Video one – Lee on drugs and prison wards

video two – Lee on Reintegration

But in the past decade ad agencies have engaged in a self-conscious inversion of familiar ‘sex sells’ tropes directed at those of us born roughly after 1985; those of us who do not buy things but instead “buy things.” By selling sex ironically, advertisers can mock themselves and ease the viewer into a winking acknowledgment of a commercial’s artifice—all while exploiting the sexual imagery that got them there in the first place.

Who could forget Paris Hilton’s spot for Carl’s Jr. in 2005, which depicted the scantily-clad celebutante washing a Bentley before cramming an enormous hamburger in her mouth? Domain name vendor Go Daddy has been peddling ads of the same ilk during the U.S. Superbowl for years now, most recently featuring supermodel Bar Rafaeli making out with famous-for-being-goofy-looking background actor Jesse Heiman. Even Coca-Cola, who typically play sincerity close to the vest, have recently ventured into ironic sex appeal territory themselves.

In fact, the schlubby-guy-meets-supermodel has become a trope unto itself, advanced in large part by Judd Apatow films and the Axe spots depicting women variously attacking and molesting its average-Joe customers.

Conventional advertising taps into an audience’s subconscious by placing a beautiful man or woman in the general vicinity of—or better yet, using—a particular product. But now the sex is front and center, as if to level with the audience. The game has changed, they seem to say—we don’t take ourselves seriously either! What better way to fight phoniness than with self-aware phoniness? And if you happen to enjoy the eye-candy along the way, well, who could blame you? Not that we should confuse this irony with real sincerity; the truth still doesn’t make money. Consider Death Cigarettes, a UK brand from the early nineties that didn’t even last the decade. Or Hyundai, who recently pulled a morbid clip displaying a man’s frustrated suicide attempt as a result of his car’s clean emissions. Nobody wants a hard dose of reality in between episodes of Geordie Shore.

But sex still sells, especially when it’s gussied up in postmodern polish. And no matter whether you’re enjoying the ads or “enjoying the ads”, buying stuff or “buying stuff”, your money is theirs all the same.

The pineal gland, thought by some to be the third eye, is found in the centre of the vertebrate brain. It is a pine cone-shaped endocrine gland that produces melatonin (N-acetyle-5-methoxy-tryptamine), a serotonin derivative hormone that modulates our sleeping patterns and seasonal cycles.

But the most intriguing and controversial function of the pineal gland is one hypothesised by Dr Rick Strassman in the 90s. According to Strassman, the gland is also supposed to secrete the powerful psychedelic DMT. Dimethyltryptamine, a Class A drug in the UK, gained exposure in popular culture through Gaspar Noe’s 2009 film Enter the Void and later through the 2010 documentary DMT: The Spirit Molecule, inspired by Strassman’s book of the same title.

Scouring the vaults of online drug library Erowid.org throws up an extensive collection of visitor-generated, first-hand reports of DMT experiences. Entry-level trips generally attest to an arched dome or chrysanthemum-shaped nexus of bright nodes, accompanied by a feeling of undulating pulsation.

But beyond a certain threshold DMT allows the user to supposedly ‘breakthrough’ by capitulating them into hyperspace.

The nexus of lights explodes into a vast landscape of complex geometric scaffolding. Numerous trip-reports account to these architectures being so unfathomably multi-dimensional that they can only be conceptualised as belonging to a technologically advanced civilisation of the future.

It is at this point that the hallucination then introduces the user to what are unanimously perceived as ‘foreign entities’, in some instances wishing to impart some wisdom in exchange for complete compliance from the user: an information exchange or even an alien abduction.

One man who holds unwavering faith following a DMT induced religious experience confided in me that his trip brought him face to face with God himself although the details remained ineffable.

Relevant to his case is the attribution of DMT to such phenomena as the near-death experience . Indeed, by focussing on the near-death experience in two of his human experiments, Strassman tested his hypothesis that the pineal gland undergoes a massive DMT release at the death or near-death of the body.

In his trials, both volunteers reported disassociation of mind and body. While one test subject reported looking down on his unconscious, physical self, the other reported a light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel experience – something she describes as reminiscent of the last bardo of reincarnation in The Tibetan Book of the Dead.

It may therefore be no surprise that the third eye holds huge literal and symbolic significance in religious and mystical scripture. In Hinduism, the third eye corresponds with the Ajna chakra found in the forehead; a gateway through which external, spiritual energies are believed to enter the body. We find similar concepts in Taoism, Buddhism and meditative arts such as yoga and qigong. The third eye is so embedded in South and South East Asian culture that we find its aesthetic representation in ornamental bindis commonly painted and worn on foreheads in the East.

Third eye symbolism is everywhere for the discerning observer, and so is DMT. Ayahuasca, a brew containing DMT-infused plant leaves, is still a key component in Amazonian Peruvian shamanistic practises to this day. Similarly, British writer Graham Hancock identifies the Ancient Egyptian Tree of Life as the DMT-containing Acacia Nilotica, revered for its capabilities for inducing dream-states millennia ago.

There may be connections between hallucinations and the pineal gland. Melatonin is only released in darkness and itself has photosensitive properties. Furthermore, comparative anatomy between the pineal glands in some animal species and the human suggests that, like the tuatara lizard, we may have evolutionary vestiges of sight intended for light absorption.

What is certain is that hallucinations and dream-states present us with a virtual rather than a material vision. DMT, via the pineal gland, therefore allows us to access a quality of information inaccessible to normal states of consciousness. In the words of one of Strassman’s volunteers, “[DMT is] not like some kind of drug. It’s more like an experience of a new technology than a drug […] It’s not an hallucination, but an observation.”

Does this imply that ancient civilisations harboured a communicational technology that has been lost in time? At a certain point in such esoteric research a gut-feeling holds us back. We are all hardwired to be wary of crack-pot conspiracy theories and wild-eyed New Ageism. There is the latent danger of DMT-related conjectures descending into an inevitable endpoint of pseudo-babble.Some of the hypotheses about the power of DMT have verged into the fantastical.

As testament to this, Hancock’s talk ‘The War Against Consciousness’ for TEDxWhitechapel was pulled from the official TEDx YouTube channel in March of this year, on grounds of immaterial scientific basis for his theories. The incredible proposal made by Hancock is the idea that our present linguistic capabilities evolved through early ancestral experimentation with psychedelics.

But this may highlight the very the heart of the matter. Perhaps there is not enough research into the exploration of non-physical, psychedelic realms. Altered states of consciousness are left to theosophy, practical experimentation and a few intrepid intellectuals to explore.

Illustration by Sage Goodwin

Could you tell me something of your background as an activist and why you decided to run for political office?

I am not working as an activist anymore, though I remain very committed to the cause. But I come from a family of activists. My mother was a Women Rights activist so one could say activism was very much the environment in which we grew in. As for running for political office, I wanted to change our community. Sexual orientation or any other personal characteristics that have no impact on job performance should not be a reason for one not to contribute to the welfare of society.

If you had been voted Senator, what reforms would you have hoped to see through?

It is a shame that HIV/AIDS still remains a very big challenge in our country – yet if we engaged in comprehensive prevention programs without leaving anyone behind, the story would be different. Human rights particularly for those at the margins of society should be mainstreamed – again we should not leave anyone behind.

You are the first openly gay man to ever run for office in Africa – do you consider yourself a role model for LGBT Africans?

If running for political office inspires people to get out and claim their rights and build a better society, then I would be happy with such a designation. That said, standing out does not add much value, especially since I was not able to see the campaign through. I actually fear people may be intimidated in the future. I would hope they do not get intimidated.

What do you consider are the greatest issues facing young LGBT Kenyans (and other Africans) currently? In your opinion how can these issues successfully be dealt with?

Abuse of their fundamental rights including inability to access services in an environment free of stigma and discrimination ranks topmost of the challenges. It is unfortunate that many LGBT Kenyans have come to accept, even accept discrimination as part of their daily living.

But for the situation to change, LGBT Kenyans have to be prepared to come out and advocate for their rights. And they do not need to apologise for it. They are not a mistake and they should not accept to be treated as such. It may be slightly difficult for them at first, but with time all will work out.

At your talk in October you said that homosexuality is often considered as incompatible with the idea of “being African”. Could you explain this further?

It is not my position that homosexuality is incompatible with being African; rather it is the view that is frequently floated around by politicians and religious leaders. I in fact find the argument that an age-old human reality can selectively evade the African person to have some disturbing logical and racial conclusions. A corollary of that argument could play into those who hold racist views of the Africans – it is incredible that anyone would hold that view.

In October you received an award for your work with sexual minorities and HIV – what is the attitude towards HIV in Kenya today? How are matters regarding HIV and Aids being addressed?

Yes, I received an award from the National Aids Control Council – NACC for working with Key Populations. The attitude towards HIV is characterised by reducing stigma, which is reflected in the reducing numbers of new infections.

Unfortunately we need to do a lot more than is getting done. The government needs to show leadership in inclusion of sexual minorities, sex workers and people who use drugs – it needs to have a “Leave no one behind” policy. The government and Kenyan society also need to begin taking up greater role in HIV financing – especially with the formation of a HIV fund in the country.

Did you encounter any problems during your campaign? Did these lead you to withdraw from the Senate Race?

The reason why I withdrew from the campaign had to do with resources. Kenyan elections have unfortunately become so expensive to run. Because of the high stakes involved, security also becomes an important component during the campaigns. I did not have enough funds to run the campaign and also keep a security detail – many other candidates find they need to increase their security during the campaign period.

What will you focus on now – what are your objectives for the future? Do you plan on running for office again?

I am currently on full time employment, but am also consulting with some elders to see how I can join the council of elders. An elder among the Kikuyu has no legal influence, but is a very respected position. The position also provides opportunity for discussive (sic) influence particularly on cultural matters. It will certainly be the first time an “out” person has ever been admitted to the council of elders so in a sense it will be breaking some glass barriers.

Kaleidoscope trust promotes diversity and upholds LGBTI rights around the world. They invited David Kuria to speak at Oxford University in September last year. To learn more about the UK-based NGO go to http://www.kaleidoscopetrust.com

“There are no excuses for being a vagabond,” Bangkok Governor SamakSundaravej told The Bangkok Post in 2003. “Everybody must have a place to live.”

I took this picture from the stilt built metro-line in Bangkok. It snakes its way through the skyline, the city traveller’s twentieth century alternative to a rusty tail boat up the klong.
From the carriages this rapidly developing city resonates Mad Max. New and old, rich and poor, strange and familiar jar in a maelstrom of temples, skyscrapers and Western shopping malls. It is built up, packed to the gills and spewing out into the gutters.
At the kerbside the city’s heaving population of urban poor vie for space. Pad Thai vendors and tuk tuk drivers and dogs and the homeless gather around the base of each of the metro’s giant concrete stanchions on the streets of the city ranked third after London and Paris in ‘MasterCard’s Global Destination Cities Index.’
This man has found a quiet shaded spot in a district just south of the centre. He’s done well.

ISIS presents a film screening of interviews with ex-prisoners & a panel discussion on the ethics of imprisonment.

You are going to prison, about to serve a sentence having been found guilty of a crime.
- How will the prison officers treat you?
- What will you do to get through the day?
- What will happen to you when you are released?
- Will you be able to reintegrate into society?

8pm Wednesday of 3rd Week, Saskatchewan Lecture Theatre, Exeter College, £2 on the door.

Speakers include:

SHAUN ATTWOOD – award-winning author of Hard Time, which details his experiences in prison for money laundering and drug dealing

KARYN BUCK – founder and CEO of the Buck Project, a peer to peer mentoring and training scheme for prisoners

KATE FRASER – working with the reintegration of female former prisoners into society

The event will include discussion of video statements provided by former prisoners who talked to ISIS about their experiences inside and outside the prison walls.

Expect:
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas / The Four Tops / The Velvettes / The Beatles / The Temptations / The Velvet Underground / The Kinks / Diana Ross & The Supremes / The Ronettes / The Shirelles / The Beach Boys / Frank Wilson/ Stevie Wonder/ The Who / The Marvelettes / Smokey Robinson & The Miracles / The Contours / The Animals / Otis Redding / Isley Brothers / Sam Cooke/ Ike & Tina Turner/ Dusty Springfield / The Yardbirds / The Rolling Stones / Sam & Dave / Jean Knight / Nancy Sinatra / Ray Charles / Freda Payne / The Zombies / David Bowie / Mamas and Papas / The Turtles / Wilson Pickett / Gloria Jones / Bob Dylan / The Spencer Davis Group/ Jackson 5 / Lyn Collins / Dusty Springfield / Aretha Franklin / Marvin Gaye / The Monkees / Chuck Wood / The Hollies / The Elgins / John Mayall / Georgie Fame / The Kingsmen / The Sonics / The Byrds / The Faces and more….

Any other suggestions on facebook group wall.

See you @ the Disco!

A group of nuns taking a walk in the gardens of the Belvedere Palace in Vienna.

It was a pleasant day of spring and the sun drove most people outside, in the fresh air. Groups of teenagers could be seen, sitting on the grass, working or chatting, surrounded by herds of disoriented tourists, myself included. In the middle of all the cameras and noisy families on their day off, a group of nuns sat admiring the gardens. I spotted them and took the picture but they never took notice of my presence.

Editors: Paulina Ivanova & William Granger

Issue no. 1883, Hilary Term 2013