Demons – or spirit entities are a very real thing in the beliefs of indigenous cultures. And one of the beliefs is that whenever a person is in a state of altered consciousness, a portal can open for these malicious entities to “possess” a person – and maybe hang around long after. Having said that, we know that when a person takes psychedelics they are entering an altered state of consciousness.
“Oh no, microdosing psilocybin won’t do a thing for me!” he exclaimed, in total disbelief during our initial discovery session. He went on to tell me he was wrestling with grief and depression from his partner dying a couple of years ago and trauma from an abusive childhood. “I need something stronger to knock all that out!” he declared.
In our take-a-pill-and-feel-better culture, people just want relief by taking that pill – or a whole bunch of them. Of course, if that was an approach that worked, we wouldn’t have an epidemic of anxiety, depression and despair in our Western world.
Imagine going on a week-long all-inclusive retreat, settling in, and then finding out that there’s no running water. What would you do?
This is what my retreaters were presented with when they showed up at our luxury villa in southern Portugal last week!
In fact, the whole experience got so cozy and familiar that it became a running joke that Kevin, the plumber, was everybody’s new best friend…
A friend of mine was telling me about her doctor who has diagnostic tools that measure the age of the cells in a human body. “I’m 58 chronologically but my body is that of a 62 year old,” she said matter of factly, quoting the results her doctor gave her. I was astounded. “Is this … Read more
Have you ever noticed how, after any number of years being together, we can say some pretty petty things to our intimate partners? Of course, intimate relationships mean that we’re going to be with that person through all kinds of moods – theirs and ours. So it’s not unusual, for instance, that my partner would … Read more
“I never get angry,” says a character in one of Woody Allen’s movies. “I grow a tumor instead.” This is a hilarious line but a poignant reminder how profoundly emotions can affect our human physiological functioning. Yet, as a culture, we generally place our physical well-being over our emotional well-being. We see it all the … Read more
When was the last time you had a heart-to-heart with someone about something meaningful to you? I don’t mean a one-sided conversation – but a heartfelt interaction with a person you value who was invested as much as you in the discussion. There might have been voice raising, tears, and emphatic gestures.
Mystical traditions teach that there’s an infinite world inside of us – and the question for our Western minds has always been, “How do I access that infinite Inner world?” Of course most of us know that meditation is the one approach recommended time and time again…
I’ve been teased that I’m a delicate “hot house flower” given my distaste for the brisk waters of the northern Atlantic – even here in one of the southern most climes of Europe – the sunny warm Algarve. At its warmest in southern Portugal, which is late summer and fall, the Atlantic water average soars … Read more
I often get letters from folks sharing their experiences and asking questions. This correspondence can offer spectacular insights and musings that answer questions that many others have on their mind. So I’m sharing this one with you today… “Hi Becca, I have a question. You, like many others, use the words ‘you have to do … Read more