Sunday, March 21, 2021

"Nothing is as it appears to be. This is not glib."

Leave Society's epigraph—"Nothing is as it appears to be. This is not glib."—is by Kathleen Harrison, whom I wrote about visiting in Trip

It's my first epigraph. It was easy to choose. I didn't consider any other quotes. 

I considered using just "Nothing is as it appears to be" but decided, after consideration, to include "This is not glib" because it seems true and because I feel like some-to-many people will think or feel something like "That seems glib" after reading "Nothing is as it appears to be." Glib means "showing little forethought or preparation" and "lacking depth and substance." 

I like how "This is not glib" allows the epigraph to engage with the reader and to comment on itself. "This is not glib" can also refer to itself—it is not glib to say "This is not glib" about "Nothing is as it appears to be," I feel.

I've noticed two times in Kathleen's work where she says "Nothing is as it appears to be." 

In a 2015 talk, she said, 

Nothing is what it appears to be. Nothing at all is what it appears to be. And I have learned that in my many years not only of taking psychedelics but working with native peoples who seem to understand that much better than our materially oriented cultures do—that “everything is an illusion and everything may change from what it appears to be now to something else at any moment” is kind of a rule to live by.

In an essay in the 2019 anthology Psychedelic Mysteries of the Feminine, she shared two lessons she'd learned. The first was the Ram Dass quote "Be here now." 

The second helpful tip, a profound tip at that, although harder yet to decipher, is that “Nothing is as it appears to be.” This is not glib. I have learned this truth, not only by examining this concept while on psychedelics but also by living and working with native peoples—peoples whose belief systems have evolved and been sustained for many centuries. These are people who seem to understand and negotiate with the very nature of illusion. These are cultures that have sustained active and continuing animistic beliefs, cultures that practice shamanism and educate their children through stories and hands-on experience with nature. Some of them use psychedelic species of plants or mushrooms, some don’t. They all seem to grasp the reality of illusions much better than our “Western,” materially oriented cultures do. In the deeply grounded awareness that everything is an illusion, one understands that everything may change from what it appears to be now to something else, at any moment. Everything. It’s actually a fine rule to live by. It is one version of the principle of uncertainty.

Kathleen was recently attacked in her home. A GoFundMe was started, and it's still open for donations. Donations will go toward helping her recover and will also give her time and resources to focus on writing. Some of her writing can be read here (on Salvia divinorum) and here (on the Mazatec).

17 comments:

  1. I admire that you selected a quote by Kathleen Harrison for Leave Society’s epigraph. I likewise admire that you highlight means to support Ms. Harrison. I hope that your epigraph and post bolster support for Ms. Harrison and that she recovers soon.
    Warm regards, semiautobio–pete

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  2. Congratulations on your first epigraph. I think this post about Kathleen Harrison saying "This is not glib" is not glib.

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    1. Thank you for the congrats. Glad you think this post is not glib.

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  3. Thank you for continuing to promote the work of McKenna and Kathleen Harrison. I think their work is more relevant now than other.

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  4. Can you please tell me if your Uncle Dao appears in 'Leave Society?'

    Thanks!

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    1. The only uncles in it are "Thin Uncle" and "Fat Uncle."

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    2. Why was your Uncle Dao, the sex addict uncle, left out of it?

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    3. See, I thought you were also 'Tao Lame' on Twitter. He has an Uncle Dao. But somebody else did ask me, 'Would Tao Lin make fun of his parents like that,' and I said 'Who knows? Tao Lin does a lot of whacked-out, crackpot-type shit, not getting vaccinated, etc., so who the fuck knows?' At least you solved the mystery, lol.

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    4. No, I'm not Tao Lame.

      The least COVID-19 vaccinated groups in the U.S. include black people (only 38% vaccinated), Hispanic people, and PHDs. These people aren't "whacked-out" or doing "crackpot-type shit," in my view. I'm not either, in my view.

      References for this comment:

      https://unherd.com/thepost/the-most-vaccine-hesitant-education-group-of-all-phds/
      https://twitter.com/tlowdon/status/1423671217496608774

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    5. I notice you neglected to mention Asian Americans who have become 'the most vaccinated racial group in more than half the country.'

      It's more than 70 percent in California and 77 percent in New York City. In Philadelphia more than 90 percent of Asian Americans are vaccinated.


      Why wouldn't you mention Asian Americans? Aren't their numbers important to you, an Asian American?

      https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/asian-americans-high-vaccine-rates-hasnt-come-easy-nonprofit-groups-sa-rcna1639

      Also, 96 percent of physicians are now vaccinated. Wouldn't their numbers be more important than PhD's as a group? What percentage of the Phd's you cite are medical researchers? And why would you cite a 'dominator' culture like PhD's who are products of 'dominator' institutions?

      Also, 'in five Southern states now with more than 300 cases per 100,000 people—Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri—Black and Hispanic people are getting vaccinated more rapidly than White people.'

      https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/us-vaccine-demographics.html?sref=Ka1Bz2k4

      Well, never mind.

      Is it vaccines or lasers that caused 9/11? I can't remember which of the two are associated with your 9/11 beliefs.

      Delete
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