Authors: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

55 Thought-Provoking Quotes By Terence McKenna That Will Reclaim Your Mind

Famous As: American Ethnobotanist, Mystic and One of the Leading Authorities on the Ontological Foundations of Shamanism
Born On: November 16, 1946
Died On: April 3, 2000
Born In: Paonia, Colorado, United States
Died At Age: 53
Terence Kemp McKenna was an U.S. author, mystic, lecturer, ethnobotanist and also an advocate of sensible use of psychedelic plants. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, and it was during this time that he started studying shamanism and also experienced the effect of drugs like opium. McKenna wrote and spoke about a variety of subjects other than psychedelic plants and some of his favourite topics included culture, philosophy, technology, alchemy, culture, the environment and languages among many others. McKenna had also propounded the novelty theory, which although unscientific proved to be hugely popular and is regarded as one of the factors behind the widespread fear that the world was to end in December 2012. He had also written several books and some of his noted works include ‘The Invisible Landscape: Mind’, ‘Hallucinogens and the I Ching’, ‘The Evolutionary Mind’, ‘The Archaic Revival’, ‘Synesthesia’ and ‘Food of the Gods’ among others. He was also a well-known public speaker who delivered a number of lectures on a variety of subjects. His writings covered several subjects and viewpoints. The below collection of Terence McKenna’s most famous quotes have been excerpted from his writings, papers, books, lectures, speeches, interviews and thoughts. Read on the collection of sayings and quotes by Terence McKenna.
Chaos is what we've lost touch with. This is why it is given a bad name. It is feared by the dominant archetype of our world, which is Ego, which clenches because its existence is defined in terms of control.

Chaos is what we've lost touch with. This is why it is given a bad name. It is feared by the dominant archetype of our world, which is Ego, which clenches because its existence is defined in terms of control.

Terence McKenna
If the words 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness' don't include the right to experiment with your own consciousness, then the Declaration of Independence isn't worth the hemp it was written on.

If the words 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness' don't include the right to experiment with your own consciousness, then the Declaration of Independence isn't worth the hemp it was written on.

Terence McKenna
The cost of sanity in this society, is a certain level of alienation

The cost of sanity in this society, is a certain level of alienation

Terence McKenna
The syntactical nature of reality, the real secret of magic, is that the world is made of words. And if you know the words that the world is made of, you can make of it whatever you wish.

The syntactical nature of reality, the real secret of magic, is that the world is made of words. And if you know the words that the world is made of, you can make of it whatever you wish.

Terence McKenna
You have to take seriously the notion that understanding the universe is your responsibility, because the only understanding of the universe that will be useful to you is your own understanding.

You have to take seriously the notion that understanding the universe is your responsibility, because the only understanding of the universe that will be useful to you is your own understanding.

Terence McKenna
Western civilization is a loaded gun pointed at the head of this planet.

Western civilization is a loaded gun pointed at the head of this planet.

Terence McKenna
You are a divine being. You matter, you count. You come from realms of unimaginable power and light, and you will return to those realms.

You are a divine being. You matter, you count. You come from realms of unimaginable power and light, and you will return to those realms.

Terence McKenna
If you don't have a plan, you become part of somebody else's plan.

If you don't have a plan, you become part of somebody else's plan.

Terence McKenna
Television is by nature the dominator drug par excellence. Control of content, uniformity of content, repeatability of content make it inevitably a tool of coersion, brainwashing, and manipulation.

Television is by nature the dominator drug par excellence. Control of content, uniformity of content, repeatability of content make it inevitably a tool of coersion, brainwashing, and manipulation.

Terence McKenna
Only psychos and shamans create their own reality

Only psychos and shamans create their own reality

Terence McKenna
My technique is don’t believe anything. If you believe in something, you are automatically precluded from believing its opposite.

My technique is don’t believe anything. If you believe in something, you are automatically precluded from believing its opposite.

Terence McKenna
Nobody is smarter than you are. And what if they are? What good is their understanding doing you?

Nobody is smarter than you are. And what if they are? What good is their understanding doing you?

Terence McKenna
Nature is not our enemy, to be raped and conquered. Nature is ourselves, to be cherished and explored.

Nature is not our enemy, to be raped and conquered. Nature is ourselves, to be cherished and explored.

Terence McKenna
Half the time you think your thinking you’re actually listening

Half the time you think your thinking you’re actually listening

Terence McKenna
Life lived in the absence of the psychedelic experience that primordial shamanism is based on is life trivialized, life denied, life enslaved to the ego.

Life lived in the absence of the psychedelic experience that primordial shamanism is based on is life trivialized, life denied, life enslaved to the ego.

Terence McKenna
The problem is not to find the answer, it's to face the answer

The problem is not to find the answer, it's to face the answer

Terence McKenna
I’ll try to be around and about. But if I’m not, then you know that I’m behind your eyelids, and I’ll meet you there

I’ll try to be around and about. But if I’m not, then you know that I’m behind your eyelids, and I’ll meet you there

Terence McKenna
There is a transcendental dimension beyond language... It's just hard as hell to talk about!

There is a transcendental dimension beyond language... It's just hard as hell to talk about!

Terence McKenna
The imagination is the goal of history. I see culture as an effort to literally realize our collective dreams.

The imagination is the goal of history. I see culture as an effort to literally realize our collective dreams.

Terence McKenna
Even as the nineteenth century had to come to grips with the notion of human descent from apes, we must now come to terms with the fact that those apes were stoned apes.

Even as the nineteenth century had to come to grips with the notion of human descent from apes, we must now come to terms with the fact that those apes were stoned apes.

Terence McKenna
The shaman is not merely a sick man, or a madman; he is a sick man who has healed himself.

The shaman is not merely a sick man, or a madman; he is a sick man who has healed himself.

Terence McKenna
It is the imagination that argues for the Divine Spark within human beings. It is literally a decent of the World's Soul into all of us.

It is the imagination that argues for the Divine Spark within human beings. It is literally a decent of the World's Soul into all of us.

Terence McKenna
My voice speaking is a monkey's mouth making little mouth noises that are carrying agree-upon meaning, and it is meaning that matters. Without the meaning one has only little mouth noises

My voice speaking is a monkey's mouth making little mouth noises that are carrying agree-upon meaning, and it is meaning that matters. Without the meaning one has only little mouth noises

Terence McKenna
You see, a secret is not something untold. It’s something which can’t be told.

You see, a secret is not something untold. It’s something which can’t be told.

Terence McKenna
We tend to disempower ourselves. We tend to believe that we don’t matter. And in the act of taking that idea to ourselves we give everything away to somebody else, to something else.

We tend to disempower ourselves. We tend to believe that we don’t matter. And in the act of taking that idea to ourselves we give everything away to somebody else, to something else.

Terence McKenna
The purpose of life is to familiarize oneself with this after-death body so that the act of dying will not create confusion in the psyche.

The purpose of life is to familiarize oneself with this after-death body so that the act of dying will not create confusion in the psyche.

Terence McKenna
The bigger you build the bonfire, the more darkness is revealed.

The bigger you build the bonfire, the more darkness is revealed.

Terence McKenna
Time will perfect matter.

Time will perfect matter.

Terence McKenna
Nothing comes unannounced, but many can miss the announcement. So it's very important to actually listen to your own intuition rather than driving through it.

Nothing comes unannounced, but many can miss the announcement. So it's very important to actually listen to your own intuition rather than driving through it.

Terence McKenna
No one knows enough to worry.

No one knows enough to worry.

Terence McKenna