Themes Of Message At The Deep: Tripping Towards Heaven (Or Hell)

Sep 4

I’ve noticed over the past few years the big push from certain corners of the culture for wider, legal use of mind-altering substances. It started with weed many years ago and now there is this push from certain forces for more and more people to use more psycho-active drugs, psilocybin mushrooms, DMT and any other drugs that can alter one’s mind and cause it to bend and experience other realities. Other realities are a very real thing and not for the fool, the inexperienced or faint of heart. As a creative person, I find listening to people’s experiences with these substances interesting. As a Christian, I find the push for everyone to use these things alarming and irresponsible. There are things that come along with such experiences that such pushers conveniently neglect to talk about; doors that once opened cannot be closed by humans hands. For those that choose such a path and inadvertently bring back dark entities with them, only God or Death can help them.

Such drugs are extremely dangerous to one’s mental and spiritual state if taken the wrong way, taken too often and too long. One reason why I am suspicious of this phenomenon is because of the history of the drug culture in America during the 60’s. It came to me as a surprise through my research that the drug culture of the 1960’s was created and fostered by the CIA. Mainly to take down certain subcultures. Specifically, the anti-war movement and the Black Power movement. While some people in this space today I am sure are sincere in sharing their experiences and the knowledge they can impart, I don’t think everyone behind this has benign intent. I do learn a lot from these experiences and actually enjoy listening to what they see and experience on these mind-altering trips. But it does raise concerns in my mind when it comes to who or what entities may be behind this influence. We are at a point in society where more people than ever before have been rendered vulnerable, even mentally destroyed by this very same society. It may be in the interest of hidden forces to keep the people weak, distracted and ignorant. Throw in a wild and powerful element without proper guidance as to how it should be used and you have a slave society.

Considering the heavy influence dark forces, human and otherwise, tend to have on human societies, especially American society, nothing surprises me anymore and I am suspicious of many things I see and hear today. It’s sad when you have to be that way but I feel healthy suspicion keeps you from being someone else’s fool.

Drug use is an important element in the Jonas Johnson series. Jonas comes to rely on dangerous substances simply to operate and do his job day to day and I try to show how taking such substances and their power for granted can be dangerous. He uses a mixture of pills and mushrooms substances that are rather mild in comparison to the drugs I hear about but he is skating the line and that line’s edge is bleeding now. When you see him in the beginning of The Shadow Game readers will find him in the throes of withdrawal. Another sign that drugs have a powerful effect.

Withdrawal from drugs can be a dangerous, even a deadly matter. Alcohol withdrawal can be equally deadly. This is because of the sharp, abrupt change in what the body has become accustomed to in order to function. That shock can kill. Jonas uses cocaine, heroin, barbiturates, speed, caffeine, mushrooms and alcohol. They can bestow powers of mind and body upon one that one normally wouldn’t have but they come at a high price; your sanity and your life. Jonas is now, unbeknownst to him, in the grip of a blooming drug addiction; trapped. He’s used drugs to stay awake, to sleep, to fight, to achieve sharper thinking. He’s not deep into it yet and I don’t intend to let it get that far. But he will spend part of the next book I will be working on climbing out of the mess he’s created for himself.

Drugs have an interesting and storied history in the realm of science fiction. Philip K. Dick featured them in his stories. I think it’s a way to travel to other dimensions and places and explore those other places in ways you couldn’t in the mundane world. Drugs can make the mundane fantastic both in story and in real life - and they can give a sharp edge to characters in story when it comes to psychic or physical power. Drugs can be used to open doorways, figuratively and actually. In my sixth book, Super Unknown, Jonas will enter into a type of parallel universe with the help of guided drug use and meditation. I haven’t explored this entirely yet. Only somewhat, so far. But when I have explored and researched meditation, I learned that it can bring fruitful things to one’s life or guide one to a dangerous path to madness if done with no guidance or help - if done wrong. Meditation, like mind-altering drugs, can alter thinking patterns and perception. It, like drug use, can invite beings into one’s life, whether wanted or not. It’s not a surprise to those who study this that drug use and occultism, often throughout millennia, go hand in hand.

Altering the human mind and traveling unseen paths are earth-shaking endeavors and it’s best not to tread those dreadful waters with a foolish and light heart. This brings me back to my thoughts on why psychedelics are getting such a positive comeback and very little push-back. When there is no real push-back, I have to wonder - why? Is it coming from the people or is it coming from The Powers That Be? I’m not saying that these things shouldn’t be explored but a careful observation of where information is coming from is key. What’s the real source? I don’t know and I doubt most know it either. Why it has risen up in prominence needs more attention, yet, I see no one asking this question. No curiosity at all. This is problematic in my opinion. It’s as if we have been dumbed-down, distracted and controlled to the point that we stop asking questions because there is so much “noise” out there to chase. I think we dash ahead to the next thing on the horizon too much in our culture without stopping to reason as to why is this thing here? Why is it suddenly appearing in our consciousness and why is it being pushed? Is it being pushed? Or is this organic interest?

Whether or not the interest is organic I do think that it is worth researching. There are so many things that the human mind could be capable of. The powers it could possess if utilized to its fullest potential (yes, I know some people take issue with this idea. I disagree with those people.) The human brain has the potential to store 20 million volumes of encyclopedic information. It was made to live forever - but that’s another blog post.