79 days and what did I have to show for it? I couldn’t take it anymore. I felt like I was trapped. I hadn’t made any progress since meeting Heather, it was starting to seem like she was a dead end. Leading me around and around in circles with task…

A few weeks had passed uneventfully. I had gone, full native. I hadn’t worn shoes or shaved since I moved in. My tan was even and dark. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror after week two, I looked halfway to emaciated. Moving crates of fruit and trimming…

It had been over a year since my first trip. Nearly six months since Lothar and I took mushrooms by the lake. I’d been devouring every book I could find about the meaning of life, the secrets of the universe, and esoteric religious philosophy. Now, I was ready to start…

The soft edges of the world have devastated the call to greatness that all humans feel. When I was young I used to dream of being somewhere during a terrorist attack or a robbery, just to have the opportunity to attempt something heroic. I have a particularly vivid memory of…

Swami Sami taught me this method for Divination. This specific process has led to incredible visions, spiritual, and creative breakthroughs. Prepare yourself by focusing on openness. Visions will appear before you. They are very skittish. You must practice accepting them and they will hang around longer. In the days before…

I’ve died more times than I can count I visualize death constantly. I can’t help it. Continuous contemplation of death is a natural stoic practice that has always been a part of my life. To see my death and accept it daily and sometimes hourly has given meaning to life. …

“To the MGM” We were driven down to the normal Uber entrance by our driver Huxley in black E-class Mercedes. “Keep your phone on it’s going to be a late-night” Wandering with purpose through the gleaming halls of the MGM Grand. Past the bulging multitudes praying to their idols at…

Pondathan Lakeoff is a retired salesman for the Pond and Lake installation company Emerson Lake and more Ponds LLC of Sonoma, CA. Fed up with the rat race and with a sizable income-generating real estate portfolio Pondy decided to retire and travel. He headed first to Burning Man where one…