Humans On The Loop
🍄🎥👁️ 209 - Ken Adams on A Life of Psychedelic Film-Making & Collaboration with Terence McKenna
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Building connections and community among people interested in psychedelics is crucial for challenging stigma and creating a more inclusive environment.
- Ken Adams' work as an experimental filmmaker and his pioneering use of computers to create psychedelic visuals highlights the importance of preserving and transmitting knowledge within the psychedelic community.
- The film 'Alien Dreamtime,' a collaboration between Ken Adams and Terence McKenna, serves as a testament to the power of psychedelics and the growing interest in digital art during its time.
Deep dives
The profound impact of psychedelics in creating a sense of community
In this podcast episode, the speaker emphasizes the importance of building connections and community among people interested in psychedelics. They encourage listeners to engage with one another, collaborate on creative projects, and support each other's endeavors. The speaker reflects on how the psychedelic community has been marginalized, and suggests that by coming together and sharing their experiences, they can challenge the stigma and create a more inclusive and supportive environment.
Ken Adams' journey as an artist and filmmaker in the psychedelic underground
The podcast delves into the life and work of Ken Adams, an experimental filmmaker, documentarian, and psychonaut. Adams shares his experience of being immersed in the psychedelic underground scene, forging connections with like-minded individuals, and collaborating with influential figures such as Terence McKenna. He discusses his passion for digital art and his pioneering work in utilizing computers to create psychedelic visuals. Adams highlights the importance of preserving and transmitting knowledge within the psychedelic community.
The success and impact of the film 'Alien Dreamtime'
The podcast episode explores the creation and success of the film 'Alien Dreamtime,' a collaboration between Ken Adams and Terence McKenna. The film, which combined experimental visuals and first-generation computer graphics, gained popularity through screenings in Austin and San Francisco. It attracted large audiences and became viral on early platforms like YouTube. 'Alien Dreamtime' is seen as a testament to the power of psychedelics and the growing interest in digital art during the period.
Reflections on the legacy of Terence McKenna and his impact on the psychedelic movement
The podcast episode honors the late Terence McKenna and reflects on his significant contributions to the psychedelic movement. It discusses McKenna's fearlessness in advocating for psychedelics and challenging oppressive systems. The episode highlights his ability to inspire individuals to explore their creativity and imagination while remaining committed to the preservation of life and the planet. McKenna's ideas and teachings continue to inspire and guide those engaged in the psychedelic community.
The transformative experience of eye surgery and a hallucinatory aftermath
The podcast episode delves into the speaker's personal experience with eye surgery and the unexpected hallucinations that followed. After scraping out carbonized tissue and hoping to encounter stem cells, the speaker retreated to a dark, silent room to meditate and fast. This isolation led to vivid hallucinations, including communication with Terence McKenna. Despite the surgeon's skepticism, the speaker's lenses were rejuvenated, allowing for a return to camping. The encounter with Terence McKenna continued in subsequent interactions, culminating in a surreal conversation about statistically improbable phrases and a potential collaborative movie project.
Reflections on life after death and the importance of reorienting cultural values
The podcast episode explores the speaker's reflections on life after death and the need to reassess cultural values. The speaker shares experiences of encountering people who claim connections with the deceased Terence McKenna, highlighting the existence of life after death in various traditions. The speaker urges a shift away from greed and towards compassion, advocating for the prioritization of culture over profit. With an extensive archive of unseen art, the speaker aims to organize and present a fact-free multi-modal autobiography, contributing to the renaissance of psychedelia and the cultivation of a more expansive and meaningful human experience.
This week I have the joy of sharing a long-overdue discussion with legendary psychedelic media pioneer Ken Adams (Vimeo | LinkedIn), one of the first people I ever interviewed on record years before Future Fossils and whose influence on my own creative life cannot be overstated. Two of Ken’s main claims to fame are the films he created in collaboration with Terence McKenna, namely Alien Dreamtime (mediocre fan upload, archived references to) and Imaginatrix (rental page). This June was the thirtieth anniversary of Alien Dreamtime’s theatrical release, a major if initially under-appreciated moment in the history of digital film-making, and I had the good fortune to meet up with Ken here in Santa Fe for his commemorative screening at The Jean Coctea Cinema. What followed was an EPIC storytelling download about bold underground innovation told by one of the most soulful, thoughtful, heartfelt, humble, humorous, and generous people I know.
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✨ Chapters, Summary, & Keywords provided by Podium.Page:
(0:00:00) - Reminiscing on Psychedelic Underground and Filmmaking(0:10:07) - Ken’s Childhood & Early Adulthood(0:25:04) - Screenings and Influence of Psychedelic Movie(0:30:06) - McKenna and Psychedelic Community Influence(0:35:24) - Nature, Doubt, Validation(0:44:23) - Late Night Studio Discovery and Reflection(0:49:30) - Non-Human Encounters and Embracing the Weird(0:57:17) - Encounters With Terence McKenna After His Passing(1:10:46) - Spiritual Experiences and the Need for Change(1:18:51) - Life, Legacy, and Creative Expression Reflections
Join me as I host Ken Adams, an experimental filmmaker, documentarian, and psychedelic explorer. We journey through his life from his childhood in Louisiana, his graduate studies in sociology and anthropology, to his discovery of LSD, and his eventual meeting with Terence McKenna. Ken shares his experiences with psychedelics and computers, and we discuss the impact these have had on his life and work. He provides insight into the psychedelic world in San Francisco, shedding light on the risks people took to make psychedelia accessible.
This episode offers a fascinating look into the world of psychedelic filmmaking, with Ken Adams sharing how he created a business model from showcasing his experimental film. From the Adobe theater in Austin to the Roxy in San Francisco, Ken reveals how his work was embraced in the psychedelic space. He further explores the influence of Terence McKenna, discussing how Terence navigated the expectations of being a celebrity, his thoughts on psychedelics, and his ability to unite the psychedelic community.
Finally, we examine Ken's experiences with non-human entities in altered states of consciousness, as well as his ideas on serving the common good. Ken shares his unusual encounters and his belief in the need for imaginative solutions to the issues facing the planet. We also reflect on the sadness and loneliness of the digital era, and discuss how digital arts are changing our world. Join us as we traverse the path of creativity, courage, and psychedelic exploration.
Psychedelic, Filmmaking, Terence McKenna, San Francisco, Digital Filmmaking, Louisiana, Sociology, Anthropology, LSD, Art World, Austin, Digital Arts, Transmutation of Trauma, Winter Solstice 2012, Non-Human Entities, Altered States, Spiritual Experiences, Imagination, Transformation, Existential Issues, Melancholia, The Digital Age, Oral History, Unborn, Dreaming, Noble Things, Valuable Mistakes
Special thanks to my friends at Noonautics.org for supporting both the show and pioneering research!
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