The Divine Flaw: On Genius and Necessary Madness
“There is verily no great genius without a mixture of a divine madness.” -Aristotle…
Author: Dr. Andrew (Drew) Maclean Pagon MD PhD
Addiction as a Temporal and Existential Dysfunction
Core Definition Addiction is defined as a maladaptive attempt to resolve existential, psychological, or spiritual distress through immediate, effort-based gratification (1). This process effectively bypasses…
A Comprehensive Review of Traditional Han Chinese Natural Medicines for Drug Addiction: Preclinical Insights, Clinical Potential and Neurochemical Mechanisms
Salvia Miltiorrhiza, Dan-shen, Chinese Red Sage Introduction The search for effective, complementary treatments for drug addiction has led to significant interest in traditional Han Chinese…
Erythroxylum coca: Sacred Medicine, Nutrition, and Cultural Significance
Erythroxylum coca Lam., Erythroxylaceae (the coca family), commonly known as the coca plant, is a sacred, medicinal, and nutritional shrub native to the Andean region…
The Sapphire of the Silences: A Portrait of the Himalayan Blue Poppy
Himalayan Blue Poppies In the Himalayan heights, where the cold winds sweep, a celestial blossom of blue pierces the mountain silence. This dance of colour…
The Primordial Sage: Buddha Shenrab) སངས་རྒྱས་གཤེན་རབ་, Sangs-rgyas Gshen-rab) Fountainhead of Bön and Medicine
The Awakening from Zhang Zhung (ཞང་ཞུང་) Before the snows learned grace, Before the mountains wore time’s face, A voice rang through Olmo’s space— “Awake, the…
The Universe as Celestial Crucible: The Teleological Ascent to Divine Consciousness
Philosophical and Teleological Foundations The proposition that the infinite universe exists to guide sentient beings towards full divine consciousness engages deeply with teleological philosophy, which…
The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis and Its Convergence with Entheogenic Practice: An Integrative Perspective
Introduction The connection between the microbiota, gut, and brain—termed the microbiota-gut-brain axis—has garnered substantial scientific and clinical interest in recent years due to its profound…
Entheogenic Substances in Asclepieia Rituals Pt. 2
Prologue: Dreaming of Asclepius In the hallowed courts where shadows weave,Beneath the silent, watching eve,There stirs a breath of myth and bone,A truth by sleeping…
The Asclepieia: Sacred Dream Healing and its Legacy in Western Medicine Pt 1
The Dreamer in the Portico We arrived with bodies bent by ache, And left our doubt beside the lake. The archiereis (ἀρχιερεῖς) offered silence, cool…
A Holistic Examination of the Therapeutic Boundary
A Holistic Examination of the Therapeutic Boundary The Vessel The space between us, thin as breath, A sacred map drawn firm and sure. Not walls…
Mansoa alliacea (Garlic Vine / Ajo Sacha)
Botanical, Medicinal, Ethnopharmacological, and Shamanic Perspectives 1. Botanical Overview 1.1 Taxonomy and Nomenclature Family: Bignoniaceae Genus: Mansoa Species: Mansoa alliacea (Lam.) A.H. Gentry Synonyms: Pachyptera…
Vijaya aka Cannabis
The discussion around whether Vijaya aka cannabis is an entheogen aka psychedelic is indeed rather nuanced and complex, as it intersects with varying definitions of…
Transgenerational Trauma
Transgenerational trauma must be seriously taken into account, as it is a transference of one of the greatest distressing impacts where the mental-emotional, physical, social,…
Teonanácatl or flesh of the gods
( Psilocybe aztecorum( pictured), P. mexicana, P.baeocystis, and P. quebecensis, Family Hymenogastraceae ) and Xochipillior or Macuilxochitl-The Flower Prince The texts always use the flower…
La Purga
The non-psychoactive purge session aka purging, is a significant part and a common traditional practice in Upper Amazon shamanism of Peru ( as well as…
Historical Trauma
Historical trauma and historical trauma response are concepts that originated in the field of psychology and psychiatry and have been used to try to understand…
Clearing Mental-Emotional Blockages Creates Acceptance and Non Attachment
Opening oneself and clearing any mental-emotional and energetic blockages can indeed allow the energy of others to flow through one more freely. When one holds…
Divine Madness & Shamanic Trance
Divine madness, known in Ancient Greek as θεία μανία theía manía ( “ lit. “divine fury”), refers to unconventional, outrageous, unexpected, or unpredictable behavior linked…