This is, I think, what we were always born for. It’s very clear that we are the creatures of the imagination. That—at some very early point now lost back there in the orgiastic primal African past—we moved into the domain of symbolic activity: being able to evoke for each other pictures in our heads with small mouth noises. And out of that we have woven the fabric of material civilization, which is our great accomplishment: this multi-phasic, multi-adaptable enterprise that we are involved in that is unlike anything another biological species undertakes anywhere.
from The Plot Thickens, the Stakes Rise (1994)
Terence Kemp McKenna was an American ethnobotanist, mystic, psychonaut, lecturer, author, and an advocate for the responsible use of naturally occurring psychedelic plants. He spoke and wrote about a variety of subjects, including psychedelic drugs, plant-based entheogens, shamanism, metaphysics, alchemy, language, philosophy, culture, technology, environmentalism, and the theoretical origins of human consciousness. He was called the Timothy Leary of the nineties, one of the leading authorities on the ontological foundations of shamanism, and the “intellectual voice of rave culture.”
For a more comprehensive database of McKenna’s lectures and presentations, visit Ask Terence McKenna. It’s a fantastic website!
Frequently mentions:
Alphabetic
Date
Duration
Word Count
Popularity
Date
1995
Type
Workshop
Word Count
6,202
Duration
53:02
Quotes
10
Views
270
Terence argues that a solution to our collective planetary crisis has emerged, and it lies in a commitment to shamanistic, feminized, cybernetic, and caring forms of being—to take what each of us is in our very best moments and extend it to fill whole lifetimes.
Date
1996
Type
Workshop
Word Count
6,433
Duration
58:14
Quotes
13
Views
26
Date
June 28, 1989
Type
Lecture
Word Count
6,172
Duration
53:48
Quotes
6
Views
97
Terence's closing speech after a month of being scholar-in-residence at Esalen.
Date
August 1993
Type
Workshop
Word Count
85,752
Duration
12:09:02
Quotes
42
Views
6,057
“Healing the inner elf through trance, dance, and diet”—the session for true McKenna enthusiasts: twelve hours with the bard himself, in which he touches upon practically all of his trademark topics. Recorded at the Esalen Institute in California.
Date
1991
Type
Workshop
Word Count
4,490
Duration
41:08
Quotes
5
Views
86
Date
1994
Type
Workshop
Word Count
43,860
Duration
05:31:41
Quotes
22
Views
1,988
A workshop conducted at Esalen in 1994.
Date
May 1990
Type
Workshop
Word Count
36,798
Duration
04:53:55
Quotes
22
Views
1,840
A weekend workshop in which Terence encourages humanity to return to harmonic habits which have been lost in the tide of time.
Date
June 29, 1994
Type
Lecture
Word Count
10,245
Duration
01:27:15
Quotes
5
Views
427
Delivered at a workshop in Esalen.
Date
July 22, 1994
Type
Lecture
Word Count
7,049
Duration
01:01:52
Quotes
5
Views
645
Terence’s first workshop at Starwood Festival XIV, where he brings a unique perspective to being in the world that assumes an impending transformation of the human world involving everyone. With humor and in depth we will examine human attitudes toward the Other, time and its mysteries, the nature of language, and the techniques of ecstasy that have developed in non-Western societies to navigate to and from invisible worlds. We will discuss making reasonable choices about spiritual development and techniques. Terence explains that what he calls the “Archaic Revival” is the process of reawakening awareness of traditional attitudes toward nature, including plants and our relationship to them. The Archaic Revival spells the eventual breakup of the pattern male dominance and hierarchy bassed on animal organization, something that cannot be changed overnight by a sudden shift in collective awareness. This is a think-along experience for those who have taken a few moments to chill out from the dance of life.
Date
March 1996
Type
Workshop
Word Count
48,489
Duration
06:43:35
Quotes
19
Views
1,045
A weekend workshop with the alternate title “Briefing for a Descent Into Novelty.”
Date
April 1999
Type
Lecture
Word Count
8,948
Duration
01:09:08
Quotes
10
Views
1,978
Delivered at the Whole Life Expo, Terence focuses on one of his favorite questions: what does it mean to be human in this cosmos?
Date
December 13, 1998
Type
Lecture
Word Count
12,615
Duration
01:56:57
Quotes
12
Views
1,244
Join Terence for an eclectic think along the deconstruction of the deepening worldwide weirdness. With his characteristic hope and humor, McKenna examined time and its mysteries, the nature of language, the techniques of ecstasy, high technology and virtual cyberspace, the role of hallucinogenic plants in shamanism and the evolution of human cultures, and the foundations of postmodern spirituality.
Date
June 1989
Type
Lecture
Word Count
9,504
Duration
01:27:47
Quotes
9
Views
1,080
Beginning with a comparison of reason and logic to intuition, Terence works his way towards exploring the idea of a purposeful goal in the universe which evolution is progressing towards, and humanity's role in this journey. Next, in a nod to the solstice which occurred at the time of the lecture, he plays with the idea of a precessional calendar and argues that it would remind us of the one constant in life, which is flux. Q&A topics include future social myths, morphogenesis, globalization, and psychedelic encounters with the dead.
Date
March 25, 1994
Type
Lecture
Word Count
12,232
Duration
01:58:21
Quotes
6
Views
2,015
Delivered in Kane Hall at the University of Washington, Terence points out the universe's peculiar tendency to seek out complexity and novelty, and that humanity seems to be the focal point of this process.
Date
April 29, 1995
Type
Lecture
Word Count
13,468
Duration
02:01:20
Quotes
20
Views
1,504
This evening address is one of Terence’s funniest, in which much is said about monkeys, mushrooms, plants, and people. The question and answer session gets good and lively, with his unique analysis of UFOs, governments, and possible evolutionary pathways for us and the planet.
Date
September 13, 1990
Type
Discussion
Word Count
9,975
Duration
01:27:30
Quotes
7
Views
701
Timothy Leary journeyed through Europe as head of the psychedelic revolution and consciousness research movement, and he invited some of his tagalong friends to this evening lecture held at the "Alte Feuerwache" in Mannheim to talk about the future evolution of humanity.
Date
August 7, 1998
Type
Workshop
Word Count
9,328
Duration
01:25:20
Quotes
10
Views
272
Date
1993
Type
Lecture
Word Count
9,785
Duration
01:21:06
Quotes
9
Views
438
Date
September 1990
Type
Workshop
Duration
07:02:60
Views
51
The coming together of dream, film, and psychedelics in the twentieth century set the stage for the archaic revival. McKenna gives us a look through the window of our potential as humans. He helps put the hysteria of our time into perspective and gives a path that could help us to deal with this strange and wonderful world we live in. If you are interested in human potential then this is a must listen seminar.
Date
December 1994
Type
Workshop
Word Count
40,133
Duration
05:35:16
Quotes
33
Views
735
A weekend workshop held at Esalen, with the alternate titles of Deeper and Broader Questions and Eros, Chaos, and Meaning's Edge.
Date
October 17, 1987
Type
Lecture
Word Count
11,030
Duration
01:37:04
Quotes
13
Views
218
Terence claims that “the boundless creativity of the human mind will be tapped into and come to our aid.” His bold statement is followed by an inspirational pep-talk about how miraculous the appearance of consciuosness in this universe is, and what a valuable potential humans represent in future cosmic evolution.
Date
July 31, 1998
Type
Workshop
Word Count
57,873
Duration
08:10:59
Quotes
32
Views
1,023
A weekend workshop revolving around many topics, including mind's imminent conquering of matter.
Date
Unknown
Type
Workshop
Word Count
8,405
Duration
01:15:16
Quotes
4
Views
47
Date
November 1999
Type
Discussion
Word Count
15,295
Duration
02:16:16
Quotes
4
Views
867
The final recorded interview of Terence McKenna, conducted by Erik Davis for Wired magazine.
Date
January 16, 1999
Type
Workshop
Word Count
7,287
Duration
01:06:15
Quotes
7
Views
191
Delivered on the first day of the 1999 Palenque Entheobotany conference at the Chan Kha Hotel.
Date
Unknown
Type
Lecture
Word Count
10,151
Duration
01:26:23
Quotes
7
Views
497
Date
May 12, 1994
Type
Lecture
Word Count
4,828
Duration
48:02
Views
48
Date
September 8, 1991
Type
Workshop
Duration
01:26:05
Views
27
Terence McKenna asks the fundamental question concerning natural hallucinogens: is it an accident of nature that certain plants and mushrooms can alter human awareness in profound ways? He argues that man and hallucinogenic plants and mushrooms have co-evolved. These botanicals provide a way for people to experience their spiritual nature, and throughout history have been used by shamans whose function is to enter altered states in order to perceive the spiritual causes behind ordinary reality. Delivered at the Masonic Temple.
Date
September 12, 1987
Type
Lecture
Word Count
9,485
Duration
01:27:56
Quotes
8
Views
336
Presented at the Shared Visions bookstore, Terence talks about humanity's path towards greater consciousness, and attempts to take a glance at what comes after the Omega Point.
Date
November 1982
Type
Workshop
Word Count
10,223
Duration
01:23:36
Quotes
4
Views
355
Held at the Institute for the Study of Consciousness.
Date
October 20, 1990
Type
Lecture
Word Count
10,327
Duration
01:41:45
Quotes
9
Views
506
Date
August 1997
Type
Workshop
Word Count
54,688
Duration
07:57:33
Quotes
22
Views
1,423
A weekend workshop held at Esalen.
Date
June 1994
Type
Lecture
Word Count
9,855
Duration
01:21:24
Quotes
8
Views
245
Delivered at Esalen in California.
Date
1989
Type
Article
Word Count
3,540
Reading time
≈ 20 minutes
Quotes
5
Views
221
McKenna urges us to look at plants more deeply and find within their biological organization a model for sustainable modern civilization. Published in Whole Earth Review, issue 64.
Date
June 1992
Type
Discussion
Duration
01:02:46
Views
304
Shot on location in Prague, Czechoslovakia, during the International Transpersonal Conference in June 1992, this two-part series features Terence McKenna in dialogue with some of the foremost thinkers of the Global Consciousness movement of the time: Ram Dass, Angeles Arrien, Kenneth Ring, Rupert Sheldrake, Jill Purce, David Whyte and Alexander Shulgin.
Date
June 1992
Type
Discussion
Word Count
8,155
Duration
59:52
Quotes
6
Views
686
Shot on location in Prague, Czechoslovakia, during the International Transpersonal Conference in June 1992, this two-part series features Terence McKenna in dialogue with some of the foremost thinkers of the Global Consciousness movement of the time: Ram Dass, Angeles Arrien, Kenneth Ring, Rupert Sheldrake, Jill Purce, David Whyte and Alexander Shulgin.
Date
April 22, 1999
Type
Lecture
Word Count
9,345
Duration
01:24:55
Quotes
22
Views
559
Terence's last public appearance before falling seriously ill to brain cancer a month later. A techno-centric evening (alternately titled Shamans Among the Machines) in which he explores the inevitable merging of humanity with its AI offspring.
Date
July 23, 1994
Type
Lecture
Word Count
14,954
Duration
01:55:03
Quotes
1
Views
442
Terence’s second workshop at Starwood Festival XIV. The approaching new millenium, its perils, and its promise will be the theme of this intimate workshop. We will analyze and review the past thousand years with an eye to trends and opportunities that the future may bring. Western civilization is caught in a phase transition to the first planet-wide, species-wide civilization. Does the emergence of a shared set of universal values—democracy, free markets, and the dignity of the individual—have to mean the end of diversity and pluarlism? What does human self-imaging through technology portend to each of us? Is the human race down for the count, or on the brink of its greatest adventure? Psychedelics, virtual reality, and the transformative power of magic and language will be topics for discussion.
Date
October 17, 1993
Type
Lecture
Word Count
3,548
Duration
26:27
Quotes
9
Views
155
Presented at the fifth annual Seeds of Change conference, titled The Bioneers.
Date
November 17, 1991
Type
Lecture
Word Count
10,918
Duration
01:42:14
Quotes
14
Views
88
Delivered at the 1991 Whole Life Expo.
Date
August 22, 1985
Type
Workshop
Word Count
7,169
Duration
58:59
Quotes
6
Views
14
Date
February 1986
Type
Lecture
Word Count
10,570
Duration
01:30:54
Quotes
2
Views
349
Presented at the Shared Visions bookstore.
Date
Unknown
Type
Lecture
Word Count
5,720
Duration
48:41
Quotes
5
Views
366
Date
1995
Type
Lecture
Word Count
8,117
Duration
01:16:35
Quotes
9
Views
590
In this talk, McKenna gives one of his more hopeful presentations about love and the state of humanity at the end of the millenium.
Date
1992
Type
Book
Views
260
Terence visited Granary Books’ exhibition of books and prints by Timothy C. Ely in July 1991, and his empathetic and eloquent understanding of Ely’s work inspired a collaboration. Philip Gallo typographically interpreted McKenna’s text, which was printed letterpress on Rives BFK. The text appears on, around, and between Ely’s original painted and drawn images, which Ely describes as “articulated glossolalia refracted from the writing.” Only 75 copies were printed.
Date
October 2, 1992
Type
Workshop
Word Count
24,136
Duration
03:48:01
Quotes
7
Views
19
Date
May 1990
Type
Lecture
Word Count
13,603
Duration
01:54:08
Quotes
11
Views
843
A presentation revolving around the question: what is going on in the universe? Special emphasis is given to the human condition, the accelerating complexification of the cosmos, and options for the human collectivity as it faces the future.
Date
June 1989
Type
Workshop
Word Count
9,697
Duration
01:26:23
Quotes
5
Views
547
Date
October 1989
Type
Workshop
Word Count
5,834
Duration
51:34
Quotes
6
Views
30
Date
June 6, 1998
Type
Discussion
Word Count
24,345
Duration
03:09:42
Quotes
15
Views
767
What could have been the cause for the breakthrough in the evolution of human consciousness around 50,000 years ago? Part of the Trialogues at the Edge of the Unthinkable.
Date
June 1984
Type
Lecture
Word Count
9,811
Duration
01:18:31
Quotes
2
Views
172
Presented at the Shared Visions Bookstore in Bekeley.
Date
1994
Type
Lecture
Word Count
14,268
Duration
02:03:56
Quotes
6
Views
311
Date
June 1994
Type
Lecture
Word Count
7,293
Duration
01:07:57
Quotes
12
Views
1,720
In this, the closing session of a June 1994 workshop, Terence McKenna tells us directly what he thinks this human life is actually about: the primacy of direct experience; a focus on the present-at-hand.
Date
April 1986
Type
Lecture
Word Count
31,191
Duration
04:17:52
Quotes
16
Views
770
Delivered at the Ojai Foundation in California.
Date
July 1983
Type
Workshop
Duration
01:51:28
Views
29
Date
1996
Type
Lecture
Word Count
5,409
Duration
52:15
Quotes
10
Views
111
This talk was recorded during the time that Terence McKenna and Sheldon Rocklin were filming the Coincidencia Oppositorum: A Union of Opposites documentary for Mysic Fire.
Date
September 11, 1993
Type
Workshop
Word Count
21,291
Duration
03:08:45
Quotes
15
Views
124
Held at the Nature Friends Lodge.
Date
August 1, 1998
Type
Workshop
Word Count
13,808
Duration
01:42:40
Quotes
8
Views
170
Seldom do we have an opportunity to test the accuracy of oracular predictions, but this fascinating conversation between two great thinkers has already proven to be right on target. Speculations include the future evolutionary development of the Internet, whether it is an embryonic intelligence, whether it will merge our minds into a planetary consciousness, or whether it is an alien brain waiting for humanity to cross an evolutionary threshold. Let the bard and the chaos theorist weave an exquisite cybernetic fantasy for you in this evening seminar.
Date
June 10, 1983
Type
Discussion
Word Count
5,477
Duration
43:40
Quotes
5
Views
1,258
Date
June 23, 1989
Type
Workshop
Word Count
37,468
Duration
05:21:23
Quotes
13
Views
278
Delivered at the end of McKenna’s first month as scholar-in-residence at Esalen, when he began a new phase in his public speaking career. This weekend workshop provides an early glimpse at Terence’s description of the looming “transcendental object at the end of time,” and the psychedelic insights which led him to become an oracle.
Date
April 1994
Type
Lecture
Word Count
7,753
Duration
01:21:40
Quotes
14
Views
1,308
A lecture held at the Open Center in New York City with the subtitle “Nothing comes unannounced.”
Date
Unknown
Type
Lecture
Word Count
17,107
Duration
01:53:27
Quotes
11
Views
518
Date
Unknown
Type
Workshop
Word Count
10,236
Duration
01:26:42
Quotes
2
Views
105