DreamSpirit

Where are you headed? Need any advice on places you'll be traveling to? I'm an avid backpacker. I've traveled to over 14 different countries. If you have any questions about travel; let's share our travel perspectives on the countries we've visited with people who are heading that way. Post your questions and travel tips here!

What was the video that struck you the most? I know when I watched the video on How to not care what others think of you, that gave me tremendous insight. I had to watch it more than once. Especially the part where Leo suggested going to a Starbucks and waiting there and just taking the pressure and feeling it, it totally scared ME! But it's so true. What gets us to the level of not caring what people are thinking is being able to stand the heat from the kitchen and being ok with people being upset; being real is way more important and living from an organic place within yourself is key to your self actualization.

I would highly recommend going alone. Those are great regions to start with, inexpensive and friendly people. I've always wanted to go to TIbet; it was only like $500 from Nepal, but I didn't want to spend that much. I ended up going to Malaysia for $300 instead; which I loved!! So you'll have a blast if you just go your own way and buy a lonely planet guidebook to read up on the country. It has everything about that country you can imagine. Also, once you get there, you find out more from other travelers too.

@Spence94 Yes, Asia is the place for meditating and yoga, as it began in India...it's BIG in certain parts of Asia. Most countries you go to will have meditation and yoga groups set up. There are temples everywhere!! I first got into meditating when I was there. I had never done it before, so going to Asia, you can't miss it. If you buy a lonely planet guidebook for the country you want to go to, it will give you an updated version on what groups are in that area and you can reach out to them. Also, check on Facebook for expats living there and reach out to them. They'll keep you in the know on that kind of thing. Thailand, Korea, Laos, Vietnam, India, Burma, Cambodia are all places where meditation would be in huge practice.

@Richard Alpert Not in here

I'm glad to see we're back on topic and able to have a healthy, non-accusatory discussion. Also, just so everyone is clear about what is acceptable on this site as far as the user guidelines and the discussion of Psychedelics are concerned (I know there was more than one person); so this is for everyone. This is taken straight from the list of what is NOT accepted: Discussing drugs (exception is made for legitimate psychedelics for spiritual growth & people quitting drugs) Ganging up on other members, starting factions that splinter the community Name-calling, blaming, finger-pointing, conspiracy theories So, I think we’re good in here on our discussion of Psychedelics for those who were curious If you have different opinions on the issue, please note what IS accepted: Expressing strong opinions in a thoughtful, non-hateful, non-violent manner So, with everything, please watch your tone and maintain a friendly demeanor, especially when disagreeing and let's continue to enjoy the discussion and learn from each other.

@Henri You have your opinion and I have mine. I disagree with insinuating someone is ignorant because they suggest listening to Graham Hancock. It's all in your tone. You weren't being factual; you said "some bush-guy". Both statements clearly suggest you were being condescending. It's my job as a moderator to control that. As I've stated, we can disagree all we want, but when you go in attacking (even subtly) like that; it can be a huge problem. And your slight dig at the end about having higher standards of what a moderator is to do in here, I caught that too. Once again, using little digs and jabs; unacceptable and rude. So yes, you've been warned. End of story. Message me if you have anything more to say; as I don't want to go too far off topic in this thread. We're now talking your specific post and not the topic itself.

Henri, This is why you were warned. Your tone is very condescending! And why approach a thread named Psychedelics, if that's not something you're interested in. It's clear and apparent that you came in to start an argument. And calling Shamans "bush-guys" What exactly are you insinuating from that??? That's almost bordeline racist! Are you saying he lives in a bush? Your entire tone is off-set, judgemental, and unfriendly. And be clear...this is why you've been warned! This type of community is not one for that. Instead this is a place of encouragement, conversation, and exploration. We're all after self-actualization, how we individually go about that is up to the person. Some things work for others while some things don't. That's a personal decision for everyone else to make. It's not your place to come in and shove your opinion in people's faces like that. It's like you were intentionally starting an argument. Not cool!

Henri, This is why you were warned. Your tone is very condescending! And why approach a thread named Psychedelics, if that's not something you're interested in. It's clear and apparent that you came in to start an argument. And calling Shamans "bush-guys" What exactly are you insinuating from that??? That's almost bordeline racist! Are you saying he lives in a bush? Your entire tone is off-set, judgemental, and unfriendly. And be clear...this is why you've been warned! This type of community is not one for that. Instead this is a place of encouragement, conversation, and exploration. We're all after self-actualization, how we individually go about that is up to the person. Some things work for others while some things don't. That's a personal decision for everyone else to make. It's not your place to come in and shove your opinion in people's faces like that. It's like you were intentionally starting an argument. Not cool!

@ChimpBrain Wow...sounds like some very powerful insights then. I'm looking forward to that sense of oneness. I know that our minds don't allow us the ability to experience the world as it truly is; our senses just won't allow it. So, going beyond that idea of separation is awesome. Totally looking forward to it.

I think there's a difference between doing them for pure entertainment and doing them for higher awareness. It's important to distinguish the two. There are spiritual groups who do them in retreats to raise their levels of consciousness. It's definitely a subject you have to approach with maturity.

@Henri Correction: Psychadelics are not dope. It's not the most intelligent thing to categorize them together like that. Some psychadelics can give you eye-opening experiences and change your perspective on reality. So, there are some benefits. It's not the same as talking about heroin, crack, cocaine, or even weed. You might benefit from listening to Graham Hancock So, there's nothing wrong here...please don't be so quick to judge. This community does not need that.

@ChimpBrain How would you say they've helped you personally? I'm really looking into them right now. I'm leaning towards experimenting

@Flower Thanks! Yes, I'm very excited about experiencing it. I'll keep you posted how it was.

I'm going to Peru to work with Ayahuasca...it's not necessarily in the drug category because it's a healing plant, but it's the most potent psychadelic on the planet. I can't wait to experience it tho. Im' really feeling called to it. Has anyone ever heard of it?

@Flower So true!!! You've got a lovely spirit!

@Flower Hi that's great you're venturing out into worlds unknown! You're going to have an amazing trip! Asia is a great place to start for first-time backpackers; it's cheap and friendly, and most of all safe if you can stay away from the drinking scene. I've done Thailand, Chang Rai and Bangkok...those were really cool places. Be ready to bargain everywhere you go. I've also done Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh and a couple of other cities, be ready to face crazy traffic! I've never done Cambodia, I did Laos instead, so I have to go back for Cambodia. You've got the right idea for leaving an open itinerary. You don't want to have too much planned. So much can happen on the road and before you know it, you've met some other cool backpackers who want to invite you to where they're going. It's best to leave it open like you're doing. Overlanding it to other countries is much cheaper, too. Sometimes taking a bus gives you a chance to see more of the country's landscaping and take in how beautiful it really is. Your Lonely Planet book is really all you need; it will give you the best tips on where to stay away from and where to go on a budget. Eat lots of street food and keep an open mind. Good on you for wanting to dive into the culture and learn about their history and temples; as soon you as can, befriend a local. They'll give you sooo much more information and insight into their country. What I usually do is get on Facebook and start reaching out to people who are there, they could be locals or expats and I just send messages asking them about their trip; they'll have the most current information for you. Staying at hostels are a great way to make friends. You'll meet other people traveling alone and you guys can link up and do things together. Be sure not to carry large amounts of cash on you; have a backup card in case you lose your main one. Also, you don't want to carry purses if you don't have to...keep things in your pockets. When going into poorer areas, don't dress too flashy, dress down. Learning a little bit of the language before you go takes the target off of you as a tourist. When you're there, you can also look into doing things like WOOFing (Working on Organic Farms); they cover your housing and food in exchange for a few hours of farm work. There's also Couchsurfing, too. I haven't used it yet, but I hear it's a great way to get around and meet people when you're traveling. Make sure your passport has more than 6 months left on it before you head out or they won't let you in. Overall, you're good to go with the Lonely Planet though. Thumb through the pictures and pick out something you want to learn about and it will tell you how to get there. Once you get to the country, you'll find way more information on what's happening though. Hmmm, that's all I can think of for now. Let me know if you have any other questions that come up for you. I think traveling is the best education a human can have. It's real life right in front of you firsthand. You'll learn so much about yourself and the world and be prepared because when you come back, you will not be the same Kudos to you

@Zane You're off to a great start! If you're a native English speaker, you'll have a foot in the door already for making money abroad. I started in South Korea, teaching English over there and the pay allowed me to save up enough to travel all around Asia. It's easily doable if you're willing to teach English. Have you heard of Daves Esl Cafe? You can go to eslcafe.com and there are tons of international english teaching jobs posted there. You can just pick where you want to go. Traveling is the key to life if you ask me. There's so much to be said about the world and so much to be learned. When you travel, you get firsthand knowledge. There's nothing like leaving the nest and going abroad.

Hey Tim! Those are great questions!! I applaud you for wanting to see more of this world, from which you came, and explore and learn. Traveling is the best education you can get. If you want to learn about something, just get out there and do it, so traveling allows you to do just that!! 8 months is actually a good amount of time. I backpacked for a year and a half, until I ran out of money haha. Some people are still out there traveling. And yes, I think Asia will be great for you. That's where I went when I started out. There are some really affordable places in Asia that will stretch your money like Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, China, Taiwan, etc. Asia is very affordable! Central America is too, so if you get tired of Asia, head to Central America. And what I do when I don't know what to do or where to go...I simply buy a Lonely Planet guidebook for the country I want to visit and start by looking at their pictures; just allow yourself to get excited. Once you find something that intrigues you, the Lonely Planet guidebook will tell you how to get there and everything, so go from there and the journey begins. You'll meet people who are open-minded and cool, just like you and you'll be amazed at how awesome this world is. You'll start to find out more about life, more about other people's perspective on life, more about your perspective on life. Your IQ will increase, your imagination and creativity will be sparked because you're exposing yourself to sites unseen and things you never knew existed. You're going to have an awesome time! I actually was in India once and I went over to Nepal just because it was next door. I didn't have any idea what was there haha. I didn't have a Lonely Planet guidebook or anything, I was just going to go and see what this country was all about. All I knew about this country was that it was the country with the unique-shaped flag haha. So, I get there and get to this town called Pokhara and the owner of the guesthouse told me to go up on the roof because it was a clear day. The guesthouse was only like 4 stories, so I didn't see why it was a big deal. But, I went up there anyway and that's where I saw what would be the highlight of my ENTIRE trip...the HIMALAYAS!!! I couldn't believe it. I was so taken back by the stance and presence of those mountains. It was beautiful!!! I felt privileged to be there and see this. The very next day, I went and hiked the himalayas and made it to the Annapurna Base Camp. Took me 5 days to get up and only 2 to get back down. It was the time of my life!!! I never will forget seeing those mountains for the first time. It was very spiritual for me and I felt so connected!! And now I'm able to say that for my 30th birthday, I trekked the Himalayas! Things like that will happen for you when you travel, possibilities will open up for you that you never were aware of. So, I highly suggest getting out of your home country and comfort zone and expanding your awareness on the beauty of this world. There's so much to be said for that!

@Elton Life is definitely more comfortable for us now, but the more we go on with modernity, the more disconnected we become. So, I really wonder how much good did that really serve us. There's a man in Mexico, who carves caves into the most fanciest houses and they've got running water and everything. He carves all day because he loves to do it. I'd like to live in one of those. I'd bet that'd be a great way to live remotely from society and connect with our true essence.

Ok it sounds like you've come to a conclusion on what your actual zone of genius is, but don't see how best to benefit from it. Is that what you're saying?

Thanks again Choks! Will do

Wow! Thanks so much for all of the tips!! I really appreciate it! I can't wait to go to Nicaragua even MORE now haha. It sounds like heaven! How long have you been living there? I'll be traveling with 2 other friends, so I'm going to copy and paste your message over to them, too. This helps a great deal.

Thanks! That's great advice...I was thinking I had to finish the books before going onto the next lesson. I'll push through the course and read the books when I can. Thanks again!

Hmm, I can't say that I have. There have been times where I'll meditate and lose sense of my body, like feeling a little slanted, if that's what you mean