Episodes 1-10








Episodes 1-10

Episode 1: Introduction

November 28, 2008 07:38 PM PST

Click here to download from archive.org
Opaquelens introduces himself as new to the psychedelic podcast world. Discusses a childhood fear induced by War of the Worlds (Jeff Wayne), which lead him to a path of psychedelic shamanism in order to conquer it. Having had an experience beyond anyone's ability to understand he explains that he entered the realm of the shaman. He also plugs his website www.shamanicfreedom.com and urges listeners to help in any way that they can.

He also does an impression of Terence McKenna.

Music by Ozric Tentacles, The Shamen with Terence McKenna and The Orb, with excerpts of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds. Background music by Aphex Twin.


Episode 2: Epping Forest
December 08, 2008 11:28 AM PST

Click here to download from archive.org
In this second installment of Shamanic Freedom Radio, Opaquelens goes to Epping Forest to broadcast the first part. He walks to the locations where he had previous mushroom trips in the days before they were banned from shops, and reminisces about his ‘stealth killer trap’ trip, his ‘standup dream’ trip and his ‘umbillical shapeshifter’ trip. As this is within a day of being hounded off the DMT Nexus forum (but not without a positive response and a sale!), he spends a bit of time ranting about people politics in forums, but praises the Grow Report and the Dopefiend network, especially Max Freakout, for being a friendlier and more civilised forum. He then philosophises about people politics and how we in the psychedelic community should be able to trancend petty people politics, and being a sensitive soul, he sounds a bit bitter! On the plus side, Opaque then mentions a future in the planning stages with James Arthur, who wrote Peopled Darkness about salvia, before visiting the Bedford Oak, an ancient oak tree in the forest to take a picture and use it as the wallpaper for this podcast. During the walk in the forest, Big Brother in the form of police helicopters fly over twice!

In Part 2, which is recorded two days later at home in South London, Opaque talks about how he may, if the podcast lasts the distance, broadcast from Avebury Stone Circle on Summer solstice. He then confirms that there will be an interview with author James Arthur and closes the book on his forum disaster at Nexus. He makes the point that the psychedelic community should trancend the ways of straight people by being less ‘conformist’ and less cliquey, stating that cliquey people lack the social confidence to go it alone, and that if the whole point of psychedelic culture is to look within, not succumb to people politics. Before he wraps up he theorises on how culture has changed since the 1960’s, segwaying from playing Interstellar Overdrive, and appeals for listeners to contribute in whatever way they can, be it emails, trip reports or books to list on the site.

Music by Steve Hillage, Pink Floyd and 4 Hero.

Episode 3: Interview with J.D. Arthur.
December 15, 2008 11:48 AM PST

Click here to download from archive.org
In this episode of shamanicfreedomradio, Opaquelens conducts his first podcast interview with J.D. Arthur, author of Peopled Darkness - perceptual changes through Salvia Divinorum (available at the bookshop section of www.shamanicfreedom.com on page 9). In this informal chinwag, J.D. discusses how the reality of Salvia took him to deep levels where there appeared to be another dimension of reality with real being in it, and from his many ‘visits’ there, he believes that he’s visiting the land of the dead, who react to him by being aware that he is alive, and should not be there. In his early stages of taking the herb he would see cheesy cartoon imagery, but as time went on and his journey became deeper he would go into a place in which he would develop an amnesiac barrier, making him forget who he was in this world. After a while there would appear to be certain people who acted as his guides there, though he would get a feeling that he was a burden to them because he was alive - in one session, he was referred to as Mr Meat!

As the interview turns into a tangental discusssion many topics are talked about including the US and UK’s drug laws, how Afghanistan produces more heroin post the War on Terror, and how podheads and LSD users became junkies and how unlikely it would be for that to happen without prohibition or intervention. After the interview, Opaquelens reads out some feedback he has received from forums in response to his previous podcasts before ending on a song - The Curragh of Kildare by John Renbourn and Robin Williamson.


Episode 4: Interview with Rupert Sheldrake
December 22, 2008 08:40 AM PST

Click here to download from archive.org
In this fourth episode of ShamanicFreedomRadio, Opaquelens interviews Rupert Sheldrake, biologist, physicist, pioneer of the morphic resonance theory and old friend of Terence McKenna. But he first decides to be awkward and leave everyone waiting while he chats away for the first few minutes!

When the interview finally starts, they discuss a range of subjects starting with the morphogenetic field, when Opaquelens mentioned that a friend once said of a kitten, ‘How do they know how to act like cats?’ whilst observing how the kitten had all the character traits of a cat but was only weeks old. This is answered very eloquently by Rupert, as this concept is conducive to his theory. The conversation goes onto topics such as trialogues, spirituality, science, and the ‘theism vs atheism’ dogma problem of how atheists and religious zealots seem to mirror each other in their fundamentalist mentalities. Rupert mentions that he has a group of sceptics and dissenters, and that Richard Dawkins once interviewed him for his ‘Enemies of Reason’ project! Rupert states that he doesn’t want to hand his dissenters ‘a stick to beat him with’ by talking about his own psychedelic adventures, but is happy to talk about psychedelics generally, and in context with his friendship with Terence. Opaque mentions that on Jan 20 2009 Rupert will be conducting a lecture in Goldsmiths College, in New Cross, South East London, to which Rupert says that he will be in the lion’s Den, because students there are encouraged to think in the more Richard Dawkins friendly materialistic way about science.

As the interview approaches the end, Rupert plugs his site (www.sheldrake.org) and asks for people to visit and use the online telepathy tests there to help further the research. As the show draws to a close, Opaquelens thanks KMO of the C-Realm podcast for his support, and thanks Ray from Spritplants Radio for including this podcast on his schedule.

Music by the Incredible String Band and John Coltrane.


Episode 5: The Richard Dawkins Delusion
December 29, 2008 07:00 PM PST


Click here to download from archive.org
In this 5th installment of ShamanicFreedomRadio, Opaquelens starts by thanking KMO, Max Freakout, Rupert Sheldrake and Sancho for their contribution to his new intro.

He segways from last week’s interview with Rupert Sheldrake by discussing the ‘Theism Vs Atheism problem’. He takes apart Richard Dawkins’s atheism by reading out excerpts from an interview with him, focussing on the flaws of his stance by exposing how it is a form of fundamentalism which mirrors his religious foes. After that he reads an email from listener Sharon on the ‘what do we tell children?’ debate concerning entheogens, and another email from DefenderAlex about salvia.

As the show approaches the end, Opaque reminds people of Rupert Sheldrake’s upcoming lecture in Goldsmiths College, New Cross, South London, and talks of what is in store for the next few weeks on this podcast.

Music by Steve Hillage and Primal Scream.


Episode 6: Jon's peyote report
January 05, 2009 01:11 PM PST

Click here to download from archive.org
In this sixth installment of ShamanicFreedomRadio, Opaquelens takes the podcast on location to Hyde Park to interview his friend Jon, who had taken part in a peyote ceremony on Long Island in New York, in a sweatlodge with a Navaho who was married to a catholic white American. Jon Discusses his experiences with Opaquelens, and as the two are old friends, the banter does get rather silly, especially as Jon decides to ‘swap identities’ with Opaquelens, who comments on how he’s ‘milking it’ before the interview is over.

Prior to the walk, Opaque reads out an email he received from S S Muldoon via the GrowReport forum network, and after the walk he bangs the world to rights in a righteous rant.

Music by the Sugarcubes and Gil Scott Heron


Episode 7: Interview with Jacque Fresco & Roxanne Meadows
January 12, 2009 02:31 PM PST

Click here to download from archive.org
In episode 7, Opaquelens interviews Jacque Fresco and Roxanne Meadows of the Venus Project, who listeners will know from the film Zeitgeist Addendum. Discussed in this podcast are technological and sociopolitical solutions to problems of the world, and a change over from a monetary based world to a resource based world, with 4000 MPH MagLev trains, vertical take off planes, and a world where people will not be restricted to only what they can afford financially. Jacque Fresco argues that money is the reason why people are restricted to only owning houses and cars etc that they can afford, not what they would like, that corruption and war are a result of a financial system, and that politicians are not geared to solve the problems of the world, but to keep it the same as it is forever. Opaque suggests that listeners visit www.zeitgeistmovie.com, and download the torrent for the film Zeitgeist Addendum (unless you already have!) so that you will be familiar with today’s guests.

Music by the Doors.



Episode 8: ShamanicFreedomRadio 8: Under the carpet
January 19, 2009 02:00 PM PST

Click here to download from archive.org
In this weeks podcast Opaque lifts up the carpet of taboo about a lot of subjects including a heated debate cum domestic he had with his girlfriend over Israel and Palestine. Her being Jewish on one side made it a contentious issue, so he looks at many different cultures, ideologies, religions and political movements to analyse their foibles and problems. Also, he mentions the expansion of London’s Heathrow Airport which will result in the complete annihilation of a village called Sipson in Middlesex, and plans to do a future podcast on location in a pub there. He reads the latest email from SFRadio fan Sharon, and elaborates on his (and Sharon’s) ideas for a future that would not be out of place in Jacque Fresco’s model of reality.

Music by Caravan and Ozric Tentacles.



Episode 9: Rupert Sheldrake at Goldsmiths Part 1
January 26, 2009 08:39 AM PST

Click here to download from archive.org
In episode 9, Opaquelens takes his microphone to Goldsmiths College, SouthEast London to record a lecture by Rupert Sheldrake, promoting the revised edition of his book 'A New Science Of Life'. This is part 1 of 2, and the second half will be broadcast in episode 10.

During this lecture, Rupert Sheldrake brings contraversial points to the forefront such as how melting points of new compounds have changed over the years, and that if it is difficult to crystalise a compound the first time, it becomes easier once it's been done, anywhere in the world. Also the effect on morphic resonance to train animals to do certain tasks and how it becomes easier for any of the same species to learn once one set of animals has been trained.

After part one of the lecture, opaque talks about ideas he has for future podcasts. Watch this space!

Rupert Sheldrake's book can be purchased here.

Music by Mozart.



Episode 10: Rupert Sheldrake at Goldsmiths Part 2
February 01, 2009 03:22 PM PST

Click here to download from archive.org
In episode 10, Opaque plays the concluding part of Rupert Sheldrake’s lecture in Goldsmith’s College. At the end you may recognise Opaque asking Rupert a question during the question and answers session. Roger Irrelevant, a regular poster on the Grow Report, was at the lecture and also had the privilege of asking Rupert a question too. This week Opaque is celebrating the fact that he is now talking through a valve preamp, making the vocals more OOMPHy! Also in the aftermath of Rupert’s talk, Opaque records his closing speech whilst it is snowing outside. He reads a few emails and comments from Steve, Eris, and Seaside blue, and chats about plans for the Beanfield podcast which he is proposing for the summer, and announces that he is no longer an ayahuasca virgin, and feels like he’s had a firmware update!!

Rupert Sheldrake's book can be purchased here.

Music by Here And Now