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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 4 of 8
(DM:)
You are smart to be scared of tropanes. They are very difficult to work with, and I think you have to sell your soul if you get deeply into them...they are always associated with sorcery and that type of magic...no doubt they are powerful, but dang...[to get back to the Brazilian ceremonies] They have these ceremonies, they have buildings, essentially circular churches, and they are organized into “nucleos” which is kind of like a parish...its all centered around these temples, which are also like community centers. They are usually circular, with raise steps like an amphitheater inside, and these comfortable chairs. They gather every Saturday night (or every other Sat) and the mestres, in the center, hand out the brew... I've often been to sessions of upwards of 500 people...its actually a very moving experience...
So, do you host the enthoegen.com web site, or have some connection to that?
(Rev:)
Some connection---ew. I heard about that controversy--the anonymous gossip fellow...I didn't want to touch that though, unless you have something to say about it. Scott, the Entheogen Dot operator is a friend and has given me web space for my page, The Entheogen Explorer
(DM:)
Well, not really. I just think its a pity that information, even bad information, can propagate so quickly. The Internet is a big rumour mill, and it can be dangerous that way. Its a two edged sword. The internet makes more information available to...
(Rev:)
I wasn't even aware there was something of a rumour section on the site... didn't even know what purpose such a thing would serve for the sites frequenters. [Ed note: we don't have a rumour section, but a news section. The purpose of posting the anonymous tip was to possibly prevent someone from going to jail, not to point fingers at anyone. Dennis, Peter and I have cleared it up. There will be a small article online soon which explains the whole deal.]
(DM:)
Well, it seems to be getting straightened out. It is a pity about that bust; a lot of friends, among whom I count both leonard and peter, got hurt by that...
But somehow I also have to say that there's something incompatible about psychedelics and criminal syndicalism. Psychedelics should be more of a spiritual thing, its about the relationships with the other entities in the biosphere...
(Rev:)
Peter? Peter Meyer? (just a shot in the wind...)
(DM:)
No, Peter vander Hayden. he was busted with Nick Sands. He is the one I introduced to Leonard, years ago. I've known him since I was a grad student at UBC..
(Rev:)
That's a shame. What were they accused of?
(DM:)
They were accused of having an enormous drug synthesis lab in Vancouver...
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