Altered Mates

In this episode we discuss Guy Debord’s most famous work, The Society of the Spectacle.

Guy Debord was born in Paris in 1931. He was a French Marxist theorist, philosopher, filmmaker, and founding member of the Situationist International, who was especially concerned by the image-saturated consumer culture of capitalism.

The Spectacle is not so much defined by Guy Debord as alluded to across the 221 short theses of the book.

We might suggest that the Spectacle represents the total triumph of capitalism in conjunction with the ubiquity of mass media; it refers to the image-saturated reality in which we operate and the way in which these images distort our interactions, relationships and picture of the world; it is “the moment when the commodity has attained the total occupation of social life.”

Our approach to this episode was to each choose a handful of our favourite theses to unpack. As usual, throughout the discussion we wander down many tangents; from the immediacy of life as a nomadic hunter gatherer to the absurdity of filming a concert on your phone. And as you might expect, we speculate as to whether our beloved psychedelics can offer any assistance in transcending the spectacle.

References

Links

Altered Mates Website

Altered Mates Instagram

Altered Mates Substack

Altered Mates Patreon

Music for the show by Si Mulumby

A Glimpse of Eternity by Alejandro Tuama

John Carpenter is an American filmmaker, composer, and actor, most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s. In this episode we discuss his 1988 cult classic and much-memed sci-fi horror film, They Live.

The film They Live is based on Ray Nelson’s 1963 short story, Eight O’Clock in the Morning, and despite the low budget, dubious acting and general cheesiness, is fertile ground for chats about how to see through the ideology of our ruling capitalist overlords.

In this discussion, we draw heavily upon Sophie Fiennes & Slavoj Zizek’s documentary film, A Pervert’s Guide to Ideology, in which Zizek analyses the film, They Live.

We also find time to discuss psychosis, aliens, conspiracies, exploitation of the masses, and even whether there is any way to ethically pressure someone into a psychedelic experience.

And for those of you who are wondering what this film has to do with altered states, take into consideration that the sunglasses that hulking protagonist Nada dons were made using ‘Hoffman’ Lenses…

References

Links

Altered Mates Website

Altered Mates Instagram

Altered Mates Substack

Altered Mates Patreon

Music for the show by Si Mulumby

A Glimpse of Eternity by Alejandro Tuama

In this episode we discuss the fascinating and baffling practice of exorcism. To anchor our discussion we focus on the American 2005 film The Exorcism of Emily Rose and the case of Anneliese Michel, from Germany in the 1970s—on whom Emily Rose was supposedly “based” (although, as we acknowledge in this episode, the film plays fast and loose with the truth, so much so, that we would suggest it shouldn’t even really be considered to be “based on a true story”).

The film and the case bring up many of our favourite topics of discussion—complex mental health issues, psychosis, pharmaceutical medication, shamanism, religion—although there is a certain dark quality that imposes itself upon the vibe of this episode, even more-so than in our recent discussion of the folk horror film Midsommar. 

Listen at your peril (…and if you want to hear more then stay tuned for the addendum episode next week).

References

Links

Altered Mates Website

Altered Mates Instagram

Altered Mates Substack

Altered Mates Patreon

Music for the show by Si Mulumby

A Glimpse of Eternity by Alejandro Tuama

In this episode we discuss the folk horror film Midsommar, written and directed by Ari Aster.

While we make a reasonable attempt at recounting and analysing the plot of the film, we focus our conversation on the themes of the film—on the contrasts between the stifled, technologically-mediated communication of the industrialised west and the embodied, empathic relationships of the Harga. We consider the nuclear family and the evolved nest; the isolation of individuality versus engulfment in the communal; psychedelics, anthropology, in-groups, out-groups and cultural relativism. We explore what it means to be ‘attuned’ to a community (and what it means to fail in this attunement, or in other words, fail to ‘vibe with’ a community). We consider the limitations of the horror genre and speculate as to whether the western mind is even capable of imagining a style of community-centered living like the Harga, without there being some inevitable horrible darkness that ruins it and allows us to rest assured that our current way of life in the industrialised west—despite rampant depression, anxiety, isolation, disconnection, relentless consumption, addiction and fear—is better than any alternative.

And if by the end of all that, you’re still thirsty for more, we save another thirty minutes or so for a bonus episode, to be released on our patreon and substack next week.

References

Links

Altered Mates Website

Altered Mates Instagram

Altered Mates Substack

Altered Mates Patreon

Music for the show by Si Mulumby

A Glimpse of Eternity by Alejandro Tuama

In this episode we examine a 2014 paper written by Australian academic Emma Scott titled “The Visionary Psyche: Jung's Analytical Psychology and Its Impact on Theories of Shamanic Imagery”. The paper considers the shaman’s visionary experiences (especially with spirit beings) from the critical viewpoint of Richard Noll’s cognitive approach and Michael Winkelman’s neurophenomenological perspective on shamanism. In her paper, Scott analyses these two approaches in light of Jung’s concepts of the archetypes, the collective unconscious, and the individuation process.

We begin our discussion by trying establish what set of assumptions we each bring to this kind of study, after which we attempt to make sense of the paper and cover Scott’s key arguments. Along the way, of-course, we make time to speculate on how Disney et al is colonising the visionary aspects of the psyche and how AI is colonising the cognitive aspects of the psyche and so we are effectively offloading the entirety of our brain/mind to corporate-machines (as our brains are super effective at conserving energy we are following that to its logical conclusion which is to outsource our whole brain). We draw comparisons between the art of Tolkien and the healing functions of shamans, and we end up discussing Jungian individuation. If you enjoy this conversation, then please check out our Patreon and/or Substack in a week, as we will release an extra hour or so of this discussion over there.

References

Links

Altered Mates Website

Altered Mates Instagram

Altered Mates Substack

Altered Mates Patreon

Music for the show by Si Mulumby

A Glimpse of Eternity by Alejandro Tuama

The X-Files is an American television series created by Chris Carter. It was originally aired in the 90s but enjoyed a brief revival in late 2000s. The series follows FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully in their investigations of the "X-Files" (unsolved cases involving paranormal phenomena). Both Mulder and Scully are effective agents but Mulder believes in the existence of the paranormal, whereas Scully is a medical doctor and skeptic who has been assigned to scientifically analyze Mulder's case files. The episode we are looking at in today’s discussion is called 'Jose Chungs From Outer Space' and was Episode 20 of Season 3.

In an attempt to analyse and recount the plot of this episode of The X-Files we spiral out into many different zones: Carl Jung on flying saucers, alien abduction experiences revealed through hypnosis, reconstructed memories, rebirthing & breathwork, EMDR, CIA brainwashing programs, and so on…

If you enjoy this episode then, this time next week, check out the 'X-Files Addendum' (Altered Mates -- Bonus Episode #13) wherein we will unleash upon the Altered Mates Patreon and Substack, another hour's worth of content from this discussion.

References

Links

Altered Mates Website

Altered Mates Instagram

Altered Mates Substack

Altered Mates Patreon

Music for the show by Si Mulumby

A Glimpse of Eternity by Alejandro Tuama

According to Brian Keely, who wrote a widely read paper published the journal of philosophy in 1999, “A conspiracy theory is a proposed explanation of some historical event (or events) in terms of the significant causal agency of a relatively small group of persons—the conspirators—acting in secret.” In this episode we try to get a handle on what a conspiracy is, what a conspiracy theory is, and what this has to do with us and our podcast. We neither push nor debunk any conspiracies in this discussion; that’s not really what we are interested in (though we do toss up a few to chew on…think the assassination of Julius Caesar, the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, Nixon and the Watergate scandal, Scientology and Operation Snow White, CIA & Operation Paperclip, MK-Ultra, and even pharmaceutical conspiracies…).

It was our intention to discuss in detail another session from the 2001 interview with Robert Anton Wilson ('Robert Anton Wilson Explains Everything, or Old Bob Exposes His Ignorance'), and while Wilson looms over this conversation, we decided to come back a week later to have another crack at his ideas; so if you’d like to hear more, then check out our Patreon in about a week, as we we will be releasing that discussion as a bonus episode.

References

Links

Altered Mates Website

Altered Mates Instagram

Altered Mates Substack

Altered Mates Patreon

Music for the show by Si Mulumby

A Glimpse of Eternity by Alejandro Tuama

In this episode we explore the concept of the chakras as outlined in Hindu and Buddhist yogic and meditation traditions, though we focus our conversation on one episode of children's animation Avatar: The Last Airbender. Specially, we discuss Season 2 — Episode 19: The Guru. Tobias brings to the table a lecture series delivered by C.G Jung called 'The Psychology of Kundalini Yoga', and we each reflect on our own experience of the emotional material we can associate with these strange centres of energy spinning around in our physical and energetic bodies…

References

Links

Altered Mates Website

Altered Mates Instagram

Altered Mates Substack

Altered Mates Patreon

Music for the show by Si Mulumby

A Glimpse of Eternity by Alejandro Tuama

In this episode we discuss an interview with one of Alejandro’s heroes and most significant influences, Robert Anton Wilson. We give a brief introduction to Wilson’s life and briefly touch on a few important concepts: reality tunnels, the Copenhagen interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, and attachment theory, before we unpack Leary and Wilson’s 8 Circuit Model of Human Consciousness.

In 2001, Wilson recorded a long-form, 6 hour interview, with Michael Taft, which gave him the opportunity to dive into his various areas of interest, including language & reality, conscious change, and politics & conspiracy theory. The recording is called “Robert Anton Wilson Explains Everything (Or Old Bob Exposes His Ignorance)”, and it provides an excellent introduction to Wilson's life and ideas. In today’s episode, we discuss Session Three from this recording, titled “Consciousness Change, And The Eight-Circuit Model Of Human Consciousness.”

References

Links

Altered Mates Website

Altered Mates Instagram

Altered Mates Substack

Altered Mates Patreon

Music for the show by Si Mulumby

A Glimpse of Eternity by Alejandro Tuama

In this episode we go on a journey into the two hemispheres of the brain. Using a recent Substack post—an interview Ana Lund conducted with Dr. Pascal Vrticka—as a framing device we explore the ongoing debate concerning hemispheric lateralisation, or in other language: the left brain and the right brain.

Wanting to dispel a few myths about the left brain / right brain divide, we each expected, when we began our research, to maintain our existing position that hemispheric lateralisation is largely oversimplified. And to a certain extent we do maintain this position. But we both ended up curiously compelled by the complexities we found.

Alejandro brings in research from Ian McGilchrist and speculation from Philip K. Dick after following a curious synchronicity that emerged via his studies. And Tobias brings in research from a psychotherapeutic context from Allan Schore. The result is a fascinating discussion that ends up in territory neither of us predicted.

References

Links

Altered Mates Website

Altered Mates Instagram

Altered Mates Substack

Altered Mates Patreon

Music for the show by Si Mulumby

A Glimpse of Eternity by Alejandro Tuama