Imagination
Shaman
perceive this reality for what it truly is presents de facto evidence of our cultural collapse and personally conditioned addictions, the hall mark symptom of which is deep seated denial of anything seriously wrong with our ‘self’. We cannot fix what we do not acknowledge is broken and presently the human psyche appears broken beyond repair. Or so it seems. As someone who struggled with a devastating addiction for well over two decades until I began (and continue) to travel the road to recovery in 1990, I know firsthand the travails of senseless self-destruction and utter insanity as well as the long and difficult road back from the abyss. Not surprisingly, the turning point for me was self evident once my denial collapsed and I became willing (desperate actually) to do anything needed to arrest my fall. I had to find my bottom in order to rise above my ‘self’ and recognize I was, and continue to be, my own worst enemy. I was the problem, I am the problem and I always will be the problem, the very definition of personal responsibility at its most basic incarnation. Once I acknowledge where the problem lay the solution cannot be avoided, only denied. Notice I do not speak in the past tense, but rather in the present. I do this because the process is not a ‘one and done’ event, but instead an ongoing rigorous and fearless self-examination. The subtlety of the insanity lay within the egoic belief I can ‘fix’ thousands of years of imperial conditioning with a few short sessions of cursory assessment of my surface flaws. If only it were that easy.  It is the denial of my ‘self’ that was (and remains) the root cause of my insanity. A house divided will fall, an analogy that works perfectly when speaking of both the body and the body politic. I am only as sick as my deepest darkest secrets and the deepest of all secrets are those I will never discuss, especially with my ‘self’. One cannot fix what one does not acknowledge is broken and “We the People”, regardless of race, creed, colour or nationality, are most certainly broken. Sadly the more broken we become, the louder our insistence that we are not. All we must do to begin the healing process is to admit this self evident and irrefutable fact is true and then become willing to do whatever it takes to begin to heal. As preposterous as this might sound to those who are convinced the personal and cultural dysfunction has moved past the point of no return, it truly is that simple. We must recognize the insanity of the present day consensus reality, and then become willing to make whatever changes to our ‘self’ that are necessary to regain our health. The path forward must begin on a deeply personal and individual basis. For those who claim we must first fix the body politic in order for the individual to heal, this is the oppressive insanity dominating by obscuring common sense and reason. The body politic is ‘us’ and we are the body politic. Therefore if the individual is deathly ill the whole can never regain health. Never! The cancer is not found outside the body, but springs from deep within. ‘We’ are insane; therefore “We the People” are at least equally insane…and arguably more so. When we point to the rampaging sociopaths who are presently in control we are illuminating the symptom and not the disease. To claim the sum of the dysfunctional parts is more sane than the individual pieces is…well, insane. Aside from not even passing the sniff test, the increasingly rancid stench of the rotting collective carcass requires exponential increases of willful ignorance and outright denial. Eventually all applied counter measures will fail in the face of the glaringly obvious. Either we die as an insane culture or we survive, and thrive, as healthy and aware individuals. The corrupt imperial empire will survive only as long as we wish it to remain in place. While we howl in protest and righteous indignation after every newly revealed imperial transgression, the sad truth is each time the emperor is revealed to have no clothes it only serves to convince ourselves the problem lay without when in truth the illness rages within. Do “We the People” possess the courage and intestinal fortitude to engage in a complete and thorough personal selfexamination before we turn our attention to the surrounding insanity? I believe we do. Ultimately it is immaterial whether the people around us are willing to engage. All that is of any consequence is for you and I to do so. I detest the term ‘sheep’ or ‘sheeple’ when speaking of those whom we claim are asleep, for to use this term implies the speaker is awake. But if this concept is correct, then the very problem as labeled presents its own simple solution. ‘Sheep’ are easily led. Lead by example and others will soon follow our lead. Assuming, that is, we are actually willing to walk the talk. Cognitive Dissonance
During the year after first hearing about shamanic plant medicines my life seemed to fill itself with a series of fabulous coincidences and synchroncities. I knew something big, something crucial was about to happen to me, but not what. I was being called to discover some important, yet so far uncovered piece of fate. It was a very exciting and very cosmic time, and without wanting it, without asking around or seeking it, I found myself in contact with the shamanic healers who have since had such a positive impact on me. With no effort from me, they appeared exactly when they were supposed to.
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The Clinic The psychiatrist was close to my office, so I didn’t have to take any extra time off work. Parking was easy, the receptionist pleasant, and other anxious patients waited as pharmaceutical sales reps came and went. All very clinical, businesslike and professional. White jackets, neckties, manila folders, magazines, that sort of thing. I filled out paper work, handing over intimate personal and financial details. The walls of the doctor’s office were covered in plaques, certificates, diplomas, war memorabilia and golfing photos. My co-pay was next to nothing. At considerable expense and some alarm to my family, I signed up to go deep into the jungle to have ceremony with a group of shamans whom I’d never met. It was costly, inconvenient and irrational, taking me way out of my element, beyond my comfort zone, and deep into nature. The ceremonial lodge was a sacred healing space, and very much felt so. A place where the sounds and smells of fire, incense, flutes, rattles, and nature combine. A purifying, healing, spiritual place to heal.
The Doctor My psychiatrist lived in a mansion in the best part of town. He
drove a Mercedes-Benz, owned vacation homes in the Rockies and Acapulco, plus a private airplane. He was extremely confident and well respected in the medical community. He made over $450 thousand dollars a year. His type of healing paid well, he had plenty of clients and lots of repeat customers. The shaman I know are all deceptively strong and powerful people, especially the elders. Their open-air houses have thatched roofs and are built on stilts with wooden plank floors and next to no furnishings, set deep in the jungle aside rivers. Their clothes are simple, worn, and often dirty, but you hardly notice because their smiles are so big and they always seem to be laughing and enjoying life. They know every plant, tree, animal and insect in the rainforest. They are unflinchingly kind, sensitive and humble people who are a joy to be around.
The Treatment My psychiatrist asked many intimate questions, and the conversations felt forced, rigid, impersonal and mechanical. Like taking care of business. I was diagnosed as having depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, ADHD, borderline schizophrenia and insomnia. The remedy was antidepressants, anti-anxiety meds, and other psychotropics, along with weekly appointments with the doctor… all to continue for as many years as needed. This also included the warning that it was extremely dangerous to stop taking these medications. Before a nighttime medicine ceremony, the day is spent mentally and spiritually preparing: fasting, meditation, reflection, introspection and concentration. This is a process of gathering intention and focusing energy. Plant medicine journeys can induce indescribably harrowing and enlightening visions and experiences. The shaman never asks about my troubles, but I sense that he knows of them, perhaps even better than I. He sings instead of speaks and the journey ends in deep in meditation, as powerful and transformative insights appear from some unknown
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economy of abundance. In this interview he discusses the goals, rationale and methodology to the Ubuntu system and takes us on a journey through the corruption of the elite who control us through our social systems. He is clearly passionate about helping humanity to transcend the suffering that plagues our uniting global culture by helping to not just educate the masses, but provide sound solutions too. Michael Tellinger; Redesigning the SystemThe Unbutu Movement: https://www.youtube.com/watch? feature=player_embedded&v=IvlYQwmfy20
The Verdict As an individual within the collective, we all need to participate in an active discussion around the systemic problems that are causing humanity so much pain, as well as the genuine solutions to them. This needs to happen not just from the bottom up through our communities, but from the top down through our politicians and community leaders. There are several approaches to transforming our social system to one in which everybody is cared for and nobody slips through the safety net. One is Ubuntu and Contributionism, whilst another is the Resource Based Economy. The tireless work carried out by Jacque Fresco and The Venus Project, as well as Peter Joseph and the Zeitgeist Movement, have illustrated the logic and methodology to undertake a
spiritual source. It feels like both a purge and a download. The following day is like a gift, a new beginning, completely renewed in body, mind and spirit.
The Results I took my doctors recommendations and took the pills, but I quickly realized that the side-effects and the personality changes that the drugs induced in me were not something that I, nor my family, could live with. I dumped them, cancelled all remaining appointments and resolved to heal myself. It was not easy. My time with sacred medicine always feels like going home to some very special place of physical and spiritual renewal. The visions and experiences from ceremony always prove challenging to integrate into daily life, but the journeys are a continuing source of inspiration to improve myself and enjoy life to the fullest. I’ve come measure the results of this type of healing with a simple metric: am I happy? The answer is yes. Finally.
 About the Author Dylan Charles is a student and teacher of Shaolin Kung Fu, Tai Chi and Qi Gong, a practitioner of Yoga and Taoist arts, and an activist and idealist passionately engaged in the struggle for a more sustainable and just world for future generations. He is the editor of WakingTimes.com, the proprietor of OffgridOutpost.com, a grateful father and a man who seeks to enlighten others with the power of inspiring information and action. He may be contacted at wakingtimes@gmail. com. This article (The Difference Between My Psychiatrist and My Shaman) was originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Dylan Charles and WakingTimes.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement.
transition to an economy where all resources and services are provided for free and each individual is inspired and encouraged to contribute their innate strengths and acquired skills for the benefit of their community. All three of these movements are parallel in some ways, but not in all. Regardless, they recognize the need to reintegrate our communities in a way that benefits both the individual and the whole, as well as Mother Nature, and remove the need for a debt-based and human-enslaved monetary system. Another consideration is that the automation of at least half of the jobs that are performed in our society will soon be capable by the technological advancement we have made in robotics, machinery and computers. It is in this simple fact that we can logically accept that we need a new economy on a global scale, one in which the needs of people and the environment are prioritized over outdated power and monetary structures. Please note: Over the coming weeks, the Redesigning Society series will present a range of expert perspectives on the current state of societal affairs, as well as the collective changes we desperately need both philosophically and practically. Details of upcoming and past guests and topics can be viewed here. You can subscribe to The Conscious Society Youtube Channel to get early access to each interview in the series.
About The Author Phillip J Watt lives in Australia. He best identifies as a ‘self-help guide’. His written work deals with topics from ideology to society, as well as self-development. Follow him on Facebook or visit his website.