Ayahuasca: The Visionary Brew

Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic brew, named after the ayahuasca vine, which has been traditionally used by the people of the Amazon for healing and spiritual guidance. Ever since its "discovery" (by the West) in the 1950s, ayahuasca has slowly spread in popularity all across the world, boasted in large part by the pioneering psychonaut, Terrence McKenna. The ayahuasca vine itself does not contain the hallucinogenic compound responsible for effects that the brew can have … [Read more...]

Sometimes Knowing What You Really Want In Life Is The Challenge

We all get confused sometimes. One of the biggest confusions can be knowing what we really want from life. We can know what others may want us to want. We can think we know what is best to want. We can rationalize a life path and draw it up. But sometimes, we can feel a longing or disappointment about where we are in life. Maybe our true passions have changed. Maybe we have been lying to ourselves about what we want. But, as the saying goes, "The heart wants what … [Read more...]

The Fall of the Roman Empire

At its peak in the year 106 AD, the Roman Empire consisted of 52 provinces and influenced or controlled some 2.3 million square miles of territory around the Mediterranean Sea. The Roman army was efficient and well-organized, and the ruling classes in Rome, including the Emperor, were the richest and most powerful men in the Western world. Yet within three hundred years the Empire was on the verge of collapse, and the reasons for its decline and fall have interested … [Read more...]

Ancient Language Of Sanskrit

Sanskrit is an Indo-Aryan language which was used in ancient times. It was the primary language of Hinduism, and most of the scholarly work of Jainism and Buddhism was also written in Sanskrit. In current times, it is one of twenty two languages of India, and is also an important part of Indo-European studies. Sanskrit is thought to mean put together, constructed, or refined. The language itself refers to Sanskrit as “the cultured language”. It was and still is known … [Read more...]

What Is the Indus Valley Civilization?

In the 1920s a 4,500 year old civilization was discovered on the Indian subcontinent. Named the Indus Valley Civilization for its development on the floodplains of the Indus River Valley in c. 2500 BCE, it quickly flourished and spread over a large area. Its reach extended over modern-day Pakistan and northwest India. This civilization is of special interest for its sophisticated urbanization which rivalled that of contemporaneous Ancient Egypt. Its peak population may … [Read more...]