Hurl yourself into the abyss

March 12, 2025

“Nature loves courage. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. Dream the impossible dream and the world will not grind you under, it will lift you up. This is the trick. This is what all these teachers and philosophers who really counted, who really touched the alchemical gold, this is what they understood. This is the shamanic dance in the waterfall. This is how magic is done. By hurling yourself into the abyss and discovering it's a feather bed.” -Terence McKenna

Philosopher, Ethnobotanist, Writer, Lecturer, and (my favorite) Butterfly Collector, Terence McKenna was the personification of counterculture.

He pioneered theories on natural visionary plants including psychedelic mushrooms, ayahuasca, and DMT. His philosophy revolved around the idea that through altered states of consciousness the human mind could unlock untold power and beauty.

Strip away the psychedelic packaging and McKenna's message is surprisingly universal. You don't need mushrooms to understand the wisdom.

Courage doesn't just overcome obstacles, it shows they were never really there. The world doesn't crush the bold, it conspires to help them. And that terrifying leap you've been avoiding? Nothing but fluffy pillows below.

Jump.