Niles Heckman, Modern Shamans Harvesting DMT From Toads |488|

[Alex]

Niles Heckman, Modern Shamans Harvesting DMT From Toads |488|
by Alex Tsakiris | Feb 23 | Consciousness Science, Spirituality
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Niles Heckman’s new documentary takes a fresh look at modern shamans.

 

[nilesheckman]

Cheers Alex!

Here's a private link to watch the first episode of our show Shamans of The Global Village for free for you fine folks of the forum.

password: skeptiko

Will leave the password un-changed for a week or so.

Warmly,
Niles Heckman

 

[Alex]

Cheers Alex!

Here's a private link to watch the first episode of our show Shamans of The Global Village for free for you fine folks of the forum.

password: skeptiko

Will leave the password un-changed for a week or so.

Warmly,
Niles Heckman

awesome... thx Niles!

 

[David Bailey]

Cheers Alex!

Here's a private link to watch the first episode of our show Shamans of The Global Village for free for you fine folks of the forum.

password: skeptiko

Will leave the password un-changed for a week or so.

Warmly,
Niles Heckman

Niles,

Thanks, but unfortunately that video doesn't play here in the UK, it just says "Sorry, because of its privacy settings this vedeo cannot be played here."

David

 

[nilesheckman]

Niles,

Thanks, but unfortunately that video doesn't play here in the UK, it just says "Sorry, because of its privacy settings this vedeo cannot be played here."

David

Correct. Click on the blue box "Watch on Vimeo" which sends you to the password protected video the password of which is "skeptiko".


Niles

 

[David Bailey]

Correct. Click on the blue box "Watch on Vimeo" which sends you to the password protected video the password of which is "skeptiko".


Niles

Duhhhhh! I tend to see those wretched boxes and just move on! Thanks,

David

 

[LoneShaman]

Thanks Alex for the interview and thanks Niles for the access to the first episode. Very well made and worthy of praise, especially for treating the subject with the respect it deserves.

Where and when will other episodes be available?

 

[Kim]

Cheers Alex!

Here's a private link to watch the first episode of our show Shamans of The Global Village for free for you fine folks of the forum.

password: skeptiko

Will leave the password un-changed for a week or so.

Warmly,
Niles Heckman

Outstanding film! Gives me great hope for the future that humanity may be rescued from the darkness that is suffered by so many. I ate a huge amount of peyote while in university, but it didn't effect me the way the toad DMT did those people in SOTGV. It did give me a look at the wonders beyond what some people try to tell us is all that there is. I look forward to the changes ahead w/ greater hope for a positive outcome now.

 

[ShaneTheThinker]

I really enjoyed this interview and think that Niles is intellectually solid. Regardless, Alex, my friend, I don't know how many listeners appreciate the "Skeptiko treatment," but I absolutely love it, man! Please, do not change! I am sure that there are plenty of us that not only love it, but look forward to witnessing it!

My favorite part is how you pressed Niles on whether or not that demons actually exist beyond a theory of Jungian archetypical Hodge podge. This has been a point of contention, to me, for quite some time. I don't think that you have to be Christian, or the belief of any other predominant, modern religion to understand the reality of demons. Also, I don't think that they are necessarily creatures of hell.

I would liken a demon to something similar to an unknown animal. It isn't necessarily good or evil, but different. Certainly, if you have never seen a shark before, and you were swimming in the ocean, then were suddenly hit by this creature that had several rows of teeth....most would consider it evil, right?

I think that most people want reality to be easily explainable. They don't want to deal with the fact that our compartmentalized existence has conveniently shielded us from all kinds of amazing phenomenon which the great majority has conveniently shoved under a rug called "supernatural."

 

[Alex]

[I think that most people want reality to be easily explainable. They don't want to deal with the fact that our compartmentalized existence has conveniently shielded us from all kinds of amazing phenomenon which the great majority has conveniently shoved under a rug called "supernatural."

agreed!

 

[David Bailey]

Niles,

Thanks for that interesting video!

Do you think using the toad medicine is similar to using 5-MeO-DMT, or do you think that taken out of context it loses everything?

David

 

[David Bailey]

My favorite part is how you pressed Niles on whether or not that demons actually exist beyond a theory of Jungian archetypical Hodge podge. This has been a point of contention, to me, for quite some time. I don't think that you have to be Christian, or the belief of any other predominant, modern religion to understand the reality of demons. Also, I don't think that they are necessarily creatures of hell.

Yes, I was quite surprised that Niles seemed reluctant to commit one way or the other.

David

 

[LoneShaman]

Niles,

Thanks for that interesting video!

Do you think using the toad medicine is similar to using 5-MeO-DMT, or do you think that taken out of context it loses everything?

David

The dried venom contains both 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenin (5-HO-DMT). There is no conclusive evidence that bufotenin alone is psychoactive when vaporized however most say the the toad venom is more powerful than 5-MeO-DMT alone. So it more than likely does or it is a matter of synergy.

 

[ShaneTheThinker]

Yes, I was quite surprised that Niles seemed reluctant to commit one way or the other.

David

It isn't good for sales to say that you know such things. I don't blame him. Nobody wants to talk about demons, just gold and hearts.

 

[nilesheckman]

Cheers Lone thanks. Yes, trying to give the subject matter the most respect possible, and we learn a lot from each episode. Since making each one is similar to making a feature documentary film, with the current resources, each episode can take multiple years to make. Always able to be found through www.shamansoftheglobalvillage.com. You answered David’s question really well.

We were going to try and shoot episodes 3 + 4 back to back but since Covid hit the shit fan that was delayed. Hopefully we can still make it happen as soon as later this year though.

"The Skeptiko treatment". That's funny and well said. Yes, Alex asks all the hard hitting questions.

He and I recorded the chat a few months ago and it’s been a while since I listened back from the original recording on my end of the call, but I suppose on the demon question the most basic answer is I have yet to experience anything one could put under the Christian lens of “demonic” within an intrinsic alternate state of consciousness. All spirits/entities I’ve encountered an interacted with have been positive or neutral. But sure, there are dark one’s too that can really negatively effect your life and continue doing so back in the material. I suspect they're probably most likely to come out if you’re undertaking a shamanic process without proper set/setting and most of all respect. There is also "brujo" dark sorcery within Shamanism yes. I have yet to do the Peru thing but apparently there is quite a bit of it happening behind the scenes down there. But because we are in the binary material of classroom Earth, try finding something that doesn't have both light and dark, positive and negative, etc...

 

[Charlie Primero]

All spirits/entities I’ve encountered an interacted with have been positive or neutral. But sure, there are dark one’s too that can really negatively effect your life and continue doing so back in the material.

I'm a Christian and found your answer to "the demon question" satisfying and complete.

Thank you for giving Skeptiko listeners an episode for free. I genuinely appreciate that.

 

[atone]

From one who has did his share of drugs in the 70's, tripping a lot for one: any experience taking a mind altering drug like this is an experience because you altered your brain chemistry period. You're not interacting with spirits or the super natural per say. Its all fake when you do drugs, its just your mind playing tricks on you because of the drugs , plus it can be very dangerous and make you psychotic and possibly effect you in not a good way, IE a bad trip , which I have had, and which caused me to stop. Trust me , you don't want a bad trip ;its very terrifying for a long time. My bad trip lasted about six hours all together and got worse and worse. I was lucky with good friends that baby sat me and lot's of Budweiser helped too. It can put you in the looney bin for a while too. The best spiritual is subtle and natural through natural ways not hallucinating by drugs, take my word on this. You are playing with dynamite . Any promotion of taking drugs IMO is not a good thing, dangerous, and a sign of a complete FAKE! Plus , leave the toads alone! I'm sure they're harmed some how.

 

[nilesheckman]

From one who has did his share of drugs in the 70's, tripping a lot for one: any experience taking a mind altering drug like this is an experience because you altered your brain chemistry period. You're not interacting with spirits or the super natural per say. Its all fake when you do drugs, its just your mind playing tricks on you because of the drugs , plus it can be very dangerous and make you psychotic and possibly effect you in not a good way, IE a bad trip , which I have had, and which caused me to stop. Trust me , you don't want a bad trip ;its very terrifying for a long time. My bad trip lasted about six hours all together and got worse and worse. I was lucky with good friends that baby sat me and lot's of Budweiser helped too. It can put you in the looney bin for a while too. The best spiritual is subtle and natural through natural ways not hallucinating by drugs, take my word on this. You are playing with dynamite . Any promotion of taking drugs IMO is not a good thing, dangerous, and a sign of a complete FAKE! Plus , leave the toads alone! I'm sure they're harmed some how.

Hey Atone, then why do we have hardware perfectly designed to work with the plants/animals software which have been used by indigenous cultures for hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of years? And if never even ingested, why are the same chemicals, such as tryptamines, created endogenously in small amounts within our own mammalian brains? So on the subject of the stigmatized word "drugs", were made of drugs and everyone is holding to some extent.

But yes, there are many ways to the mountain top - meditation, floatation tanks, hypnotism, and darkness retreat to name a few others. I did an essay on the subject which can be found here - https://www.nilesheckman.com/podcast/2020/10/16/essay-entheogenic-use-on-the-spiritual-path

No toads were harmed during the making of the episode. As shown during, they were re-released into the wild in the same location in which they were found. Deep respect to the toads and they should only be collected in the first place with the indigenous natives. The main big bull toad who was the primary star most scene in episode 1 we even named - Lazarus the toad.

 

[David Bailey]

Hey Atone, then why do we have hardware perfectly designed to work with the plants/animals software which have been used by indigenous cultures for hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of years? And if never even ingested, why are the same chemicals, such as tryptamines, created endogenously in small amounts within our own mammalian brains? So on the subject of the stigmatized word "drugs", were made of drugs and everyone is holding to some extent.

But yes, there are many ways to the mountain top - meditation, floatation tanks, hypnotism, and darkness retreat to name a few others. I did an essay on the subject which can be found here - https://www.nilesheckman.com/podcast/2020/10/16/essay-entheogenic-use-on-the-spiritual-path

No toads were harmed during the making of the episode. As shown during, they were re-released into the wild in the same location in which they were found. Deep respect to the toads and they should only be collected in the first place with the indigenous natives. The main big bull toad who was the primary star most scene in episode 1 we even named - Lazarus the toad.

It seemed to me that the toad experience is so intense, it would probably to be hard to become additcted to it - am I right?

Indeed, the effects looked so intense, I wondered if they ever actually do harm to the physical body - e.g. cause a heart attack.

I did wish that all the people who took the drug in the video were given a chance to reflect on the experience on camera after they had returned to normal.

David

 

[David Bailey]

From one who has did his share of drugs in the 70's, tripping a lot for one: any experience taking a mind altering drug like this is an experience because you altered your brain chemistry period. You're not interacting with spirits or the super natural per say. Its all fake when you do drugs, its just your mind playing tricks on you because of the drugs , plus it can be very dangerous and make you psychotic and possibly effect you in not a good way, IE a bad trip , which I have had, and which caused me to stop. Trust me , you don't want a bad trip ;its very terrifying for a long time. My bad trip lasted about six hours all together and got worse and worse. I was lucky with good friends that baby sat me and lot's of Budweiser helped too. It can put you in the looney bin for a while too. The best spiritual is subtle and natural through natural ways not hallucinating by drugs, take my word on this. You are playing with dynamite . Any promotion of taking drugs IMO is not a good thing, dangerous, and a sign of a complete FAKE! Plus , leave the toads alone! I'm sure they're harmed some how.

Well, lots of things are good in moderation, but not in excess. For example, most people enjoy alcohol in moderation - and indeed, there is evidence that those that make moderate use of alcohol live longer than teetotalers. However alcohol in excess is of course catastrophic.

David