The Vision of Terence McKenna

Alchemeyez Visionary Art Congress was founded in 2010 as a modern incarnation of the original Vision of one of the Founding fathers of the modern contemplative  and psychedelic consciousness movement, the inspired speaker and educator Terence McKenna.

In the Winter and Spring of 1999, Terence was given a download of the original idea to have a Gathering of enlightenment and inspiration which coupled the very best in the spiritual and sacred arts and music with lectures and symposiums by groundbreaking scientists and educators into an event held on the Big Island of Hawaii which he called the Alchemical Arts Conference. At the first incarnation of this special Vision, a unique tribe of participants and artists was gathered and the tone was set for a series of events which would create and manifest a place of meditation and cultural awareness that would act upon society in a unique fashion.

Sadly, Terrence McKenna was whisked away, out of the bardo, and into the afterlife a mere seven months after this event, and before he could continue to foment this unique Vision.  In one of his closing addresses at this seminal gathering of the minds, Terence had this to say, as he struggled with his advancing cancer.

I think disease is, and I don’t want to be held to this entirely, but, largely more linguistic than people think. The story you tell yourself is largely the story you’re living. Nothing is unannounced. This is a psychedelic truth, I think, of some power. And it relates to disease, and it relates to shamanism. Nothing is unannounced. If you’re paying attention, stuff comes down the pike, first the little waves, then the medium-sized wave, and then the tsunami. But you have to be really not paying attention to be fully astonished by something unexpected. Connectivity is the pre-condition for love.

His words, books, speeches, question and answer sessions, and videos that were left continued to engage and inspire a new generation of minds and voices that are active to this day in the high minded Mission of using symbols, sacred practices and methods of communication in the arts and sciences that would literally re-make our culture from the bottom up.

It is in the spirit and attitude of this cultural and spiritual pioneer that we, the artists and educators of Alchemeyez set about to continue in his stead, and bring forth more work of this kind, in the exact model he created. By hosting this Festival and Congress, we both celebrate his Legacy and bring fresh energy to his unique meditation. It is with the blessing and knowledge of the remaining members of the McKenna family that we offer a new opportunity to the world to open the mind’s eye to the art, music, examples, and ideas perpetuated by his original Vision, and carry it into the future as spiritual food for ourselves and our communities.