Inner Space/Outer Space: Terence McKenna’s Jungian ...Furthermore, bearing in mind the experience...

InnerSpace/OuterSpace:

TerenceMcKenna’sJungianPsychedelicUfology

___________________________________________________________________

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.