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    <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"><font color="#121212">great!<p>We are privileged to welcome Dr Ralph Metzner to Spiritplants.<p>From his early work on the Harvard Psilocybin Projects with Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert, Dr Metzner's career will be familiar to most of us here, if not you can find a short biography on his <a href="http://www.greenearthfound.org/ralph_metzner.html">website</a><p>His <a href="http://www.greenearthfound.org">Green Earth Foundation</a> seeks to pass on the vital information for a harmonious existence and his most recent project is a series of fascinating workshops, the <a href="www.metzneralchemicaldivination.org">Alchemical Divination Training Program</a><p>Todays chat will be logged and archived on the <a href="http://deoxy.org/wiki/Chat_Logs/Ralph_Metzner">deoxy.org wiki</a> and the Spiritplant <a href="http://www.spiritplants.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2939">forums</a>.<p>Dr Metzner before we open up to our first question perhaps you could bring us up to speed with your latest projects?</font></p>
    <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"><font color="#121212">Ralph, are you familiar with the 'psychic/artist' Ingo Swann, or any of his works/writings? At the International Remote Viewing Association (IRVA) Conference, he had a speech about how 'scientists' fail to measure or understand 'psychic' and 'spiritual' processes. In his speech he mentioned how Scientists theorize that ~90-99% of the universe is made up of dark matter/energy (and the discovery of dark matter interpenetrating dark energy), and how the "scientific method" relies entirely on the measurement of physical matter. So do you think it is possible that the reason scientists fail to properly study these matters, is largely because they occur in non-matter (and its interactions with matter). Do you have any comments on the future of science, possibly in a time where it integrates with the possibility to study such non-matter, or this theory/idea in general? (thanks)</font>
    <td bgcolor="#ffffff"><font color="#cc3366">I don't know about the salvation of western civilization, but I agree with Jung that alchemy represents a hidden tradition of great beauty and meaning in Western civilization. Alchemy or the Hermetic Tradition, is a descendant of shamanism, integrated with Spirituality and science. But it was suppressed by the Church in the Middle Ages, and by material science in the Modern Age. Jung rescued it from this double suppression, pointing out that it was a symbolic language of the psyche, that helps to connect the material with the higher dimensions. Hofmann's discovery of LSD provided an additional link in the broken connection, by finding a material substance that one ingests, and that can attune consciousness more I've written about this in a short book that is coming out shortly, You'll see it on our website.
    <td bgcolor="#ffffff"><font color="#cc3366">I think of the psychedelics as non-specific psychic amplifiers. The experience you have is a function of "set and setting", as Tim Leary used to say; or of intention, as I would say now. And that's true of any state of consciousness, including this one - what's happening here is a function of each of our intentions and interests, and then there's the setting (the IRC). The Alan Watts remark sounds clever, and is valid for certain kinds of communications. However, when you're in touch with "God", say, or you're deceased grandparents, or your lover, or a wise person you've just met, why would you hang up the phone? Psychedelics are ways that the message can be heard more clearly perhaps. But it still depends on the question you're asking, which is the intention. Hope that makes sense.
    <td bgcolor="#C0C0C0"><font color="#121212">What do you suggest are the best ways to go about spreading knowledge of entheogens and alchemy amidst illegality in the US and most everywhere else? How can we overcome the fact that we need to teach and share the information on the growth and spiritual use of entheogenic plants and alchemy yet the very real possibility of getting one's freedom taken unjustly makes it very hard not to turn good knowledge into secretive hermit-hobbies? There are many like myself who feel they know important things that others need to wake up and become aware of, but also having to live safely with a family, in a town or city, in a state etc where the very info that desperately needs to be shared is the same information that law enforcement could come destroy a family's life with.
    <td bgcolor="#ffffff"><font color="#cc3366">Well, what's really the point of sharing information with those who do not ask for that information, or who have other agendas. You have to use discretion and discernment. The use of psychedelics has always been a secret tradition, because it's so easily misunderstood, even by well-meaning people. It was the same in the Middle Ages as now: growing certain plants in your garden could get you hauled before the Inquisition. The information about plants and substances that assist the mind is out there, thanks to the writings of Hofmann, and Shulgin, and many others, myself included, and thanks to the dedicated work of growers and makers, the tool are available. In my work, what I can contribute is the divination methods with which to work in varying states of consciousness, and find the answers that are meaningful to yourself and your family and community.



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