From Facebook Group "Save Abel Tomlinson":
A Plea for Help to All Loving Souls: End this War on Your Own People!
I am writing this love letter as a plea for Help and support in a fight against unjust laws that are assaulting me right now. Millions of Americans like me are being unfairly politically and religiously persecuted by failed, wasteful and counterproductive Drug War policy. Millions of people like me experience a very clear violation of our First Amendment right to Freedom of Religion.
I am a sincere believer in a beautiful, loving eternal God that lives and breathes within the hearts of every man, woman and child on the planet, and it is specifically this religion that is under attack. Due to careful study of the history of violent, hateful, fearful and greed-filled religion, I became an intensely atheistic youth. However, at the age of 23 when I ingested sacramental psilocybin mushrooms, my whole worldview was eternally altered for the better, and I became a firm believer in a Divine Consciousness that pervades every atom of the Universe. Original American citizens, specifically the Aztecs, called these entheogens “Teonactl” or the “Food of the Gods,” and ingestion was a central, widespread religious practice in original American religion.
Psychedelic sacramental utilization can be traced to religions of numerous nations of people from South America, North America, Europe, Asia and Africa, and sacramental use has even been documented in a book as old as the Bible. The ancient Rig Veda says, “We have drunk Soma and become immortal; we have attained the light, the Gods discovered. Now what may foeman's malice do to harm us? What, O Immortal, mortal man's deception?”
World renowned writer and intellectual Aldous Huxley wrote in his epic novel Island that sacramental mushrooms should not be given negative names like “drug” or “dope.” He wrote: "Dope...Muragan was telling me about the fungi that are used here as a source of dope." "What's in a name?...Answer, practically everything. Muragen calls it dope and feels about it all the disapproval that, by conditioned reflex, the dirty word evokes. We on the contrary, give the stuff good names-the Moksha Medicine, the Reality Revealer, the Truth-and-Beauty Pill. And know, by direct experience, that the good names are deserved."
Huxley also wrote in another work: “I have taken [psychedelics] six times now and have been taken beyond the realm of vision to the realm of what the mystics call "obscure knowledge"- insight into the nature of things accompanied by the realization that, in spite of pain and tragedy, the universe is all right, in other words God is Love. The words are embarrassingly silly and, on the level of average consciousness, untrue. But when we are on the higher level, they are seen to stand for the primordial Fact, of which consciousness is now a part.”
After having an intense religious psychedelic experience, I became a devout believer in the Great Loving Spirit. I felt divinely interconnected and in Love with All people, animals, plants and the entire living, breathing Universe that is God. This is not at all a unique subjective experience.
Not only do many religious and tribal histories corroborate my experience, but a recent John Hopkins University medical study found that these mushrooms had a long-lasting, positive psychological and spiritual benefit for people. Psychedelic substances have also been shown to help with addiction to other more dangerous drugs like alcohol, and have been shown to help cure post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A Harbor-UCLA Medical Center study is also currently investigating if mushrooms ease anxiety of terminally ill cancer patients.
UCLA psychiatrist Charles Grob says all the cancer patients in the study have shown promising reactions to the substance. Grob finds that “these compounds have tremendous potential to facilitate healing, especially in areas that do not respond well to conventional treatments…There is global healing in these compounds which have been used for millennia by indigenous people that have much to teach modern man and modern woman."
This powerful medical science research indicates very clearly that psychedelics do not fit the drug definitions outlined in the Controlled Substances Act itself. The CSA lists Schedule 1 drugs as having "no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States...and it is further undisputed that the drug has at least some potential for abuse." The positive psychological research evidence destroys the first part of this statutory definition, and there is also no evidence for psilocybin having "potential for abuse." The scheduling of mushrooms under this definition is completely inaccurate.
Importantly, many of the greatest scientific and technological advances in biology and computer science were also in fact facilitated by the use of psychedelic sacraments. Nobel winner Francis Crick reported that psychedelics helped him visualize the DNA structure, ultimately the second biggest biological science breakthrough in history. The third biggest biological science breakthrough was by Nobel winner Kary Mullis and he too attributes psychedelic sacraments as helping him visualize this process. Mullis discovered polymerase chain reaction, which was instrumental in the sequencing of the human genome and is extremely crucial in current medical science research involving genetics.
The CEO and founders of Apple computers Steve Jobs also said sacramental substances were one of the most important things he has ever done in his life, and helped with technological visions. Similarly, Kevin Herbert, a founding member of Cisco Systems said psychedelics help overcome the hardest technical problems by "changing something about the internal communication in my brain. Whatever my inner process is that lets me solve problems, it works differently, or maybe different parts of my brain are used…When I'm on (sacrament) and hearing something that's pure rhythm, it takes me to another world and into anther brain state where I've stopped thinking and started knowing." Herbert also moved to make sure Cisco Systems banned drug testing of all technologists at the company.
The potential of psychedelics to facilitate further technological and scientific advancement can not be overstated. These substances most certainly can help humanity survive what appears to be Impending Doom, Armageddon, The Apocalype or whatever rather realistic fearful vision one chooses. Everyone is becoming increasingly aware of the intense failings of our old sociopolitical, agricultural, energy and economic order, and rest assured it is crumbling. However, thanks to the use of psychedelics, I and others like me are inspired to redesign a new sustainable, loving political and economic order, a luminous phoenix fertilized by the ashes of dead ideas. Our vision will enable Homo sapiens to avoid what would appear to be an inevitable downward spiral into bloody savagery as the unsustainable greed-based Order collapses.
As you may know, I graduated a First Ranked scholar at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville with a Horticulture Science degree, and have pursued graduate degrees in plant disease genetics and political science. I also have been a longtime writer and activist for peace and justice, and a 2008 candidate for U.S. Congress, receiving almost 60,000 votes. I have been an outstanding student, an outstanding citizen and loving father to my 7-year old daughter Anna Tomlinson. I had plans to go to the U of A law school this fall.
However, on January 11th, 2010, I was arrested for providing sacramental mushrooms to a “friend.” It was always my belief that the Unconstitutional laws against my religion were unjust, so I felt that practicing my religion was a civilly disobedient defiance of the War on American People a.k.a. the “Drug War.” Furthermore, I felt that our species is facing a dire threat of civilization, economic and environmental collapse, and our species desperately needs an evolution of spiritual consciousness to save us. I felt that providing sacraments to good friends with shamanic instructions on responsible use was in fact a positive effort to save our species and planet. As I now know, one of my “friends” was not a good friend and worked with the government as an Agent of the State to invade my home without a warrant wearing a wire, which led to my arrest. This invasion and entrapment is arguably Unconstitutional.
In a divine coincidence of synchronicity, January 11th was the first day of my last semester of graduate school in political science, and I had applied for law school that morning. On that day, much of my previous life and many of my previous dreams died.
From that point on, I have been treated by the government and parts of American society as evil, disposable trash. I was bound and inhumanely thrown in a cage with hardened violent criminals and murderers. I was treated by guards like a worthless Guantanamo detainee that may as well be tortured like an animal. I faced thousands of dollars in bail fees and then lawyer fees, and face more massive court fees and fines in the future. If convicted, I could face 20 years in prison. These punishments for a victimless "crime" are also arguably violation of other Constitutional rights against disproportionate punishment and excessive economic hurdles for justice.
Interestingly, as soon as I was arrested I became guilty until proven innocent. My arrest received widespread negative media coverage where they painted me as some automatically guilty and evil drug dealer with no value to society. Despite being only charged with this nonviolent, victimless "crime," the University of Arkansas immediately sent me a letter of interim suspension and banned me from the campus unless escorted by policemen. Then they ordered me to come before a judicial board to determine whether or not to expel me. However, I would have been forced to sacrifice my Constitutional right against self-incrimination at this academic board of “justice,” so I took the advice of my lawyer and withdrew from the Graduate School with deep sorrow and regret. Later, I was also urged to withdraw my Law School application for admission as well by U of A administrators, and I again obeyed with deep remorse. If convicted I will also become permanently ineligible for academic financial aid and other government services, yet rapists and murderers remain eligible.
Since my academic career has been apparently destroyed, I have been looking for a decent job with no success. Not only are good jobs extremely hard to find in this economic downturn, but when widely painted as a worthless villain I have found it impossible. I was highly qualified for certain Horticultural jobs, but am being denied consideration because of this unjust war on American people like me. And we wonder why we have so many impoverished, hopeless homeless people? Once convicted in America, it is a life sentence of poverty and societal marginalization. The punishment and hostile retribution never ends. No forgiveness. No understanding. No freedom. No justice. No Christlike loving compassion.
This whole tragedy has also created a situation that may lead to my daughter being taken away from me. We both love eachother immensely, and our forced separation may prove to be the worst ramification of all. This Drug War is truly an assault on American families! It shreds and impoverishes families and communities all across our nation, and this is pure madness.
My life and citizenship is being dismantled inch-by-inch by this cruel and unjust body of law. Originally, I was going to take the standard fear-filled advice to just take a plea bargain and hope for years of probation or a smaller prison sentence. However, I quit believing in fear and have devoted my life to Love, and when bathed in God’s Love there is no fear.
It would be entirely selfish of me to take this injustice bent over. I must stand tall and represent the millions of poor Americans being oppressed by these unjust laws. I will not lose my dignity. I did nothing wrong. If these Unconstitutional laws place me in jail, I will do it with my head held high. Even if I lose the legal battle, the long-term political battle is far from over.
This letter is intended to explain my religious and philosophical beliefs, my legal and political arguments, and also as a plea for Help to anyone concerned. I urgently need political and moral support. I will not need any financial support because, with the help of my lawyer friends, I will be doing my own legal research, writing my own legal briefs and possibly making my own oral arguments.
Thank you very much for reading this very long letter.
Sincerely,
Abel Noah Tomlinson
Here is a group I formed, Psychedelic Pantheism Church*, which further explains these religious views. It currently has 376 members and is growing rapidly:
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?v=info&gid=6709243505
Positive Benefits of Psychedelics
Psychological & Spiritual:
HOPKINS SCIENTISTS SHOW HALLUCINOGEN IN MUSHROOMS CREATES UNIVERSAL “MYSTICAL” EXPERIENCE:
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/press_releases/2006/07_11_06.html
CNN report on Hopkins study:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7yKpvBQhTw&feature=related
CNN report on MDMA curing PTSD:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYidpI1eMss
Scientific Advances:
Discovery of DNA:
http://metabraingrowthprocess.tribe.net/thread/763d39f5-39dd-4c19-a06e-5426874f1bd5
Computer Science and other Biological Science Advances:
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/01/70015
Related group Love Tribe: http://www.facebook.com/groups/edit.php?officers&gid=6709243505#/group.php?v=info&gid=15864013022
* Church according to this philosophy is actually the temple within. There is no building needed and the book is the sacrament combined with communication with the Universe (God) within, no middle man required.
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