In this episode Opaque starts by reading an email by Neil Kramer relating to the 'is it ok to call yourself a shaman?' debate. He then reads a very intelligent email from listener William. During the chat with Martin Ball many topics are covered such as American Drug laws, the change in British law in 2005 concerning magic mushrooms, and the possibility of Salvia following suit, as it is in some American states; the cognitive dissonance of drug taboos offset against alcohol and antidepressant availability, and the dangers that manifest as a result; the way the obsolete model of reality of conformity, debt slavery etc looks like it is about to be replaced by alternative systems such as bartering; the Santo Daime church as a recognised religion in Oregon, and how ayahuasca can penetrate through to the truth, how psychedelics can cure or prevent migraines. Finally Martin talks about how although there is a grand unified theory of the mind and brain, there is no explanation for consciousness in mainstream academic/Darwinian models, and how psychedelics are an important part of understanding consciousness.
In the aftermath of the chat with Martin Ball, Opaque reminds people that in future episode 19, Ralph Metzner will be on the show.
Music by the prodigy.