Is “True Enough” good enough? –

Reflections on Terence McKenna’s failed “prophecy” for 2012

 

   by  

Martin  W.  Ball,  Ph.D.  www.martinball.net  

www.entheological-­‐paradigm.net    Author’s  note:       Several   years   ago,   I   published  an  essay  entitled   “Terence  on  DMT”  where   I  critiqued   Terence   McKenna’s   descriptions   and   speculations   on   the   nature   of   the  DMT  experience  as  being  a  reflection  and  construct  of  his  ego  and  his  own  sense  of  alienation  from  his  genuine  nature.    Since  then,  I  have  been  asked  about  my  views  on  Terence  McKenna  in  interviews  and  have  also  elaborated  to  some  extent  on  my  podcast,   “The   Entheogenic   Evolution.”     Though   the   original   essay   was   published  over  three  years  ago,  I  still  receive  angry  comments  from  those  who  feel  wounded  or  offended  by  my  critique,  or  feel  a  personal  need  to  vindicate  Terence.    I’ve  been  told  that   I  shouldn’t  say  anything  negative  about  Terence,  since  he   is  so   loved  and  

isn’t   here   to   defend   himself.     I’m   told   that   he   was   a   great   entertainer   and  communicator   and  has   inspired  millions,   so  he   should  be  off-­‐limits   to   any  kind  of  intellectual  critique  or  honest  assessment  of  his  contribution  to  the  public  discourse  on  psychedelics.    In  return,  I’ve  been  called  a  charlatan,  a  fraud,  and  a  megalomaniac  for  daring  to  state  that   there’s  a  difference  between  reality  and  fantasy  and  that   it  can  be  reasonably  determined  by  dedicated  individuals  who  have  done  the  work  of  seeing  past  the  illusions  of  the  ego.    In  many  instances,  it  has  been  a  case  of  “kill  the  messenger”  rather  than  deal  with  the  insights  and  critiques  I’ve  provided.    In  short,  my   critiques   of   Terence   McKenna   have   been   taken   personally   by   a   number   of  individuals  and  the  backlash  has  been  ongoing  and  sometimes  severe.         Such  was  to  be  expected,  I  suppose.    My  recent  critiques  of  McKenna  and  his  views   on   2012   have   received   similar   responses   from   certain   aspects   of   the  “psychedelic   community,”   such   as  with   a   recent   interview   of  mine   on   the   Gnostic  Media   podcast.     Much   to   some   folks’   dismay,   rather   than   being   humbled   by   the  widespread   negative   reaction   to  my   critiques,   I’ve   continued  my   critique   and   am  even  expanding  it  into  other  areas  of  Terence’s  work  and  thought.     I  suspect  that  the  following  essay,  which  I’ll  also  make  into  a  podcast  episode,  will  be  my  last  critique  of  Terence  McKenna.    I  don’t  have  anything  against  Terence  personally,   but   given   that   I   routinely   encounter   the   promulgation   of   Terence’s  thoughts  and  ideas,  largely  unquestioningly,  within  the  psychedelic  community  and  pop  culture,  I  do  feel  that  someone  has  got  to  stand  up  for  reality  and  reason,  and  it  might  as  well  be  me,  given  that  I’ve  already  opened  that  Pandora’s  box  of  knee-­‐jerk  ego  reactions  and  personal  venom.    What  is  the  nature  of  the  psychedelic  experience  and  what  does  it  reveal  about  the  nature  of  the  self  and  the  nature  of  reality?    These  are  questions  that  are  too  significant,  too  important,  and  too  relevant  for  humanity  to   leave   in   the   hands   of   a   popular   speculator  whose   views   do   not   correlate  with  objective,  confirmable  reality.    With  the  passing  of  the  fated  date  of  December,  2012,  I   feel   that   it   is   time   to   put   the   nail   in   the   coffin,   so   to   speak,   and   thus   have  constructed  this  short  essay.    Will   it  make  a  difference?    To  some,   it  no  doubt  will.  For  many  others,  it  will  just  be  more  grist  for  the  mill  of  getting  angry  with  me  and  provide  more  reason  to  publically  disparage  my  writings  and  views.    It  comes  with  the  territory  of  being  a  critic  and  with  expressing  a  provocative  view  of  the  nature  of  being,  so  I  accept  that.    It  is  my  hope,  however,  that  the  following  might  help  at  least  some  to  see  past  the  fantasy,  projection,  and  attachment  to  illusion  that  is  endemic  not   only   within   the   modern   psychedelic   movement,   but   with   metaphysical   and  spiritual   communities/worldviews   in   general.     With   that   in   mind,   I   offer   the  following  essay.    The  Essay:  

 Is  “True  enough”  good  enough?    In  November  of  1993,  in  writing  the  preface  

to  the  1994  edition  of  The  Invisible  Landscape:  Mind,  Hallucinogens  and  the  I  Ching,  Terence  McKenna  rhetorically  asked  about  the  truth  of  the  ideas  presented  therein,  and   concluded   that   they  were   “true   enough.”     In  writing   the   epilogue   to   his   later  book,  True  Hallucinations,  McKenna  reflects  on   the   ideas  he   first  communicated   in  The   Invisible   Landscape   and   comments   that,   “I   am   in   the   absurd  position   of   being  

either  an  unsung  Newton  or  completely  nuts.    There  is  very  little  room  to  maneuver  between  these  two  positions.”    There  seems  to  be  a  deeply  conflicting  message  here.    On  the  one  hand,  McKenna  wants  the  reader  to  appreciate  his   ideas  as  being  “true  enough,”  yet  on  the  other  hand,  recognizes  that  he’s  either  right  in  a  very  profound  way,   -­‐   such   that   he   is   worthy   of   being   recognized   as   a   new   “Newton”   -­‐   or   he’s  completely  off   the  mark  and  not   trafficking   in   reality  at  all.     “True  enough”  would  imply  that  there’s  plenty  of  wiggle  room.    But  if  there  is  no  wiggle  room,  then  “true  enough”  is  clearly  not  good  enough.    McKenna  is  either  right,  or  he  is  wrong.  

Now  that  we’ve  reached  the   far  side  of  McKenna’s  speculations  about  2012  and   the   nature   of   reality,  we   are   able   to   come   to   definitive   conclusions   about   his  claims  and  assess  their  validity   in  the  face  of  what  actually  happened.    Specifically,  I’m   referring   to   McKenna’s   claims   about   Dec   21st/22nd,   2012   and   his   theory   of  “Timewave   Zero”   (though   the   date   of   Dec   21st,   2012   has   been   popularized   in   the  public   imagination,  McKenna   repeatedly  wrote   of   Dec   22nd   as   being   the   key   date,  though  he  also  wrote  and  spoke  of  Dec  21st,  so  there  has  been  some  inconsistency  here  in  his  work).    Now  that  the  fated  date  has  passed,  it  is  reasonable  to  ask:  was  Terence   even   remotely   correct   in   his   predictions?     Does   he   deserve   the   credit   of  being  an  unsung  Newton,  or  has  reality  proven  his  ideas  to  be  pure  speculation  and  delusional   thinking?     We   are   now   in   a   position   to   definitively   answer   these  questions,  and  it  does  not  look  favorable  for  McKenna.    This  is  not  a  question  that  is  open  to  personal   interpretation  or  opinion.    McKenna  was  either  right  about  what  he  claimed  for  2012,  or  he  was  wrong.    He  was  specific  enough  that  there  is  no  real  wiggle  room.  

Before  addressing  McKenna  specifically,  let’s  take  a  moment  to  reflect  on  the  issue  of  2012   in  general.    New  Age  beliefs,  projections,  and  speculations  about  the  date   of   Dec   21st,   2012   have   been   building   and   diversifying   for   at   least   the   past  generation   of   some   30   years   or   so,   and   though   McKenna   has   been   a   key   and  dominant  figure  in  promoting  beliefs  in  2012,  he  has  not,  by  any  means,  been  a  lone  actor.     Literally  hundreds  of  books  have  been  written  about   the  winter   solstice  of  2012  with   countless   individuals  making   careers   out   of   hyping   up   the   day   with   a  wide  variety  of  predictions,  prophecies,  and  speculations  about  what  would  happen  and   what   it   would   all   mean.     The   date   has   been   a   mirror   upon   which   virtually  anyone   and   everyone   could   project   their   pet   theories   about   reality,   revelations,  metaphysics,   spiritual   growth,   pseudoscience,   astrology,   channeling,   UFOs,   crop  circles,   pole   shifts,   rogue   planets,   intergalactic   communications,   second   comings,  mysterious  “Others,”  enlightened  ancients,  occult  technologies,  an  all  other  manner  of  New  Age  fare.      The  date  has  been  popularized  in  books  and  films,  on  Facebook,  Youtube,   Evolver.net,   in   music,   art,   spirituality,   religion,   festivals,   conferences,  workshops,   presentations,   and   just   about   anywhere   else   one  might   find  New  Age  gurus,  “light  workers,”  self-­‐proclaimed  shamans,  psychedelic  enthusiasts,  and  other  like-­‐minded   individuals.     In   some   circles,   one   might   even   have   been   considered  delusional  not   to   buy   into   the   hype   around   2012.     For  many   in   the  New  Age,   the  reality  of  2012  as  a  point  of  major  transformation  was  a  given.    It  was  simply  reality.    Everything  was  expected  to  change  on  Dec  21,  2012  (though  what  that  means  varied  greatly)   and   anyone   who   said   otherwise   was   ignorant,   closed-­‐minded,   not  spiritually  awakened,   intolerant,  or  un-­‐evolved.    While  proponents  might  disagree  

about  precisely  what  2012  was  about,  the  assumption  was  that  it  was  to  be  a  time  of  profound,  history  and  life-­‐changing  events  that  would  forever  impact  humanity  and  its  place  in  the  cosmos.  

So  2012  had  a  lot  to  live  up  to  in  the  minds  of  New  Age  believers,  and  there  is  no   doubt   that  many   have   convinced   themselves   that   the   “prophecies”   have   come  true  and  that  their  beliefs  have  been  vindicated  and  legitimized.    No  doubt  many  will  claim   to   have   been   “transformed”   by   the   “energies”   of   the   solstice   and   “galactic  alignment”.     For   those  who   live   in   the   reality-­‐based   community,   such   conclusions  will   be   dismissed   for   the   self-­‐delusional   artifacts   that   they   are.     Religious   and  spiritual   thinkers/believers  are  rarely  discouraged  by  reality  and   tend  not   to   let  a  little   thing   like   facts   get   in   the   way   of   their   chosen   beliefs   and   systems   of   self-­‐identification   –   such   is   the   nature   of   the   ego.    However,  when  we   look   at   specific  claims  about  2012,  rather  than  at  the  confused  morass  of  generalized  beliefs  about  2012,  we  can  begin  to  make  definitive  conclusions  about  which  claims  have  validity  and  which  don’t.  

As  should  be  clear,  it  is  not  my  goal  to  address  all  claims  about  2012  in  this  essay.    My  focus  is  much  more  limited;  I’m  interested  in  what  Terence  McKenna  had  to  say  about  2012.    My  reason  for  focusing  on  Terence  McKenna  is  he  continues  to  be   a   leading   cultural   figure   in   the   “psychedelic   community”   whose   thoughts   and  speculations   have   shaped   a   generation   of   “psychonauts”   in   a   way   that   no   other  individual  has.       In  some  circles,  his  thoughts  and  speculations  are  taken  as  almost  divine  writ   and   holy   scripture,   and   he   is   seen   as   the   ultimate   authority   on  many  questions  regarding  psychedelics,  their  uses,  and  their  effects.    Additionally,  he  has  been   a   major   figure   in   promoting   speculations   about   2012,   all   of   which   tie   in  directly   to   his   views   on   psychedelics   and   the   psychedelic   experience.     He   is   also  arguably   more   popular   than   ever,   with   his   image,   quotes,   and   stories   being  ubiquitous  memes  on   the   internet.    As   someone  who   is   interested   in  psychedelics  and  their  uses,  effects,  and  what  they  help  reveal  about  the  nature  of  reality  and  the  self,  my  concern  is  that  McKenna’s  take  on  “true  enough”  is  simply  not  good  enough.    Psychedelics  and  the  psychedelic  experience,  and  what  it  reveals  about  reality,  is  far  too   important   to   be   left   in   the   hands   of   a   failed   prophet.     In   short,   despite   his  widespread   popularity   and   the   influence  McKenna   has   had   on  millions   of   people  around  the  globe,  it  is  time  to  recognize  that  reality  has  revealed  that  he  was  much  closer  to  the  “completely  nuts”  end  of  the  spectrum  than  the  “unsung  Newton.”    This  isn’t  to  say  that  McKenna  was,  in  fact,  “crazy,”  but  it  is  to  say  that  when  it  comes  to  2012,   psychedelics,   reality,   and   the  nature  of   being,   he  was  wrong,   and   there   just  isn’t  any  wiggle  room  with  this  conclusion.    

One  issue  that  I  will  deal  with,  though  briefly,  before  addressing  McKenna’s  speculations,   is   that  of   the  Mayan  calendar  and   its  supposed  “prophecy”  regarding  Dec   21st,   2012.     This   is   a   rather   easy   issue   to   address:   all   “prophecies”   regarding  2012   are   completely   modern-­‐day   phenomena.     There   is   not   a   single   “ancient”  prophecy  regarding  Dec  21st,  2012.    The  Mayan  calendar  does  not  “end”  on  this  date,  and  the  Mayans  themselves  did  not  produce  any  ancient  prophecies  regarding  this  date,   though   due   to   the   widespread   hype   about   this   issue,   some   contemporary  Mayans  have  essentially  played  along  and  used  it  as  an  opportunity  to  assert  their  cultural   worldview   and   claim   some   authority   for   themselves   in   public   discourse.    

The  “prophecies,”  however,  are  a  complete  fabrication  by  outsiders  and  non-­‐Mayans  who   have   projected   their   own   fears,   thoughts,   and   desires   onto   an   exotic   “other”  with  no  factual  basis  in  reality,  history,  or  Mayan  culture.    While  some  Mayans  have  capitalized  on  widespread   interest   in  their  culture  by  outsiders,  others  have  taken  offense  at  the  misrepresentations  of  their  views,  beliefs,  and  culture  by  non-­‐Mayans.    Scholars   of  Mayan   culture   and   history   are   in   uniform   agreement   that   there   is   no  actual  Mayan  prophecy  regarding  2012  or  any  kind  of  “apocalypse.”      

Returning  to  Terence  McKenna,  he  claimed  that  his  focus  on  the  date  of  Dec  22nd,   2012   and   its   (not   quite   accurate)   coincidence   with   the   “end”   of   the   Mayan  calendar  was  unexpected  and  serendipitous.    Given  McKenna’s  connections  to  other  New  Age  2012  thinkers,  such  as  Jose  Arguelles  and  his  promotion  of  the  Mayan  “end  date,”  this  claim  is  somewhat  suspicious  and  it  is  more  likely  the  case  that  there  was  mutual   influence   and   cross-­‐pollination   of   ideas   regarding   the   date   in   question.    McKenna   supposedly   arrived   at   his   date   of   Dec   22,   2012   as   a   result   of   his  manipulations  of   the   I  Ching  and  his  development  of  a   “fractal  wave   form”  of   time  and  the  ingression  of  novelty   into  reality.    However,   in  developing  this  wave  form,  McKenna  did  not  have  a  specific  reference  point  as  to  when  the  wave  form  began  or  when  it  was  to  “end”  or  reach  a  point  of  “maximum  novelty,”  so  he  had  to  arbitrarily  line   up   the  waveform  with   the   calendar   and   historical   events   of   his   choosing.     In  other   words,   there   was   nothing   objectively   referenced   in   his   choosing   Dec   22nd,  2012  as  the  date  of  maximum  novelty.      There  is  nothing  about  the  Timewave  that  necessitates  its  culmination  on  Dec.  22,  2012.  

Just  what  did  McKenna  claim  to  have  discovered,  and  how  did  he  develop  his  ideas?     First,   in  The   Invisible   Landscape,   and   later   in  True   Hallucinations,  Terence  shares  his   theory  of   “Timewave  Zero”   and   the  ultimate   expression  of  novelty   into  reality   that  was  to  occur  on  Dec  22,  2012.     Interestingly,  when  John  Horgan  asked  McKenna  if  he  really  thought  something  was  going  to  happen,  McKenna  reportedly  replied  that  he  did  not,  and  said  his  own  theory  of  Timewave  Zero  was  “just  a  kind  of   fantasizing   within   a   certain   kind   of   vocabulary.”     So   is   fantasy   “true   enough?”    What   are   we   to   make   of   this?     Especially   when   one   considers   what   inspired  McKenna  and  his  musing  on  the  nature  of  time  and  reality,  it  is  a  bit  of  a  wonder  that  anyone   would   take   him   seriously   and   look   at   him   as   anything   other   than   a   wild  yarn-­‐spinning   entertainer   and   psychedelic   raconteur.     It   would   appear   that   even  Terence   considered   his   claims   of   being   an   “unsung   Newton”   as   being   overly  grandiose  and  self-­‐delusional.    However,  it  also  seems  clear  that  McKenna  held  out  the  possibility  that  he   just  might  be  right  –  though  I  think  it  would  have  surprised  even   him.     Since   it   is   now   perfectly   clear   that   he   was   profoundly   wrong,   it   is  worthwhile  to  look  into  what  inspired  him  and  how  he  developed  such  a  strangely  convoluted  view  of  reality  that  is  clearly  not  “true  enough”  by  any  standard.  

In  order  to  understand  McKenna’s  claims  about  the  Timewave  and  what  he  predicted   it   would   mean   for   humanity,   one   has   to   look   at   McKenna’s   use   of  psychedelics   and   how   he   chose   to   interpret   his   experiences;   primarily   those  produced   by   psilocybin   mushrooms   and   DMT.     Though   McKenna   claimed   that  precisely  what   the  Timewave   revealed   could   not   be   known  with   certainty,   he   did  present  his  thoughts  on  what  it  would  be,  and  these  are  all  based  on  his  psychedelic  experiences.    According  to  Terence,   the  Timewave   indicated  that  there  would  be  a  

“concrescence  of  novelty”   into   the  universe  at   the   “end  of   time/history,”  which  he  calculated  as  Dec  22,  2012.    This  concrescence  would  be  a  “transcendental  object”  which  he  identified  as  a  “UFO.”    This  UFO  would  be  made  of  “translinguistic  matter,”  which  would  be  produced  by  “the  mind  made  external”  and  it  would  allow  humans  to   join   the   intergalactic   community   where   all   things   would   be   possible   and  humanity  would  no  longer  be  bound  by  materiality,  history,  or  anything  else.    It  was  to  be  the  ultimate  evolutionary  leap  into  the  unknown  and  unknowable  that  would  forever   render   all   human   history   prior   to   that   point   as   quaint   and   effectively  obsolete.    As  he  saw  it,  we  would  effectively  become  post-­‐human  from  that  point  on,  forever   transformed   into   the   “Alien   Other”   that   was   calling   us   toward   our  evolutionary   destiny   as   intergalactic   beings,   a   development   that   was   a   “strange  attractor”   that   was   working   backwards   through   time,   bringing   us   to   the   point   of  ultimate  liberation  that  was  to  culminate  on  Dec  22,  2012.      

It   is   important   to   note   that   McKenna   clearly   depicted   this   as   a   singular  “event”  and  not  as  a  transitional  period  as  some  are  now  claiming  about  2012  (such  as  Daniel  Pinchbeck,   another   influential  psychedelic   thinker,  has   recently   taken   to  articulating).    As  he  states  on  page  225  of  True  Hallucinations,  his  theory  predicts  “a  major   transformational   event   in   2012.”     Given   the   absence   of   any   defining  major  transformational   event,   McKenna   has   unarguably   been   proven   wrong   by   reality.    This   is   not   something   that   is   open   to   argument   or   interpretation:   the   predicted  event   did   not   happen.     Lots   of   stuff   happened   in   2012,   and   there   were   some   big  parties  focusing  on  the  “Galactic  Alignment”  and  “Great  Shift”  around  the  time  of  the  solstice,  but  the  “big  event”  clearly  failed  to  materialize.    The  ultimate  concrescence  of  novelty  into  reality  did  not  take  place.    If  it  had,  we  would  all  know  it  and  it  would  be  obvious.     If  one  has   to  argue   that   it   in   fact  did   take  place,   then   it  clearly  didn’t.    Time,   reality,   and   history   continue   on,   much   as   they   have   before,   and   no  translinguistic  matter-­‐made  UFOs   have   appeared   or  whisked   humanity   away   into  the   welcoming   cosmos.     McKenna’s   “prophecy”   has   clearly   failed.     No   unsung  Newton  here!  

McKenna’s   metaphysics   and   speculations   derive   directly   and   immediately  from  his  psychedelic  experiences  and  cannot  be  adequately  understood  without  this  point   of   reference.     Given   that   he   was   so   utterly   wrong   with   his   theories   and  speculations,   it   stands   to   reason   that  he  was  mostly   likely   equally   confused  about  his  psychedelic  experiences  and  their  relationship  to  the  nature  of  reality.     It   is  by  examining   these   details   that   we   can   start   to   understand   how   and   why   McKenna  went  so  profoundly  wrong.  

First,  let’s  consider  McKenna’s  take  on  psilocybin  mushrooms.    McKenna  was  a   huge   proponent   of   the   use   of   psilocybin   mushrooms,   repeatedly   encouraging  others  to  take  “heroic  doses”  of  the  mushrooms,  despite  his  own  apparent  personal  resistance  to  doing  so  himself  –  a  bit  of  a  case  of  “practice  what  I  preach,  not  what  I  do.”     It   has   recently   been   revealed   by   Terence’s   brother,   Dennis,   that,   despite   his  claims,  Terence  was  largely  terrified  of  large  doses  and  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life  avoiding  serious  psychedelic  trips  at  the  same  time  he  was  busy  telling  everyone  to  trip  on  heroic  doses  of  mushrooms,  take  large  quantities  of  DMT,  and  promoting  his  ideas   about   2012.     There   was   a   profound   disconnect   between   Terence’s   public  persona  as  a  psychedelic  guru  and  sage  and  his  personal  life  and  use  of  psychedelics.  

Be   that   as   it  may,   Terence   certainly   had   plenty   of   experiences   to   build   his  reputation  as  a  psychedelic  guru  upon.      Terence  seems  to  have  been  fascinated  by  what  he   identified  as   the   “Alien  Other”   that,   from  his  perspective,  was  revealed   in  the  psilocybin  mushroom  experience.    At   times,  he   identified   this   “Alien  Other”  as  “The  Logos.”    According  to  Terence,  the  Logos  and  Alien  Other  would  speak  to  him  and   reveal   truths   about   reality   to   him  during   his   psilocybin   experiences.     In  True  Hallucinations,  he  writes  of  how  the  mushrooms  revealed  to  him  that  they  were  sent  to   Earth   in   the   form   of   intergalactic   spores   with   the   purpose   of   helping   human  beings   evolve   into   their   hyperspace/galactic   forms,   and   that   they   served   as  something   as   a   form   of   communication   technology   between   widely   disparate  galactic   communities   of   beings   on   far   distant   planets.     This   tied   in   nicely   with  Terence’s   speculations   that   psychedelics   were   instrumental   in   the   evolution   of  human   language,   consciousness,   and   culture,   bringing   us   out   of   the   evolutionary  murk  of  planet-­‐bound  animals  to  our  true  birthright  as  intergalactic  beings.    As  such,  the  UFO  was  presented  to  Terence  by  the  mushrooms  as  the  “transcendental  object”  at   the   “end   of   history”   as   both   psychological   archetype   and   as   evolutionary  potential.    This  stemmed   from  Terence’s  own   fascination  with  UFOs  as  well  as  his  propensity  to  “see”  UFOs  while  tripping  on  psilocybin.    Terence  took  this  as  a  form  of  direct  communication  from  the  mushrooms,  and  he  often  spoke  and  wrote  about  what  “the  mushrooms  told  me”  –  even  going  so  far  as  to  claim  that  the  mushrooms  told  him  that  humanity  would  be  better  off  if  we  were  to  limit  the  birth  of  males  as  it  was  men  who  were   producing   the   “dominator”   culture   that  was   “destroying”   the  Earth   and   its   biosystems.     In   order   to   enter   into   the   evolutionary   stage   of  intergalactic   being,   humanity   would   have   to   abandon   the   dominator   matrix.    According   to  Terence,   this   is   how   the  mushrooms  help   life   to   flourish   throughout  the   galaxy   (and   perhaps   universe);   a   synergistic   relationship   between   “higher  intelligence”  and  the  mycelium  network  of  psychedelic  mushroom  spores  scattered  about   the   galaxy   –   something   of   a   psychedelic/psychic   internet   and   trans-­‐dimensional  communication  system.  

There  isn’t  any  reason  to  think  that  Terence  was  making  any  of  this  up  as  a  conscious  and  intentional  deception  or  fabrication.    He  sincerely  believed  himself  to  be   receiving   communications   from   the   “Alien   Other”   that   he   experienced   as  somehow  inhabiting   the  mushrooms,  or   the  mushroom  experience.    When  he   tells  us  that  this  is  what  they  told  him,  he  appears  to  be  completely  genuine  and  sincere.    The  real  question  is  this:  why  did  he  believe  it?    Why  did  he  take  these  experiences  at   such   a   literal,   face-­‐value?    What   made   him   believe   what   he   was   experiencing?    Clearly,   these   really   were   his   experiences,   but   what   made   him   take   the   leap   to  conclude  that  he  was  experiencing  something  real  with  humanity-­‐wide  implications  and  not  just  a  personal  projection?      

The   answer   clearly   lies   in   Terence’s   ego   sense   of   self-­‐identity.     Terence  fancied   himself   as   an   explorer   of   uncharted   and   unknown   territory   and   the   self-­‐referential  narrative  he  was  able  to  produce  for  himself  about  himself  through  the  foundation  of  his  mushroom  experiences  undeniably  played  into  his  own  fabricated  self-­‐image.     As   I   have   argued   repeatedly   in   other   publications,   the   psychedelic  experience   is   self-­‐referential   and   is   a   reflection   of   an   individual’s   ego,   especially  when   the   experience   is   highly   dualistic   in   nature   (containing   a   clearly   identified  

divide  between  what  is  taken  as  “self”  in  opposition  to  what  is  perceived  as  “other”).    As   I   have   argued,   there   is   no   “other”   in   the   psychedelic   experience   as   it   is   all   a  reflection  of  the  self.    In  Terence’s  case,  he  is  unable,  or  unwilling,  to  recognize  the  “Alien  Other”  of   the  mushrooms  as  being  a  direct  expression  of  his  own   thoughts,  concerns,   ideas,   and   systems   of   self-­‐identification.     Terence   is   the   author   of   this  ongoing   narrative   –   not   the   mushrooms   or   some   undefined   “intelligence”   that  inhabits  or  communicates   through  the  mushrooms.    There   is  a  profound   failure  of  self-­‐recognition  taking  place  here,  and  is  one  that  produces  complex  and  confusing  narratives,   beliefs,   and   ultimately,   a   muddled   metaphysics   of   evolution,   life,   and  existence  in  general.  

McKenna  found  “confirmation”  of  his  views  of  reality  through  his  experiences  with  DMT.       Here,   the   “Alien  Other”   takes   on   the   definitive   form   of   the   notorious  “machine  elves.”    According  to  Terence,  whenever  he  took  DMT,  he  would  encounter  entities  that  he  took  to  calling  “machine  elves,”  which  he  described  as  self-­‐dribbling  and  transforming  basketballs.    The  main  activity  of  these  machine  elves  was  making  fantastic   objects   out   of   sound   and   language.     In   his   experiences,   the   elves   gave  Terence   instructions   to   do   as   they   were   doing   and   try   his   hand   at   constructing  reality   out   of   sound   and   language,   thereby   revealing   the   “syntactical   nature   of  reality”   as   being   a   manifestation   of   “The   Logos,”   or   the   reality-­‐forming   power   of  language.     These   experiences   led   McKenna   to   decisively   claim   that   DMT   is  unquestionably   “translinguistic”   in   nature,   and   therefore,   by   extension,   directly  related  to  his  expectations  of  the  UFO  made  of  language  that  is  calling  us  to  the  “end  of  history”  in  late  Dec,  2012.    (On  a  side  note,  presumably  Terence  was  also  inspired  to   proclaim   DMT   as   “translinguistic”   due   to   the   fact   that   individuals   under   the  influence   of   DMT   often   express   themselves   vocally   with   toning   and   glossolalia.    McKenna  seemed  eager  to  give  these  effects  of  the  DMT  experience  a  metaphysical  interpretation.    However,   these   effects   can  easily  be  understood  energetically:   the  DMT  experience   is  primarily  one  of   energy,   and  during   these   intense  experiences,  individuals   tend   to   move,   release,   and   express   energy,   and   one   of   the   most  prominent  ways  this  is  accomplished  is  through  vocal  expression.    There  is  no  need  to  put  a  metaphysical  spin  on  this  effect  and  it   is  no  more  mysterious  than  vocally  expressing   when   happy,   sad,   or   experiencing   the   intense   pleasure   of   sex.     These  effects  also  tend  to   lessen  with  experience  with  DMT  and  tend  to  show  up  in  their  most   intense   forms   in   early   DMT   experiences.     As   individuals   become   more  accustomed  and  open  to  the  energetic  influx  produced  by  DMT,  glossolalia  can  shift  to  normal  speech.    This  is  not  metaphysical:  it  is  energetic.)    

These   speculations   have   inspired   many   in   the   psychedelic   community   to  believe  that  DMT  is  itself  directly  related  to  2012  and  the  evolution  of  humanity  into  a  transcendent  state  of  being.    The  result  is  that  many  believe  DMT  to  provide  access  to   “hyperspace,”   other   realms,   transcendent   entities,   and   the   intergalactic  community   of   which   Terence   so   fondly   spoke.     For   such   enthusiasts,   it   could   be  argued  that  DMT   is   the  UFO  at  the  “end  of  history,”  coupled  with  speculations  that  some  kind  of  shift   in  the  Earth’s  magnetic  field  would  produce  a  mass  endogenous  release   of   DMT   in   humans   at   the   time   of   the   winter   solstice   of   2012,   thereby  transitioning  us  into  a  new,  transcendent  and  galactic  age.  

In  the  conclusion  of  True  Hallucinations,  Terence  wrote  that  he  had  received  a  “whispered  promise  of  a  special  destiny  made  to  me  by   the  elves  of  hyperspace,  that  I  am  going  to  be  big,  have  influence,  and  change  the  way  people  think.”    Indeed,  such   appears   to   have   come   to   pass.     However,   has   he   changed   anything   for   the  better?    Have  Terence’s   ideas  enlightened  and   transformed  society   for   the  better?    Has  he  managed   to   “save   the  world   from   the  more  dangerous  and  vulgar  parts  of  itself”?     Or   has   he   contributed   to   the   mass   delusion   and   ego-­‐projection   that   has  manifested   itself   as   the   counter-­‐cultural   obsession   that   has   been   2012?     Can  delusion  “save”  anyone  from  anything?    Is  “true  enough”  good  enough  when  we  face  unprecedented   challenges   and   opportunities?     Or   is  more   self-­‐generated   delusion  just  more  delusion,  more  wishful   thinking  that  pulls   individuals,  communities,  and  cultures   further   away   from   the   real   world   with   real   problems   and   real   potential  solutions?     Is   wishing   for   the   big   humanity-­‐saving   UFO   in   the   sky   (or   DMT)   any  different  than  waiting  for  God,  or  Jesus,  or  Krishna,  or  any  other  deity  to  deliver  us  from  our  self-­‐created  struggles,  illusions,  and  problems?  

It   remains   to   be   seen  what   the   fallout   of   the   failure   of   2012  will   be.     Any  honest   assessment  will   have   to   take   into   account   the  many   failed   prophecies   and  predictions   that   have   been   thrown   about   with   increasing   intensity   over   the   past  generation.    While  humans  clearly  want  some  kind  of  transcendent  solution  to  life’s  problems,   reality   keeps   insisting   that   it’s   all   simply   up   to   us   to   solve   our   own  problems.    There’s  no  grand  “end  of  the  world,”  there’s  no  big  UFO  to  whisk  us  off  into   the   cosmos,   there’s   no   great   Feathered   Serpent   to   redeem   us   all.     2012   has  taught   the   hard   lesson   that   no   amount   of   wishing   or   projecting   really   changes  anything   for   anyone.     None   of   the   specific   “prophecies”   have   come   to   pass   –   and  Terence  McKenna  and  his  UFO  at   the  End  of  Time   is   just  one  glaring  and  obvious  example.  

One  of  my  concerns  in  addressing  these  issues  is  my  hope  that  the  failure  of  McKenna’s   fantasy  will   not   obscure   and   discredit   the   potential   of   psychedelics   as  catalysts   for   personal   discovery   and   awakening.     McKenna   presents   us   with   an  example   of   just   how   far   one   can   get   from   confirmable   reality   with   the   use   of  psychedelics,   indulging   in   fantasies   of   UFOs,   machine   elves,   special   revelations,  special  destinies,  and  the  end  of  history.      Despite  the  fact  that  McKenna  is  loved  and  revered   by   counter-­‐culturalists   the   world   over,   he   does   not   provide   us   with   a  constructive  example  of  the  use  or  potential  of  psychedelics.    He,  in  contrast,  shows  us  just  how  easy  it  is  for  one  to  be  caught  in  pure  fantasy  and  speculation  when  the  individual  ego  dominates  the  psychedelic  experience.    He  shows  us  just  how  deeply  the   ego   goes,   and   how   profoundly   if   affects   the   psychedelic   experience,   how   one  chooses   to   interpret   it,   and   how   one   applies   what   one   supposedly   learns   in  psychedelic   states   to   “normal”   reality.     In   his   interview   with   John   Horgan,   when  confronted  with  the  absurdity  of  his  ideas,  Terence  said  that  he  was  “trying  to  teach  people,  first  of  all,  that  the  world  is  a  weird,  weird  place.”    Is  it  really,  or  is  this  just  Terence,  trying  to  get  us  to  think  like  him?    It  certainly  would  be  weird  if  the  things  Terence  was  sharing  were  true,  but  reality  has  proven  decisively  that  they  weren’t,  so  maybe  reality  isn’t  nearly  as  weird  as  Terence  would  like  us  to  believe.      

Terence   saw   himself   as   “serving   a   pedagogical   function,”   but   arguably   it  would  be  the  pedagogy  of  nonsense,  fantasy,  wishful  thinking,  and  self-­‐delusion.    In  

that,  we  can  thank  him  for  the  lesson  and  use  him  as  an  example  of  just  what  kind  of  thinking   to   avoid.     He   was   clearly   intelligent,   insightful,   and   curious.     He   lacked  clarity  and  a  grounded  sense  of  reality,  however,  and  while  entertaining,  he  was  not  illuminating   us   about   anything   of   any   practical   relevance.     The  UFO   at   the   end   of  history  has  not   appeared.     Timewave  Zero  was   a   bust.     Galactic   citizenship  hasn’t  been  achieved.    When  writing  True  Hallucinations,  Terence  wrote   that   these   ideas  were   “dying   in  me   only   slowly.”     The   time   has   now   come   to   put   them   to   rest   for  good.    Dec.  22,  2012  has  come  and  gone,  and  Terence  wasn’t  even  remotely  correct  about   the  day.    Reality   itself  has  put   the   final  nail   in   the  coffin   that  was  Terence’s  wild   ride   of   metaphysical   speculation.     So   enjoy   Terence   and   his   tales   of   inter-­‐dimensional  discoveries,  entities,  and  realms.     Just  don’t   take  anything  he  says  too  seriously.     After   all,   reality,   and   history,   has   proven   him   incorrect.     Terence  McKenna’s   psychedelic   prophecies   have   failed.     It   remains   to   be   seen   if   the  psychedelic   community  will  own  up   to   the   fact   that   their  hero  was  profoundly  off  the  mark.     Is   the  psychedelic  community  ready   for  reality,  or  will   the  ego’s  grip  of  illusion   and   projection   reign   supreme?     If   the   latter,   the   true   potential   of  psychedelics  will  continue  to  be  obscured  by  metaphysical  speculation,  fantasy,  and  the   ego’s   need   for   invented   meaning   and   narrative.     If   the   former,   the   failure   of  McKenna’s   prophecies  may   be   just   the   dose   of   reality   the   psychedelic   community  needs   to   get   real   and   do   the   genuine   work   of   self-­‐discovery   and   personal  transformation  that  psychedelics  make  possible.    Then,  maybe,  we  can  start  to  truly  make  the  world  a  better  place  and  live  up  to  our  genuine  human  potential.    Let’s  set  the  “Alien  Other”  aside,  and  learn  about  what  being  human  is  really  all  about.    Then,  perhaps,  we  can  truly  find  our  place  on  the  planet,  the  cosmos,  and  in  ourselves.