And all the points I tried to make . . .

I went to a poly meetup the other night in Queens. In the course of the evening, I had a conversation with a gentlemen who expressed some issues with anxiety, relationships, a need to connect with others. He was at this meetup to speak with like minded people. To meet others who wanted to be open. To learn something. To feel comfortable in his skin.

I let him speak for what felt like an hour, but was probably only 10 minutes. At one point, he described the following:

A “TurnOn” Event

TurnOn: [turn on] v. sensations occurring in the body

• Increased body heat

• Tingling and chills

• Flushing cheeks

• Feeling of being awake and alive

TurnOn is the ignition that leads to a more of what we really want in life. It is the first step to knowing what's possible. And, it comes when we get real about the powerful stuff of relationships, Orgasm, intimacy, desire, etc.

We designed the evening specifically to give people the opportunity to feel TurnON in themselves. It's an evening where, through only talking, we begin to experience these exhilarating, energizing, often ignored feelings -- referred to as TurnON. A room of people (cool, fun people) engage in honest, humorous, playful conversation around topics we mostly only consider having in our head.

Through 3 guided, round-robin style games, express yourself and gain new (and maybe surprising) insight into yourself and others. Fear, longing, taboo, love... Be with others who are willing to express it openly and be seen for who they really are. It's like a giant exhale when the rest of the world is asking you to hold it in.

High praises for this event were given. It changed his life. He advised me to attend, and was trying to organize a crossover event with the Poly people and the TurnOn people. (I’m not exactly sure if I should be using these descriptors, but what the hell ;-)

So anyway, I had few drinks in me, and being that I was in a place of open and honest communication, with no fear of social awkwardness, I dropped the following:

This sounds like my Phish experience. People, friends, strangers, experiencing a collective awakening. Being in tune, locked into each other. Love. Light. Energy. We have it all.  I GUSHED. I told him about making it my every vacation. How it created a new culture to call my own. How music was there to soothe our souls. New relationships were formed and people connect. DO YOU HEAR WHAT I’M SAYING! In some way it has lead to my view on relationships. And thats is a good thing.

It was nice to speak these words on virgin ears. It probably had been a while. There was no bias either which made it all the better. No pop culture to tell him he shouldn’t believe. His mind was play-doh. PLAY-DOH!

Which reminded me. He needs to do acid. LSD. EVERYONE needs to do this. At least once. You see the world different. I hope this is no surprise to anyone reading this. Or maybe I do. Either way, he was eager to soak up this advice and I indulged. I spoke of how it could unlock his anxieties and help him resolve problems. I advocated for its use in a therapeutic setting and that If used properly, would be a powerful psychiatric medication. Not long passed before he was on board. He literally said he he wanted to trip. He was ready.

I’ve always felt the above were related on some level. Music, community, love, openness, psychedelics. At least for me. And there was something special about linking it all together for this gentleman. So I wanted to share.

Thanks for listening.