GordoTEK
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Yesterday was a very Good Friday
🕑 Added 2023-04-08 22:09:49 +0000 UTCSixty One years ago, on Good Friday (1962), a prominent religious figure, civil rights leader, theologian, and mystic, Howard Thurman (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s mentor) preached in Marsh Chapel on Boston University’s campus (¹):
Full of striking verbal imagery including personalized accounts from the perspectives of those who met Jesus, his 85-minute sermon deeply impacted those fortunate enough to hear it.
Here is one small excerpt from Thurman's speech, if you are interested you should listen to the recording, this section is only a couple of minutes, you have to experience the timing and rhythm of the man to fully appreciate the power of that moment:
[The woman at the well of Samaria starts around the 13 minute mark tap here to jump to the audio on youtube]: "He came to me with his eyes and asked for water. Stretched out his hand and spoke. His mind burned into mine like the noon sun. My pitcher of thoughts broke. I had not noticed him at rest by the well head shadowed by the rare tree. But as I carried my shame into its coolness, his eyes awaited me. I tried to avoid them as I drew the well rope taught through a mindless hand. I saw his robe cross the speckled sunlight, his feet stir the white sand. I saw his face, it was white with road dust. Whiter than any stone. But his eyes were ageless and deep as well shafts as they met my own. They unroofed my brain with their profound gazing. Made the heart a molten thing. Every pointed thought unveiled itself under their questioning. He spoke of water to cleanse the spirit. I tried not to understand. He followed me along the road of my evasions. And when it ceased in sand, he brought me home from my self forced journey. He showed me my own soul, cracked and dry as a discarded wine skin, and made it whole. He came to me with his eyes and asked for water. Stretched out his hands and spoke. As I carried my peace back to the streets of Sychar, a new world woke.
Perhaps unknown to those in attendance (but with Thurman's knowledge and approval), a brilliant Harvard researcher named Walter Pahnke was conducing what came to be known as "The Marsh Chapel Experiment" also known as "The Good Friday Experiment"
This was part of Pahnke's Ph.D. thesis in Religion and Society under his thesis advisors Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert. Pahnke had assembled a group of 20 volunteers that included seminary students, just below the sanctuary where the audio of the service above was broadcast live (they were in a separate room so as not to disturb the service if any participants "lost it"). Ten of the study participants were given 30mg psilocybin and the other ten an active placebo (niacin) in this double blind experiment. Nine out of ten given psilocybin reported religious or mystical experiences while only one of ten in the placebo group reported the same. Through observations of the participants that day plus post-experience interviews and questionnaires, the experiment confirmed the thesis that primary religious experiences could be occasioned by using psychedelic drugs in a religious setting and this was among the first scientific data to be collected with regard to psychedelic drugs and religious experience(²).
Anyway, the nostalgia of the day and it's dual importance in history inspired me... What would happen if I conducted my own Good Friday experiment on myself? Of course I couldn't go to the extreme of a true high dose experience at the risk of making a scene (I would not be hiding out in a basement) but I wondered, what would happen on a lower, more controllable/predictable dose? It just so happens that I had recently grown some natalensis mushrooms (which can be seen at the 27:25 mark of my last video). I don't want to go into all of the details in this post, but suffice it to say, THERE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL about this species! It is more potent than your average cube, less potent than pan cyans, but that's not the full story... it has some very unique and strange properties and overwhelmingly positive user experience reports (for as much as you can trust anecdotes).
Anyway, long story short, I decided to take a somewhat light dose of natalensis and go to a Good Friday evening service, timing it so that I would peak during the service. I had no idea what to expect really, but it turned out the service felt like it was almost divinely tailored to my experiment! ;) When I entered the room I was actually surprised to find it was only dimly lit by candlelight. Instead of your typical type of service, they decided to do an experimental meditation event, no sermon, just reading a few passages then showing pictures of the events on screens and asking everyone to silently meditate and imagine yourself in the scenes focusing on all five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch). The only instructions at the onset were to assume a "listening posture", ask for and expect to receive spiritual guidance of thought and emotion, and use all of your senses (it's not just about deep thought, the goal is to travel in the mind and be present at the events with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength).
Because of my state of mind, I was brought to a place I suspect few others in attendance could have easily gone ;) I did not have a "full mystical experience" but I definitely had a very positive experience and I also felt amazing.
Just for the record, I did not do any of the driving that evening. Also when I got back home, my wife wanted to talk about something serious, but I was in such a positive mood from the mushrooms that I could not keep myself from laughing. And since laughter is so contagious, I got her laughing too. We both ended up laughing so hard we were in tears (the subject was just some of the crazy things we've had going on in our lives recently). It was a cathartic experience. This was as much the gift of the mushroom that night as anything else.
The next day I feel very relaxed and positive. I will share more about natalensis mushrooms in the future.
(¹) MAPS was able to obtain a recording of the actual service from Pahnke's widow and has made it available for download or streaming here but its also available on YouTube now too.
(²) Note: There was also sadly somewhat of a "cover up" with the Good Friday Experiment. One of the participants had a psychotic break during the experiment and had to be given the powerful sedative Thorazine. This was not properly reported at the time or even included in Pahnke's dissertation, the details only emerged later. Also Leary, who was already in trouble at the time, obtained and provided the psilocybin for this experiment even though his psilocybin access/privileges had already been officially revoked. And finally the researchers really didn't know what they were doing and kind of did a terrible job in comparison to today's standards. The participants did not have proper support or preparation and 8 out of 10 who received psilocybin reported having some difficulties even though they considered the experience overall to be positive. One participant even managed to leave the building entirely and wandered around outside until the researchers were able to bring him back in.
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SOME RANDOM ADDITIONAL UNRELATED THINGS
1) I was in attendance at the Horizons Perspectives conference in New York last year when Dr. Roland Griffiths dropped the bomb shell revealing publicly that he had stage 4 terminal colon cancer. In the past he has been quite reserved in general with the press particularly about his own psychedelics usage, but now that he knows his time is short, he has opened up more with the press and I thought this interview from a few days ago was worth reading. He has generously created a new psychedelic research institution funded into perpetuity by various supporters which will undoubtedly positively impact psychedelic research for generations, a truly wonderful parting gift.
2) I received many inquires about alternative HEPA filters on Amazon that I linked to in my laminar flow hood TEK asking if I could confirm they worked since the original one I recommended and tested had sold out. As of just this week, I have purchased and tested those alternative filters and great news, they work just as flawlessly as the original, and the price is actually lower too! They look identical to the original ones and I suspect they are made at the same factory, good build quality and great reviews: https://amzn.to/3Gq94cK
3) The Spring 2023 Cultivar Cup deadline is June 1st, 2023. If you have an interest in contributing to the science of mushroom testing, you should start now any project with some variable you think might be useful to test. Two months is enough time to get something submitted. More details on the cup here: https://magicmyco.org/the-cultivar-cup and Doma also made a light hearted video showing his lab and a short demo of the sample collection and processing. He has also done some excellent work recently on new and improved extraction techniques which I will post more about in a future video. Any entry into the cup helps support the very existence of the lab which in turn supports the psychedelic community in many ways (countless people have already benefitted from the research done at this lab and there is a lot more to come).
Regards,
Gordo
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Links to all of my TEKs, Videos, Trip music, and frequently asked questions with answers can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/22774475 (everything is made available for FREE, I do not use pay walls, support the work only if you feel like you've benefited from it and you are able to do so). People have told me my work has helped them overcome depression, addictions, PTSD, relationship issues, direction in life, and to have important, meaningful, sometimes life changing mystical experiences. I feel honored and blessed to play a small role in this. That is my reward.
Comments
2high2flyfpv
I just germinated the natalensis spore print I got and it is beautiful. It's like a work of art, so pretty and amazingly stringy. A few more weeks and I'll be putting some kits together. Looking forward to a harvest. I'll be growing them side by side with the Pan Cyan.
OKayBuds
Agree with Johnny on this one. Much appreciated and fantastic info!
ben dulong
Eager to hear about any and all Natalensis experiences. They have great potential
Johnny Flash
Interesting read, thanks for your continued time and effort providing worthwhile information to the community and not continually spamming us with marketing content like some. Sending love from Australia😃👍
Peter Foster
Couldn’t see the link you posted on patreon but got it in the mail. Anyways thanks for the Baptist news link, my mum will absolutely froth over this, thanks again man.
Peter Foster
All good man! I was just screening before I go walkabouts.
MagicMyco
This sounds like an amazing experience gordo I’m glad the PNATS are turning out to be something special. We’ll keep on with the research! Bless friend…
GordoTEK
Yea, that place is definitely special. I had been searching for decades to find a place where I fit in, that matched my personality and hit the jackpot when by chance someone told me about it and I checked it out. Its leader is a hard core researcher and academically oriented, he puts countless hours into his craft, uncovering all sorts of deep wisdom and insights I had never seen or heard before. He has also brought in many fascinating guest speakers that you might not expect, like a notable astrophysicist, a geologist, an evolutionary biologist, a cambridge professor of nuclear physics, etc.
GordoTEK
Ah yes, others have told me it was not available outside of the US. You might have more luck with the Phillips filter mentioned in the original TEK, which is widely available in Europe and Australia (but not sure about other regions). It is also on ebay with shipping from Australia.
GordoTEK
So far I really like the species. I hate to just point to anecdotes but what else do we have? People consistently give the species very high reviews and say it produces more euphoria and less body load. I didn't take a very high dose so I will reserve judgement, but the low dose was wonderful. The natalensis mycelium is unlike any other species, not just vigorous but it almost puts out 'fingers' to wave hello. People report that it can wrap itself around contams and choke them out. It seems about as strong as oyster mycelium. Very fun to grow.
Robin Eleusis
I love this story and I love that you shared it. I am widely curious about what kind of church you attended as this sounds so genuinely spiritual and much more progressive than any church that I have been to. And I agree, it sounds like the universe lined up the variables for you
Oleg Music
Happy Easter Gordon
MrMycoMonster
Great post & thank you Gordo for all that you do
Learn More
Okay, well I'm waiting. 🤣🤣🤣
GordoTEK
Mushrooms go well with chocolate, just sayin' ;)
GordoTEK
A patron actually submitted a revised version of the Hopkins playlist where he took out everything that he felt was 'negative', he made it specifically for his wife I believe from what I remember. I was planning to review it first before posting, but that slipped through the cracks and I never got around to it. I am putting that back on my TODO list. I will put this revised version up along side of the other Trip Tracks. As for baptists - its a funny coincidence that you mention it, because there is a connection to the above post and the Baptists believe it or not! I stumbled upon the following article last year written by and for a Baptist audience (baptistnews.com). I was really surprised to see mostly positive things written by this author about psychedelics! The world is changing. https://baptistnews.com/article/what-an-experiment-with-psychedelics-60-years-ago-might-teach-us-about-faith-today/
stepan crani
apparently they do not deliver to my country, and just write that the filters are out of stock.
GordoTEK
Yes, LOTS and LOTS of flow hoods being made, but it is currently showing in stock for me, check it again: https://amzn.to/3Gq94cK (it even has SAME DAY delivery showing for me, on Easter Sunday no less ;) )
stepan crani
Thanks, but the alternative HEPA filters are already out of stock :) so many flowhoods will be made ! :))
Jodi Rounds
Thanks so much for sharing…I really enjoyed the recording..
Travis Byers
Awesome post Gordo.
Alex Olson
Awesome story, it’s so fun when you have trips that feel like they were meant to be. I am also curious about what you thought of Natalensis. I have had great success growing that strain and I think it is a nice intersection of potency and vigorous growth that is also very contamination resistant and produces large yields. Pan cyan are still the best, but these are a really close second for me.
JenX
The Holy Spirit shines through you, Gordo! Thank you for sharing this and what a beautiful excerpt. Thank you for all you do for the world of God’s medicine!
Learn More
I'm going to have to start reaching higher. All I've got is chocolate eggs wrapped in tin foil on my mind.
Charlie Myc
It was a VERY Good Friday for me as well....I have been doing a similar Experiment this Weekend myself but Alas tomorrow is the Coup de Grâce is tomorrow and still to come but Ahooooo Brother for Your Share!
Peter Foster
Interesting thanks for sharing Gordo! I too decided dose and thought it would be a great opportunity to listen to your Johns Hopkins playlist and all went well till it got to Russill Paul - By The Stream. I’m not sure why but that piece was really unsettling however I pushed on I almost had to turn it of as soon as Ladysmith and king of kings started. I was born into a baptist family that is very religious but through the use of psychedelics I’ve taken the path of the Buddha Dharma and maybe that has something to do with my need to question the intentions of anything I listen too. Strange that I can no longer listen to just anything
ben dulong
Beautiful
Chris Carpenter
Wow, great content! That's a lot of update, thanks Gordo❤️❤️
