stage becomes the object of the subject of the next').*

So no matter what general stage you are at when you begin (red, amber, orange, green,
etc.), you can directly experience meditative or contemplative or ecstatic or nonordinary states
(gross, subtle, causal, nondual), and not only do those states carry profound experiences
themselves, they will accelerate your growth and development through the stages."

One point I wanted to make in this discussion is that meditation will not 'disclose' stages as Eliot has pointed out, but meditation will accelerate growth through the stages. And, I would add that actually developing through stages will assist one in being able to see the stages more clearly using the zone 2 methodologies. The second point of this post is that learning about the 'Stages of Development' using a Zone 2 methodology may perhaps increase cognitive understanding, but meditation may actually increase compassion, thus allowing one to relate to & assist others at varying stages of growth with more skillful means.

In conclusion, I would say 'both/and' to Zone 1/Zone 2 (and of course the other 6 Zones as well).
In an Integral Approach, Big Mind and Big Heart are 'Not Two'.
Blessings,
Doug (dugaum)

Edited by Doug Wallack on Dec 10, 2007 at 12:09 PM

THE RULES:
1. Link to the person's blog who tagged you.  http://fireangel.zaadz.com/blog

2. Post these rules on your blog.

3. List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself.

4. Tag seven random [?] people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.
   (except I like the shout out notification that I got better)
*************************

1.  I passionately desire peace generating behavior in the world, yet I have worked 35 years in the Aerospace/Defence industry. (maybe not so weird, just learned the other day that 2 of the founders of the Bodhi Tree Bookstore in LA were Aerospace Engineers)

2.  I am both an Atheist & a God Lover.

3. I am iching to find a new slot for active engagement of my Dharma in the world...a new form of livelyhood for my 'sunset years'...God, that sounds funny.

4. Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Moses, Mohammed...they all love me...And, they keep kicking me in the the ass & beating me around the head & shoulders. Aahh, Love.

5. I have this question..."How can I be so vain & yet feel so small?" And alternately enjoy & cringe at witnessing it all.

6. I love to write, yet have spent most of my life reading...ZAADZ and my friends are helping me change that. Cheers to Brian, Gina & all you other Zaadzters.

7. Time to go Meditate................Bye for now!

I'll lose myself if I don't hold tight.
I might be something else if I lose control.
In this vain attempt to define myself,
Throttle myself,...the life drains away
from fatigue.
How tight must I hold?...I'm getting tired.
Who might I be? Maybe....
I can loosen this death grip
a bit and allow life
to flow in me...
Ahhh! now I feel
Peace

Beating incessantly, yet...
Silence always present,
Never noticed, obsessed with
The Beat.
What's in between, whenever the beat subsides,
Before the next beat rises up?
Who does this Heart beat for?
How big is this Heart?
Who is the Host of this
Pulse of Life?
Who hears the Beat,
In Silent Bliss?

Round & Round & Round I go...
Faster by trying to stop.
The movement of a mind
that knows no rest.

I run from Death and it out paces me.
Throws me back again to run some more
If I can only beat it, I'll find some rest.
If only I'd rest, it would cease to chase.

Like the impossible backward clock,
Who would have thought...
There is no clock.