THE PROCESS OF SURRENDER, PSILOCYBIN & SPIRITUAL GROWTH

SURRENDER “to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress”.

I have been a spiritual warrior my entire life, and I bear the physical and emotional scars that illustrate my existence. Good has come from my past choices, and also “some not so good experiences”. Most importantly I have no regrets for the great lessons I have learned. I have always fought, but as I matured, I began to understand “which battles to fight, and more importantly which ones to walk away from”. The word “Surrender” was offensive to me at one time. For me, and in the past, it meant quitting and giving-up. In my mind Surrender meant “being physically, emotionally and spiritually weak”.?Then I woke up!

Over the decades I have studied spirituality, religion, metaphysics, “New Thought”, and of course, I contemplated God/ess (please choose whatever title makes you feel most comfortable), the meaning of life, and later psychedelics. I began to understand that ALL of the ascended masters, venerated by the people of this planet, have ALL gone through an amazing “process of Surrender” (and some used psychedelics). Did these spiritual masters experience “duress” in the process of surrender? Certainly, they did. However, the process and experience of “Surrender” produced spirituality, cosmic consciousness, enlightenment, some miracles, and a life dedicated to mysticism thereafter. The cliché phrase, “In our vulnerability, we find our greatest strength” is so true. Vulnerability allows for spiritual growth, and this happens only through complete surrender. Psychedelics can provide a vehicle to breakthrough ego blockages

My most recent experiences with psychedelics (specifically Psilocybin) had brought about a much-needed paradigm shift in my consciousness and also my spiritual re-awakening. My psilocybin experiences had blown away my previously held concepts of myself, and who I wrongly believed myself to be (my ego blocks). Most importantly my psychedelic experiences got me back on my spiritual path.

My previously fortified ego-concepts of “self” had been completely annihilated through my Psilocybin experiences. However, during beautiful, and at times horrifically frightening, psychedelic experiences I completely surrendered to the process. The resulting gift is that I saw myself for who I really was at that time (and I did not like that person). I recognized that this person (myself) needed to change. My mantra through ALL of my recent psychedelic experiences is - “I surrender. I surrender. I surrender”. World societies place such negativity on the word “Surrender”, and this is truly a mistaken thought pattern and error in consciousness. The following 51 English words are synonyms of the word Surrender:

1. concede ???????????????????14. acquiesce ???????????????????????27. white-flag ?????????????????40. lay down

2. give-up ?????????????????????15. cede ??????????????????????????????28. cessation (Formal)???41. demit

3. relinquish ?????????????????16. succumb ??????????????????????29. relinquishment ???????42. render

4. capitulate ?????????????????17. vacate ??????????????????????????30. abdication ??????????????43. renounce

5. fall ????????????????????????????18. collapse ????????????????????????31. cession ?????????????????????44. give over

6. abdicate ???????????????????19. go down ???????????????????????32. compliance ???????????????45. transfer

7. kowtow ?????????????????????20. go under ??????????????????????33. waiver ??????????????????????46. demission ?

8. waive ????????????????????????21. hand over (Idiomatic)?34. submit ?????????????????????47. resignation

9. submission ???????????????22. bow ??????????????????????????????35. buckle (Intransitive)?48. abnegate

10. giving way??????????????23. forfeit (related)????????????36. give in ??????????????????????49. quit

11. yield (related)?????????24. acquiescence ???????????????37. let-go ?????????????????????????50. fold

12. abandon (related)??25. yielding ??????????????????????38. resign ????????????????????????51. give

13. unconditional ???26. unconditional surrender ??39. forgo

Chief Joseph (1840-1904) was the leader of the “Wal-lam-wat-kain” (Wallowa) band of the Nez Perce tribe from the interior of the Pacific Northwest. The Nez Perce were some of the most respected Native American warriors in the Indian Wars. Chief Joseph ultimately SURRENDERED. He was famous for his quote, “I WILL FIGHT NO MORE FOREVER”. He suffered greatly until he went through “his own process of surrender”. Through his transformational process of surrender, Chief Joseph ultimately underwent a spiritual transformation in becoming more than he once was as a man and leader of his people. In his later life he became known as a humanitarian and peace maker.

The indelible lesson I learned from my two Near Death Experiences (NDE) is SURRENDER. I recognized that “when I was dying, I fought like hell, and I wanted nothing more in that moment than to live". Ultimately, I had succumb to death (surrender), and I let go – and let God”. My NDE experience, and my Surrender, began a process of spiritual growth and my forming a new Spiritual Intelligence.

“Find you path. Stay on the path. Be the path” - Tom DiNardo