Self love and self actualization

Your happiness and inner peace is unquestionably affected by the degree to which you love yourself. Self-love is a state of a mind, a belief system and a daily reminder that you are the single most important person in the world. Self-love is about putting your needs, priorities and values before anything else. You may be thinking, but isn’t this mentality egotistical and narcissistic? Well I beg to differ. This mindset is not egotistical, because if you develop and create the capacity to unconditionally love and respect yourself at all times, you will end up positively affecting your colleagues, friends and family. Once you start to love yourself, your perception opens up and you will begin to realise just how many people around you neglect their self-love and even harm themselves. You will begin to see others around you who blame themselves, hold feelings of guilt and talk down on themselves. This form of neglect can also be understood through maladaptive behaviours such as; smoking, over-eating, drinking excessively and using harmful substances. When we neglect self-love, our vibrational level of positive energy will inevitably lower.

If you don’t feel like you love and respect yourself, I ask you to consider whether you feel in full control of your life. Are other people emotionally manipulating you? Are you not ‘where you want to be’ at this point in your life? Do you ever feel like the universe is conspiring against you?

Generally, the reason we don’t love ourselves is because we lack hope, gratitude and optimism. If you don’t have an optimistic vision of the future, that is usually because you haven’t set yourself goals to achieve and dreams to become reality. When we work towards our ambitions and dreams, in the process we develop self-love along the way. Think back to a time when you were most happy; Was it when you were writing that book? Pushing yourself through the pain barrier whilst running? Taking the time out to paint or draw? Spending time with friends? Or studying for that exam? (Ok, maybe not so much that one..) When we engage in activities where we enter a state of flow, time dissolves, we become immersed in the present moment, we are also developing self-love and self-respect. We are at our best when we are creative, action-oriented and free of restrictions. It is vital we all take time out each day to do the things that make us happy, even if it means taking just 10 minutes out to escape from your busy schedule. You may or may not know your life purpose, but if you fail to address your inner creative spirit you will definitely not achieve your potential.

Self-love begins at home, creating a living atmosphere that is conducive to positivity and hope. Whether that is having a space to do the things you love, hanging up inspiring artwork and pictures, going on walks in nature, watching the sunset or even just spending more time with your loved ones. Self-love is about talking positively to yourself and to others and being grateful for every nuance life has to offer (big and small). Self-love is about providing yourself the deserved chance to better yourself each day and to enjoy the flow of whatever you choose to do.

Therefore, it is just as much about our actions as it is our thoughts which will determine the degree to which we will self-actualise in this lifetime. You can’t help others if you’re not helping yourself first. Be selfish, go out for that run, apply for that course you’ve always wanted to do or even just carry out a random act of kindness today. Make the most of the wonderful opportunities we have in this modern era and truly be the best you can be. Love yourself unconditionally and watch the world present its mysterious and beautiful nature in full viewing. 

Your Internal Dialogue and You

Language is everything, it is the world. Your personal cognitive projection of the world, your beliefs, your thoughts and the imagery you generate in your mind at its fundamental basis, is made of language and symbols. Anything you can conceivably picture in your mind’s eye right now is a word, a phrase or an utterance. If you picture a rainforest right now and see the canopy, smell the fresh water and listen to the diverse ecological system, what you are experiencing are combinations of words, sentences and phrases, even the colours are words. When we imagine a rainforest, the associated words might be; green, leaves, wildlife, cold, damp, fresh. We translate experiential awareness into language even at an unconscious level, our prefrontal cortexes are very efficient at building up our world’s through our language. So right about now you may be thinking – why should I care? Well, it’s strikingly simple yet humbling at the same time. Our world is our language, or let me rephrase – your internal dictionary of words is the limit to what you can experience, perceive and see in the world. If your internal dictionary is limited, then your ability to think, feel and perceive will also be limited. Conversely, if you have a larger and broadened vocabulary, your world will present itself as far more richer, diverse and deeper. Language is our tool for decoding data about the world and now I have said this, look around the room you are in now. What do you see? Objects, Ok, but essentially you are looking at words. Take a radiator for example, the words associated may be metal, warm, oil, comfort and perhaps white. If language is the limits to our world, then in order to expand your awareness, experiences and lifestyle me must evolve our language. What is the quickest route to this? Reading, engaging in meaningful conversations, exposing yourself to new ideas and educating yourself in general. Are there aspects in your life you want to change? Simply upgrade your language and your world opens up and reveals itself to you. Reality is literally created through our language, hopefully this has provided you something to ponder on..

Universal Spiritual Laws: A Guide to Flowering and Sustaining your Spiritual Journey

We are all one. We are all the universe experiencing itself subjectively from different vantage points. Today 7 billion people will experience their day infinitely different to someone else. We are consciousness within the universe experiencing this form of reality in a physical body. We are the universe vibrating at a slow wave vibration, this is the illusion of material reality. We are constantly moving through space and time changing, shifting and growing. We are information processors, the data we absorb on a daily basis shapes the inner workings of our minds, we are the product of our experiences. We are the mental energy that is self-aware, the highest and most privileged form of intelligence on planet Earth.

This movement through space-time is a path we all share, from the day of conception until the moment we leave this manifestation of reality. The most intriguing part is we have free will to do and become anything we set our minds on, this is one of the universal spiritual laws; unlimited access to the imagination. Whatever you set your mind on accomplishing, it will manifest itself in this reality with work ethic, focus and complete self-awareness. The more we understand about the mental laws of the universe, the more opportunity we have to unlock our spiritual potential on this physical plane. There has never been a greater opportunity in the world than now to become extraordinary at whatever it is you set your mind on achieving. With access to the internet, unlimited books and talking to the right people we can physically mould ourselves into our soul’s aspirations. One of the most important spiritual laws of success is intention. Direct intention leads to direct manifestation. This process enables us to achieve our dreams and ambitions.

This journey requires effort, focus and persistency. This is living life without telling yourself to be motivated. This is a belief in something so life-changing and powerful to you, that when you find yourself engaging in anything other than spiritual ascension you get the feeling you are wasting time and energy. However, in order to allow this process to work and sustain, we must be gentle and be patient with ourselves, we must have faith (sometimes blind faith) and believe our intentions will take us to our desired destination. For this to flow there is one other universal spiritual law which we must take advantage of and grow from. This is the law of detachment. Detach yourself from negative thoughts/emotions, detach yourself from negative world politics, detach yourself from people who want the “old you back” and detach yourself from greed and material desires. When we free ourselves from attachment and become fluid, spiritual growth accelerates.

The spiritual journey is a case of self-love and uttermost respect for yourself principally. You will start to attract the right life when your mindset is engaged in positive and optimistic energy, this is the spiritual law to success and happiness.

Breaking Convention 2017: A summary on some of the ideas which have transpired from this psychedelic conference

On 30 June – 2 July, 2017, the bi-annual psychedelic conference ‘Breaking Convention 2017’ took place at Greenwich University, London. This was the 3rd Breaking Convention following the success of the 2015 and 2013 one’s. The conference is organised by leading psychedelic researchers; David Luke, Cameron Adams, Aimee Tollan, Dave King and Nikki Wyrd. During this three-day weekend, numerous activities took place at the venue such as; academic talks, psychedelic galleries, shamanic workshops and social networking. This conference brings together academics, philosophers, artists, students, musicians, psychedelic drug users and individuals who have just discovered this community. The conference was mainly focused on disseminating the most recent findings out of contemporary psychedelic research. The psychedelic drugs which were discussed during this weekend were; 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), cannabis, psilocybin, ibogaine, ayahuasca and DMT to name a few. This conference is a place for sharing and corroborating innovative ideas within the psychedelic realm. As a PhD candidate studying ayahuasca, I came to this conference to gather ideas and inspiration from these talks. What follows is a summary of some of the key points I noted whilst attending this peculiar conference.

Psychedelic Research is “Career Suicide”

Psychedelic research is often stigmatized by mainstream scientists as ‘career suicide’ and is deemed irrelevant discussion. One of the main goals of this conference is to display empirical and reliable evidence which counteracts these socially created stereotypes. Many academics in psychology, law and sociology within university institutions are reluctant to allow their students to carry out psychedelic-based projects because of the perceived irrelevancy of the topic area. Also, this topic area is often steered clear due to the amount of effort required to gain ethical approval from these types of studies. Many ethics boards across the United Kingdom simply do not allow this type of research to gain clearance because of the fear the research will not comply with research laws. Psychedelics also have negative labels associated with psychosis and schizophrenic episodes. These labels are often down to negative portrayals from mainstream media outlets which demonize these substances. The CIA’s covert project in the 1950s ‘MK-ULTRA’ probably didn’t help the psychedelic research community. This project involved the US government administering LSD to unknowing participants to determine whether these substances could be used as agents for chemical warfare during the Cold War era. Thus, it is not surprising that psychedelic research is deemed ‘career suicide’. Many hold the belief there is nothing of notable interest to research and the jobs available for this type of research are non-existent.

However, this is simply not the case. Since the turn of the 21^st century, psychedelic drug research has undergone a ‘renaissance’, i.e. a renewed scientific interest in these chemicals. Many scientific foundations including MAPS, the Heffter institute and the Beckley Foundation have been formed to support and promote psychedelic research. These research organisations often grant funds to psychedelic researchers who consider the therapeutic, neurological and psychological in their line of research regarding hallucinogenic drug consumption. We now have many academics within the United Kingdom, Western Europe and in North America willing to support psychedelic drug dissertations at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The growth in the psychedelic community has opened the avenue for psychedelic researchers to share ideas, research and formulate new directions in this field. The applications of psychedelic research reach into clinical psychology, drug policy, neuroscience, history, parapsychology, transpersonal psychology, philosophy, sociology and anthropology. There is consensus in this field that we are only just beginning to uncover just some of the applications of these drugs. The findings from this research field should not just be limited to universities. There are many real-world consequences this research area has. Psychedelic research may offer alternative ideas to real-world challenges we are currently pressed with. Psychedelic research if applied and communicated effectively, can offer solutions to; environmental destruction, developing spirituality, world peace and curing mental health difficulties. Psychedelic research as opposed to being ‘career suicide’ for many is now not only a feasible option, but an important career path for the future of society and the planet.

We are Developing Artificial Intelligence that Simulates Psychedelic Drug Ingestion

One of the challenges psychedelic researchers face is gaining ethical approval to administer psychedelic drugs in a controlled setting. However, a solution to this problem is to induce a non-pharmacologically induced altered state of consciousness. One way this can be achieved is through using computer simulations which safely simulate psychedelic drug trips. The psychedelic imagery in these procedures would typically be recreated using a virtual reality headset with the option for audio effects. Due to enhancements in AI technology, we are now able to create psychedelic worlds which are closely similar to the visions experienced on hallucinogens. Complex fourth dimensional geometric patterns, fractal imagery and vibrant colours can be produced in these algorithms. This is a positive step forward for psychedelic research as we can now carry out experiments whilst individuals are currently ‘tripping’ via safe and controlled means. One useful application for this methodology could be for neuroscientists who might be interested in studying brain patterns whilst the person is experiencing the psychedelic imagery. Although, a limitation of this methodology is that it lacks ecological validity as the individual is not actually under the influence of psychoactive chemicals and so this makes these types of experiments less credible. Nonetheless, this is a creative way to artificially induce a psychedelic experience and much research can be done here. One of the other benefits about this methodology is that we can use it on under 18s. Education psychologist Tom Roberts formulated a programme named “mind-apps” which was described in immense depth at the conference. This is just beginning of these types of developments in the field of AI and we expect to see many more improvements on the realism in the coming years.

The Useful Applications of ‘Micro-Dosing’

There has been a recent trend in the psychedelic movement called ‘micro-dosing’. This is where an individual will consume a proportionately smaller dose of a psychedelic drug (usually 5-20% of the standard dosage) and then proceed to carry out mundane day-to-day activities. Micro-doser’s can be found running, writing a book, attending a lecture at university, swimming or pretty much any human activity that has some form of flow state involved. The intention is that the individual can benefit from the neurochemical whilst still being able to function effectively both in thinking, speech and behaviour. The aim is to not enter a ‘trip’ but rather benefit from the acute improvements from the drugs-enhancing properties. Examples of micro-dose amplifications are; increased visual acuity (improved eye sight), clearer thinking, the ability to comprehend more complex ideas, reduced anxiety, reduced depression, improved concentration, and facilitation of flow like experiences. Recently, it has emerged engineers, scientists and apprentices at technology corporations use micro-dosing to improve their cognitive faculties. Micro-dosing is prized for its ability to increase creative thought processes. Thus, it is not surprising it is popular amongst social entrepreneurs. Social enterprises are businesses which seek to increase profit margins whilst contributing to the development of natural environments, working environments and communities. Micro-dosing is rising in popularity in the psychedelic community and may offer a useful altered state of consciousness for practical rather than just recreational purposes. This method of changing one’s perception may be linked with increased productivity and satisfaction in life however, academic research is required to identity these links and more.

Ego-Dissolution can have Negative Psychological Consequences

One point which was drilled into breaking conventioneers was that ‘ego-dissolution’ (the breaking down of your psychological barriers) is not necessarily a positive experience for all psychedelic users. Psychedelic drugs (if you go through enough trips) will tear apart your ego (or your sense of self) and you are essentially left as an empty vessel of non-judgement and an overwhelming sense of connectivity to all sentient beings. This process is regarded as a forward step towards enlightenment and positive mental health by the hardcore psychedelic community members on forums. However, for some it can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder and long-lasting negative identity issues. Ego-dissolution means you no longer take pride in your name, nationality, job title and all the labels society hands to you. Instead, under this realisation, it becomes increasingly obvious you are simply a living breathing homo-sapien who is mortal in a world that is machinery and capital-driven. You begin to become aware you are a sentient being trapped in this soul-less economic system which we are under and that you are simply a vessel for driving this capitalist machine. As you may imagine, ego-dissolution is not for everyone and especially for those who attach themselves to the consumerist lifestyle. In fact, ego-dissolution may not add any benefit to your life or your intelligence. This change in consciousness can contradict your career path and I strongly advise you to consider the adverse-effects of consuming a high dose psychedelic drug if you want to avoid anxiety.

The Psychedelic Movement is a Collective and not Individualistic Effort

Nearly everyone I have encountered at breaking convention shares the same goal; to grow, to spread awareness and to unify this field into the public consciousness. At this conference/convention many individuals from all levels of society attend; ‘trippy hippies’, neuroscientists, philosophers, eager students, ‘psychonauts’, artists, musicians and any persons with a remote interest in psychology and altered states of consciousness. This conference appeals to a wide and unsuspecting audience precisely because the ideas put forth at this conference are remarkable at the worst of times and paradigm shifting at the best. Regarding the conference talks you are never quite sure what you are going to get. It could be a double-blind placebo trial show-casing the clinical effectiveness of psychedelic substances, it could be a shaman describing their experiences under high doses of ayahuasca entering mystical enchanted realms or it could be a policy worker informing the latest trends in the political and legal sphere around psychedelic drugs. This conference brings in many different individuals because the talks are always varied with a different vantage point and paradigm. There is no one theory or train of thought that is regarded as the ‘holy-grail’ of psychedelic discussion. Rather, all ideas and perspectives around these substances are supported in a passionate community whereby members only seek thorough discourse on the subject. Nonetheless, there is an over-arching message which is echoed throughout the venue, discussed on the grass outside the lecture halls and celebrated around Greenwich. That message is; these substances produce exceptional experiences, we have uncovered a sacred/sentient intelligence and this experience is essential for humans. Here we can see why there are so many approaches in the field (psychological, sociological, political, neurological etc.) because there’s many ways academically we can approach this topic. As scientists, free-thinkers, or shamans, we as a community are seeking to ‘try’ to make sense of these experiences, what they mean for individuals and how can we possibly use these unorthodox tools for human and societal development. Psychedelics offer startlingly better alternatives to the mainstream psychological medicines available from capital-driven pharmaceutical companies. Psychedelics re-connect us with nature and allow us to have greater empathy for all sentient beings on the planet. These experiences allow us to access unconscious parts of our mind and explore the infinite hyper-dimensional space Terence McKenna referred too when he was taking 5 dried grams of magic mushrooms in silent darkness. There drugs have been demonized for the last 50 years of human history. The psychedelic renaissance is an attempt to remove the negative labels society (I’m talking governments here) have placed on psychedelic drugs. The psychedelic community agrees these hallucinogens have undergone a revived interest because of the failings of the current social model. High levels of post-traumatic stress disorder, high levels of depression, high levels of generalised social anxiety disorder and a disconnection with the planet are symptoms of modern societies disconnection with the planet and with themselves. Psychedelics allow us to assess ourselves under a hyper-powerful microscope and re-examine ourselves. Psychedelics dissolve our ego’s, allow us to re-invent our identities and develop our minds in ways impossible with the use of these. To not have a psychedelic experience before reaching the grave is the same as dying a virgin according to these communities. It is essential we expose ourselves to this sacred and integral experience which ultimately leads to greater self-awareness and possible enlightenment.

Time, an illusion that controls our lives

Time does not exist, only in our minds, it is a construct created to keep our consciousness subordinate, in compliance and always in need to be somewhere else other than ‘here’. Through conditioning our minds have become mostly fixated on future thinking; “I need to go there,” “I want this by this date,” “I need the future to come along so things will change.”

Many of us are addicted to clock watching, a mental activity associated with redirecting our conscious awareness from the immediate circumstances of our lives. Focusing on time takes our full conscious awareness away from the only real ‘time’ of our lives and that is in the present moment, the now. Otherwise referred to as the enlightened stage of consciousness many spiritual teachers have spoken about. When our full attention is not on the present moment, we are literally killing away the life energy of our human existence. Of course, in the modern era it is essential we have some awareness of time otherwise we would be late for our jobs and not turn up at prearranged dates with friends and family. However, once we are ‘there’ like for example arriving at our jobs, it is often the case we are not really ‘there’. At work we may be consumed with thinking about our lunches, what chores need to be done later that day, did I upset my boss the other day. It is like our minds cannot stay focused on the immediate present, our minds are always finding a way to search for distractions from the now. Once aware of this mental activity which you will be now that you have read this far, it is quite easy to reflect on your thoughts when they arise and observe them. Once you become the observer of your thoughts, instead of ‘being the thought’ then you can take direct action and shift your focus. The now will always be with us for the rest of our lives, there is no yesterday or tomorrow in the now, and the now is what your life will always be. So by focusing on the now we can be free of depression (past thinking), anxiety (future thinking) and give anything in front of us our full immediate and infinite awareness. This can be as simple as listening to someone without thinking what you should say next, it can be writing an email with full absorption and it can be eating food with full attention on the taste, texture, smell.

Our lives are but a drop in the ocean with regards to how ‘long’ the universe has existed. Use your ‘time’ wisely and mindfully. Use your time to spread love to others, to heal others, to be happy in the now, to focus on growth and being fully present in thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Our lives are the greatest of all gifts in the universe, to waste our “time” on this planet by being fixated on clock time is the biggest disservice there can be to ourselves and the world.

Rethinking 'Success'

In 2016, we are bombarded with countless images of what “success” looks like. This is happening at a rate greater than any historical time period up until this moment due to the advanced technological world we inhabit. It is the exposure to media on our smartphones, televisions and newspapers which drill home this idea; owning a 5-bedroom plus house, owning an expensive sports car, obtaining the physically attractive husband/wife, becoming a self-made millionaire, becoming famous, wearing designer clothing and being popular socially.

Let us take a step back, these images portrayed are selective, distorted and seduce us with individualistic and crucially unrealistic ideals for the average person like you and I. What is there to stop us from approaching “success” with a more critical and creative vantage point.

‘Success’ represents a move forward into the future which is labelled by us as something “better”, “greater”, than what we already were prior. Success therefore, is a progression in wealth, fashion and status according to the ego-driven culture which created it. But notice the key is success is a label defined and maintained through us the people. If we have a certain perspective on success, then inevitably we have already set our limits to what “better”, “greater” and “happier” means. Does this mean a richer man is a “better” human being than a “poor man”? No, it simply is a representation of our cultured beliefs. Remember, a belief is just that, a subjective perspective.

See, the images we consume from media, the ideas we internalize from others and not listening to our inner selves has led to a world where we have created an unrealistic image of success. Yet “successful” individuals (if such an objective judgement is possible) may possess more material objects and hold higher status than the majority of us, it does not protect them from feeling isolated, depressed and being unfulfilled spiritually. Ok, you made it to the “top” but what now? What more is there to achieve if you already possess everything society tells you are the ultimate goals. Actually, it may be the case you sacrificed loved ones and romances and now live in regret of irreversible life choices.

Friends, let us work together to extinguish this outdated and potentially damaging belief system and work towards fixing our damaged egos and inner contentment. I’m speaking to you reading this, this very moment. Whatever your job status, wealth, successes and failures, unachieved dreams, desires and goals. You are the most important and successful person in the world right now, YOU matter, your opinions, your undeniably unique and multi-layered perspective on the world. Without you, your family, friends and colleagues would not be the same without you. You offer something no one else can replace, you are valuable whether you realize it or not. Does your younger sibling look up to you as a role model? Then you’re successful. You have stayed strong despite adversity in your life and continue to enjoy your life and make others happy? Then you’re successful. You earned that new promotion in your job? Then you’re successful. Let’s stop focusing on reaching for a materialistic-driven “successful” lifestyle when you already are the most successful person at being you. Let’s stop comparing ourselves to each other, we all embark unique journey’s. If we are to realize our success in our own lives’ we need to transcend this outdated and immature belief system that wealth, status and popularity equates to “being better”. The only life change we need to make to become successful is to simply change our mindsets. We have to remind ourselves to start celebrating our own personal achievements, praise our growth and those around us. Within this generation what is stopping us from rewriting the Oxford dictionary definition of “successful” collectively? If you are aspiring to become something greater than what you are right now in whatever domain great, but understand success is a journey not a destination. Success is influencing the people around you right now positively, success is becoming a better “you”, success is therefore impossible to define universally because ultimately you the reader can choose at any moment in your life what constitutes success and continue to redefine this for yourself.

Working on Yourself

The self is the illusion constructed by culture, governments, the media and ultimately your family and friends. It is your social identity which is used by people to make snap judgements about yourself and your personality. The self is an illusion determined by others opinions. To go further, how others perceive you is how they perceive themselves. We might deduce from this that the socially constructed version of your self is nothing more than a subjective interpretation. Therefore, to truly understand and to know your “true self” requires attention to the observation of your thoughts, words and behaviours. This process of self-understanding is a lifetime journey and requires daily introspection and analysis. Once you begin to become consciously aware of yourself in your day-to-day routine you will start to notice things about yourself that you would have not otherwise noticed. This includes how you interact with others, when you get depressed/anxious thoughts or realizing you walk around unconsciously with a negative state of mind. Although a painful process, the rewards far outweigh any struggle you have to go through in order to learn the lessons. This is the school of life, continual and persistent effort towards evolving one’s mental universe. This opens the door principally for eliminating fear, taking new opportunities, having self-belief in your goals and an inescapable state of mind where you feel the drive to lift others around you and to improve them. Working on yourself requires sensitivity to your imperfectness and loving yourself for who you are. It also provides a platform for change in your life and the happiness you give and take. We all have the opportunity to improve ourselves daily. Do not fight the universe, move with the flow of spontaneity and happiness. The only thing you require is intention, this is a direct vision of your dream, where you’re heading. This will only work if your dream is so unimaginable people simply laugh at you when you tell them. We all have the capacity for greatness beyond our wildest dreams. The only way to achieve this is to work on becoming a better ‘you’, from your perspective not anyone else’s.