Inner Space/Outer Space: Terence McKenna’s Jungian ...Furthermore, bearing in mind the experience...
Transcript of Inner Space/Outer Space: Terence McKenna’s Jungian ...Furthermore, bearing in mind the experience...
InnerSpace/OuterSpace:
TerenceMcKenna’sJungianPsychedelicUfology
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ChristopherPartridge
ABSTRACT:Thisarticlediscussestherelationshipbetween“innerspace”(the
mind/consciousness)andperceptionsof“outerspace”(theextraterrestrial)inWestern
psychedeliccultures.Inparticular,itanalysesthewritingsandlecturesofTerence
McKenna,themostinfluentialpsychedelicthinkersincethe1960s.Assimilatingabroad
rangeofideastakenfromesotericism,shamanism,andsciencefiction,McKennabecame
theprincipalarchitectofanocculttheoryofpsychedelicexperiencesreferredtohereas
“psychedelicufology.”ThearticlefurtherarguesthatMcKennawasformatively
influencedbytheideasofCarlJungandthat,assuch,subsequentpsychedelicufology
tendstobeJungian.
KEYWORDS:TerenceMcKenna,CarlJung,psychedelicufology,UFOs,hallucinogens,
shamanism,gnosis
DuringalectureinSwitzerlandin1995,theAmericanpsychedelicthinkerTerence
McKenna(1946-2000)claimedthatifapersongavehim“15minutesof[their]life”(i.e.
ifhewasgiventhetimetoadministeranhallucinogen)hecouldguarantee“a20%
chanceofmeetingaliens—andtheoddsgouptomaybe40%ifyouincreasethedose!”1
Whilethiscanbeinterpretedasaplayfulcommentaboutinducedhallucinationsrather
thananythingmoreprofound,thiswouldbeamistake.ForMcKennaitwasno
coincidencethat“UFOcontact[was]…themotifmostfrequentlymentionedbypeople
whotakepsilocybinrecreationally.”2“Atactivelevels,psilocybininducesvisionary
ideationofspacecraft,aliencreatures,andalieninformation.Thereisageneral
futuristic,sciencefictionqualitytothepsilocybinexperiencethatseemstooriginate
fromthesameplaceasthemodernmythoftheUFO.”3Heisnotaloneinclaimingthis.
Indeed,RickStrassman,SlawekWojtowicz,LuisEduardoLuna,andEdeFrecskasuggest
that,“insteadofsearchingforaliensinthesky,weshouldlookmuchcloser—inside
ourselves.”Bymeansofpsychedelicswecanfollow“innerpathstoouterspace.”4
“Psychedelicufology”concernsdiscoursesaboutouterspaceandextraterrestrial
visitationengenderedbyalteredstatesofconsciousnessinducedbyhallucinogens.
Therearethreegeneralinterpretations:(a)Psychedelicexperiencesofextraterrestrials
arepurelyendogenous,aproductofthemindundertheinfluenceofapowerful
hallucinogen.Thisdoesnotmean,ofcourse,thattheycannotalsobesignificant
momentsofillumination.AstheGermananthropologistChristianRätschhas
commented,innerspacefrequently“becomesasourceofrevelationstoitsbearer.”5(b)
Hallucinogensmakecontactpossiblewithexogenous,independententitiesfromouter
spaceoranotherdimension.(c)Often,however,interpretationsofinnerspace/outer
spaceexperiencesareambiguous.Whilesignificantasmomentsofgnosis,itisnot
entirelycleartotheuserwhethertheyareendogenousorexogenous.Thiswas
expressedwellbyGracie,who,withZarkov,wasapseudonymouspsychedelicwriterin
the1980s.IntheirNotesfromUnderground(whichacknowledgestheinfluenceof
McKenna6),shereflectedona“closeencounter.”7Although“thepersonalrealityofthese
creaturesseemsindisputableduringthecontact…thatinterpretationrunsintomy
normalskepticismwhenIamoutofcontact.Isthenotionthatthesearebeingsmerely
theobviousinterpretationofthesephenomenabythehumanmind?Orissomething
elsegoingonthatwecanonlyunderstandbyinterpretingitasanencounterwithan
alienbeing?”8
AstoMcKenna’sinterpretation,inaninterviewtowardstheendofhislife,hesuggested
that“DMTplungesus,notintoourownunconscious,butintosomesortofhyperspace
or‘interdimensionalnexus’withitsownalieninhabitants.Inotherwords,theentities
areoutthere.”9Whilethisseemstoplacehimwithin(b),hisunderstandingisalittle
morecomplex:“myownpersonalencounterwithaUFOhasledmetoviewthemas
real,whatever‘real’means.Theyarephenomenologicallyreal.”10Havingbeen
introducedtoEdmundHusserl’s(1859-1938)phenomenologyasastudent,hewas
attractedtoitsemphasisonthefirst-personanalysisofconsciousness.Indeed,he
insistedthat“notenough[had]beenwrittenaboutthephenomenologyofpersonal
experienceswithvisionaryhallucinogens.”11McKenna’sphenomenologicalapproachto
thepsychedelicexperience,whichisagoodexampleofwhattheAmericanwriterand
scholarErikDavishasdescribedas“weirdnaturalism,”12“requirestheprobingvector
ofempirical‘exploration’toturnwithinandtoaffirmextraordinarysubjective
experienceasdataaboutarealmordimension.”13McKenna’sslipperyarticulationof
weirdnaturalismmakeshimdifficulttocategorize.Whilehisthoughtcanbe
understoodasrigorously(a),muchofitiswrittenasifheunderstandshisexperiences
ofinnerspace/outerspacetobe(b),whichleadsthereadertoconcludethathis
approachis(c).Inthefinalanalysis,touseJeffreyKripal’sphrase,McKennaisprobably
bestdescribedasan“authoroftheimpossible.”Thatistosay,hesoughttoconveyideas
“toodeepanddisturbingtotheneatrationallinesofmodernityandnormallinear
modes”ofanalysingsubjectiveexperience.Hetheorizedtheanomalousand“the
fleetingsignsofaconsciousnessnotyetbecomeculture”and,thereby,transgressed
“thosefirmepistemologicalboundariesthat,”asKripalsays,“sinceDescartes,have
increasinglydividedupouruniversitydepartments(andoursocialreality)intothings
pertainingtomatterandobjectivereality(thesciences)andthingspertainingtohuman
experienceandsubjectivereality(thehumanities).”14
Consequently,McKenna’sreasoning,whichappearsloose,speculative,eclectic,
convoluted,slippery,unsystematic,andoftenambiguous,disinclinesscholarstotakehis
workseriously.However,itispreciselythistypeofoutréthoughtthatmany
psychedelicexplorersandspiritualseekersfindevocative,inspiring,and,indeed,
reflectiveoftheirownexperiences.Indeed,McKenna’sworkisnotonlybecoming
increasinglyinfluentialwithinshamanicandpsychedeliccultures,butitsopennessto
“forbiddenscience”seemstobeattractingattentionwithintheUFOcommunity.Asthe
anthropologistChrisRothpointsout,firstly,“atatypicalUFOinterestgroupmeetingin
anyAmericancity,onecanheardebatesaboutsocialpsychology,interdimensional
physics,andtheethnographyofshamanism,”and,secondly,“thenamesdroppedare…
likelytoincludeCarlJung,TerenceMcKenna…andCastaneda….”15WhileRothdoesn’t
developthispoint,thereferencesareimportant,inthattheyindicateagrowinginterest
inpsychedelicufology.
BACKGROUNDNOTESONJOURNEYINGTOINNERSPACE/OUTERSPACE
Inhis1970bookAnnäherungen:DrogenundRausch(Approaches:Drugsand
Intoxication),theGermanwriterErnstJünger(1895-1998)usedtheterm
“psychonauten”torefertothepsychedelicexplorationofinnerspace.16Hisinterestin
drugsandecstaticexperienceledhimtolookat“theflowerchildrenofCalifornia”and
the“ProvosofAmsterdam”17whowereexploring“realmsthatareclosedtonormal
perception.”18WhilefewwritersondrugshavetakenaninterestinJünger’swork,his
term“psychonaut”hasfounditswayintolate-modernpsychedelicculture.19Thisis
becauseitdescribesverywelltheself-perceptionofthosewhousepsychedelicsto
exploreinnerspace.Notonlyisthereawidelyreportedsenseoftranscendingtimeand
space,20butalsothereisafeelingoflaunchingoutintounchartedregions.Oftenthe
psychonautexperiencesaperceptionofflightandevenafeelingofweightlessness.
Indeed,itisbecausethisisawell-documentedfeatureoftrancestatesthatmany
psychonautshavefoundshamanismusefulforinterpretingtheirexperiences.21Asthe
anthropologistMichaelHarner(1929-2018)commented,“oneofthemosttypical
aspectsoftheshamanisticexperienceisthechangeintoanotherstateofconsciousness,
oftencalledatrance,withtheshamanfeelingthatheistakingajourney.Duringthe
[1960sitbecame]commontospeakof‘takingatrip’withapsychedelicsubstance,and
thisisnocoincidence.”22
Furthermore,bearinginmindtheexperienceofjourneyingtootherworlds,itis
unsurprisingthattheaccountsofsomepsychonautsareinformedbysciencefictionand
fantasy.Again,agoodrecentexampleisthebookbyStrassman,Wojtowicz,Luna,and
Frecska,InnerPathstoOuterSpace:JourneystoAlienWorldsThroughPsychedelicsand
OtherSpiritualTechnologies.Notonlydotheyclaimthat“moresciencefictionliterature,
art,andfilm”has“beeninspiredbymind-expandingexperiencesthanmostofus
suspect,”butalsothatthereare“secretgatewaystoalienworlds…hiddeninsideour
ownminds.”Hencetheirthesisthat“humansalreadyhavebeentravellinginspaceand
timeandmakingcontactwithalienspecies”bymeansofpsychedelics.23Certainlythe
neuroscientistandpsychoanalyst,JohnLilly(1915-2001),becameconvincedinthe
1970sthatKetamineenabledcommunicationwithextraterrestrials.24Indeed,itis
importanttonotethatsuchideasarenotlimitedtopost-1960sdrugcultures.For
example,inher1961bookExploringInnerSpace,theAmericannutritionistAdelleDavis
(1904-1974),whowroteunderthepseudonymJaneDunlap,madeanumberof
referencesto“interplanetarytravel”duringLSDintoxication.25Again,overacentury
andahalfpriortothepsychedelicrevolutionofthe1960s,in1799,theBritishchemist
HumphryDavy(1778-1829)becameconvincedthatnitrousoxidegavehimaccessto
“higherintelligences…whollyindependentofhumanbeings…”Hisvisionstransported
himinto“fantasticalimmensities;experiencesofakindofinterplanetaryspacetravel,
inthecourseofwhich,hefleworfloatedamongstheavenlyuniverses…[and]
encounteredallmannerofincrediblystrangebeings.”26Thisisabundantlyevidentin
hisfinal,posthumouslypublishedwork,ConsolationsinTravel,OrtheLastDaysofa
Philosopher,whichincludesadescriptionofatrekthroughspace,duringwhichhe
receivedtheministrationsofa“higherintelligence”thathereferredtoas“theGenius.”27
Heperceived“aluminousatmosphere,whichwasdiffusedoverthewholeofspace.”
Eventually,“itbecamemorecircumscribedandextendedonlytoalimitedspotaround
me.”Healsoexperienced“risingcontinuallyupwards”asif“Iweremyselfpartofthe
ascendingcolumnoflight.”Hethensaw“themoonandthestars.”
Ipassedbythemasifitwereinmypowertotouchthemwithmyhand;Ibeheld
JupiterandSaturnastheyappearthroughourbesttelescopes,butstillmore
magnified,allthemoonsandbeltsofJupiterbeingperfectlydistinct,andthe
doubleringofSaturnappearinginthatstateinwhichIhaveheardHerscheloften
expressawishhecouldseeit.ItseemedasifIwereonthevergeofthesolar
system…Iagainheardthelow,sweetvoiceoftheGenius,whichsaid,“Youare
nowonthevergeofyourownsystem:willyougofurtherorreturntoearth?”28
Thepathfrom“innerspace”to“outerspace”iswell-trodden.
Finally,itisinterestingthatStrassman’sresearchintotheeffectsofthepowerful
hallucinogenDMT(N,N-dimethyltryptamine)revealedstrikingsimilaritiesbetweenthe
reportsofthosewhohadtakenthedrugandthosewhoclaimtohavebeenabductedby
aliens.29Thisledhimtopositthethesisthatabductionexperiencesmightsimplybethe
resultofaspontaneousreleaseofnaturallyoccurringDMTinthehumanbrain.30
Likewise,theBritishparapsychologistSerenaRoney-DougalhasarguedthatUFOsare
morefrequentlyreportedattimesofgeomagneticstress,whichcancausethepineal
glandtosecretethisnaturallyoccurringhallucinogen.31Whilesuchclaimsremain
largelyspeculative,nevertheless,thepointisthattheworkdoneontheeffectsof
endogenousDMT32has,insomecases,ledtotheconfluenceofufologyandpsychedelic
research.
AMODERNMYTHOFTHINGSSEENINTHESKIES
TheideasofCarlJung(1875-1961)wereembracedbymanyinthe1960s
countercultureand,subsequently,withintheburgeoningNewAgemilieu.33Hisimage
evenappearedonthecoverofTheBeatles’Sgt.Pepper’sLonelyHeartsClubBand
(1967).Itishardlysurprising,therefore,that,althoughhewaslargelyantagonisticto
theuseofhallucinogens,34hisbooksfoundtheirwayintothehandsofspiritualseekers
withaninterestinpsychedelics,esotericism,andtheparanormal.
Bythe1950s,JunghadbeguntocollectaccountsofUFOsightingsand,in1958,
publishedhisthoughtsontheirsignificanceinEinmodernerMythus,whichwas
translatedin1959asFlyingSaucers:AModernMythofThingsSeenintheSkies.Jung
was,however,moreconcernedwiththeimportanceofUFOsas“psychicproducts”than
hewaswithwhethertheywererealornot.35Thatsaid,hedidnotsimplydismissthe
possibilityofUFOs.Ashecommentedin1957inalettertoGilbertHarrison,theeditor
ofTheNewRepublic,“thepsychologicalaspectissoimpressive,thatonealmostmust
regretthattheUFOsseemtoberealafterall.”36Inthefinalanalysis,whilehe
acknowledgedthattheremightbesomeempiricalevidenceforUFOs,hewasgenerally
agnosticastotheirphysicalrealityandfarmoreinterestedintheirpsychological
significance.37Jung’sargumentwassimplythat,evenif“anunknownphysical
phenomenonistheoutwardcauseofthemyth,thiswoulddetractnothingfromthe
myth,formanymythshavemeteorologicalandotherphenomenaasaccompanying
causeswhichbynomeansexplainthem.”Thisisbecause“amythisessentiallya
productoftheunconsciousarchetypeandisthereforeasymbolwhichrequires
psychologicalinterpretation.”38Thatistosay,whetherUFOsareentirelyhallucinatory
phenomena(althoughhepreferredtheterm“vision”to“hallucination”becausethe
lattertermtendstobefreightedwithpathologicalbaggage)oranindividual’s
interpretationofsomeanomalousaerialeventdidnotmattertoJung,becauseboth
involvetheactivityofthemindand,assuch,tellussomethingabouttheexperiencer.As
towhattheytellus,Jungmadeanumberofpoints,fiveofwhichareofrelevanceto
psychedelicufology.
Firstly,whyhad“therumour”offlyingsaucersspreadsoquickly?Heconcludedthat
theremustbeacollectivepsychicmotive.Thatmotive,hesuggested,wastheemotional
stresscausedbythegeopoliticaltensionoftheColdWar—“Russianpoliciesandtheir
stillunpredictableconsequences.”39Interestingly,thepoliticaltheoristJodiDean
positedasimilarargumentinthelate-1990s.AlthoughshemakesnoreferencetoJung,
shearguesthat,thefactthat“therearethreeadultAmericanswhobelieveUFOsarereal
foreverytwosceptics”isdirectlyrelatedto“currentAmericanparanoiaanddistrust.”40
ForJung,theprevalenceofUFObeliefinthe1950swassymptomaticofColdWarangst:
“thepresentworldsituationiscalculatedasneverbeforetoarouseexpectationsofa
redeeming,supernaturalevent.”41Similarly,wewillseethat,forMcKenna,drawingon
Jung,psychedeliccloseencountersenableaccesstoredemptivealiengnosisintimesof
crisis.
Secondly,concerningthis“redeeming,supernaturalevent,”Jungarguedthat,whereas
earliercultureswouldhaveconsidered“interventionfromheavenasamatterof
course,”inostensiblysecularsocieties,largelybereftofthemythicresourcesofthepast,
UFOsreplacetraditionaldeitiesastheagentsofsalvation.“Wehaveindeedstrayedfar
fromthemetaphysicalcertaintiesoftheMiddleAges,butnotsofarthatourhistorical
andpsychologicalbackgroundisemptyofallmetaphysicalhope.”42Hence,whilethis
hope“activatesanarchetypethathasalwaysexpressedorder,deliverance,salvation,
andwholeness,”itdoessoinaway“characteristicofourtime.”Ittakes“theformofan
object,atechnologicalconstruction,inordertoavoidtheodiousnessofamythological
personification.”Hispointisthat,“anythingthatlookstechnologicalgoesdownwithout
difficultywithmodernman.Thepossibilityofspacetravelmakestheunpopularideaof
ametaphysicalinterventionmuchmoreacceptable.”43
NotonlydidthisthesisappealtoMcKenna,butithasbecomepopularwithin
subsequentpsychedelicufology.Forexample,inhisdiscussionofpsychedelicsand
contemporaryshamanism,Luna(whoseworkisexplicitlyindebtedtoMcKenna44)
commentsthatit“isnotstrangethattheUFOmotif,whichispartofthemodern
imaginary—perhaps,asproposedbyJung,evenanarchetypalexpressionofourtimes—
isusedbyshamansasadeviceforspiritualtransportationintootherworlds.”45
Thirdly,anideathatinformedMcKenna’sunderstandingofUFOswasJung’salchemical
interpretationoftheirproteannature.Indeed,Jungwasintriguedbyanaccountofa
dream,inwhichtheUFOappearedfluid.Like“thegreatmagicianMercurius”(i.e.
mercury),who“fallsasaquacoelestisfromheaven,”soUFOsappearas“heavenlyfluid,”
likedropsfromtheskies.Hecomparedthistoalchemicalaccountsofmercury,the
“waterofthePhilosophers…theclassicsubstancethattransmutesthechemical
elementsandduringtheirtransformationisitselftransformed.”Again,whenvolatilized,
“spiritusMercurii…wasregardedasakindofpanacea,saviour,andservitormundi.”46
NotonlyareUFOsprotean,appearinganddisappearingindifferentforms,buttheyare
typicallyinterpretedasredemptive.
Fourthly,althoughUFOsareproteanandsometimes“oblongorshapedlikecigars,”47
Jungwasintriguedthatreportsindicatethattheyarepredominantlysaucer-shaped.
Thiswasimportantbecause,heargued,circularobjectsaresymbolsof“psychic
wholeness”andthehumanselfisteleologicallyorientedtowarditsown
fulfilment/wholeness.Hence,“circularsymbolshaveplayedanimportantroleinevery
age.”48“Thereisanoldsayingthat‘Godisacirclewhosecentreiseverywhereand
circumferenceisnowhere.’Godinhisomniscience,omnipotence,andomnipresenceisa
totalitysymbolparexcellence,somethinground,complete,andperfect.”49Likewise,
Jungmadereferencetothe“philosopher’sstone,”thecircularsymbolofwhichis,like
UFOs,anarchetypeoftheself.Hence,bothcanalsobeusefullycomparedtomandalas,50
inthattheyare“manifestationsoftotalitywhosesimple,roundformportraysthe
archetypeoftheself,which…playsthechiefroleinunitingapparentlyirreconcilable
oppositesandisthereforebestsuitedtocompensatethesplit-mindednessofourage.”51
Tounpacktheabovepointalittle,fifthly,forJung,mentalwellbeingdependsonthe
developmentofafunctionalrelationshipbetweentheconsciouspsycheandthe
unconsciouspsyche.MuchJungianpsychologyisthusfocussedonthisrelationshipand
theutilizationoftechniquestoenablereadjustmentwhenitshowssignsof
“dissociation”ordeterioration.Inotherwords,thisprocessofself-realization,which
Jungcalled“individuation,”isaprocessofgrowthtowardswholeness:“the
psychologicalprocessthatmakesahumanbeingan‘individual’—aunique,indivisible
unitor‘wholeman.’”52Those“sufferingfrompsychicdissociation”53lackwholeness
becausetheyareunawareofthetroublingcontentsoftheirunconsciousmind.TheUFO
(whateveritisoccasionedbyexternally,ifanythingatall)emergesasasymbolof
psychicwholeness.Itisabridgingmanoeuvrethateffectivelyrepresentsavisittothe
consciousmindofalienideasfromtheunconsciousmind.Thegoalisself-actualization
throughtheintegrationoftheconsciousandtheunconscious.Hence,forthosein“vital
psychicneed,”54thecircularUFOiseffectivelyavehicleofredemptivegnosis:“precisely
becausetheconsciousminddoesnotknowabout”thecontentsoftheunconscious“and
isthereforeconfrontedwithasituationfromwhichthereseemstobenowayout,these
strangecontentscannotbeintegrateddirectlybutseektoexpressthemselves
indirectly”asUFOs.55Ideally,therefore,theresultofacloseencounterwithaflying
saucerisoneofhealingwherebytheconsciousmindcomestotermswiththetroubling
contentsoftheunconscious.Anxietyisgraduallyassuagedandtheselfisenabledto
progresstowardswholeness(i.e.individuation).Hence,althoughcloseencounterscan
bedisturbing,theyarepartofasalvificprocessleadingto“stability”and“inner
peace.”56Likewise,McKennaunderstoodpsychedeliccloseencountersintermsof
individuation.Indeed,sinceanearlymushroom-inducedUFOsightingheclaimedthat
“allhasbeencontinuoustransformation.”57
WhileMcKenna’sthoughtwasinformedbyneo-shamanism,ethnobotany,esotericism,
mediatheory,andsciencefiction,thisconfluenceofinfluenceswasviewedthrougha
Jungianlens.Hence,forexample,developingJung’sinterpretationofUFOsasagentsof
redemptivegnosisfromtheunconsciousmind,hesuggestedthatpsychonautsmight
also,duringalteredstatesofconsciousness,receivevisitorsfromanotherdimension:
“righthereandnow,onequantaaway,thereisragingauniverseofactiveintelligence
thatistranshuman,hyperdimensional,andextremelyalien...Whatisdrivingreligious
feelingtodayisawishforcontactwiththisotheruniverse.”58
TERENCEMCKENNA’SPSYCHEDELICUFOLOGY
Whilebothpsychedelicexperiencesandcloseencountersarenotoriously
discombobulating,theytendtobeinvestedwith,asWilliamJames(1842-1910)putit,a
“noeticquality.”Theyareunderstoodtobe“statesofknowledge…statesofinsightinto
depthsoftruthunplumbedbydiscursiveintellect.Theyareilluminations,revelations,
fullofsignificanceandimportance….”Assuch,“theycarrywiththemacurioussenseof
authorityforafter-time.”59McKennaagreed.Thepsychedelicexperienceis“a
transdimensionaldoorway”to“hallucinogenicallyderivedGnosticTruth.”60This
explainshisenigmaticstatement,“themushroomspeaks.”61Itisafungal“sourceof
gnosis.”62However,aswewillsee,healsoarguedthatthemushroomisitselfcanbe
understoodasanextraterrestrialcommunicationtechnology.While“scienceishard-
pressedtoadmitthatlightyearsawaytheremightbebeingsonplanetsinorbitaround
anotherstar,”infact,they“canbecontactedwithinamomentifyouhaverecoursetoa
certainchemicalcompound.”63
WhowasMcKenna?Heisoneofthemostwidelycitedlate-modernpsychedelic
thinkers.64WhereasthetheoriesofAldousHuxley(1894-1963)andTimothyLeary
(1920-1996)dominatedtheEasternizedpsychedelicthoughtofthe1960s,sincethen
neo-shamanicinterpretationsofthepsychedelicexperiencehavebecomehegemonic.
Whilethisshiftintheearly1970scanbeexplainedbythepopularityofbookssuchas
particularlyCarlosCastaneda’s(1925-1998)TheTeachingsofDonJuan(1968)andA
SeparateReality(1971),aswellastheideasofMirceaEliade(1907-1986),Gordon
Wasson(1898-1986),andHarner,65bythe1990sMcKennawasbeingembracedas“the
intellectualvoiceofraveculture.”66Heisnowrecognizedas“oneofthepioneersofthe
psychedelicmovementintheWest.”67Alongwithanumberoffranklybizarreesoteric
ideas,includinghisTimewaveZerotheoryandtheapocalypticsignificanceof2012,68he
becameknownforhisidentificationofthemushroomas“agatewaytotheintergalactic
communicationnetwork.”69Notonlywerehiswritingswidelyreadbyanewgeneration
ofpsychedelicspiritualseekers,buthislecturesweresampledbypopularmusicians
andhewasinvitedtoworkwithanumberofartistsandbands,mostnotablyZuvuyaon
DreamMatrixTelemetry(1993)andShamania(1994),TheShamenontheirsingle“Re:
Evolution”(1993),70andSpacetimeContinuum,whocollaboratedwithhimtoproduce
thelivemulti-mediaevent“AlienDreamtime”attheTransmissionTheater,San
Franciscoon26-27February,1993.71Indeed,notonlydidufologypersebecome
popularwithinpsychedelicraveculture,butMcKennanideashavebecomeincreasingly
conspicuouswithintheoccultdiscoursesofpsychonauts,whicharesometimes
accompaniedbyreportsof“awidevarietyofalienencountersandvisitstoalien
worlds.”72
Bornin1946inPaonia,Colorado,in1965hetravelledtoBerkeleytobeginadegreein
arthistoryattheUniversityofCalifornia.Hewasoneofasmallnumberofstudentsto
enrollontheExperimentalCollegeProgram,foundedbytheProfessorofPhilosophy,
JosephTussman(1914-2005).AshisyoungerbrotherDennisMcKenna73recalls,
“academically,thiswasthebestthingthatcouldhavehappenedtoTerence;hewasripe
forsomethinglikethis…TherehefirststudiedMirceaEliade,EdmundHusserlandthe
phenomenologists,anddeepenedhisappreciationfortheworksofCarlJung,whoin
turnledhimfatefullytotheIChing.HediscoveredtheWesternesoterictraditions…
spurredonbyTussman’sencouragementtoexploreeveryavenueofinterest…”74He
alsobecameinvolvedincounterculturalpoliticsandexperimentationwithpsychedelics.
Dennis,whovisitedhisbrother,recallsthat,while“thereweremanydrugsaround…the
onethatemergedassignificantforuswasDMT.Itwasrareeventhen,butforsome
reasonitcrossedourpathsandweagreeditwasthequintessentialpsychedelic.Itonly
lastsmaybetwentyminutes,butit’safull-onpsychedelicexperience,veryintense,and
reallylikeacompletelydifferentreality.”75
Followinghisinvolvementinthe1968student-ledstrikeatSanFranciscoState
University,hisactivitiescameunderthescrutinyoftheauthorities.Consequently,in
1969,hedecidedtotraveltoNepaltoresearchtraditionalBuddhistpaintings
(thangkas).Hewasparticularlyintriguedbytheideathattheir“mostfantastic,
extravagant,andferociousimagesaredrawnfromthepre-Buddhistsubstratumoffolk
imagery.”76Hence,hisgazeshiftedtotheindigenouspre-BuddhistreligionofTibet—“a
kindofshamanismcloselyrelatedtothemotifsandcosmologyofclassicalshamanism
ofSiberia.”77Moreover,influencedbythediscussionsofshamanisminthelate-1960s,
whichwerelargelyinspiredbytheideasofEliade—whowasalsoinfluencedbyJung—
andWassonontheritualandancientuseofhallucinogenicfungi,heinterpreted
thangkasastheproductofshamanicpsychedelictrancestates.Alongwithhisreadingof
Jung,thisrelationshipbetweenshamanismandpsychedelicsbecamecentraltohis
work.AsWouterHanegraaffhascommented,inmanyrespects,McKenna’sphilosophy
isa“typicalexampleofEranosreligionism,withJungandEliadeasthecentral
figures.”78
Thatsaid,again,itisimportanttounderstandthatMcKenna’sthoughtisnotsimplya
combinationofpsychedelics,Jungandshamanism.Rather,itisaneclecticcombination
ofabroadrangeofideasandinfluences,someofwhichweredrawnfromsciencefiction
andmediatheory—specificallytheworkofMarshallMcLuhan(1911-1980)—butmany
ofwhichweresimplypilferedfrompopularculture.AshisbrotherDennisrecalls,“pop
music,likepopcultureingeneral,profoundlyinfluencedus.”79Moreparticularly,“a
majorreasonforourfascination[withpsychedelics]couldbeattributedtoourlife-long
immersioninsciencefiction,aliens,otherdimensions,andrelatedtopics.”80Indeed,
McKennahadbeena“UFOenthusiast”sinceboyhood.81
WhileMcKennarecognizedthathisbreadthofhisinterestsandeclecticism,whichhad
beenencouragedattheTussmanExperimentalCollege,82sometimesledtoconvoluted
analysis,discrepancies,andobfuscation,heinsistedthat“anycomplexphilosophical
systemmakesroomforself-contradiction.”83Nevertheless,Jungprovidedhimwiththe
theoreticalframeworkheneededtodrawtheseoftendisparateideastogether.As
Dennishascommented,“theworksofC.G.Jungplayedacrucialroleinourdeveloping
thought—orescalatingdelusion,assomemighthaveuncharitablydescribedit.”84He
continues,“Jung’sworkprovidedaframeworkforunderstandingpsychedelic
experiences.Statesthatbeforecouldonlybeaccessedthroughdreams,meditation,or
certainotherspiritualdisciplinescouldnowbeattainedthroughdrugs.”85Itis
unsurprising,therefore,thatMcKennalaterrevealedthat,asayoungman,his“greatest
desire[was]tobecomeaJungiananalyst.”86Certainly,itisarguablethatthekey
esotericideasthatMcKennaworkedwith,fromtheIChingtoalchemy,canbetraced
backtohisreadingofJung.“I’vehadaninterestinhermeticismandalchemysinceIwas
about14andreadJung’sPsychologyandAlchemy,anditopenedformethefactofthe
existenceofthisvastliterature,aliteraturethatisverylittlereadorunderstoodinthe
moderncontext.”87Again,itwasimportantforhisownuseoftheIChingthat“Jung
regardedtheIChingasarepositoryofarchetypes.”88Morespecifically,however,Jung
providedthekeytohisinterpretationofinnerspace/outerspace.Ashisbrothernotes,
“forTerenceandme,discoveringJungwasarevelation…Ifcosmologywasthelens
throughwhichwelearnedtoviewtheuniverseatlarge,Jungianpsychologybecameour
cosmologyfortheuniversewithin.Buriedineveryperson’sneuraltissuewasa
dimensionatleastasvastandfascinatingasthatofthestarsandgalaxies.”89Itis
importanttokeepthispointinmindwheninterpretingcommentswhichseemto
suggestabeliefintheindependentexistenceofextraterrestrials.The“universeofthe
unconscious”wascentraltoMcKenna’sthought.Itis“rightthereforexploration”and
“psychedelics[are]thechemicalstarshipsforbearingusinward.”90(Thatsaid,wehave
seenthat,asan“authoroftheimpossible,”thereisambiguityinMcKenna’swork
regardingtheinterpretationofinnerspace/outerspace.)
Itisworthnotingherethat,notonlydidMcKennaconsidertheUFOresearcherJacques
Valléetobe“oneoftheforemostcommentatorsonthephenomenon,”91butthereare
continuitiesbetweenVallée’sideasandthoseofJung.Moreover,notonlydidMcKenna
readValléethroughaJungianlens,butValléeseemstohavecontributedtohis
interpretationofJungonUFOs.Forexample,heidentifiesValléeas“thefirstpersonto
suggest…the‘culturalthermostattheory’ofUFOs.”Vallée,hecontinues,“proposedthat
theflyingsaucerisanobjectfromthecollectiveunconsciousofthehumanracethat
appearsinordertobreakthecontrolofanysetofideasthataregainingdominancein
theirexplanatorypowerattheexpenseofethics.”92Actually,aswehaveseen,this
theorycanbetracedbacktoJung.Itis,however,Vallée’sdevelopmentofitthatinforms
McKenna’sthought.Similarly,whilewehaveseenthatJungunderstoodUFOsto
functioninasimilarwaytodeitiesinthehistoryofreligions,soVallée,inPassportto
Magonia(1969),madeasimilarlinkwiththefairiesdescribedinTheFairyFaithin
CelticCountries(1911)byWalterEvans-Wentz(1878-1965).93McKennawaspersuaded
bytheargumentanddevelopedaverysimilarthesis.Indeed,in1994,hewrotethe
“Introduction”forareprintofTheFairyFaith.Whileitisdifficulttoavoidthesuspicion
thathecametoEvans-WentzthroughVallée,heclaimsnottohavedone:“Ifirst
encounteredW.Y.Evans-Wentz’sTheFairyFaithinCelticCountriesin1966.”94Whether
hedidornot,Vallée’suseofTheFairyFaithcertainlyinformedhisownreadingofit.
ThebeliefsdiscussedbyEvans-Wentzareimportantbecausetheyconcern“aninvisible
co-presentdimensioninwhichdwellthetransformedsoulsoftheancientdead,ableto
interactwithhumanswhowanderintothelonelyenchantedlandscapesthatseem
partialdoorwaysbetweenthefairyworldandourown.”95FollowingVallée,McKenna
arguedthatTheFairyFaithrepresentedanimportantexampleofstudiesof“eventsat
thefringeofreason,”muchlike“booksconcerningflyingsaucers.”96Indeed,drawingon
bothfairyloreandsciencefiction,McKennaoftendescribedthealienentitieshe
encounteredduringinducedalteredstatesas“self-transformingmachineelves.”97
JustasalchemyandGnosticismfascinatedJung—inthatheconsideredthemtobe
forerunnersofanalyticpsychology98—sotheyalsobecamecentraltoMcKenna’s
thought.NotonlywasheintriguedbyGnosticideas,but,possiblybecausehehadbegun
hisstudyofJungwithAlchemyandPsychology,99itwasimportanttohimthatJung’s
“greatpathintotheunconsciouswasalchemy.”100ForMcKenna,alchemywas“apivotal
domain…thatlieshalfwaybetweentheconcernsofanarchaicshamanismand…the
concernsofaquasi-scientificpsychedelicattempttoexploreourconsciousness.”101
Moreover,itwasimportantthat,forthealchemists,“thefirmontologicaldivision
betweenmindandmatterthatisbuiltinto[contemporary]Westernthinkingdidnot
exist.ThatcomeswithReneDescartes…Forthealchemistmindandmatterweretwo
termswhosemutualexclusivitycouldbeblurredundercertaincircumstancesandthe
termsofonecouldmigratetowardtheother.”102Thisgave“innerspace”significanceas
adimensionofrealitythatwasabletotransformtheeverydayworldofmaterial
objects.Nowadays,heargued,thisisaperspectivethatcanonlyproperlybegraspedby
minds“intoxicatedbyhallucinogenicdrugs.”103
Althoughitwouldtakeusbeyondthepresentdiscussiontounpackallthedetailsofthe
McKennabrothers’alchemical“ExperimentatLaChorrera”intheColombian
Amazon,104itisworthnotingthat,withreferencetoJung’swork,theyspeculatedabout
thepossibilityof“transformingone’sbodyintosomethinglikeaUFO.”105Thisoddidea
surfacedduringapsychedelicsessionwhenDennisbeganhearingalow,endogenous
buzzingsound,whichledhimtoemit,“forafewseconds,averymachine-like,loud,dry
buzz,duringwhichhisbodybecamestiff.”106Ostensiblybasedonscientifictheoriesof
resonance,butalsoonalchemicalideasofcorrespondence,107theyconcludedthatifan
audiblesound(suchasthatemittedbyDennis)wasabletoresonatewiththe
endogenoussound,itmightproduceanenergycapableofproducingaholographic
object,“amolecularaggregateofhyperdimensional,superconductingmatterthat
receivesandsendsmessagestransmittedbythought.”108Fascinatedbyalchemicalideas
andhisreadingofsciencefiction,thisobjectMcKennatheorizedintermsofa
technologizedphilosopher’sstone:“theimageofthephilosopher’sstoneas
hyperdimensionaljewel-become-UFO—thehumansoulasstarship.”109WhileMcKenna
claimstheideatohavebeenoriginal,ofcourse,itwasnot—or,atleast,notwhollyso.
WehaveseenthatJunghadalreadymadetheconnectionbetweenthephilosopher’s
stone,mandalas,UFOs,andtheindividuatedself(“thestoneisman”110).AsDavishas
commented,“Jung’scosmicpulp-cultureactofcomparisondirectlycontributedtothe
McKenna’sbeliefthattheendresultoftheExperimentwouldbethecreationof‘the
ultimatetechnologicalartifact,’anapocalypticdevicesimilarto‘starships,time
machines,crystalballs,magicmirrors.’”111
AsMcKennalaterrecalled,“ourliveshadbecomepuresciencefiction.”112“Whetherthe
ideasthatseizedusoverthosedaysweretelepathicallytransmittedbythemushroom”
(atheorytowhichwe’llreturnbelow),or,saysDennis,“byamantis-likeentityonthe
bridgeofastarshipingeosynchronousorbitabovetheAmazon…orcreatedinourown
minds,I’llneverknow.”113However,thepointisthat,theywereJungianpsychonauts
fascinatedbytheoccultandsciencefiction,whohadbecomeconvincedthat,through
somealchemicalprocessthatcombinedhumanandmushroomDNA—whichthey
termed“hyper-carbolation”114—theycouldtransformthebasematerialofthebodyinto
“aneternalhyperdimensionalbeing.”Again,asDenniscomments,“inthisnotionwe
werefollowingJung,who…realizedthattheflyingsaucerisanimageoftheself,the
suppressedpsychictotalitythatlurksbehindtheapparentdualismofmindand
nature.”115
RelatedtothisandcentraltoMcKenna’sthoughtareJung’stheoriesof“archetypes”and
the“collectiveunconscious.”Heunderstoodthemind,toquoteDennis,as“arealplace,
arealmpopulatedbyarchetypesthatresideinsomelowerpsychicstratumallhumans
share…Insuchaview,theideathateachofusisaseparateindividualisanillusion.”116
ThisgoesalittlebeyondJung,forwhomtheunconsciousisnotaplaceorathingas
such,butrathersomethingmoreakintoaprocess.ForJung,archetypes,whichmakeup
theunconscious,are“identicalpsychicstructurescommontoall,”whichtogether
constitute“thearchaicheritageofhumanity.”117Indeed,“thearchetypeisessentiallyan
unconsciouscontentthatisalteredbybecomingconsciousandbybeingperceived,and
ittakesitscolourfromtheindividualconsciousinwhichithappenstoappear.”118
Again,thisiswhy,ofcourse,“manifestationsoftotalitywhosesimple,roundform
portraysthearchetypeoftheself”manifestinmodernmindsasUFOs.119ForMcKenna,
however,thecollectiveunconsciouswasreimaginedasa“hyperdimensionofgnosis.”120
Undertheinfluenceofhallucinogens,heexperienced“anunanticipateddimensionthat
involvedcontactwithanalienintelligence.Organizedentelechiespresentedthemselves
inthepsychedelicexperiencewithinformationthatseemednottobedrawnfromthe
personalhistoryoftheindividualorevenfromthecollectivehumanexperience.”121
Hence,whilerootedinJungiananalysis,McKenna’sthoughtfollowedanidiosyncratic
trajectoryinformedbyhisunderstandingofshamanism,alchemy,andGnosticism.“The
worldofgnosis”122revealedduringapsychedelicexperience“isnoteasytomeasure.It
appearstobeaworldnearlyaslargeasthe…domainofnature.Itisnotsimplythe
Jungiancollectiveunconscious…”What“Jungthoughtofasaplaceintheorganizationof
thepsycheiscognizedintheshamanicmodelasaplace,anearby,adjacentdimension
intowhichthemindcanprojectitselfand,byself-scalingitselftotheseinterior
dimensions,experiencethemasrealities.”123
Concerningthe“experienceofaninteriorguidingvoicewithahigherlevelof
knowledge”(similartoDavy’s“Genius”),McKenna’sanalysiswasbothJungianand,
again,regardingitsindependentexistence,ambiguous.“Arewedealingwithanaspect,
anautonomouspsychicentity,astheJungianswouldstyleit—asubselfthathasslipped
awayfromthecontroloftheego?Orarewedealingwithsomethinglikeaspecies
Overmind—akindofcollectiveentelechy?Orareweinfactdealingwithanalien
intelligencewithallthatthisimplies?”124Thislineofthoughtwas,Isuspect,also
informedbyhisreadingofVallée,forwhom,asKripalputit,“theprecisenatureofthe
‘outside’isdebatable…”Indeed,“Valléeneverstopssuggestingthattheoutsidemaystill
beahumanone,”bywhichhemeansthat“weareallpartofsomeimmenseformof
MindorCosmicConsciousness…”125Itwasthistypeofspeculationthatinfluenced
McKenna’sinterpretationofJung’stheoryofthecollectiveunconscious:“theunformed
archetypesofthecollectiveunconsciousmaybetheholographicsubstrateofthe
species’mind.Eachindividualmind-brainisthenafragmentofthetotalhologram;but,
inaccordancewithholographicprinciples,eachfragmentcontainsthewhole.”126
AstoMcKenna’sunderstandingofaliengnosis,itwas,again,rootedinJung’sthought.
WhiletheUFOphenomenon“containsanopportunityforgenuinelynewknowledge,”it
“neednotrepresentavisitationfromspacevisitors.”127ThesignificanceofUFOsliesin
theirmessage:“humanityneededtowakeupandgetitsacttogetherinordertoavoid
destroyingtheplanet.”128Indeed,likeVallée,hearguedthattheUFOappearedas“an
ideaintendedtoconfoundscience,becausesciencehasbeguntothreatentheexistence
ofthehumanspeciesaswellastheecosystemoftheplanet.”Again,heinsistedthat,“at
thispoint,ashockisnecessaryfortheculture…Themythsthatarebuildingnoware
likemessianicmythsthatprecededtheappearanceofChrist.Theyaremythsof
interventionbyahyperintelligententitythatcomesfromthestarstorevealtheright
waytolive.”129Hence,the“UFOisthecentralmotiftobeunderstoodinordertogeta
handleonrealityhereandnow.Wearealienated,soalienatedthattheselfmust
disguiseitselfasanextraterrestrialinordernottoalarmuswiththetrulybizarre
dimensionsthatitencompasses.Whenwecanlovethealien,thenwewillhavebegunto
healthepsychicdiscontinuity…”130Allthis,ofcourse,ispureJung.
Likewise,withreferenceto“theOvermind”—whichissometimesdescribedintermsof
“thecollectiveunconscious”131—McKennadevelopedabroadlyJungiantheoryof
psychedelicUFOsightings,whichrepresent“aninstanceofcrisisbetweentheindividual
andtheOvermind,wheretheOvermindbreaksthroughtheoppressivescreenthrown
arounditandcomestomeettheindividual.Itislikeaninterviewwithanangel—ora
demon.Itisladenwithintensepsychologicalresonancesforthepersonexperiencing
it.”132Whiletheconceptofan“Overmind”wasusedin1944bySriAurobindo(1872-
1950)aspartofhistheoryoftheascentofconsciousness,133McKennaalmostcertainly
lifteditfromChildhood’sEndbyArthurC.Clarke(1917-2008).Thatsaid,asimilaridea
wasdevelopedbyLearyin1977.Buildingonanearlierideaabout“starseeds”(which,
whichwewillsee,isnotdissimilartoMcKenna’sunderstandingoftherelationship
betweenaliensporesandtheemergenceofhumanconsciousness),134hesuggestedan
“eightcircuitpsychology,”consistingoffourcircuitsthatareessentialtolifeonearth
andfourlargelydormantcircuitsawaitingourfutureinterstellarevolutionandlife
extensionbeyondtheplanet.Thisisinteresting,notbecausehisseventhcircuithas
beenlinkedtothecollectiveunconscious,135butbecausetheeighthis“meta-
biological.”136Itisthebasisofaposthumancollectivemind,similartothatdiscussedby
McKenna.Moreover,arguedLeary,atthisadvancedpointinourevolution“weexpect
thathumanitywillbeinstructedinthereceptionofnuclearsignalsbyhigher
intelligencescontactedafterleavingtheplanet.”137Significantly,thesehighercircuits
canbestimulatedbypsychedelics.Thisiswhy“the1960switnessedageneralraisingof
consciousness,amassive‘mind-fission’.”Unfortunately,“thedrug-cultureofthe1960s
wanderedaround,‘spacedout’(thisisagoodterm),‘high,’butwithnoplacetogo.One
generationtooearlyforinterstellarmigration.”138Again,itisnotdifficulttoseelinks
betweentheseideasandMcKenna’s.However,itisalsointerestingthat,in1977,Robert
AntonWilson(1932-2007),whowasthefirstwritertoseriouslydiscussMcKenna’s
work,139developedLeary’s“exo-psychology.”Inparticular,helinked“circuitVIII”to
paranormalexperiences,psychedelics,shamanism,“contactwithalien
(extraterrestrial?)‘entities’,”“theextraterrestrialunconscious,”and“agalactic
Overmind.”140Thepointisthat,bearinginmindthatWilsonandMcKennakneweach
other,itisdifficultnottoseesomeofformer’sideassubsequentlyarticulatedinthe
latter’swork.141(TheOvermindisnotmentionedinMcKenna’sworkuntilafter1977.)
Interestingly,McKennaalsousedtheterm“Oversoul”inhisdiscussionofUFOs.Indeed,
notonlydothetermsseemtobelinked,but,insomepassages,theyseemsynonymous.
Unsurprisingly,therefore,hisinterpretationoftheOversoulwasalsofundamentally
Jungian.Stimulatedbysocialanxiety,theUFOemerges
asanautonomouspsychicentitythathasslippedfromthecentralcontrolofthe
egoandapproachesladenwiththe“Otherness”oftheunconscious.Asonelooks
intoitonebeholdsoneself,one’sworldinformationfield,alldeployedinastrange,
distant,almosttranshumanlycoolway,whichlinksittothemythofthe
extraterrestrial.TheextraterrestrialisthehumanOversoulinitsgeneraland
particularexpressionontheplanet.142
Itisperhapsworthnotingthat,whiletheconceptwasintroducedbyRalphWaldo
Emerson(1803-1882)inhisessay,“TheOver-soul”(1841),143notonlyhasEmerson’s
understandingofitbeenlikenedto“thecollectiveunconscious,”144butitwasalso
mentionedbythecontacteeOrfeoAngelucci(1912-1993),whoseusagewasquotedby
Jung.145Thecollectiveunconscious,UFOs,andaliengnosisareallcombinedin
McKenna’sinterpretationoftheOversoul.Itis“aguidingMind”that“regulateshuman
culturethroughthereleaseofideasoutofeternityandintothecontinuumof
history.”146Hence,asMcKennaputit,“UFOscomefromanotherdimension…totally
differentfromourown,buttiedupwiththehumanpsycheinawaythatispuzzling,
alarming,andreassuring.”147Again,informedbyJungiananalysis,hearguedthat,ifthe
mushroomisabletoestablishcontactwith“extraterrestrialsonplanetscirclingother
sunssomewhereinthegalaxy,”thatcommunicationwillbe“mediatedthroughthe
Oversoul.”148Thereisafundamentalrelationshipbetweenouterspaceandinnerspace.
Finally,McKennacametotheconclusionthat“themushroomwassomehowmorethan
aplanthallucinogenorevenashamanicallyoftheclassicsort.”Rather,heconcluded,
“themushroomwasinfactakindofintelligententity—notofearth—alienandable
duringthetrancetocommunicateitspersonalityasapresenceintheinward-turned
perceptionsofitsbeholder.”149Inspiredbypanspermiatheory—whichpositstheidea
thatlifedidnotoriginateonEarth,butarrivedwithincomets,meteorites,andspace
dust—hearguedthatmushrooms(notunlikeLeary’s“starseeds”)mayalsohave
arrivedfromouterspace.“Acrosstheaeonsoftimeandspacedriftmanyspore-forming
lifeformsinsuspendedanimationformillionsofyearsuntilcontactismadewitha
suitableenvironment.”150Onesuchsuitableenvironmentwascattlemanure!
Consequently,psychoactivemushroomsbegantosproutamidstearlyfarming
communities.Ofcourse,thefirstencountersbetweenhominidsandmushroomsmay
haveeven“predatedthedomesticationofcattleinAfricabyamillionyearsormore.”151
However,thepointisthat,because“thestrategyoftheearlyhominidomnivoreswasto
eateverythingthatseemedfood-likeandtovomitwhateverwasunpalatable,”152their
dietmusthaveincludedmagicmushrooms.
Hisdevelopedthesiswasthateachsporeis“anartifactofanalienintelligence”actively
seekingtoestablishasymbioticrelationshipwithhumans.153Inotherwords,“the
mushroommighthavebeenengineered”asavehicleof“alieninformation.”154This
accountsfor“theinformationalcontentofthetrip.”155Ifhistheoryofaliengnosisis
true,ofcourse,thenthemushroommaywellhavehadaformativeroleintheevolution
ofthehumanconsciousness.Thatistosay,“starbornmagicmushrooms”induced
visionaryexperiencesthatwerethecatalystforthedevelopmentoftheimagination,
language,andspirituality.156“Thereisahiddenfactorintheevolutionofhumanbeings
thatisneithera‘missinglink’noratelosimpartedfromonhigh.Isuggestthatthis
hiddenfactorintheevolutionofhumanbeings,thefactorthatcalledhuman
consciousnessforthfromabipedalape…involvedafeedbackloopwithplant
hallucinogens.”157
WhilethislattertheoryisnotdirectlyrelatedtoanythingJungargued,nevertheless,
McKennadidincorporateJungianideas,particularlyinrelationtotheemergenceofthe
humanpsycheanditsprocesses.Forexample,heunderstoodtheprehistoric
interventionofmushroomsintermsofJung’stheoryof“transference,”whichhe
interpretedas“theemergenceofanI-Thou[i.e.personal]relationshipbetweenthe
persontakingthepsilocybinandthementalstateitevokes.”This“wasanecessary
conditionofearlyandprimitivehumanity’srelationshiptoitsgodsanddemons.”158
Mushroomsengageinpersonalcommunicationwithhumansduringpsychedelic
experiences.WhatdidthemushroomrevealtoMcKenna?“Iamolderthanthoughtin
yourspecies…ThoughIhavebeenonearthforages,Iamfromthestars…Youasan
individualandHomosapiensasaspeciesareonthebrinkoftheformationofa
symbioticrelationshipwithmygeneticmaterialthatwilleventuallycarryhumanityand
theearthintothegalacticmainstreamofthehighercivilizations....”Hence,the
mushroomcontinued,“highermammalswithmanipulativeabilitiescanbecome
partnerswiththestarknowledgewithinme…”159Indeed,aspartofitsownevolution,
themushroomcommented,“Irequirethenervoussystemofamammal.”160Thatsaid,
whilemushroomsareanimportantsourceofgnosis,McKennastatedthathedidnot
“necessarilybelieve”whatwasbeingrevealedtohim:“ratherwehaveadialogue.Itisa
verystrangepersonandhasmanybizarreopinions…Whenthemushroombegan
sayingitwasanextraterrestrial…Icouldn’tfigureoutwhetherthemushroom[was]an
alienor…somekindofartifactallowingmetohearthealienwhenthealienisactually
light-yearsaway…”161Nevertheless,regardlessoftheirprecisenature,theprehistoric
humanconsumptionofthesefungalconduitsofgnosisfromouterspaceleddirectlyto
individuation.162Notonlyaremushroomsakeyfactorintheevolutionofthehuman
consciousness,theyarealsocentraltoourgrowthtowardwholeness.Weare,argued
McKenna,onlynowbeginningtorealizethesignificanceofthisand,asaresult,moving
beyondtraditionalreligiousideasabout“transhuman”beings:“itisasthoughthe
Father-Godnotionwerebeingreplacedbyanalien-partnernotion…Inotherwords,our
culturaldirectionisbeingtouchedbythenotionofalienlove,anditcomestous
throughtherebirthoftheuseofplanthallucinogens.”163
PSYCHEDELICUFOLOGY
TheinfluenceofMcKennaisevidentinmuchpost-1970spsychedelicthought.164Agood
exampleisJimDeKorne’s1994book,PsychedelicShamanism.Havingacknowledgedhis
indebtednesstoMcKenna,165hereflectson“theUFOcontact/abducteephenomenon,”
which“manifeststoomanythemesanalogoustopsychedelicstatesandshamanic
initiationtoberegardedasunrelated.”166FollowingMcKenna,hedevelopedhisthesis
inanexplicitlyJungiandirection.167
What’sitliketoencounteranentityfrommind-spacewhileundertheinfluenceof
apsychedelicsubstance?Morespecifically,howdoesamodernWesternerprocess
suchanadventureintheabsenceofanyculturallysanctionedframeworktogiveit
meaning?Theancientmythsandreligionsofhumankindseldomreflectcurrent
experienceanymore…Itishardlysurprisingthenthatthe‘gods’nowencountered
areoftendeckedoutinthetrappingsofsciencefiction…Extraterrestrialthemes
areafirmlyestablishedmotifofourevolvingmythos.TheUFOcontactisnowseen
bymanyinvestigatorstobeaninterfacebetweeninnerandouterdimensions,
analogoustoakindofinvoluntaryshamanicencounter.Itisasignificantfactthat
psychotropicdrugs,provencatalystsforaccessingthemythicrealmsofthe
psyche,frequentlyevokealiencontactexperiences.168
ForDeKorne,“theshaman,ineffect,isanegowhohaslearnedhowtoreconnectwith
hisorhersourceinmind-space,”whichhelinksto“Jung’scollectiveunconscious.”169
Havingsaidthat,informedbyMcKenna’sinterpretationofJung,hearguedthat“the
consciousnessitselfisamultidimensionalphenomenon.”170Weshouldnot,hesays,
thinkof“astateofconsciousnessalone,”butratherthinkintermsof“alocation,or
hierarchyoflocations,inextra-dimensionalspace.”171“Ourrealityconsistsoftwo
infinities:anoutercosmosofthreespatialdimensionsandaninnercosmosofan
indeterminatenumberofspatialdimensionsinhabitedbywhatweexperienceas
images,emotions,andthoughts.”172
Thisunderstandingofinnerspace/outerspaceisimportantforDeKorne,inthatithelps
toexplainbothhisunderstandingofpsychedelicshamanismandalsohisexperiencesof
“aliencontact.”Forexample,followingtheingestionofDMTduringanexperimentat“a
majoruniversity,”173herecordsthathefoundhimself“crudely,approximately…
approachinga‘spacestation’.”Hecontinues,
therewereatleasttwoentities(oneoneithersideofme)guidingmetothe
platform.AlthoughIdidn’tactually“see”them,theirpresenceswereclearlyfelt.I
wasawareofmanyotherbeingsinsidethespacestation—automatons:android-
likecreaturesthat“looked”(allthistranscendsvisualdescription)likeacross
betweencrashtestdummiesandtheEmpiretroopsfromStarWars,exceptthat
theywerelivingbeings,notrobots…Ipassedabruptlythroughanotherrealm,
losingallawarenessofmybody.Itwasasiftherewerealienbeingstherewaiting
forme,andIrecallthattheyspoketomeasiftheyhadbeenawaitingmy
arrival…174
GoingbeyondJunganddevelopingsomeofMcKenna’sideas,DeKorne’sgeneral
approachiswhatmightbedescribedas“shamanicrealism,”inthatheunderstands
psychedelicstoenablecontactwitharealitythatexistsindependentlyofourexperience
ofit.Furthermore,aliensareabletotransgressinnerspaceand,bytheirownmeans,“to
‘holographically’projectthemselvesintoourphysicalspace.”175Indeed,hedevelopsan
interestingneo-shamanicpsychedelicufologicalthesis:
Thefactthatthe“aliens”areabletoenterourthree-dimensionalworld,seemingly
atwill,suggeststhattheyutilizeshamanicprinciplesanalogoustoourownwhen
weprojectintotheirspace.Inotherwords,itappearsthatthewayoftheshaman
isatwo-waystreetandthattheidealoflivingintheunusmundusoroneworld
appliesimpartiallytothedenizensofanydimension.The“shamans”ofallworlds
haveprobablyalwaysknownthis,andtheprinciplesuggeststhepossibilityoftrue
interdimensionalalliancesforthosepowerfulorknowledgeableenoughtocreate
them.Inthepresentcontext,whatevertheUFOencountermaybe,itrepresentsat
leastthepossibilityofanallyrelationship:atraditionalshamanicconnectionwith
ahiddenpowerforthepurposeofhealingtheillsofthetribe.176
Thislatteremphasisonhealingiskey.ThealienstookDeKorne“onafabulousand
terriblejourneythrough[his]fears”177aspartofaprocesssimilartoJungian
individuation.Aliensaredescribedasthe“alliesofourgrowth”whoseworkinvolves
“strengtheningthesoul.”178QuotingthecontacteeWhitleyStrieber,hearguesthatin
“reallyfacingthevisitors”andin“acceptingthatonemayalsoenduregreatfear”the
experienceriseventuallyenabledto“becomefreeofallfear.”179
DeKorneisagoodexampleofapsychedelicthinkerwho,notonlytakesclose
encountersandpsychedelicexperiencesseriously,butalsodemonstratestheinfluence
ofMcKenna.Heis,ofcourse,notalone.Wehaveseenthatthereareotherpsychedelic
writersandteachers,suchasGracie,Zarkov,Strassman,Wojtowicz,Luna,andFrecska,
whoare,tovaryingdegrees,bothindebtedtoMcKennaandinterestedinufological
experiencesandthenotionofalienworlds.180Anotherpopularwriteronpsychedelics
andtheparanormalwhoseworkbetraystheinfluenceofMcKennaisPaulDevereux.He
toobelievesthat“thereismuchtobelearnedinaufologicalsense”fromthestudyofthe
psychedelicexperienceandshamanism.181Moreover,withreferencetoMcKenna,he
hassuggestedthat“ancestralmushroomsmayhaveoriginatedonsomeotherplanet.”
Hecontinues,“thepsilocybinfamilyofhallucinogens…producesa‘logos-like
phenomenonofaninteriorvoicethatseemstobealmostasuperhumanagency…an
entitysofarbeyondthenormalstructureoftheegothatifitisnotanextraterrestrialit
mightaswellbe’.”182
Again,similarpointshavebeenmadebythepsychedelicthinkerandsoftware
developerPeterJ.Meyer,whohasusedhisknowledgetodevelopandpromote
McKenna’sTimewaveZerotheory.183Concerningextraterrestrials,hehassuggesteda
numberofinterpretationsoftheirmanifestationduringtheDMTexperiencethatbuild
onMcKenna’swork.Forexample,thedrugmightprovide“accesstoaparallelorhigher
dimension,atrulyalternaterealitywhichis,infact,inhabitedbyindependently-
existingintelligententities.”Orperhaps“anon-humanintelligentspeciescreated
humansbygeneticmodificationofexistingprimatestockthenretreated,leaving
behindbiochemicalmethodsforcontactingthem.Thepsychedelictryptaminesare
chemicalkeysthatactivatecertainprogramsinthehumanbrainthatwereplaced
thereintentionallybythisalienspecies.”Again,maybe“theentitiesareprobesfrom
anextraterrestrialoranextradimensionalspecies,sentouttomakecontactwith
organismssuchasourselveswhoareabletomanipulatetheirnervoussystemsina
waywhichallowscommunicationtotakeplace.”184
CONCLUDINGCOMMENTS
Psychedelicresearchhasshownthatuserstypicallyexperiencespatiotemporal
distortionand,insomecases,encounterswithnon-humanentities.Moreover,
psychonautshave,particularlysincethepublicationofEliade’swork,185increasingly
foundshamanismusefulinhelpingthemtomakesenseofjourneying“outsideoftime
andspaceinto…aparalleluniverse.”186Furthermore,followingCastaneda’spopular
discussionsofshamanism,thisparalleluniversehasoftenbeenunderstoodintermsof
“non-ordinaryreality,”whichis“onlyslightlydifferentfromtheordinaryrealityof
everydaylife”187(i.e.itis“reality”).However,wehaveseenthatthenatureofnon-
ordinaryrealityhasshifted.Ithas,ineffect,beenshapedbyamodern“setand
setting.”188TouseJung’sterminology,innerspacehasbeenreimaginedaccordingto“a
modernmyth.”Thejourneytoinnerspaceleadstoouterspaceandthealiensfrom
outerspacemeethumansininnerspace.
Whilescholarstendtodismisssuchideasasthetrivialramblingsofdisorderedminds,
McKennawasconvincedthattheywerenot“irrationalillusions.”Rather,heinsisted,
“whatweexperienceinthepresenceofDMTisrealnews.”189Innerspace/outerspaceis
thelocusofaliengnosis.FollowingJung,hebelievedthatwhatisrevealedin
nonordinaryrealityisactuallyimportantforordinaryreality—bothfortheindividual
experiencerandalso,maybe,forwidersociety.Hence,while“frightening,
transformative,andbeyondourpowerstoimagine,”hearguedthatitshould“be
exploredintheusualway.”Thatistosay,“wemustsendfearlessexperts…toexplore
andtoreportonwhattheyfind.”190
Typically,however,whatpsychonautsfindisMcKennanand,moreoftenthannot,
Jungian.Thisisbecause,notonlyhasMcKennabecometheprincipalinterpreterof
innerspace/outerspace,buthisinterpretationswereinformedbyJungiananalysis.
Consequently,asthemostinfluentialpost-1960spsychedelicthinker,hisideashave
shapedtheexperiencesofthosewhohavefollowedhim.AstheBritishpsychiatristBen
Sessahascommented,therearenow“growingcommunitiesoffollowers”forwhomthe
mushroomenablescommunicationwith“widerextraterrestrialculture.”191McKenna
haseffectivelyauthoredthepsychedelicexperiencesofhisreadersandintroducednew
ideasintothepsychonautcommunity.Inthissense,hecanbeunderstoodtohave“co-
created”innerspace/outerspace.AsDavishascommentedofMcKenna’sthought,
“culturalpractice,inmediatingaparticularspeciesofpsychedelicmaterial,changesthe
phenomenologyofthat‘medium’forallfutureconsumersofthematerial…”192With
ideasdrawnfromsciencefiction,esotericism,andJungtoguidehim,thispsychedelic
authoroftheimpossiblerewrotetheunseenworldofnonordinaryreality.
1TerenceMcKenna,quotedinMichaelLindemann,“HighlightsofaSwissUFOConference,”CNINews8.1(5July,1995),<https://jacobsm.com/deoxy/deoxy.org/t_swiss.htm>accessed21December,2016.2TerenceMcKenna,TheArchaicRevival:SpeculationsonPsychedelicMushrooms,theAmazon,VirtualReality,UFOs,Evolution,Shamanism,theRebirthoftheGoddess,andtheEndofHistory(SanFrancisco:HarperSanFrancisco,1991),62.3McKenna,TheArchaicRevival,58.4RickStrassman,SlawekWojtowicz,LuisEduardoLuna,andEdeFrecska,“Introduction,”inInnerPathstoOuterSpace:JourneystoAlienWorldsThroughPsychedelicsandOtherSpiritualTechnologies(Rochester:ParkStreetPress,2008),1-2.SeealsoGrahamStJohn,MysterySchoolinHyperspace:ACulturalHistoryofDMT(Berkeley:EvolverEditions,2015),223-258.5ChristianRätsch,“Introduction:TheExplorationofInnerSpace,”inGatewaytoInnerSpace:SacredPlants,Mysticism,andPsychotherapy(Bridport:PrismPress,1991),2.6WhileGracieandZarkovwereclosetoMcKenna,theirthinkingdivergedfromhisinanumberofimportantrespects.AsZarkovputit,“Idon’tbuyTerence’swholepackage….Ontheotherhand,Terenceisontoalotveryimportantthings.”QuotedinDouglasRushkoff,Cyberia:LifeintheTrenchesofHyperspace,secondedition(Manchester:ClinamenPress,2002),75.7InTheUFOExperience:AScientificInquiry(Chicago,HenryRegnery,1972),Hynekdevisedasixfoldclassificationof“closeencounters”todescribeeventsduringwhichapersonwitnessesaUFOand/oralienentity.8See,GracieandZarkov,NotesfromUnderground:A“GracieandZarkov”Reader(SanFrancisco:GracieandZarkovProductions,1985),34.SeealsoAndrewGallimore’sMcKennainspired,“BuildingAlienWorlds—TheNeuropsychologicalandEvolutionaryImplicationsoftheAstonishingPsychoactiveEffectsofN,N-Dimethyltryptamine(DMT),”JournalofScientificExploration27,no.3(2013),455-503.9JohnHorgan,RationalMysticism(Boston:HoughtonMifflinCompany),177.10McKenna,ArchaicRevival,60(emphasisadded).11McKenna,ArchaicRevival,3.12ErikDavis,HighWeirdness:Drugs,Esoterica,andVisionaryExperienceintheSeventies(London:StrangeAttractorPressandMITPress,2019),8-11.13ErikDavis,“TheWeirdNaturalismoftheBrothersMcKenna:EsotericMediaandtheExperimentatLaChorrera,”InternationalJournalfortheStudyofNewReligions7,no.2.(2016),179.Seealso14JeffreyKripal,AuthorsoftheImpossible:TheParanormalandtheScared(Chicago:ChicagoUniversityPress,2010),22-23.15ChristopherRoth,“UfologyasAnthropology:Race,Extraterrestrials,andtheOccult,”inE.T.Culture:AnthropologyinOuterspaces,ed.DebboraBattaglia(Durham:DukeUniversityPress,2005),42.16ErnstJünger,Annäherungen:DrogenundRausch(Stuttgart:Klett-CottaVerlag,2014[1970]);ErnstJünger,“DrugsandEcstasy,”inMythsandSymbols:StudiesinHonorofMirceaEliade,ed.JosephKitagawaandCharlesLong(Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,1969),327-342.17Jünger,Annäherungen,356,380.18Jünger,“DrugsandEcstasy,”335.19E.g.DanCarpenter,APsychonaut’sGuidetotheInvisibleLandscape:TheTopographyofthePsychedelicExperience(Rochester:ParkStreetPress,2006);JonathanOtt,“Pharmañopo-psychonautics:Human
Intranasal,Sublingual,Intrarectal,PulmonaryandOralPharmacologyofBufotenine,”JournalofPsychoactiveDrugs33,no.3(2001):273-281.20See,ChristopherPartridge,HighCulture:Drugs,Mysticism,andthePursuitofTranscendenceintheModernWorld(NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,2018).21SeeChristopherPartridge,“CarlosCastanedaandtheConstructionofNon-ordinaryReality,”inAlteredConsciousnessintheTwentiethCentury,ed.JakePoller(NewYork:Routledge,2019),185-202;DonJoséCampos,TheShamanandAyahuasca:JourneystoSacredRealms(StudioCity:DivineArts,2011),83-88.22MichaelHarner,“Introduction,”inHallucinogensandShamanism,ed.MichaelHarner(London:OxfordUniversityPress,1973),xii.23Strassman,Wojtowicz,Luna,andFrecska,“Introduction,”3.24JohnLilly,TheScientist:AMetaphysicalAutobiography(Berkeley:Ronin,1997).25JaneDunlap,ExploringInnerSpace:PersonalExperiencesUnderLSD-25(London:TheScientificBookClub,1961),30,56-58,199,200,205.ShewasadministeredLSDunderthesupervisionofOscarJaniger.26MollyLefebure,“HumphryDavy:PhilosophicalAlchemist,”inTheColeridgeConnection:EssaysforThomasMcFarland,ed.RichardGravilandMollyLefebure(Penrith:Humanities-Ebooks,2007),93-94.27HumphryDavy,ConsolationsinTravel,OrtheLastDaysofaPhilosopher(London:JohnMurray,1830),20.28Davy,Consolations,45-46.29RickStrassman,DMT:TheSpiritMolecule(Rochester:ParkStreetPress,2001),216-219.Seealso,RickStrassman,“TheVarietiesoftheDMTExperience,”inInnerPaths,73-74.30RickStrassman,“ThePinealGland:CurrentEvidenceforitsRoleinConsciousness,”PsychedelicMonographsandEssays5(1991),167-205;Strassman,“DMT:TheBrain’sOwnPsychedelic,”inInnerPaths,33-50.Seealso,GrahamStJohn,“TheDMTGland:ThePineal,TheSpiritMolecule,andPopularCulture,”InternationalJournalfortheStudyofNewReligions7,no.2(2016),153-174;StJohn,MysterySchoolinHyperspace,115-145.31SerenaRoney-Dougal,WhereScienceandMagicMeet(Shaftesbury:Element,1991),151.32E.g.StevenBarker,“N,N-Dimethyltryptamine(DMT),anEndogenousHallucinogen:Past,Present,andFutureResearchtoDetermineItsRoleandFunction,”FrontiersinNeuroscience(06August,2018)<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6088236/pdf/fnins-12-00536.pdf>accessed29November,2018.33DavidTacey,JungandtheNewAge(London:Routledge,2001).34SeeIanMcCabe,CarlJungandAlcoholicsAnonymous(London:Routledge,2018),12-20.35CarlJung,FlyingSaucers:AModernMythofThingsSeenintheSky,trans.R.F.C.Hull(London:Routledge,2002[1958]),1.36CarlJung,“LettertoGilbertA.Harrison,”OpenCulture,<http://www.openculture.com/2013/05/carl_jungs_1957_letter_on_the_fascinating_modern_myth_of_ufos.html>accessed21September,2018.37SeeBrendaDenzler,TheLureoftheEdge:ScientificPassions,ReligiousBeliefs,andthePursuitofUFOs(Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2001),190-191;RobertSegal,“JungonUFOs,”inUFOReligions,ed.ChristopherPartridge(London:Routledge,2003),314-328.38Jung,FlyingSaucers,19.39Jung,FlyingSaucers,7.40JodiDean,AliensinAmerica:ConspiracyCulturesfromOuterspacetoCyberspace(Ithaca:CornellUniversityPress,1998),10-11.41Jung,FlyingSaucers,17.42Jung,FlyingSaucers,18.43Jung,FlyingSaucers,18.44See,L.E.Luna,“Ayahuasca:TheSacredVineoftheAmazon,”inInnerPaths,81-82.45L.E.LunaandP.Amaringo,AyahuascaVisions:TheReligiousIconographyofaPeruvianShaman(Berkeley:NorthAtlanticBooks,1991),35.46Jung,FlyingSaucers,22-23.47Jung,FlyingSaucers,4.48Jung,FlyingSaucers,17.49Jung,FlyingSaucers,17.50Jung,FlyingSaucers,16,93.SeealsoCarlJung,“MandalasandthePathtoPsychicWholeness,”inJungontheEast,ed.JohnJ.Clarke(London:Routledge,1995),228-233.51Jung,FlyingSaucers,17.
52CarlJung,TheIntegrationofthePersonality,trans.StanleyDell(London:KeganPaul,Trench,Trubner&Co.,1940),3.53Jung,FlyingSaucers,7.54Jung,FlyingSaucers,7.55Jung,FlyingSaucers,7.56Jung,FlyingSaucers,229.57TerenceMcKenna,TrueHallucinations—inthecombinedvolumeTrueHallucinationsandTheArchaicRevival(NewYork:MJFBooks,1993),42.58TerenceMcKenna,quotedinCliffordPickover,Sex,Drugs,Einstein,andElves(Petaluma:SmartPublications,2005),84.SeealsoAndrewGallimore,AlienInformationTheory:PsychedelicDrugTechnologiesandtheCosmicGame(London:StrangeWorldsPress,2019).59WilliamJames,TheVarietiesofReligiousExperience(London:Longmans,GreenandCo.,1929),380-381.60McKenna,TrueHallucinations,42.61McKenna,ArchaicRevival,100.62McKenna,ArchaicRevival,99.63McKenna,ArchaicRevival,16.64See,AndrewMonteith,“‘TheWordsofMcKenna’:Healing,PoliticsCritique,andtheEvolutionofPsychonautReligionSincethe1960sCounterculture,”JournaloftheAmericanAcademyofReligion84:4(2016),1081-1109.65CarlosCastaneda,TheTeachingsofDonJuan(Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1968);CarlosCastaneda,ASeparateReality(NewYork:PocketBooks,1971);Harner,HallucinogensandShamanism.Seealso,Partridge,HighCulture,288-341;Partridge,“CarlosCastaneda.”66Lindemann,“Highlights.”Forexample,FraserClark,oneofthekeymoversandshakersofraveculture,isexplicitregardinghisindebtednesstoMcKenna:“TheFinalWordonDrugs,”inPsychedeliaBritannica:HallucinogenicDrugsinBritain,ed.AntonioMelechi(London:Turnaround,1997),185-204.67SlawekWojtowicz,“MagicMushrooms,”inInnerPaths,149.68TerenceMcKenna,“ApproachingTimewaveZero,”<http://www.fractal-timewave.com/articles/approaching_twz.htm>accessed12November,2018.See,Davis,HighWeirdness,164-167.69Wojtowicz,“MagicMushrooms,”149.70ZuvuyaandTerenceMcKenna,Shamania(Delerium,1994);TerenceMcKennaandZuvuya,DreamMatrixTelemetry(Delerium,1993);TheShamenandTerenceMcKenna,“Re:Evolution”(OneLittleIndian,1993).ForarecentsampleofMcKenna,listentoEL_TXEF_A,ForTerenceMcKenna(FlumoRecordings,2015).71TheeventwasrecordedonbothCDandDVD:SpacetimeContinuumwithTerenceMcKenna,AlienDreamtime(Astralwerks,1993);AlienDreamtime,directedbyKenAdams(2003).72Wojtowicz,“MagicMushrooms,”149.73Note:toavoidconfusion,Dennisisidentifiedusinghisforename;referencestoTerencefollowtheconventionofusingthesurnameonly.74McKenna,Brotherhood,101-102.75DennisMcKenna,quotedinAlexanderPrice,“ImmanentizingtheEschaton:AnInterviewwithDennisMcKenna,”RealitySandwich(11March,2007)<http://realitysandwich.com/13139/interview_dennis_mckenna/>accessed14October,2018.76McKenna,TrueHallucinations,56.77McKenna,TrueHallucinations,55.78WouterHanegraaff,“EntheogenicEsotericism,”inContemporaryEsotericism,ed.KennetGranholmandEgilAsprem(Sheffield:Equinox,2013),404.Eranoswasadiscussiongrouporganizedsince1933inAscona,Switzerland.KeyfiguresincludedJungandEliade.79DennisMcKenna,BrotherhoodoftheScreamingAbyss:MyLifewithTerenceMcKenna(St.Cloud:NorthStarPress,2012),126.80McKenna,Brotherhood,286;seealso119-124.81TerenceMcKenna,TrueHallucinations,159.82See,McKenna,Brotherhood,100-102.83TerenceMckenna,“SacredAntidotes,”Tricycle:TheBuddhistReview6,no.1(1996),9684McKenna,Brotherhood,127.85McKenna,Brotherhood,128.
86TerenceMcKenna,“CarlJungandPsychicArchetypes:AddresstotheJungSociety”(Claremont,California1991)<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWoHLcHC0oM>accessed25November,2018.87TerenceMcKenna,“LecturesonAlchemy:EsalenInstitute,1991”<https://medium.com/@Ayahuasca_yage/lectures-on-alchemy-with-terence-mckenna-e7a81430aae7>accessed10November,2018.88TerenceMcKenna,TheInvisibleLandscape:Mind,HallucinogensandtheIChing(NewYork:HarperOne,1993[1975]),138.89McKenna,Brotherhood,128.90McKenna,Brotherhood,128.91TerenceMcKenna,“AliensandArchetypes,”<http://www.intuitionnetwork.org/txt/mckenna.htm>accessed2April,2018.92McKenna,ArchaicRevival,59.93JacquesVallée,PassporttoMagonia:OnUFOs,Folklore,andParallelWorlds(Chicago:HenryRegnery,1969).94TerenceMcKenna,“IntroductiontotheLibraryofMysticArtsEdition,”inW.Y.Evans-Wentz,TheFairyFaithinCelticCountries(NewYork:CitadelPress,1994),i.95McKenna,“Introduction,”ii.96McKenna,“Introduction,”ii.97E.g.McKenna,ArchaicRevival,16.98CarlJung,TheGnosticJung,ed.RobertSegal(Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress,1992);CarlJung,JungonAlchemy,ed.NathanSchwartz-Salant(Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress,1996).99McKenna,TrueHallucinations,140;McKenna,“LecturesonAlchemy.”100McKenna,“CarlJungandPsychicArchetypes.”SeealsoTerenceMcKenna,FoodoftheGods:ARadicalHistoryofPlants,Drugs,andHumanEvolution(London:Rider,1992),262-263.101McKenna,“CarlJungandPsychicArchetypes.”SeealsoMcKenna,Brotherhood,132-136.102McKenna,“CarlJungandPsychicArchetypes.”103McKenna,“CarlJungandPsychicArchetypes.”104SeeMcKenna,TrueHallucinations,105-118.Forusefuldiscussions,seeDavis,“WeirdNaturalism”;WouterHanegraaff,“‘AnEndHistory.AndGototheStars.’TerenceMcKennaand2012,”inReligionandRetributiveLogic:EssaysinHonourofProfessorGarryW.Trompf,ed.CaroleCusackandChristopherHartney(Leiden:Brill,2010),291-312.105McKenna,Brotherhood,131.106McKenna,TrueHallucinations,53.SeeparticularlyMcKenna,Brotherhood,250-272.107SeeDavis,“WeirdNaturalism,”185-192.108McKenna,TrueHallucinations,71.109McKenna,TrueHallucinations,77.110CarlJung,PsychologyandAlchemy,secondedition,trans.R.F.C.Hull(Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress,1968),269.111Davis,“WeirdNaturalism,”190.112McKenna,TrueHallucinations,101.113McKenna,Brotherhood,250.114McKenna,TrueHallucinations,94.115McKenna,TrueHallucinations,94.116McKenna,Brotherhood,130.117CarlJung,TheJungReader,ed.DavidTacey(London:Routledge,2012),137.118CarlJung,TheArchetypesandtheCollectiveUnconscious,BollingenSeriesXX,trans.R.F.C.Hull(Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress,1969),5.119Jung,FlyingSaucers,17.120McKenna,ArchaicRevival,127.121McKenna,ArchaicRevival,27.122McKenna,ArchaicRevival,240.123McKenna,ArchaicRevival,54.124McKenna,ArchaicRevival,27-28.125Kripal,AuthorsoftheImpossible,169.126McKenna,InvisibleLandscape,51.127JacquesVallée,TheInvisibleCollege(NewYork:Dutton,1975),6.128McKenna,Brotherhood,131.129McKenna,ArchaicRevival,61.
130McKenna,ArchaicRevival,43.131McKenna,ArchaicRevival,10,11,28,64.132McKenna,ArchaicRevival,65.133SriAurobindo,TheLifeDivine(Pondicherry:SriAurobindoAshramTrust,2005),266-275.134“Lifeisaninterstellarcommunicationnetwork.Lifeisdisseminatedthroughthegalaxiesintheformofnucleotidetemplates.These‘seeds’landonplanets,areactivatedbysolarradiation,andevolvenervoussystems.Thebodieswhichhouseandtransportnervoussystemsandthereproductiveseedsareconstructedinresponsetotheatmosphericandgravitationalcharacteristicsofthehostplanet,thecrumblingrockuponwhichwemomentarilyrest.”TimothyLeary,Starseed(SanFransisco:LevelPress,1973),6.135RobertAntonWilson,CosmicTriggerI:TheFinalSecretoftheIlluminati(GrandJunction:HilaritasPress,2016[1977]),209.136TimothyLeary,Exo-Psychology(LosAngeles:Starseed/PeacePress,1977),33.137Leary,Exo-Psychology,127.138Leary,Exo-Psychology,209.139Wilson,CosmicTrigger,220-229.140Wilson,CosmicTrigger,209.141McKenna’sunderstandingoftheOvermindalsobetrayscontinuitieswithHuxley’sdiscussionofhallucinogensand“MindatLarge.”AldousHuxley,TheDoorsofPerception;HeavenandHell(London:Flamingo,1994),11.SeealsoPartridge,HighCulture,211-212.142McKenna,ArchaicRevival,60.143RalphWaldoEmerson,ThePortableEmerson,ed.CarlBodeandMalcolmCowley(NewYork:Penguin,1981),209-227.144MalcolmCowley,“ANoteontheSelections,”inEmerson,PortableEmerson,xxxiv.145Jung,FlyingSaucers,131.146McKenna,ArchaicRevival,61,248.147McKenna,ArchaicRevival,65.148McKenna,ArchaicRevival,60-61.149McKenna,TrueHallucinations,43.150TerenceMcKenna,“Foreword,”inO.T.OssandO.N.Oeric[pseudonymsforTerenceandDennisMcKenna],Psilocybin:MagicMushroomGrower’sGuide.AHandbookforPsilocybinEnthusiasts(Berkeley:QuickAmericanPublishing,1986),14.SeealsoMcKenna,Archaic,84-85,206-207.151McKenna,FoodoftheGods,20.152McKenna,FoodoftheGods,17.153TerenceMcKenna,“UnderstandingandtheImaginationintheLightofNature,”<https://ratical.org/many_worlds/UILN.html>accessed5November,2016.154McKenna,“Understanding”;McKenna,Archaic,58.155McKenna,“Understanding.”156OssandOeric,Grower’sGuide,13.157McKenna,ArchaicRevival,144.158OssandOeric,Grower’sGuide,14.159OssandOeric,Grower’sGuide,14-15.160McKenna,ArchaicRevival,47.161McKenna,ArchaicRevival,47.162McKenna,ArchaicRevival,58.163McKenna,ArchaicRevival,73-74.164See,Monteith,“WordsofMcKenna,”1096-1101.165JimDeKorne,PsychedelicShamanism:TheCultivation,Preparation,andShamanicUseofPsychotropicPlants,secondedition(Berkeley:NorthAtlanticBooks,2011),vii-viii,xix,xxiii.166DeKorne,PsychedelicShamanism,93.167SeeDeKorne,PsychedelicShamanism,16-19,35-37,101;JimDeKorne,TheCrackingTower:AStrategyforTranscending2012(Berkeley:NorthAtlanticBooks,2009).168DeKorne,PsychedelicShamanism,89-90.169DeKorne,PsychedelicShamanism,54.170DeKorne,PsychedelicShamanism,45.171DeKorne,PsychedelicShamanism,45.172DeKorne,CrackingTower,19.173DeKorne,PsychedelicShamanism,90.
174DeKorne,PsychedelicShamanism,91-92.175DeKorne,PsychedelicShamanism,47.176DeKorne,PsychedelicShamanism,94.177DeKorne,PsychedelicShamanism,93.178DeKorne,PsychedelicShamanism,92.179DeKorne,PsychedelicShamanism,94.180SeealsoGallimore,“BuildingAlienWorlds.”181PaulDevereuxandPeterBrookesmith,UFOsandUfology:TheFirstFiftyYears(London:Blandford,1997),180.182PaulDevereux,“WhisperingLeaves:InterspeciesCommunication?”inTheDivineSpark,ed.GrahamHancock(London:HayHouse,2015),77-78.183Seehiswebsite,“TimewaveZeroandFractalTimeSofware,”<http://www.fractal-timewave.com/index.php>accessed7May,2019.184PeterMeyer,“ApparentCommunicationwithDiscarnateEntitiesInducedbyDimethyltryptamine(DMT)”<http://www.serendipity.li/dmt/dmtart07.html>accessed12November,2018.Cf.Gallimore,“BuildingAlienWorlds.”185MirceaEliade,Shamanism:ArchaicTechniquesofEcstasy,trans.WillardTrask(Princeton:PrincetonUniversityPress,1964).186SandraIngerman,ShamanicJourneying:ABeginner’sGuide(Boulder:SoundsTrue,2004),2.187Castaneda,Teachings,208.See,Partridge,“CarlosCastaneda.”188FollowingLeary’swork,thenatureofanexperienceisunderstoodtobedeterminedlargelybytheuser’smindset(i.e.“set”)—character,intentions,beliefs,andexpectations—andthesocio-culturalandphysicalcontextinwhichthedrugistaken(“setting”).Forausefulrecentdiscussion,seeIdoHartogsohn,“ConstructingDrugEffects:AHistoryofSetandSetting,”DrugScience,PolicyandLaw3(2017),1-17.189McKenna,FoodoftheGods,258.190McKenna,FoodoftheGods,258-259.191BenSessa,ThePsychedelicRenaissance(London:MuswellHillPress,2012),4.192ErikDavis,“WeirdNaturalism,”179.