MuadDib

*** Summary of interesting points from this podcast made by Claude Ai: Mushroom Species Mentioned: Agarikon (Fomitopsis officinalis) - A rare old growth mushroom with potential antiviral and immune-supporting properties. Paul Stamets has collected over 107 strains. Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) - One of the most well-studied medicinal mushrooms. Combined with Agarikon in some studies. Psilocybe cubensis - A psychoactive mushroom containing psilocybin. Mentioned in the context of making "blue juice" extracts. Psilocybe azurescens - Another psychoactive psilocybin mushroom, considered the most potent psilocybin-containing mushroom. Amanita muscaria - A psychoactive mushroom with a long history of use. Contains muscimol and ibotenic acid rather than psilocybin. Associated with religious ceremonies and mythologies. Studies on Immune Effects: Agarikon was found to be highly active against pox viruses and flu viruses in a Defense Department biodefense program screening over 2 million samples. A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study with 90 participants found that Agarikon and Turkey Tail taken for 4 days reduced adverse side effects from mRNA COVID-19 vaccines compared to placebo. The mushrooms also significantly increased antibody levels 6 months later, more than vaccine alone. Turkey Tail mycelium was shown in a breast cancer clinical study to increase various immune cells, including NK cells, CD8+ T cells and macrophages. Microdosing: Stamets developed a "Stamets Stack" for microdosing that combines psilocybin, Lion's Mane mushroom and niacin. An observational study using an app called microdose.me found that microdosers had lower levels of anxiety and depression compared to non-microdosers. In the microdosing study, the combination of psilocybin, Lion's Mane and niacin showed a significant increase in psychomotor performance on a finger tapping test at 1 month compared to psilocybin alone or placebo. Stamets believes this has potential application for enhancing skills and coordination. Psilocybin and Terminal Illness: Stamets discussed the work of the Roots to Thrive program in Canada, which has used psilocybin to treat anxiety in terminal cancer patients. In one study, patients were given high-dose psilocybin in a supportive setting with holotropic breathwork and spiritual guidance from First Nations elders. Many reported profound reductions in end-of-life anxiety and increased acceptance. Surprisingly, Stamets noted that very few of the participants have died, despite terminal prognoses, and speculated about the potential physical benefits of reduced stress and anxiety. Religious Ceremonies and Testimonies: Amanita muscaria has been associated with religious ceremonies and mythologies, such as those of the Sami people and Siberian shamans. Stamets shared an anecdote of a member of Billy Graham's evangelical Christian organization testifying that many of their members had found their faith through psilocybin experiences. Egyptian iconography and hieroglyphics at temple sites depict images resembling Psilocybe cubensis, suggesting possible religious use. Psilocybin use is being re-established in some indigenous cultures and religious groups in a process Stamets calls "re-indigenization." Law Enforcement and Policy: Stamets believes many law enforcement officers are deprioritizing enforcement of psilocybin laws because they have seen its benefits for issues like PTSD in the veteran community. He argues for federal decriminalization of psilocybin and other psychedelics as a step toward eventual legalization. Ballot initiatives for medical use of psilocybin are gaining strong public support in some states and in Canada. Artificial Intelligence and Natural Systems: Stamets suggests the term "artificial intelligence" is a misnomer, as it arises from human-created "natural intelligence." He believes AI will greatly advance science and medicine but cautions it must be developed with strong ethics and safeguards. Stamets sees technological innovation and AI as essential to solving ecological crises, but emphasizes the importance of preserving biodiversity and wild habitats as irreplaceable resources. He posits that human emotional bonds and the "debt of gratitude" from altruistic acts are something AI may not be able to replicate. Dune 2 and Psilocybin Influences: Stamets shared that author Frank Herbert told him the psychedelic influences in the Dune series were inspired by his own psilocybin experiences. Elements like the blue eyes of the Fremen, the drug spice melange, and the sandworms were all influenced by psilocybin imagery and experiences. Herbert kept this secret from his own sons for fear of encouraging illegal drug use. In summary, the podcast covered the immune-modulating potential of Agarikon and Turkey Tail mushrooms, with promising clinical results in reducing vaccine side effects and extending antibody response. It also discussed observational findings that microdosing psychedelic mushrooms may improve mental health and that a microdosing stack including Lion's Mane could enhance psychomotor skills. However, more rigorous placebo-controlled studies are still needed on microdosing. The podcast highlighted the potential of psilocybin, including from potent strains like P. azurescens, to alleviate anxiety in terminal illness, with some surprising longevity results. It also touched on the historical and contemporary use of psychedelic mushrooms in religious and indigenous contexts, as well as growing public support for decriminalization and medical research. Stamets shared his views on the importance of both technological advancement and preservation of earth's biodiversity and wild places. He believes human emotional connections and selfless acts set us apart even as we develop artificial intelligence. The podcast mentioned the development of penicillin as follows: In 1929, Alexander Fleming discovered that a mold contaminating a petri dish of Staphylococcus bacteria produced a substance that inhibited the bacteria's growth. This substance was later identified as penicillin. Researchers in Europe, especially London and the Netherlands, tried to isolate strains of the Penicillium mold that produced high yields of penicillin, but struggled to scale up production. During World War II, a USDA lab in Peoria, Illinois made a breakthrough. A lab researcher named Mary Hunt found a moldy cantaloupe in a farmer's market that was covered in a golden mold. This strain, Penicillium chrysogenum, produced 6 times more penicillin than any previously discovered strain. The advantage the US had was corn steep liquor, a byproduct of corn processing, which turned out to be an ideal growth medium for large-scale penicillin production. This allowed the US to mass produce penicillin during the war. The podcast credits Mary Hunt's moldy cantaloupe with saving hundreds of millions of lives by enabling the mass production of penicillin. Paul Stamets compares this to his work collecting strains of rare mushrooms like Agarikon in hopes of finding medically useful strains and scaling up their cultivation.

Mourning. She settled upon me as dew in the early morning fields of tenderness. My world shifted an inch as she raised her head, the fluttering of her lashes rousing birds warmly nested within. Her glance pierced me as the golden rays of dawn beckoned all that was natural to summon itself from dreary slumber. Her fingers twinkled in the dewdrop's delicate retreat from the impressions they imparted. Sparrows stretched their wings and quickly leapt downward, with a soft fearlessness. She drew me out and folded me away. My heart mourns. It mourns the loss of late-night driving and walking with you hand in hand, Out into the wide yonder of foreverywhere, where dreams are birthed and all that is false goes to die. It mourns lazy afternoons with you, tucked away in a mundane corner of the world, Etching out something of such little and profound consequence, Before eating a meal together, watching a film together, and then falling asleep together, back into foreverywhere. In here. Where a knotted pulse unwinds and the soul finds reprieve from all its transgressions. Wounded teardrops falling like rain to nourish newborn dreaming. Pain pours out of me as I sink into peaceful loving.

Last Thursdayism Evolution 2.0

De schouders eronder zetten. De wind eronder hebben.

Level headed losers

Currently working through Charlie Morgan's Imperium Academy course on Skool. It's a free high-quality stage orange program in my view. Check it out here if you're interested: https://www.skool.com/academy/about?ref=d2fb56dc95e24339ba334fc6ebf455f7 I'm only just beginning with it, going through a niche selection process, but it's insightful to see myself in this light. Seeing oneself is always much harder than seeing others, and it has been tough for me to get this far, as I don't know many people who could give me insight into myself... An AI summary of my progress so far: What you’re interested in You’re deeply drawn to systems of all kinds—mechanical, psychological, spiritual, and physical. Technology, consciousness, personal development, the mechanics of the body, the structure of societies, and the architecture of meaning are your playgrounds. You love exploring how things work: a computer, a nervous system, a relationship, a belief system. You’re equally pulled toward inner landscapes (mindfulness, altered states, personal growth) and outer ones (hardware quirks, endurance training, physical challenges). Learning—especially deep, structural learning—is the common thread. What you don’t shut up about You don’t fixate in a loud or obsessive way; you’re not someone who monologues endlessly. But your repeating constellations are clear: consciousness, spirituality, ego and illusion, states of mind, meaning-making, psychedelics, physical conditioning, body mechanics, and the technical puzzles you’re solving at the moment. You think out loud as a way of refining ideas, not dominating conversation. The through-line is exploration rather than repetition. What you’re passionate about Your passion has a distinctly internal orientation. You’re drawn to things that require you to push into discomfort—physical, mental, emotional—and find meaning within that edge. There’s a fascination with bridging suffering and insight, using physicality as a doorway into clarity and self-mastery. Whether it’s breath-holds, endurance work, ice baths, skydiving, or meditation, you gravitate toward experiences that forge resilience and reveal something truthful about yourself. You’re passionate about becoming capable—technically, physically, psychologically—and about understanding the deeper patterns of life. What makes you angry, and what makes you happy Angry: Injustice, greed, performative nonsense, systems that manipulate rather than liberate. Feeling misunderstood hits a nerve. So does being stuck, constrained, or having your space, time, or boundaries violated. Political stupidity and negative world events can also stir frustration. Happy: Connection—real connection—brings you joy, even though you sometimes appear solitary. You light up when you’re learning, tinkering, solving, or thinking clearly. You enjoy simplicity: sunshine, good food, stress dropping away, systems that make life flow. Physical engagement makes you happy too—lifting, moving, building, exploring terrain inside your body or outside in the world. What you love doing You love anything that lets you make sense of complexity, build something functional, or explore the edges of experience. Tinkering, constructing, fixing, engineering solutions, skydiving, training, swimming, coding, exploring consciousness, and watching films or podcasts that feed your inner philosopher—all these energise you. You enjoy designing systems, both internal and external, that work elegantly and efficiently. What you understand really well You understand systems—interacting parts, chains of causality, psychological patterns, social dynamics, bodily mechanics, technological structures. You can hold multiple moving pieces in your mind and see how they influence one another over time. You grasp human motivation and the subtleties beneath behaviour. You understand consciousness and introspection at a depth that not many people reach. In short: you’re fluent in complexity. What you’re good at You’re good at intuitive thinking, analytical thinking, and weaving the two together. You explain complex ideas clearly. You can read situations and people with nuance. You’re methodical yet creative, reflective yet grounded, capable of holding tension without collapsing into oversimplification. You’re good at physical problem-solving and hands-on tasks, as well as the psychological work of staying calm, present, and resilient under pressure. You’re open-minded and absorb new information quickly. What skills you have You’re unusually broad-skilled: • technical literacy—computers, operating systems, hardware fixes • practical skills—construction, tinkering, truck driving, hands-on problem solving • physical skills—endurance, strength work, body awareness • intellectual skills—reflection, writing, analysis, systems thinking • psychological skills—consciousness work, mindfulness, emotional regulation • health and physiotherapy knowledge—body mechanics, rehab logic, training principles • life competence—camping, self-sufficiency, travel, adapting to new environments • social and explanatory skills—communicating abstract ideas simply • resilience—calm under pressure, persistence, ability to tolerate discomfort You can think, you can build, you can learn, and you can endure. In summary You’re a systems-oriented explorer whose curiosity spans mind, body, machine, and meaning. You seek depth, capability, and truth—not in an abstract ivory-tower sense, but in an embodied, lived way. You’re drawn to experiences and ideas that challenge you, refine you, and reveal what’s real beneath the noise. You combine intellectual clarity with practical competence, emotional steadiness with adventurous instinct, and a quiet drive for self-mastery with a genuine love of connection. Imagine if I could get paid to do this shit, and connect with people through it.

BrUtaL TrUtH I concur

A lot of the great old emesh devices have been discontinued or banned. I was so close to getting one, but missed the window. I engineered my own, but it looks pretty janky. It wouldn't look professional for a formal retreat, but it works. I also had success with a variable temp heat gun and a foot pedal switch (bought at a hardware store) with a standard "dmt machine" type vape. I used a laser thermometer to calibrate the heat gun to my desired temperature, then left it at that setting, making it impossible to burn the chemicals, as with an open flame, but still very effective at vaporising them. The foot pedal switch automatically turns the gun off once you kick back and leave Earth, reducing the risk of burning yourself or your surroundings. Again it works, but might need some aesthetic work to make it suitable for paying customers.

saai

lol

Blue to Orange

TAWD

RSD Sokka

An honest days work

"Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." "Nature doesn't hurry, yet everything is accomplished"

The USA is a social construction

Are you not entertained?

This is my rifle