Respect and fear

One of the main themes running through your blogs this week were the ideas of respect of fear. Nick and Jill mention fear explicity, and it is considered by Don Juan as a natural ingredient of the training. Is there a connection between fear and what we read in The Field? For example, how might fearful thoughts affect the outcome of a journey into other worlds? Danny touches on this connection when he discusses "psychic effects." Matthew questions whether "other worldly" is more "psychological" than anything. But we need to remember that psychology is, in fact, our scientific (and Western) attempt at defining states of consciousness and states of mind. The two, then, are really one and the same. Jamie asks if "life experience" is considered a credible form of research as opposed to more empirical studies, and it is. Castenada's experiences would come under a research method know as ethnography, where the researcher immerses themself into the community under study and reports on their observations.
Dusty brings up the importance of environment, using the broken down cabins as an example; these are, certainly, a part of that environment. But other environmental issues would include frame of mind and trust in the individual providing the plant. Studies on LSD users have shown that their attitude towards the drug (fear, anticipation, etc.) had significant effects on their experiences, as did their mood (happy, worried, depressed). Environment, then, would include all of these variables. Nick brings up the necessity for "understanding, discipline, and opening your mind" as prerequisites for both martial arts and the entheogen journey, and Jamie, Danny and Sarah all bring up the idea of respect, as does Hannah when she refers to the "reverance and care" taken with the plants. Dee also mentions the positive aspects of the drug-taking and the more serious goals involved for someone other than (what Sarah terms) "leisure drug users." We're beginning to see in all of this the very different cultural perspectives concerning drug use. Josh raises the concern of Castenada eventually "having a drug problem," meaning (I assume) becoming addicted to the drug(s). However, Entheogens (natural plant hallucinogens such as Peyote, Tobacco, Ayahusca, Cannabis, etc.) are not addictive. Synthetic or man-made/manipulated drugs (heroin, cocaine, cigarettes, crack, alcohol, etc.), are addictive. These are important distinctions to keep in mind as we continue to discuss cultural perspectives on the use of drugs to enter ASCs.