New Problems

My sister said many years ago, “Why would you break up with one partner just to find a whole host of new problems with another?” Then we both looked at each other and said, “Exactly.” 

New problems are so much better than old problems. New problems are more work but they are more exciting, more alive, more intriguing. Our brains wake up and say, “Wow, what to do about this one?” 

We need our patterns to make progress in a given direction. Walking is very repetitive, but we have to do the same motion over and over again to get anywhere. But eventually, we got to where we were trying to go. Usually, it isn’t quite what we expected. Usually, it's a bit disappointing in one way or another. Since we have been walking in that direction for such a long time, we may forget that we can try a different direction and find new problems to work on. If we change direction or aim somewhere else, we might be excited to learn that the problems are new too.

I am doing this in my art practice right now. I am aiming toward a new city and a new creative culture. I have been committed to San Francisco since I arrived in 1997. I have toured nationally and internationally but I have been married to San Francisco as my home base and as the cultural environment that was birthing my vision as the combustion point between art, science, and technology. Now I am curious about LA and its creative culture. Now I am interested in art with commercial potential and broader audience appeal. Art thrives where there are resources. This isn’t surprising. Gardens grow best with an excess of water, sun, and rich soil. Art is a living thing.

I don’t know how any of these opportunities will arise. I don’t know how I will get anywhere. But opening my mind in that direction, noticing the attraction, means that I will notice opportunities and invest more of my precious time and energy to those opportunities. The rest is a mystery unfolding.

We are fed narratives about utopia and the promised land where all of our problems disappear and everything is better. In some ways these are true. I have reached the promised land in my home. I LOVE my home life. Every morning I am grateful. And it contains a steady stream of problems to be solved. 

I wonder what problems await if I succeed at producing creative content in LA. What new sexy problems will I get dirty with there? 

Psychedelics have been shown to increase conviction and decrease fear of risk. These are two qualities necessary for changing your problems. Let's locate some new problems.

Prosocial Behavior and Group Dynamics

Researchers studying MDMA often refer to the prosocial behavior that accompanies the MDMA experience. The internet describes prosocial behavior as, "the intent to benefit others,...a social behavior that benefits other people or society as a whole...such as helping, sharing, donating, co-operating, and volunteering."

I went out dancing all night in LA a month ago with a group of nine people. My good friend had found an all-night underground party for us to go to. This is important because you don’t want to embark on this sort of journey and be interrupted by fluorescent lights and a bouncer saying ‘Get the f*** out,’ at 2 am. You want to go home when the sun comes up. 

I have been bringing groups of people together for MDMA journeys since the late 90s. It has been a theme in my life. It has led to great feelings of group cohesion and belonging, gratitude, and a sense that I am appreciated for who and what I am.

This group of nine who went out together didn’t all know each other. Three members of the group I had met just that night. I was prepared though. I gave everyone the supplements that I do to help everyone recover from something that can be mentally taxing if it isn’t proactively mitigated with vitamins, supplements, and antioxidants. We all got on the same schedule - the same train. 

Seamlessly, I connected with everyone in our group. They could see me and I could see them. Not the surface but the spirit. It is easy to make a safe, satisfying physical connection in this headspace. MDMA is not sexual. It describes pure light energy. It makes it easy to give safe touch and receive safe touch. A side hug. A dance on the floor. A sit on the lap. This alone is profound to experience in a world where there is so much harmful touch.

You don’t feel like judging on MDMA because why would you? You are happy and happy people don’t judge others. The channels to connect are open and it becomes obvious that in our daily lives, we are either putting up walls to block connection from others or are too afraid to reach out boldly to connect.

It isn’t hard to consider the group while on MDMA. It is obvious and feels good to the individual. You look out for one another without trying. I was plugging my ears on the dance floor and a stranger came up and handed me a brand new set of earplugs. Thank you. 

This is why I fell in love with the Rave scene in 1995. We as humans have this capacity. I have experienced it. I hope you get the opportunity to experience it too.