Leary Infopsychology The neurological situation is as follows: The human body is made up of many receiving organs and discharge

systems which are controlled by the nervous system, a communi-cation network of some thirty billion cells. Each organ of the body is wired by a complex pattern of nerve fibres. Each neuron receives, evaluates and transmits infor-mation to as many as 60,000 other neurons. The particular wiring pattern which trig-gers off each organ and action system of the body is programmed by imprinted stimuli. The specific stimulus which activates each neuro-umbilical survival system is deter-mined by accidental coincidencethe external factors present during the "sensitive period." Human Beings are robots programmed and directed by neural imprints which trigger off standardized discharge patterns in response to accidentally imprinted cues. The nervous system is interconnected by means of synaptic links. The synapse is the gap between two neurons across which the nerve impulse flows. The synaptic connection is chemical. Just as chemicals "fix" the photographic image on film, so is the neural image of the island-reality "fixed" by synaptic chemical bonds at the time of imprinting. The robot truth is this: the patterns of neural connection create the picture of reality. Change your Brain As the human being matures, different neural circuits are activated and the following neurotechnologies emerge in a predictable sequence: sucking, biting, crawling, walking, muscular domination, nonverbal social communication, Imitation of symbols, Invention of symbols, cooperative symbol communication, adolescent sexual-mating, parenting, and aging/securityseeking Imprinting, a biochemical freezing of external awareness, is confined to definite brief periods in individual life, and to a particular triggering set of environmental circumstances. Once accomplished, it is very stable perhaps irreversible. It is often completed long before the specific behaviors which the imprinted pattern establishes. Imprinting is the selection of triggers that automatically activate inborn characteristics of the species. As each brain circuit is activated, it blindly imprints the environmental cues that happen to be present. When the verbal imitative circuits are turned on around ages three to four, the language and mentation skills of the parents and custodians is imprinted. If the childis Chinese, a Chinese mental reality is inhabituated.The first powerful sex object has an unshakable effect on further sexual conditioning. Even more interesting is the suggestion that imprints can be suspended and changed. Serial imprinting means that you can use your own brain as a movie camera to "shoot" the realities you inhabit. Hereis a sudden irreversible learning, which seems independent of motivation, reward, conditioning - a sudden, shutter-like fixing of the nervous system. Once taken, the picture then determines the scope and type of subsequent "lawful learning. "Imprinting, a biochemical event sets up the chessboard upon which slow, step-by-step conditioning takes place. Thefirst step, therefore, isto recognize thatourconsciousnessisto-tally hookedtocertain

externals; recognize thelimits anddirectionsofour imprints. Someformsof psychoanalysis aimtodothis. Long chainsofassociationsare laboriously traced, stepby step, tothe originalimprint situation.Anew sequence ofassociationsis attempted,centering onthe person ofthe analyst whatFreudianscall "transference." But, asFreudsaw, verbalinteractioninthe consulting roomcannot duplicate the Thehumancut offfromhir addictive "supply" ofexternalstimuli showsall the symptoms ofa "dope fiend"-restlessness, discomfort, anxiety. impact ofthe original bio-chemical structuring. Each external imprint is uniquely locatedin

space andtime. Mentallifeislimitedto associations relating back to the original imprint. The human being is "hooked"to the specific externalstimulus. Certainalkaloidmolecules,suchas psychedelic drugs, dramatically suspend the conditioned, learned aspects ofthenervous system.Suddenly releasedfromitsconditioned patterning, conscious-nessis flung intoa flashing loomofunlearnedim-agery, aneerie,novel landscape where everything seems possible and nothing remainsfixed. Might weconsiderthe psychedelic effectasa temporary suspension of imprinting? During reimprinting a neurological I the psyche-restatementOfthe

delic session, "death-rebirth." I the sub i ects nervous sys-temis ina disorganized flux closelyanalogous to thatof infancy. Andherewecometotheacceler-ated personalitychange,rapidlearning, suddenlife changes so regularlyreportedbypsychedelic re-searchers. Thischemicalresuscitationofthefrozen sym-bol systems is notarecent development. Withfreshened perceptiongoes the feeling oflib-eration, insight n the exultant Mendrink,smoke, senseof having chew, orfastto escape escaped thelife-the tyranny ofwords, less netof sym- | | +he| JmJtsoffhe imprint bols. What happens afterthe neurological liberation?How isit integrated backintolife?

Today,byingesting a psychedelicdrug, tem-porary freedomfrom imprints is almost guaranteed. But again, sowhat? These compoundsproduce new imprints.During a psychedelicsession, thenervous system,stripped of all previouslearning, is completely vulnerable.Pow-erfulattachmentsand repulsionsdevelopduringpsy-chedelicsessions.Hereisthe danger and promise of psychedelicdrugs the development ofnew symbol systems andthe refocusing ofold systems. Youcannot sensibly talkabouttheeffectsofa psy-chedelic drug without specifying thesetofthe subject andtheenvironmentalcontext. Ifbothare supportive of self-discovery and

aesthetic-philosophicinquiry, a life-changingexperience results.Ifbothare negative, ahellishencountercanensue. Of-course, people tend to impose familiar games ontothe psilocybinexperi-ence.Ifthe drug-givingperson is supportive,flexible, and secure, thenthe experience isalmost guaranteed tobe pleasant and therapeutic. Setand setting andthe placebo effectdemandthat psychologygethip to the Heisenbergprinciple of determinancy. Ifwhatwe expect affectswhat happens inour brain, thenletus preciselyprogram the sugges-tionsourvulnerablebrainwillrealize. If the setting alsoaffectswhat happens inour brain, let usmake surethattheenvironmentisthe

reality wewishtoin-habit.Thebrainisnota blind, reactive machine,buta complex, sensitive biocomputer thatwecan program. Andifwedon'ttakethe responsibility for program-mingit, thenit willbe programmedunwittinglyby accidentor by thesocialenvironment. Theextreme suggestibility, the heightenedvulnerability to internal or external stimuli whichleadssometo paranoia, otherstocos-mic ecstasy points tothecritical importance ofex-pectation andenvironmental pressure. But psychedelicdrugs dotakeus beyond our normal conceptual framework.Mostofthe great religions havetakenthis disturbinggoal ofex-stasisastheircentral program. The experiencedpsychedelic veteransidenti-fied severalfears generatedby the psychedelic

process whichwesawasfearofthe potential. Foreach terror, thereis a corresponding liberation. Terrorisa negative desire.Theterrorof seeingyour-selfisthe negativeaspect ofthe ecstasy of really see-ingyourself. The prob-lemof reentry, re-turnto externals,must always bemet.Thereforethe third approach to improving our linguisticsystem is to reimprintcarefully, selecting thenewchess-board, choosing the persons andexternalstowhich wewillbecome voluntarily hooked.

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