Statement of Beliefs

We believe that through the use of entheogenic sacraments, specifically mushrooms containing psilocybin, we are able to enter into the spirit realms to receive insights and understandings that inform our understanding of who we are and our purpose here on earth during this incarnation. These experiences may also serve as a form of diagnostic exercise such that we may know if our hearts are in alignment with the Great Spirit, indicating that it may be necessary to make some substantive life changes.

The Entheogenic Experience

Three things commonly happen during a series of these experiences, thought not in linear fashion and often all at once:

Resolution of past trauma;
Shining the light of awareness on the false self;
Embodying our higher self, or soul retrieval.

Resolution of Past Trauma

During our lives here on earth, we may either experience harm inflicted upon us or inflict harm upon others, which may cause our spirit to partially leave our bodies and suppress memories of particular important events in our lifetimes. We seek to prepare and provide a supportive container for our members to confront these events such that they may receive the important insights that inform their paths forward.

Often, the all-knowing spirits will allow us to revisit the complex dynamics involved from a perspective that’s different from our own, allowing us to understand the higher purpose of our life experiences, such that we no longer resist their memory, but embrace them as important life events.

Shining the Light of Awareness on our False Selves

Our understand of who we are and the role we serve during out lifetimes is overwhelmingly influenced and informed by our culture - our family of origin, our friends, our co-workers and employers, and our spiritual leaders. However, in order to find our place in our culture, we often bend to the will of others to fit in.

Our entheogenic experiences show us the bright line between our spirit and ego (better termed our false-self), which causes our false selves to lose power over us. Some refer to this as “ego death,” which is an imperfect term, as its often not a one-time event. It most commonly occurs over a series of entheogenic experiences, along with other important lessons, provided to us in the perfect order for us to understand and enhance our spiritual growth.

Embodying Our Higher Self, or Soul Retrieval

The overall process may cause us to feel that we’ve been taken apart and put back together differently, but in a way that makes perfect sense. Oftentimes, this looks like our false-self is being stripped away, while only our higher selves remains. Clues offered to inform us of who we are include:

1. Visions of past lives - the kernel of who we really are is that which transcends lifetimes, regardless of our current socioeconomic status, our physical appearance, education levels, ethnic origins, and even our genders.

2. In the spirit realms, like attracts like based on our heart’s vibration - in terms of our integration of these experiences, this is one of the most important to understand prior to entering these realms. If we happen to encounter what we may term a “demon,” it is important to understand we are seeing it because it is a vibrational match for our own hearts. This can serve as a sort of diagnostic exercise. If we don’t like the spirits we encounter, we may change our heart’s vibration during this incarnation, such that we encounter spirits we prefer upon our transition from this realm to the spirit realms.

Prayer

When we clench-up on our trauma, we are a vibrational match for similar situations, the purpose being to tease out the repressed emotions. When we un-clench, that energy is sent out into the universe to be sorted out by the spirits, akin to an energetic prayer, and we receive insights as well.

Our entheogenic experiences facilitate this two-way communication with the spirit realms, and its important that we bring into our conscious awareness all of our life experiences, as they are important to our spiritual growth and development.

Experiences, particularly the most challenging, serve to change our heart’s vibration, which then determine where we land in the spirit realms upon our transition.

Reincarnation, the Karmic Cycle, and Ascension

In the spirit realms, like attracts like based on our heart’s vibration. We enter these realms both upon our death, as well as during our entheogenic experiences. If we encounter spirits we don’t find particularly appealing, we have the opportunity to change our hearts.

Encountering what some may term “demonic” spirits is useful in that when we realize they are a reflection of who we are based on our heart’s vibration, that awareness oftentimes changes our heart.

If when we die and make our transition, we don’t like our spiritual neighbourhood, we may re-write a new life story that includes experiences designed to change our heart’s vibration. Thus, it’s important for us to bring into our conscious awareness all of our life’s experiences, including those that may be termed traumatic, for the purpose of increased awareness.

When after making our transition, we find ourselves in an acceptable spiritual neighbourhood, we may choose to end the incarnation cycle and stay awhile, which may be termed “ascension.”

Complimentary Spiritual Modalities

While we believe our entheogenic experiences provide us with the most direct access to the spirit realms and the clearest messages, we believe that the Great Spirit and our Guides are near to us and accessible at all times. As part of our preparation to enter the entheogenic realms, we often encourage adopting these practices, and our observation of less intense means of interacting with the spirits allows the church to assess the readiness of the participant, and their willingness to confront spiritual truths on a much smaller scale.

The common thread embodied by these spiritual modalities is bringing ourselves to a place of peace, our minds calm and observant, such that we may listen to and receive the messages that await us. When we demonstrate our sincerity in receiving personal spiritual insights, we are closer to being ready to confront far more significant spiritual truths to be revealed through the use of sacred entheogens.

Meditation

There are many meditation techniques, but those that are most compatible involve cultivating the observer within ourselves, connecting with our bodies, moving energy, and receiving insights.

When we sit with our eyes closed and focus on our breath, we are opening the gateway between the conscious and unconscious mind, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, or the physical and nonphysical realms.

When a particular thought arises into our conscious awareness, we check in with our bodies to sense the physiological response those thoughts evoke. We term these physiological responses “feelings” because they’re literally felt in the body, and may contain important spiritual messages for us, or allow us to release nervous energy in our bodies.

By directing our conscious awareness deep into these sensations, describing them to ourselves, we often receive insights and clear what some may term “emotional triggers.”

This technique is a very strong method to prepare us for our entheogenic experiences in that it is necessary to learn to observe what we are being shown without distracting ourselves, and learning to “allow” rather than feeling we must respond in order to run from it.

Dream Analysis

Our dreams and entheogenic visions originate from the same source. We find that our dreams offer to us very important spiritual insights and guidance, though the language spoken to us in dreams may be more symbolic, thus requiring interpretation.

While we offer assistance to help our members interpret their dreams, we are careful to emphasize that we are not the carrier of the message, but offer suggestions such that the dreamer may interpret their own dreams and receive the messages directly. We hope that this assistance and instruction empowers them to be in contact with the Great Spirit and their guides anytime they choose to close their eyes and sleep.

Yoga

Yoga is an excellent technique, similar in many ways to meditation, but involves physical movement that helps to move the energy in our bodies we’ve clenched up on, which we believe contain spiritual messages and insights. In similar fashion, we utilize our breath to move the energy trapped in our bodies.

Massage

Massage helps us relax our bodies, thereby relaxing our minds, and allowing the two to connect, then opening us up to receive spiritual messages as a result of moving energy stuck in our bodies.

Mindfulness

In addition to the many teachings regarding mindfulness, we believe that being aware in the moment allows us to receive insights from our spirit guides such as the ways our emotional energy is informing our path forward. By “cultivating the observer,” we become able to sense when a particular person, activity, environment, or thought increases or decreases our energy, causes us to feel peaceful or anxious, or motivated and inspired, and receive this input as clues to assist us in finding and staying on our best path in life.

To be clear, these techniques do not supplant our use of sacred entheogens. Rather, they train us to be prepared to receive the substantial spiritual insights to be received using these sacraments.

Moral Code

Morality is defined “as principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior.”

Our primary fundamental belief is that in the spirit realms, like attracts like based on our heart’s vibration. This is a very important truth, and receiving it as such is necessary before we enter those realms. Otherwise, once truth has been revealed to us, to deny those truths can cause within us spiritual conflicts that may be difficult to resolve.

Based on our own experiences, we know that our enthoegenic experiences cause us to confront our morality, as the spirits know EVERYTHING about us, including our heart’s intentions. In order to access the higher spiritual realms, we must refine our heart’s intentions such that we are a vibrational match for those spirits. When we embody a lower vibration, we come into contact with lower spirits. We must pay close attention to where we land during these experiences. If we find the spirits we encounter distasteful, that is an indication that substantive change is necessary before we make our transition upon death. We are encouraged to change our heart’s vibration, which then informs our behaviors toward others.

The fundamental underlying moral code we follow is the same as almost every other religion practiced today, however we believe we offer a further enhancement in that we subject ourselves to a diagnostic assessment, thereby removing any self deception that may be influencing our behaviors toward others. As such, we don’t seek to supplant, but find common ground with other religious cultures through our understanding of basic morality, often termed “The Golden Rule.” We welcome and encourage participation by members of other faiths.

Bahá'í Faith

Lay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself.

Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings

Buddhism

Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.

The Buddha, Udana-Varga 5.18

Christianity

In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.

Jesus, Matthew 7:12

Confucianism

One word which sums up the basis of all good conduct....loving-kindness. Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.

Confucius, Analects 15.23

Hinduism

This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.

Mahabharata 5:1517

Islam

Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself.

The Prophet Muhammad, Hadith

Jainism

One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated. Mahavira, Sutrakritanga 1.11.33

Judaism

What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour. This is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary. Go and learn it.

Hillel, Talmud, Shabbath 31a

Native Spirituality

We are as much alive as we keep the earth alive.

Chief Dan George

Sikhism

I am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me. Indeed, I am a friend to all.

Guru Granth Sahib, p.1299

Taoism

Regard your neighbour's gain as your own gain and your neighbour's loss as your own loss.

Lao Tzu, T'ai Shang Kan Ying P'ien, 213-218

Unitarianism

We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Unitarian principle

Zoroastrianism

Do not do unto others whatever is injurious to yourself.

Shayast-na-Shayast 13.29

Sacrilegious Uses of Entheogenic Mushrooms

While we acknowledge that the ingestion of these sacred entheogenic sacraments has a physiological effect on our bodies, we do not believe our healing is a result of chemical interactions. Rather, it is about the information we receive directly from the spirit realms. We believe that spiritual or psychological harm may come to those who misuse these sacraments, and seek to provide the proper spiritual container to allow for individuals to confront the sometimes uncomfortable spiritual truths they will receive.

We do not encourage the use of mushrooms in these ways, but acknowledge it is being done with more frequency. We stand ready as resources for those who may inadvertently encounter the spirit realms, to help them make sense of the truths they have been shown, and invite them into our fold.

Microdosing

The current interest in macrodosing is informed by our cultural beliefs instilled in us by pharmaceutical companies, motivated more by profits than healing, that we have chemical imbalances in need of chemical solutions, and that it is necessary to ingest a substance daily, indefinitely. While there may be some physiological issues addressed through microdosing, we believe it is a misuse of a sacred sacrament.

Entheogenic sacraments are central nervous system stimulants. Though safer than Ritalin and Adderall, they are taken in this manner with the same intention - to manipulate our energy to allow us to remain off our intended path.

When our mind, body, and spirit are not in alignment, we use an inordinate amount of energy to repress information, which impairs our ability to think straight and heal our bodies.

When we ingest sacraments in a ceremonial setting - with eyes closed in silent darkness, we interact with the spirit realms and receive information. Our healing is dependent on us receiving this information, integrating it, and making appropriate changes to our lives to put us on our intended path.

When our mind, body, and spirit are in alignment, our minds are clear, our bodies healthy, and our energy is used to propel us down our intended path almost effortlessly.

Recreational Use

These entheogenic sacraments connect us to our spirits, and often release repressed emotions. While many of us have repressed laughter and joy, many of us have repressed uncomfortable truths that may evoke other emotions.

Recreational uses typically involve some or many forms of distraction that prevent us from exploring our psyche and the spirit realms, but depending on the dosage and where an untrained mind may wander, these uncomfortable emotions may be released in a setting where it may be wholly inappropriate, even unsafe.

We as a church have prepared ourselves and offer to assist others in processing the truths they will receive in an empathetic and supportive manner, which includes assessing whether or not a person is ready to confront these truths. To ingest these sacraments in an environment that potentially puts us and others in a position to deal with situations they are unprepared to handle violates our basic moral code of conduct.

Therapeutic Use

We believe this is one of the most egregious uses of sacred mushrooms, in that it is being administered by those who are likely unqualified to help others prepare for and make sense of the spiritual truths to which they are exposed.

Further, we do not believe the Great Spirit will tolerate being “pimped out for profit,” as an increasing number of corporations and therapists seek to do.

Propagation

We believe that the Great Spirit is moving among us, seeking to restore a form of direct communication for the greater good of our society and our planet. While we share our stories of healing and coming into alignment with our spirits, we recognize others must be called to the Sacraments by the Great Spirit. We trust that the Great Spirit is doing just that at this very moment, and stand ready to accept many into our fold, including those who may have engaged in uses we believe are sacrilegious.

We believe it is inevitable that many will come to recognize, as we have, these sacred mushrooms connect us to the Divine Realms, and trust the spirits ability influence our broader culture, as we are currently witnessing.

Role of the Shaman

Fundamental to the proper use of these sacred mushrooms is the role of the Shaman. This is not a title we take lightly, nor do we wish to appropriate cultures other than our own. Therefore, defining the specifics of this role is important.

The Shaman is one who, being either male or female, has reached the state of having his or her energy cleared completely, having brought their mind body and spirit into alignment. This is evidenced by the fact that they have received and acted on the messages provided to them by the Great Spirit and Spirit Guides to bring them to this stage of development. We believe that the Shaman are selected by the Great Spirit to fulfill this role, and as such, its not a choice either way as to whether they do it or not. If selected, they must fulfill that role. If not selected, they must not.

The role of the members of the church is to seek to bring their own mind body and spirits into alignment, and we remain watchful for others to be chosen to fill that role, and use their gifts to facilitate a direct relationship between others and the Great Spirit.