G R Pauba

Mushroom Memoirs G R Pauba

At present, while putting the finishing touches on this book, the general public seems to be undergoing a resurgence of interest in the psychedelic experience, highlighted by even popular mainstream writers such as Michael Pollan. While in general I see this as a very welcomed and positive development, my expectations run considerably short of the revolution in understanding hoped for by many involved in this endeavor. The reason for this is not however based upon the potential of psychedelics themselves, but on the irreconcilable differences between the mindset of "modern man" and the expanded consciousness accessible through these substances. We have come this way before... and if the psychedelic community is not more careful this time, there will likely be a re-run of the 1960's, in which the sensationalized media accounts of casualties sour public opinion, lawmakers harden their resolve with irrational legal status, and the legitimate research taking place, likely the only chance for a legitimate way forward, is shut down. While there is a growing amount of literature available from this research community I believe there is also something to be gained by a reader from entering into this world through the eyes of a troubled adolescent and then following this same person through the changes which followed. My main hope in sharing these experiences is that they may assist someone having already tried psychedelics, but also that a newcomer to this subject matter can gain some insight. The format of this book first details the actual experiences as they occurred, followed by a commentary which takes into account the mindset in which they had taken place. As the content of these experiences delve further and further into the subconscious, my mindset is changed considerably and the commentaries which follow are forced to adopt a more speculative posture. That the ontological mechanics of the psychedelic experience itself align up so well with eastern philosophical belief systems can be no mere coincidence. And when the descriptions from the most recent discoveries in sub-atomic physics sound like the ramblings of a Hindu philosopher... one should take notice. There is something going on here, something which I believe deserves more attention. What I explore in these following chapters is one of the oldest mysteries known to humankind, a place tightly guarded by superstition, cultural identity and organized religion; a place which defies any known language to accurately describe: our inner world.