The Myth Of The "Heroic Dose"

Few if any doubt the importance of the legacy left by Terence McKenna. An author, psychedelic advocate, ethnobotanist, philosopher and public speaker, McKenna was an important voice who will forever hold a place in the history of the psychedelic revolution. But one thing I wish he hadn't left behind was the term "heroic dose."

It's true that facing yourself can take courage. The psychedelic experience itself can be difficult, and many people get anxious just thinking about the possibility of dealing with past traumas, suppressed emotions and unpleasant memories. It's not easy, so in that context I get the point of this particular aphorism. But it's often dripping with machismo, arrogance and disdain for others. People are challenged to "man up" (don't even get me started on that) and take a heroic dose. In online forums dedicated to psychedelic use people try to outdo each other by bragging about the massive amounts of [insert substance here] they take or have taken, all the while looking down their noses at people they consider to be "lightweights." To me it's all a bit reminiscent of the frat boy culture that glorifies blackout drinking. It also tends to shame people who take less than some arbitrarily defined amount.

Frankly, I couldn't care less how much of any substance a person consumes. To me the most important thing is what you do with your experience (regardless of how much you take), and ultimately kind of person you are striving to be.

Personally, I'm going to stick with the term "larger dose."