What's a psychonaut?

[Caduceus Mercurius]

I stumbled upon this very interesting Wikipedia entry while doing research on Norse mythology:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychonaut

Some excerpts:

A psychonaut (from the Greek ??????

 

[trick]

An astronaut of the mind.. love it.

That's a great picture also..

 

[Psychoid]

I had already read this before :)

Thought anyone here would have also, that's why I didn't post it :P

 

[phalaris]

yeah, great entry. When I stumbled on it a while ago, I even checked who made the entry. I would have laughed my ass off, had I known the person.

I didn't. Still great though ;)

 

[Guest]

Very nice picture indeed!! :thumbsup:

 

[Meduzz]

what's PCP doing in that substance list? i have never done PCP before, but isn't it just dissociative speed?

 

[Caduceus Mercurius]

what's PCP doing in that substance list?

Well, there's a lot on that page that is debatable. Seems someone decided to add Charles Manson & The Family to the list of psychonauts, probably confusing the words psychopath and psychonaut. I think a little editing would be in order (will do it tomorrow morning). More suggestions?

 

[Meduzz]

More suggestions?

datura somewhere down in that list :P

 

[Caduceus Mercurius]

Yes, I agree. Or a separate list could be created for plants and substances most modern psychonauts no longer consider safe and useful.

 

[ararat]

there's 2C-I but not 2C-B.



does anyone know where I can get a larger version of that picture? I have been looking for it for quite some time.

 

[Caduceus Mercurius]

OK, I've made some changes.

I removed Charles Manson and about 15 of his followers. They may have done LSD, but that doesn't make them psychonauts.

I added many psychonauts, like Rick Strassman etc.

I separated Datura from the list, with a short explanation why.

I also made a separation between the drugs commonly used and less commonly used. In that second category all synthetics except LSD and MDMA.



And now I have a question for you:

Why does the list of psychonauts contain so many names of men, but hardly any of women?

In New Age book stores you'll find many books written by women. Why is that not the case in the field of psychedelics?

 

[Forkbender]

Why does the list of psychonauts contain so many names of men, but hardly any of women?

In New Age book stores you'll find many books written by women. Why is that not the case in the field of psychedelics?

That, my friend, has to do with the patriarchal society we live in. It's the case in almost every field of science (possible exception being genderstudies).

BTW William James is a scientist/philosopher, not an artist, and he only used Nitrous Oxide as far as I know.

 

[spice]

Now you've asked the mythical sixty-four thousand dollar question.

I think when that situation changes, our paradigm will shift in a major fashion.

The reason that there aren't more is the same reason that there aren't more female auto mechanics, or doctors....it is traditionally a male dominated field.
I think it would be a lot harder for a woman in some ways, and easier in others.
Ordering chemicals would have been a breeze if I had had a short skirt ( and what was under it ) to distract the old, lecherous Aldrich chemicals rep we used to order from. (JK)

but this situation can be rectified, all it takes is effort on your part, ladies....

For many women, the agenda that is their life is still set by men, be it their father, or their husbands....catering to some dude for 20 years isn't conducive to self-directed activity.

It is really incumbent upon women to investigate that area, since psychonauts need all the numbers we can generate, in order to develop real presence and actually have a hope at defusing the witch-hunters.

I think that the forces of censorship and repression are MUCH more a part of any womans reality than, mine, for instance, If some asshole man tells me something I don't like, here in the deep south, then I have no compunctions against sticking my middle finger in his fat, redneck face, and following it with the rest of the equation, if necessary.
(but it's just about never necessary, because men here know you can't treat each other the way you treat women, or you'll be having serious problems)

Women are much more subject to the " you ought to " line, and coercion and influence have a much more negative effect on their lives. It's hard to be a woman who does what she really wants.

In fact, I've never met a single one who just said, 'you know what, I run this show, and I 'll do what I want, when I want'...and proceed to go about it...

No, in many ways you still aren't free, ladies.

The only way to demand that freedom isn't protests, or politics, it's to follow the example set in the 60's, by the bra burners, et al...you must reject the parts of this reality that is unpalatable, and nudge everyone forward by your actions.

I want to see it happen, it can only help everyone.

 

[phalaris]

lol, very nice:

But ironically these plants are completely legal, which is why many children, unable to obtain mushrooms (which are illegal in most countries), start experimenting with these plants, often with disastrous results.

;)

 

[phalaris]

Why does the list of psychonauts contain so many names of men, but hardly any of women?

And yeah. What about this ?. Women, were are you ?? I know a few psychonauts, and I think only 1 or 2 would see themselves as psychonaut. The uneven distribution can also be seen on the forums.

Maybe it has something to do with the percieved risk of doing psychedelics, and traditionally men are more willing to take risks than woman (?)

 

[Entheonaut]

Maybe it has something to do with the percieved risk of doing psychedelics, and traditionally men are more willing to take risks than woman (?)

I agree this might have something to do with it.

 

[Meduzz]

yes, the whole illegal drugs thing.

we can blame the government... ...again.

 

[ararat]

we can blame the government... ...again.

yay!



well, I've recognized that in most internet-forums (no matter which one) are almost always way more men than women.

 

[phalaris]

yes, the whole illegal drugs thing.

we can blame the government... ...again.

Only partly; magic mushrooms and cannabis are legal in the Netherlands and still I see few woman who make use of these other than to 'try them'. And in the case of cannabis, most smoke it frequently and mixed with tabacco (~daily) but not very 'deep'. Smoking or eating a high dose of cannabis only a few times a year is far more psychedelic, and can be somewhat scary to a normal weed smoker.

So we can blame the government for a lot a things, but I really think the willingness to risk taking is something inherently different between man and woman. Governments can only do so much, although they want to you to believe otherwise.

On topic: do You know any psychonauts outside of psychonaut.com ?

I met a few in Groningen during a period where I went to a lot of psytrance parties.. and more recently I even met a few in my hometown !

 

[Dantediv86]

well the thing about women is that they don't need psychedelics...they are nutcases by themselves (it's a joke) :lol: no i'm not a chauvinistic male, as a matter of fact i love women over all and i really think that due to their mentality they don't need really mind altering drugs to understand themselves...i know my sister uderstands herself pretty well...tho she would need some valium (to calm down)
and i do agree with Spice on the bra burning argument...afterall it was invented by men for women...not the other way around (fashon designers are mostly men...gay, but still men!! what do they know about being a woman???) so i stop here because neither have i any idea of what being a woman means...i know that being a psychonaut (or Psycho-nut would be better off for me :P...what a scintillating wit i have :D and i'm sober too!!) has made my life better and a better person of me. outside of this site i know one guy who i'm slowly initiating to psychonautics to save him from drug abuse. In my family there's a tendency towards introspectionism and various exotic techniques, but my parents are old hippies who profess a drug free world, cause by buyin' drugs (and using them) you are just another pawn in the hands of the system. as a matter of fact neither of them smokes or drinks coffee :?
i'm a bit of a hippie too tho "talis pater...."

PS who was interested in Norse Mythology??