LIVE @ the Minack - the Ascension plan

Review by Lucy Cooper
THE MINACK'S dramatic setting, open to the elements, with a jaw-dropping backdrop of sea and sky, provided the ideal launch pad for a night of epic and ethereal sounds from Penwith-based band The Ascension Plan and special guests.

On Friday, May 2, hundreds gathered on the cliffs at Porthcurno to witness the four-piece band join forces with New York singer Mimi Goese, of 1980s cult American band Hugo Largo, and Penzance choir the 50 Degrees.
The night marked what the band call, "the completion of a curious circle". The circle began back in the 1990s with Quietly Torn, the band started by The Cure's Porl Thompson when he moved to Zennor.
When Mimi Goese, the band's original singer, left – homeward bound for New York – Thompson recruited St Just guitarist and singer Martin Jackson, then 16 years old. On a May evening in 1998 Martin took to the Minack stage to play a memorable gig with Quietly Torn.
Martin went on to form The Ascension Plan with Quietly Torn drummer Nick McLeod, bassist Mungo Shoddy and former Bates Motel man Paul Adams on electric violin.
In 2012, on opposite sides of the Atlantic, Nick McLeod (who also plays with The Incredible String Band's Clive Palmer) and Mimi Goese began to hatch a plan.
This resulted in Mimi's collaboration with the band on a number of tracks, including Ascending, from their All Ways EP, and forthcoming singles Buoy and Life (You Are).
Ultimately, it led back to the Minack and the wild Cornish cliffs on a May evening in 2014, bringing Mimi and Martin together to share the stage for the first time.
The result was an evening that managed to pull off the feat of being both intimate and epic.
Axolotl set the tone with an introductory soundscape that melded with the waves and the wind. Building from womb-like gongs and elemental murmuring, The Ascension Plan's sound swelled into celestial flights of liquid violin melting into out of this world vocals, transporting the listener to realms at once familiar, strange and beguiling.
With years of collective musical experience under their belts, the band moved together effortlessly through the haunting waltzing chorus of Old Wings, via the alternating swing and raw power of Disengage (and Remain The Same), the ethereal Ascending and meditative All Ways. Mimi Goese brought her extraordinary and formidable vocals into the equation – which can also be heard on Moby's Into The Blue and When It's Cold I'd Like To Die – bringing theatrical flair and sparkle to the stage along with her trademark vocal acrobatics.

Adding the vocal harmonies of the 50 Degrees choir into the mix, under the skilled direction of Vicky Abbott, sent beautiful, fluid, yet precisely aligned harmonies rushing across the Cornish skies.
"The sky and sea stitched seamlessly," Mimi sings on the forthcoming single Life, (You Are). As the daylight faded, sea and sky vanished into one another and the stage was bathed in a dance of colours, courtesy of projections by renowned local artist Paul Lewin.
Sky, sea, music and light stitched seamlessly into a mesmerising fabric, entrancing the senses. The resulting frisson carried echoes of Sigur Ros at the Eden Sessions.
Maybe it's the tuning, the band tune their instruments to a pitch of 432HZ – said to be the natural universal frequency – rather than the standard concert pitch of 440HZ. Maybe it's the combined power of more than 50 voices. Or maybe it's just that special something that ignites when a plan comes together beautifully.
Whatever the secret, this will be remembered as a night when magic was made, when The Ascension Plan unfolded their wings and took flight with Mimi Goese and the 50 Degrees.
You can obtain the band's All Ways EP at theascensionplan1.bandcamp.com/album/all-ways-ep
Nicholas Pegg – author of the acclaimed Complete David Bowie series of books as well as a regular Dalek operator on Dr Who – was on holiday in the area and attended the concert. He tweeted: "One of the best gigs I've ever seen."

Psilocybin: The Science Behind a Magical Molecule

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Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in many species of mushrooms. In this form it has a long history of use by Man in the context of healing and divination, and it is still employed in this manner today by indigenous groups such as the Mazatec. Since the 1960’s awareness of psilocybin and the fungi within which it resides has spread into the Western world. Following the legal clamp down that resulted from widespread use of this and other psychedelics like LSD and mescaline at this time, scientific research into this compound and other psychedelics all but drew to a halt. In the last few years regulatory red tape has been loosening to some degree, and scientists have began studying psilocybin for a number of reasons. It appears that psilocybin is a highly multifaceted compound and has the capacity to act as a profound tool in the study of the brain and consciousness, as well as act as a treatment for a variety of psychological conditions.
Psilocybin is a compound of very low physical toxicity, but it can exert very powerful psychological effects, and the correct set and setting are of key importance when the drug is administered to reduce the chances of adverse reactions and to maximise potential benefits. On ingestion, psilocybin is dephosphorylated into the pharmacologically active molecule psilocin which closely resembles a key neurotransmitter serotonin in structure, and because of this it had a high affinity for 5-HT_2A and 5-HT₁ serotonin receptors where it mimics the effect of the neurotransmitter. The psychedelic effects of psilocybin can be prevented by the chemical ketanserin, which acts as a 5-HT_2A receptor antagonist, blocking psilocybin’s access to the receptor sites and preventing it from exerting an effect (Vollenweider et al. 1999). These receptors are located at varying densities in many parts of the brain, and play important roles in mood and motivation regulation, among other things. At medium doses psilocybin has also been found to increase an increase in cerebral metabolic rate of glucose, particularly in the frontomedial and frontolateral cortex (24.3%), anterior cingulate (24.9%) and temporomedial cortex (25.3%) brain regions (Vollenweider et al. 1997).
Recent technological developments such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are allowing researchers to examine the brain with greater precision and less invasively than ever before. Brain imaging studies of healthy volunteers under psilocybin have found that brain activity was reduced in the default-mode network via a reduction in blood flow, and hub regions such as the thalamus and anterior and posterior cingulate cortex were affected, and this in turn has downstream effects on consciousness, leading to a more unconstrained, expansive and free flowing state when compared to cognition in a sober state (Carhart-Harris et al. 2012). An overactive default mode network is associated with depressive states and obsessive rumination, so a reduction in activity of this network may have important implications for the treatment of depression. A reduction of activity in the default-mode network is also linked to experiences of ego dissolution commonly associated with psilocybin. This network is linked to our personality and sense of self, with the latter being experienced as less solid under psilocybin, and there is a sense of novelty, with people commonly describing experiencing the world akin to new, as through child like eyes. Activity in the medial prefrontal cortex was consistently decreased by psilocybin, which is of interest as this area has been observed to be hyperactive in people experiencing major depressive episodes. Mindfulness meditation has also been found to reduce activity in these same brain regions.
More brain imaging research has also shown the psilocybin enhances autobiographical recollection and facilitates the recall of memories in a vivid fashion in healthy volunteers, and that there was a correlation between vividness of memories and subjective well being at a two week follow up after the session. Increased activity in brain regions that process visual and other sensory information was also observed. This aspect of psilocybin suggests it may be an aid to psychotherapy as a tool to facilitate the recall of salient memories or to aid in the reduction of fixation on negative memories, while also having the potential to enhance creative thinking (Carhart-Harris et al. 2012).

Further brain imaging research has built on this past research and shown that psilocybin increases the amplitude of activity in brain regions that are reliably activated during dream sleep and which form part of the brains more ancient and primitive emotion system. At the same time an expanded state of consciousness is facilitated, with respect to an increased breadth of associations made by the brain under the drug and the ease with which this occurs compared to sober states (Tagliazucchi et al. 2014). This research indicates that psilocybin may allow access to waking dream states, and so allow active unconscious emotional processing and learning that is associated with dreaming, while also being an aid in creative thinking and problem solving, while having therapeutic applications for its ability to access the primal parts of the brain. It appears the state of consciousness resulting from psilocybin ingestion leads to disorganised and reduced activity in the ego system which in turn permits disinhibited and increased activity on the emotion system. This builds on evidence in other studies with the compound that psilocybin may be a useful aid for certain forms of psychotherapy.
Further analysis of the recent MRI findings of human brains under psilocybin has shown that the drug increases connection and communication between brain regions that are usually more disconnected in a sober state, and in an organised and stable fashion; the brain’s connectivity pattern is distinctly different under psilocybin. It is possible that experiences such as synaesthesia reported under psychedelics, where different sensory perceptions cross over and merge, may occur due to these alterations in brain connectivity. The function of the brain under psilocybin can be described as less constrained and more intercommunicative compared to a sober brain state (Petri et al. 2014).
More recent research has shown that psilocybin administration results in reduced amygdala reactivity, which in turn is correlated with positive mood in healthy volunteers (Kraehenmann et al. 2014). Thus, psilocybin may have potential as a treatment for anxiety and depression, with amygdala overactivity linked with negative mood states in patients with major depression. Research into psilocybin’s role as a treatment for depression and anxiety is ongoing. Current anti-depressant treatments only dampen symptoms, require chronic use to be effective, are only effective for a certain proportion of people, they tend to come with a range of side effects, and for some such as the commonly prescribed SSRI’s, withdrawals can be prolonged. Psilocybin could provide an alternative, more effective way of treating depression than is currently employed.
Research supported by MAPS and led by Francisco Moreno at the University of Arizona compromised the first FDA approval clinical pilot study of psilocybin in the US since 1970, and it was focussed on the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It was found that psilocybin administration resulted in a significant reduction in OCD symptoms in a number of patients (Moreno et al. 2006), and this is hypothesised to occur via a downregulation of serotonin receptors, resulting in a reduced responsiveness to serotonin (Halberstadt & Geyer 2011).
Psilocybin has been found to reduce the pain and symptoms of cluster headaches (Vollenweider & Kometer 2010; Sun-Edelstein & Mauskrop 2011) which are highly debilitating, are considered one of the most painful syndromes known to Man and are linked to a high suicide rate. No other treatments are known to stop cluster headache cycles and sub-psychedelic doses of psilocybin (and LSD) are effective. Psilocybin has been found to decrease blood flow in the hypothalamus, where blood flow increases during cluster headache episodes, which may partly explain its efficacy in treating this condition (Carhart-Harris et al. 2012). Further research in this area is certainly warranted.
Recent studies have used psilocybin in the treatment of alcoholism and tobacco addiction. A recently completed pilot study with 15 participants using medium and large doses of the drug yielded highly promising preliminary results, and further research is certainly warranted. 12 of 15 study participants (80%) showed abstinence at a six month follow up, while current treatments for tobacco addiction have a much lower success result, not exceeding 35% (Johnson et al. 2014). This was a small pilot study to test the feasibility of using psilocybin to treat tobacco addiction so it is important not to draw any definitive conclusions regarding the efficacy of psilocybin in treating tobacco addiction, but the results are certainly encouraging and supportive of further research.
Psychedelics like psilocybin act in a number of different ways in the brain to affect addictive syndromes. They act on the receptors in the brain associated with drug seeking behaviour, while reducing blood flow to areas of the brain associated with emotional processing and higher function that tend to be overactive in depressives. This can restrain negative circular thought patterns associated with addiction. The temporary chaotic state induced by psychedelics seems to weaken reinforced brain connections and dynamics and the experience provides a window of reflection where people can view their life and addiction issues from a wider perspective. People who were more successful in quitting smoking had higher ‘mystical experience’ scores, and in other studies, the psilocybin induced mystical experience was found to cause positive changes in measures of life satisfaction and well being, as well as long term personality change, particularly in openness.
Low doses of the compound, and chronic high doses have recently been found to increase hippocampal neurogenesis in mice, and increased the speed of their ‘unlearning’ of negative fear behaviour responses when compared to drug free controls, an effect that may hold promise in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related pathologies (Catlow et al. 2013). Thus psilocybin may have applications for treating PTSD in humans, a syndrome characterised by highly abnormal brain function, including impaired hippocampal function (Shin et al. 2006). Impaired hippocampal neurogenesis has also been implicated in cognitive disorders such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction (Canales 2013) and neurodegenerative diseases. The psilocybin was also found to decrease activity in the medial frontal cortex regions of the mice, this area being linked to overactivity in sufferers of PTSD, and this has also been observed in human studies (Carhart-Harris et al. 2012). It may be that psilocybin, like ketamine, alters glutamatergic neurotransmission, this being linked with neurogenesis and neuroplasticity in the brain (Vollenweider & Kometer 2010).
Psilocybin is being studied for its efficacy at assisting terminally ill cancer patients by easing their psychological suffering implicated with their approaching death. Initial results, where low doses of the drug are employed, combined with supportive psychotherapy, show great promise in psilocybin assisting people by reducing anxiety and existential angst, reducing dependency on pain medication following the session and allowing people to make the most of their remaining time. Effects from a single psilocybin session can be long term, with effects lasting from two weeks up to six months and beyond (Vollenweider & Kometer 2010; Grob et al. 2011). Further research in this area is ongoing, and is being conducted by Dr Stephen Ross of New York University with support from the Heffter Research Institute.
Research with high doses of psilocybin have found it can induce long term, positive changes in personality and feelings of life satisfaction and well being (Griffiths et al. 2011). Openness is one of the five measures of personality, and can be significantly changed in the long term by a single dose of psilocybin, especially if people have a mystical experience during a session (Griffiths et al. 2011). This is of great interest, as after the age of 30 personality is thought to be generally fixed in the individual, and openness is thought to decline with age, hinting that psilocybin can influence neuroplasticity of the brain. This change in personality remained as strong 14 months after the session, and appears to be long term (Griffiths et al. 2011). Openness covers personality traits such as an appreciation for new experiences, broadness of imagination and finding value in aesthetics, emotion, curiosity and creativity, with an increased hunger for knowledge (MacLean et al. 2011).
Psilocybin may have application in psychical research. In 1997 there was some research into how psilocybin could influence results from remote viewing conducted by students at the University of Amsterdam. In the experiment, test-subjects under the influence of cannabis selected the right target only slightly above chance expectancy. Test-subjects under the influence of psilocybin selected the target with a success rate of 58.3%, which is a statistically significant result. The experiment was small however with only 12 subjects, but further research with larger sample sizes is warranted (Millay 1999).
This is an exciting time for psilocybin research. The last few years has seen an explosion in research, and this itself indicates that the strongly anti psychedelic mind-set in scientific circles, a hangover from the 1960’s, is beginning to dissipate, and researchers now have cutting edge technologies such as fMRI to aid them in the work and increase the precision and breadth of their findings. Research in many areas is ongoing, and new avenues for enquiry are opening up. David Nutt and his team at Imperial College are conducting a study on the efficacy of psilocybin as a treatment for depression, building on their previous work there. Just months ago a pilot study was completed in the US, based at John Hopkins University, looking at the effects of psilocybin on behaviour, psychology and brain function in long-term meditators. Psilocybin has a long history of use by Man, and has been revered as a powerful medicine and ally for a very long time. Modern science is confirming and building on ancient wisdom to allow us to better understand this amazing and highly multifaceted molecule, in order that we can better utilise its tremendous capacity to heal people.

Notes
Canales, J.J. (2013) Deficient plasticity in the hippocampus and the spiral of addiction: focus on adult neurogenesis. Current Topics in Behavioural Neuroscience, 15, 293-312.
Catlow, B.J., Song, S., Paredes, D.A., Kirstein, C.L. & Sanchez-Ramos, J. (2013) Effects of psilocybin on hippocampal neurogenesis and extinction of trace fear conditioning. Experimental Brain Research, 228, (4), 481-491.
Carhart-Harris, R.L., Erritzoe, D., Williams, T. Stone, J.M., Reed, L.J., Colasanti, A., Tyacke, R.J., Leech, R., Malizia, A.L., Murphy, K., Hobden, P., Evans, J., Fielding, A., Wise, R.G. & Nutt, D.J. (2012) Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109, 2138-2143.
Carhart-Harris, R.L., Leech, R., Williams, T.M., Erritzoe, D., Abbasi, N., Bargiotas, T., Hobden, P., Sharp, D.J., Evans, J., Feilding, A., Wise, R.G. & Nutt, D.J. (2012) Implications for psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: functional magnetic resonance imaging study with psilocybin. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 200, (3), 238-244.
Griffiths, R.R., Johnson, M.W., Richards, W.A., McCann, U. & Jesse, R. (2011) Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: Immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 218, 649-665.
Grob, C.S., Danforth, A.L., Chopra, G.S., Hagerty, M., McKay, C.R., Halberstadt, A.L. & Greer, G.R. (2011) Pilot study of psilocybin treatment for anxiety in patients with advanced-stage cancer. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68, (1), 71-78.
Halberstadt, A.L. & Geyer, M.A. (2011). Multiple receptors contribute to the behavioural effects of indoleamine hallucinogens. Neuropharmacology, 61, (3), 364–81.
Johnson, M.W., Garcia-Romeu, A., Cosimano, M.P. & Griffiths, R.R. (2014) Pilot study of the 5-HT_2AR agonist psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco addiction. Journal of Psychopharmacology. In Press.
Millay, J. (1999) Multidimensional Mind: Remote Viewing in Hyperspace. North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California, USA.
Kellner M. (2010). Drug treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 12, (2), 187–97.
Kraehenmann, R., Preller, K.H., Scheidegger, M. Pokorny, T., Bosch, O.G., Seifritz, E. & Vollenweider, F. X. (2014) Psilocybin-Induced Decrease in Amygdala Reactivity Correlates with Enhanced Positive Mood in Healthy Volunteers. Biological Psychiatry. In Press.
MacLean, K.A., Johnson, M.W. & Griffiths, R.R. (2011) Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 25, (11), 1453-1461.
Moreno, F.A., Wiegand, C.B., Taitano, K. & Delgado, P.L. (2006) Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Psilocybin in 9 Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 67, 1735-1740.
Petri, G., Expert, P., Terkheimer, F., Carhart-Harris, R., Nutt, D., Hellyer, P.J. & Vaccarino, F. (2014) Homological scaffolds of brain functional networks. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 11, (101), e20140873.
Shin, L.M., Rauch, S.L. & Pitman, R. K. (2006) Amygdala, Medial Prefrontal Cortex, and Hippocampal Function in PTSD. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1071, 67-79.
Sun-Edelstein C, Mauskop A. (2011). “Alternative headache treatments: nutraceuticals, behavioral and physical treatments”. Headache: the Journal of Head and Face Pain, 51, (3), 469–83.
Tagliazucchi, E., Carhart-Harris, R., Leech, R., Nutt, D. & Chialvo, D.R. (2014) Enhanced repertoire of brain dynamical states during the psychedelic experience. Human Brain Mapping. In Press.
Vollenweider, F.X. & Kometer, M. (2010) The neurobiology of psychedelic drugs: implications for the treatment of mood disorders. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 11, (9), 642–51.
Vollenweider, F.X., Leenders, K.L., Scharfetter, C., Maguire, P., Stadelmann, O. & Angst, J. (1997) Positron Emission Tomography and Fluorodeoxyglucose Studies of Metabolic Hyperfrontality and Psychopathology in the Psilocybin Model of Psychosis. Neuropsychopharmacology, 16, (5), 357-372.
Vollenweider, F.X., Vontobel, P., Hell, D. & Leenders, K.L. 5-HT Modulation of Dopamine Release in Basal Ganglia in Psilocybin-Induced Psychosis in Man-A PET Study with [¹¹C]raclopride. Neuropsychopharmacology, 20, (5), 424-433.
Image by afgooey74, courtesy of Creative Commons license.

The Odd Folk (new album!) by Morgan Val Baker PLEASE DONATE

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We are making our second album, it feels like having second child, we're ready to nurse it and nurture it and then you can babysit!

Hello, we are The Odd Folk, a quintet of ramshackle musicians from the far west of Cornwall (although our drummers a Grimsby man with Cornish adoption pending!) We play folk music and we have always been a little odd. We use ironing boards as keyboard stands, branches as mic stands and all pile into an old Renault 4 and drive around the country playing music and getting lost. We're been carrying our debut album, The Sweet Release, around with us for the last couple of years and as well as most of our friends and fans having a copy we're actually running very low on stock! We've long been scratching our heads on how on earth we were going to fund another 'baby' when we stumbled on this sweet medium! We're so pleased to able to offer rewards to our fans as a way of saying thank you, and all of the prises will be created with as much love as we can muster.

We are really honoured to be able to work with Andy Bell, a sound engineer with a CV as long as your leg; who's worked with many greats from the folk circuit including Bellowhead, Eliza Carthy and Seasick Steve to namedrop but a few! Being a mobile sound engineer ables him to travel wherever we want him, and so we're choosing Belan Hall, an old shooting lodge in the middle of Wales, where we sometimes go to rehearse and have creative lockdown.

Belan Hall

We will also be working closely with our designer, Mae Voogd, to make the album cover and all the posters and T-Shirts to go with it. She's drawn the band a number of times but one of the rewards is for you to join us on the launch poster! All you'll have to do is submit a photo and you can hop onto the page with us.

The band as drawn by Mae Voogd.

The T-Shirts will also be designed by Mae Voogd and for this reward you will need to submit your size preference and colour preference.
At the minute the leading candidate is...

The figure we are after is £5000, which seems like a lot of money but in reality is just about scraping the barrel. And no, we're not going to do a runner to The Caribbean! The list below will give you an idea of what we need and what's involved in making an album.

The Sound Man - this is the main component, this includes all tracking, editing, mixing and producing of the album!
The Duplication - this is the where we get numbers, for instance 1000 copies to be released.
The Design - this involves all the album artwork, storyboarding the sleeves and booklets, and drawing up the posters.
T-Shirts - for your new frocks!
Photographs - for your mantlepieces!
Postage and Packaging - wherever you are the postman will come and deliver your rewards to you!
We look forward to working with you!
THE ODD FOLK
Morgan Val Baker
Sam Brookes
Shelley Macphail
Oscar Bloomfield-Crowe
Andy Watson

Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter

There is many risks and challenges ahead for us, most notably that we will fail to raise the required amount and the project fails. This is will be most unpleasant and will mean that all of the money raised thus far will be returned to it's lender as this is an all of nothing vehicle.
Another challenge we might face is that Belan Hall is under such heavy snow that we will not be able to get there. If this is the case we will scratch our stubble and agree on an equally creative (though less remote) place to record.
Another challenge we could face is that we don't receive any bookings for festivals, which although unlikely, could happen, as at this stage we only have it in 'word' and not 'writing'. If this is the case and we fail to agree on any festivals the THE FESTIVAL prise will be refunded to the sum of £300 and the THE VIP will be offered as a makeweight.
The final challenge will be staying fit and healthy and creative, if for any reason a release date is pushed back we will give you ample warning and communicate throughout.

FAQ

Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
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Launch of the Psychedelic Society in London

by Robert Dickins · November 12, 2014

Courtesy of the Psychedelic Society

The inaugural meeting of the Psychedelic Society (PS) – Mainstreaming Psychedelics – took place in Conway Hall, London on November 3. Nearly 400 people, representing different age groups and backgrounds, gathered together to watch four short talks. The speakers, and perhaps more importantly their fields, clearly indicated the ground on which the PS plan to operate.
Prof. David Nutt, psychopharmacologist and former chairman of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, discussed some of the latest research on psychedelics, and it was a mark of how well attended the event was that a number of the scientists Prof. Nutt cited in his talk were sat in the audience. The scientific community has made great headway with psychedelics over the last few years, and PS is clearly keen to aid this effort.
Evidence-based approaches in the sciences were also coupled with those of activism, policy, and harm reduction. There were talks from Steve Rolles, senior policy analyst at Transform Drug Policy Foundation; David Babbs from 38 Degrees, the activism and petition website; and Arielle Nylander, a harm reductionist who conducted research in the festival scene.
There was a real sense of not only bringing about a change in law and science, but providing for the existing psychedelic community as well – even if a number of the more experienced trippers and harm reductionists watching winced at some of the clinical terminology. I might add that rummaging through my tent at three in the morning – i.e. not preparing a ‘trip bag’ – has led to some very enjoyable adventures trying to find my way out.
And while this was certainly no 1965 Poetry Incarnation, where the scattered tribes of the British Underground came together in mutual recognition of the others, there was a seed of this energy at Conway Hall and definitely a collective sense of purpose.
Grassroots activism in the psychedelic arena takes two forms by and large, chemistry and politics, and I’ve been led to believe we’ve been short of both for some time. The timing is right for an organisation to rally political causes, just as the scientific community has been doing for a number of years, and while it remains to be seen how this will manifest in the Psychedelic Society, they’ve certainly kicked off on the right foot.

Sam Exposes The Legal Name Fraud In Court

Outside The Box With Kate Of Gaia on Critical Mass Radio recorded on November 12, 2014
Guests: Sam, Strawberry
Sam Exposes The Legal Name Fraud In Court

"NAME: The master key to the entire system’s/CROWN CORPORATION’S game. The NAME is the lynch pin to the entire legal/control construct. Without a LEGAL NAME, which is your consent by agreeing to be said NAME, the system vampires cannot literally feed on your life blood/creation source energy that is typically shown in the physical materials we collect. It is only the CONSENT to be/use/have a LEGAL NAME/Mark of the Beast that is required for your absolute spiritual contract/deal with the devil motif to be in FULL FORCE AND EFFECT with you as a SLAVE and them as MASTER. For PROOF of this, look and see how much of your life/existence involves a LEGAL NAME and you will see the measure of control the system has over you."

"We are clearing this reality of these parasites exponentially now where universal law reigns supreme where none shall or can trespass. They are masters of deception so do not let your loving compassion be used against you, something that has been their most powerful tools. The bio-borg entities are already lifeless and are dependent only on being able to suck the life out of you but, like every vampire, they cannot enter your reality without an invitation. Every use of the legal NAME is the only invitation they need so best cut your ties and consent with that. Just get this concept and you have already cut the puppet strings and your causal ability returns instantly in relation to your ability to be responsible with that ultimate of powers.
To the “walking dead” (and you know what you are) , your time is over, your deceptions are powerless and now moment by now moment, you are being erased from consciousness for the invading parasites you are. We, of the living soul, are awake, aware and reclaiming our reality where yours never existed. In short, yes, you are doomed. Have a nice day!"
- Babylon Is Fallen (Excerpt)

"Kate Of Gaia is a two spirit Gemini dragon, radio show host, researcher and investigative journalist digging deep into the illusions of this reality. She has spent her life thus far in a full learning capacity with stages as a singer songwriter, writer, poet, diver, pilot, etc with the last many years spent exposing the lies within religions, politics, legal land etc.
She chooses to encompass as many aspects of this reality as possible to get the broadest perspective that she can."
"Kate hosts an Open Forum style radio show called 'Outside The Box'
where thoughts and ideas are shared, on any given topic or subject that is the flavour of the moment.
Kate now refers to her shows as 'episodes' and also likes to think of them as
'nightly gatherings' .
Broadcasting 7 nights a week at
7pm-9pm EST/Midnight-2am GMT
all 'episodes' are geared for the listeners to really get involved so that they are the guest speakers.
So join and share with Kate by tuning-in and calling-in.
You are always welcome.
You can listen to Kate live on air, and find the archived recordings of all her previous broadcasts here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/critical... "

http://kateofgaia.wordpress.com
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Kate's One Stop Truth Doc - http://kateofgaia.files.wordpress.com...
Babylon Is Fallen By Kate Of Gaia - http://kateofgaia.files.wordpress.com...
NAME-A-HOLICS/A-NON-EYE-MOUSE by kate u/v kaia
http://kateofgaia.files.wordpress.com...

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A Cornish Experiment in Sustainable Power - PLEASE DONATE

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A Cornish Experiment in Sustainable Power

With your help, we aim to build and test an experimental engine fuelled by wood chips to power a lightweight vehicle. We've been developing this new concept of biomass-fuelled engine, based on a combination of old and new ideas, and are now at the point where we can integrate our designs into a first complete engine. This will be an exciting next step after many years of research and practical experimentation.
We are a small team based in West Cornwall and like many forward-thinking people we are interested in renewable energy. With particular regard to engine fuels, the current mainstream approach is to grow monoculture crops that are then extensively processed into a format suitable for existing engines. For example, sugarcane is grown and then fermented to produce bio-ethanol as a petrol replacement fuel. We think that a far better approach would be to develop new engines designed specifically to run on a broad range of minimally processed plant matter, typically woodchips.

 
“I can’t resist getting behind these guys, if only so I can get a step closer to my dream of a carbon neutral wood-chip powered flail mower for River Cottage. And maybe an eco-jet ski to get me a bit quicker to my favourite inshore fishing marks…"
       Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall - River Cottage

Historically, Cornwall is the birthplace of high pressure steam power, and a very appropriate place to develop a new form of wood-gas fuelled steam engine. Our engine will be compatible with forestry brash, scrap wood, hedge trimmings, crop residues, and so on, which need only be dried and chipped. This engine could be used in all sorts of ways, but our first one will be used to power a modified recumbent trike.

We will use our powered trike prototype for practical trials and for demonstrations. It will be a form of power-assist vehicle but with an important difference. Instead of having pedals, the rider will use leg power to pump air into the engine's combustion chamber to generate the heat needed to raise steam. The harder the rider pumps, the more steam pressure will be created and the faster the trike will go.

As far as we know, this concept has never been explored, and is actually more like a form of 'muscle-power amplification' (rather than power-assist). The engine and rider will have to work together to power the trike, and this makes for an unusually simple mechanical system.

       Our engine will basically consist of:
1. A high efficiency gravity-fed wood chip gasification/combustion system of our own design.
2. A monotube boiler
3. Our unique rotary expansion motor that uses flexible tube 'muscles' instead of pistons and cylinders.
4. A steam condenser
5. A circulation pump
6. Foot-operated high-flow air pumps.

       The technical spec for our engine will be:
Top operating pressure - 110psi
Combustion chamber exit temp - about 1000 degrees C (raising superheated steam to approx 250 degrees C)
Maximum power output - 1 horsepower (roughly three times more powerful than an average cyclist)
Warm up time from cold - around 5 minutes
Thermal efficiency - estimated between 15% - 20%
Fuel efficiency - we hope for about 25 miles per kg of wood chips
Given that we will be running on locally grown fuel, we expect the 'twig to wheel' efficiency to be unbeatably high!

We hope to validate this new concept as possibly the simplest engine yet devised capable of powering a vehicle using biomass. Variations of our engine may prove to be useful in many other ways (such as to power small boats, or generate electricity, etc.). Wood is an important renewable energy source - when grown and managed sensibly - and we aim to demonstrate that when it is burned correctly and in optimal conditions, it can also be a very clean and powerful fuel.

Find out more on the ZENNOR PHOENIX PROJECT WEBSITE here

Your Help

Please explore the rewards offered for pledges to this project and help us if you can. See the budget section of our project website for a full breakdown of how we will use your money.
Our particular expertise is in the adaptation of existing and recycled parts and materials for the building of components; a methodology we refer to as shoestring durch technik. We expect the building and preliminary testing of the trike-with-engine to take 4 months.
If the project is successful we hope to build bespoke engines for anyone who wants to commission one. We may develop kits and plans to enable others to build them too, and it may help us to find government and/or private backing to develop our engine concept more seriously. We also hope to encourage the involvement of universities with our ideas.

Please enjoy our film and support our project!

Thank you.
Graham Waldren, Mat Thompson & Richard Blackborow
The Zennor Phoenix Team

How crowdfunding works

You pledge using the options on the right of the screen. Only if enough people pledge and we reach our target of £7,000 by our deadline will our campaign be deemed 'successful'. Then pledges will be collected and rewards distributed. We will thank and post the names of all our funders on our website. Those of you receiving willow cuttings will be contacted to find out when you'd like them, or if you'd like us to plant a tree for you. We will then enjoy the midwinter festivities before beginning our 4-month project on Monday 5th January.
January and February will be spent building the engine and adapting the trike. Those of you taking a tour of the woodland workshops and seeing developments will be invited towards the end of this period. In March we aim to be testing and refining the trike and by April finish the short film 'The Making of the Zennor Phoenix'. At this point we will honour all outstanding rewards.
There are two ways to pledge to make this project happen, via Paypal or Go Cardless. If you use PayPal, your donated amount will be debited from your account immediately and held by Crowdfunder until we reach our target, at which point it'll be given to us to start our project. If we fail to meet our target, the money will immediately be returned to your account. If you pay using Go Cardless, the amount you pledge is not debited from you account until such time as we reach our target. If we don't, the money is never debited. We hope that makes sense! Please contact us if you need any further clarification. Both payment options are safe and simple to use, and we thank you in advance for your generosity.
We will keep you all updated with our progress at key stages and send you all a report on the project at the end.
You can also pledge money to help support us and opt out of the offered rewards!
International pledges are accepted but additional postage will be added.
If you would like to know more about the rewards, or want to ask for something else, please use the 'send message' button. Let us know what you might like and how much you can pledge, and we will do our best to accommodate your ideas. We think that this is a really worthwhile ecological project and aim to make it interesting and entertaining too.

Click on the image to visit the Zennor Phoenix Website, where you'll find more information about our project.

Glastonbury Town Hall seized under article 61 Magna Carter invoked in 2001by 25 Barons

14th October 2014
We successfully siezed the town hall in Glastonbury this evening after a heated council meeting. Police later arrived and then left agreeing that we were doing nothing unlawful, six of them attended the scene.

We could have remained there without a problem but we would have inconvenienced the kindly caretaker, so we decided to leave of our own volition. It was all video's so it will be uploaded later.

Article 61 works and all we need to do is use it peacefully. I have demanded an interview with the local police inspector which has been logged by our cameras and by the police. He has been ignoring my emails and failed to pass out the information to his constables that I sent him about Article 61 and the nice treaty, when he faithfully promised to do so.

Thanks to the half dozen or so people who bothered to turn up and assist in the seizure you are truly my brothers and sisters, namaste