“You can die from someone else’s misery — emotional states are as infectious as diseases.”
— Robert Greene
He also says to avoid the unhappy and unlucky.
You become similar to the 5 people you are closest to, so who are you around the most?
Are they happy?
Depressed?
Negative?
Positive?
Optimistic?
Hopeless?
And what is your state of mind?
Are you bringing value and energy to the tables you sit at?
One of the best things we all can do is decide who we let into our lives – and to be extremely selective about it – since we become similar to the people we hang out with.
“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
— Buddha
Have you ever felt anxious or scared and immediately sought a person or an item to calm your nerves?
I have.
I’ve sought out spiritual teachers from multiple religions. I’ve read books. I’ve used items.
These teachers and books and items have helped calm my mind and heart, but I never became dependent on them.
They pointed the way towards true peace – and that way was within myself.
You’ll likely never find peace in politics – as it’s always changing and politicians lie and attack each other… there’s no peace in that, but a large number of people look to politicians for some reason.
So how do you discover peace within yourself?
Begin by meditating.
It won’t happen overnight, but if you seek peace for long enough – you will have it.
The philosopher Henry David Thoreau was in jail for refusing to pay his poll tax to protest the Mexican-American war and slavery.
Reflecting on his night in jail, Thoreau wrote an essay titled “Civil Disobedience”
Here are 12 quotes from this essay that capture its essence:
1 “This American government — what is it but a tradition, though a recent one, endeavoring to transmit itself unimpaired to posterity, but each instant losing some of its integrity?”
… “Governments show thus how successfully men can be imposed upon, even impose on themselves, for their own advantage.”
2 “I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government. Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it.”
3 “It is truly enough said that a corporation has no conscience; but a corporation of conscientious men is a corporation with a conscious.”
4 “A common and natural result of an undue respect for the law is, that you may see a file of soldiers, colonel, captain, corporal, privates, powder-monkeys, and all, marching in admirable order over hill and dale to the wars, against their wills, ay, against their common sense and consciences, which makes it very steep marching indeed, and produces a palpitation of heart…. Now, what are they? Men at all? Or small movable forts and magazines, at the service of some unscrupulous man in power?”
5 “The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies…In most cases there is no free exercise whatever of the judgment or of the moral sense; but they put themselves on a level with wood and earth and stones; and wooden men can perhaps be manufactured that will serve the purpose as well. Such command no more respect than men of straw or a lump of dirt. They have the same sort of worth only as horses and dogs. Yet such as these even are commonly esteemed good citizens.”
6 “There are thousands who are in opinion opposed to slavery and to the war, who yet in effect do nothing to put an end to them.”
7 “Unjust laws exists: shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once?”
8 “But if it is of such nature that it requires you to be an agent of injustice to another, then I say, break the law.”
9 “Is there not a sort of bloodshed when the conscience is wounded? Through this wound a man’s real manhood and immortality flow out, and he bleeds an everlasting death. I see this blood flowing now.”
10 “Thus the state never intentionally confronts a man’s sense, intellectual or moral, but only his body, his senses. It is not armed with superior wit or honesty, but with superior physical strength. I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion.”
11 “If we were left solely to the wordy wit of legislators in Congress for our guidance, uncorrected by the seasonal experience and the effectual complaints of the people, America would not long retain her rank among the nations.”
12 “The progress from an absolute to a limited monarchy, from a limited monarchy to a democracy, is a progress toward a true respect for the individual.”
“They trust me, and they’ve forgotten how to rely on their own instincts, because I lead them to nourishment.”
— Paulo Coelho (Santiago speaking in The Alchemist)
We live in societies where a range of people are seeking your attention. Some of these people may be helpful, and some deceive.
How can you know who to trust?
Do you rely upon your own instinct? Or do you take someone’s word for it?
I began with the above quote from The Alchemist because I’ve observed that certain governments snatch away people’s minds & instincts, and desire for the people to obey the government, but does the government lead people to nourishment?
To me, it appears that current governments desire to control people, yet they rarely lead anyone to nourishment.
Do you rely on a government to tell you what to believe? What to think? How to live?
Psilocybin mushrooms, often referred to as “magic mushrooms,” have been used for centuries in spiritual and healing rituals by indigenous cultures around the world. Today, modern science is catching up with ancient wisdom, exploring the therapeutic and psychological benefits of psilocybin, the primary psychoactive compound found in these fungi. With research accelerating and legal frameworks beginning to shift, psilocybin mushrooms are becoming a focal point in conversations around mental health, addiction treatment, and personal development.
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1. Mental Health Breakthroughs
One of the most promising areas of psilocybin research lies in its ability to treat mental health conditions that are often resistant to traditional therapies.
• Depression: Clinical trials conducted by institutions like Johns Hopkins University and Imperial College London have shown that psilocybin-assisted therapy can produce rapid and sustained reductions in depressive symptoms, often after just one or two sessions.
• Anxiety: Particularly in individuals facing life-threatening diagnoses such as cancer, psilocybin has helped reduce existential anxiety and increase acceptance and emotional resilience.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): While more research is needed, early findings suggest that psilocybin can help patients process traumatic experiences more constructively by temporarily disrupting ingrained thought patterns and allowing new perspectives to emerge.
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2. Addiction Treatment
Psilocybin has shown significant potential in treating various forms of addiction, including alcohol dependence and smoking.
• In clinical settings, patients report a newfound sense of clarity and motivation following psilocybin experiences, often citing a sense of being “reset” or realigned with their core values.
• A study from Johns Hopkins University found that 80% of participants in a smoking cessation trial were still abstinent six months after treatment with psilocybin-assisted therapy—a far higher success rate than traditional methods.
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3. Cognitive and Emotional Flexibility
Psilocybin alters activity in the brain’s default mode network (DMN), which is linked to self-referential thinking and rumination. Reducing activity in this area can help users break out of repetitive, negative thought patterns.
• Users often describe experiences of ego dissolution, where the boundaries between self and world temporarily dissolve, leading to increased feelings of connection and empathy.
• These insights can result in improved emotional regulation, greater creativity, and a shift in life priorities—benefits that extend well beyond the duration of the psychedelic experience itself.
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4. Spiritual and Existential Insights
Many people who take psilocybin report deeply meaningful spiritual experiences, even when the context is clinical rather than religious.
• These experiences often lead to lasting changes in values, attitudes, and behaviors, including greater appreciation for life, improved relationships, and increased openness.
• A landmark study published in Psychopharmacology found that over 60% of participants rated their psilocybin session as one of the five most meaningful experiences of their lives.
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5. Low Risk of Harm and Dependency
Unlike many pharmaceutical drugs or substances of abuse, psilocybin has a very low potential for addiction and physical harm.
• It is not considered physically addictive, and the body quickly builds tolerance, making frequent recreational use unlikely.
• When used responsibly in a supportive setting, the risks of adverse psychological effects can be significantly mitigated.
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Looking Ahead: Cautious Optimism
Despite their benefits, psilocybin mushrooms are not a panacea. They are powerful psychoactive substances that can cause distressing experiences, particularly in unsupervised or unprepared contexts. However, with growing support for medicalization, decriminalization, and regulated therapeutic use, the future of psilocybin as a tool for healing and transformation is bright.
As more clinical trials are conducted and public perceptions shift, psilocybin may well become a central part of how we address some of the most persistent challenges in mental health and human well-being.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Psilocybin remains illegal in many jurisdictions and should only be used where legal and under appropriate guidance.
“None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.”
— Thoreau
We live in strange societies…societies ruled by mostly miserable & angry & hateful & jealous “adults” … those people also usually don’t like enthusiasm & often beat the life out of as many people as they can…
the walking dead … & they can be contagious, so how do we counter the lifeless miserable rulers on this planet?
For one – to stop listening to them. They often violently try killing people’s spirit & scaring people to control them… ignore the lifeless losers in the government & in all the places these dead beings reside…
ignore them completely & go your own way …
What do you enjoy? What makes you happy? What makes you feel alive?
Do more of that, & ignore any hate & attacks from the mindless lifeless losers on this planet who’s only laughter comes at the pain of another person…
With Ken Thompson 