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Interview: Dennis McKenna |
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Written by Michael (we know him as Rev. MeO)
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Wednesday, 24 December 1997 |
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Page 3 of 8
(Rev:)
Is the Ayahuasca experience more spiritual or physical?
(DM:)
The ayahuasca experience is both more physical *and* more spiritual!
(Rev:)
I owe the greatest changes in my life to 2 outstanding entheogenic experiences, 30 mg. 5-MeO DMT especially. They both have helped me to become the person I am. Do you feel you would be a very different person without those entheogens (the ones you mentioned)?
(DM:)
30 mg! God I'm not surprised its changed you! SD is also interesting. I find it hard to relate to, but many people get a lot out of it...I think I will have to explore it further. But, to your question. No doubt I would be a different person if I had never taken those substances. I am very grateful for them.
(Rev:)
The 30 mg. experience was a great mistake and a blessing (I did not know the difference between 5-MeO and n, n,DMT...so 30 mg. would be a good low dose of DMT, so I went with it.) Is there a great difference between a Yaje trip when the Yaje is made up of ONLY DMT and MAO-inhibitors compared to the traditional concoction (which includes various Solanaceous and Nicotiana ingredients, amongst others)?
(DM:)
Both a mistake, and a blessing, I'm sure. You're just following in the grand shamanic tradition, a lot of which is guided by serendipitous accidents. Its a testimony to the basic safety of these substances that we don't lose more than we do...some of the things I read about that folks do drop my jaw... My *second* psychedelic experience was a harrowing encounter with Datura, so I know where you're coming from...
(Rev:)
Ow...Datura is quite dangerous if inaccurately measured...she scares me...all Tropanes scare me.
(DM:)
I don't know. Its hard to systematically evaluate these things, because every curandero, in Peru, has his own concoction, things that he liked to put in it. Its hard to know what you're getting from these sources...and there's lots of variation. In Brazil, I have mostly drunk with the UDV, and their material is very clean, only B caapi, and psychotria...but it can be very strong, if they want it to be.
(Rev:)
A recent show on A&E, made by the BBC, “Psychedelic Science” showed the UDV. How were you able to sit back in a chair and have the ayahuasca experience?
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