Interdisciplinary Frontiers of Psychedelic Studies
Historical Origins and Future Possibilities
For most of us, the word Tantra is something we associate with orgiastic, multi-orgasmic, New Age expressions of unbridled sexuality. But – what if Tantra wasn’t what you thought it was? Tantra’s roots lie in radical and antinomian practices that transgress cultural norms, the aim of which was the expansion of consciousness. Tantra was originally a system of spiritual practice that used desire as a vehicle for psychospiritual and embodied transformation. When we reveal the pattern of intention behind the historical practice, we discover that Tantra is in fact a weaving, an evolutionary practice and consciousness-expanding technology that inhabits and confronts what is with fractal radiance of possibilities of what can be. In this virtual offering, we’ll consider the historical origins of Tantra. From its origins in the cults of the yoginī to the patriarchal birth of kuṇḍalinī, come explore a brief history of Tantric practice. From there, we’ll expand into a vision of what Tantra can be today. Discover how the timeless wisdom of nondual thought can support the transformation of suffering and the awakening of the quintessential self.
What is the role of myth in psychedelic experience? While we think today of myths as fairy tales, the original meaning (according to mythologist Michael Meade) is that myths reveal to us “emergent truth”. From myths, can we find meaning and purpose in our human experience – even in the most cataclysmic of moments.
The myth of Inanna, the ancient Sumerian goddess of love and war, provides a unique framework for understanding psychedelic experience. In the story of her descent, death, and rebirth, an initiatory orientation to psychedelic experience as a rite of passage is illuminated. A rite of passage is an experience from which there is no return, an alchemical ring-pass-not.
What can we learn from the myth of Inanna? Together, we’ll explore her myth as a teaching story and the initiatory framework that is revealed. Approaching the material from a mytho-somatic perspective, we’ll engage the applications of her myth, both personal and collective.
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