Jason Silva
Courtesy of Jason Silva
Jason Silva is an extremely unique charter. Born and raised in Venezuela, Silva moved to America at age 18. In less than two decades, he managed to build an extremely successful career in media and public speaking.
As a fan of all things wonderful, mind-expanding, and awe-inspiring, Silva is no stranger to cannabis and psychedelics. In fact, he’s very open about his use.
“What if I told you that you could be 500% more productive; or 430% more creative; or even 490% more able to learn a new skill?” he asks. “Well, guess what: Over 100 years worth of scientific research shows us that we’re actually capable of achieving an elevated state of consciousness called a ‘Flow state’ whereby all our faculties go through the roof… Now guess what else: Not only is flow state ‘hackable,’ but the research also shows that cannabis and psychedelic plants can help us get there.”
Intrigued?
Luckily, Silva is launching a podcast focused on exploring these topics in depth. Flow Sessions with Jason Silva is launching this week, aiming at becoming a “mind-stretching new podcast series featuring conversations with world-renowned thought leaders like Michael Pollan, Steven Kotler, Rick Doblin, and many others.”
‘An Existentially Oriented Person’
Silva likes to define himself as an “existentially oriented person,” always energized by ideas. In fact, he gets a lot of pleasure from contemplation and from introspection.
“Cannabis has a deep and long history of being used as a sacrament in the aid of contemplated introspection,” he says, explaining this element, and his passion for knowledge were the things that really led him to weed – versus the more common pursuit of recreation.
And, growing up in “a very creative household,” which was “beautiful raw material for a cannabis-addled brain,” didn’t hurt. The role of the set and setting in informing altered states experience is not minor, he explicates, as he looks back at those formative years, when he developed a “love of ritual, of contemplation, of introspection, and of the role that cannabis played in facilitating these kinds of sacraments.”
“Cannabis has a deep and long history of being used as a sacrament in the aid of contemplated introspection.”
“Whether it’s cannabis or other mind altering compounds, these compounds, in a way, are like placebos with booster rockets,” Silva continues.
In this context, the larger the larger cultural ecosystem matters just as much as the quality of your herb. “I think it made me an early activist, or curator, or master of ceremonies, so to speak, in the sense that I felt like this was not just about talking about cannabis and as being an antidote to the Reefer Madness and spreading the truth about the medicinal properties of this plant, but also changing the culture around it.”
And this became one of Silva’s personal missions: to elevate the cultural context around cannabis, to go beyond “getting stoned, playing video-games and eating Cheetos.”
Especially in a context of so many people being addicted to pharma drugs with a myriad of known side effects, Silva is all about natural alternatives. “Here you have a non toxic, immensely medicinal and beneficial tonic that, if used in the right context, could not just alleviate so much of our distress, but write a whole new kind of ‘tumble down the rabbit hole opportunity’ for people to rediscover the things they’re interested in.”
Interestingly enough, celebs from around the globe have picked up on this quality Silva has.
Richard Branson recently said “Jason explains that ideas transform us, transport us, and make us question life as we know it […] His message is clear, look at the world without boundaries, and anything is possible… As Jason explains.. we are all broadcasters and publishers – it’s up to us to spread ideas out into the world, to the benefit of mankind.”
“Jason explains that ideas transform us, transport us, and make us question life as we know it.”
So, what’s next for Silva? Will he continue to broadcast, to publish, these ideas intended to benefit mankind?
Go With The Flow
In Silva’s view, “cannabis is an agent for facilitating wonder.”*
But what does that even mean?
Well, “we know that cannabis is a nonspecific amplifier of consciousness; we know that cannabis increases reactivity to stimuli, both from within and from without, which means you’re more likely to let the environment you’re in pierce your representation, your lenses of perception,” he explains.
These words might definitely sound snobby, intellectual, or poetic, Silva acknowledges. But that’s the point. The Venezuelan-American is trying to raise the consciousness around cannabis.
“Cannabis is an agent for facilitating wonder.”
And that’s what his new podcast, Flow Sessions with Jason Silva – sponsored by Flow Kana, is all about.
But wait, Flow Sessions is much more than just a podcast, assures Silva.
“I think of it as like the HBO of podcasts, because it’s this really high end, premium conversation with some of the smartest luminaries in the world, about consciousness, about culture, about altered states, about creativity, about innovation, about technology, and about the existential reality of the human condition.”
And, to make things even better, this deep dive into some of the most important topics of our time have been informed by Silva’s (and sometimes his guests’) experimentation with cannabis.
“My interest in all of these things, is rooted in my experimentation with cannabis. So, even though not every episode is talking specifically about cannabis, all of these conversations rose and emerged from cannabis use… Cannabis is the larger context that inspired many of the conversations explored and closed session.”
So, the idea behind Flow Sessions is for people to enjoy long-form conversations, for listeners to feel like they are sitting in a living room with the podcast participants. It’s all about the flow of ideas.
“Even though not every episode is talking specifically about cannabis, all of these conversations rose and emerged from cannabis use… Cannabis is the larger context that inspired many of the conversations explored and closed session.”
Check out a preview of the first episode, featuring Steven Kotler, on Spotify.
* Author’s note: “cannabis is an agent for facilitating wonder,” along with Amanda Palmer telling me “the doors of perception opened for me and never closed behind me,” are, I think, my favorite quotes about cannabis and psychedelics of all time.
Which are yours?
Find me on Twitter or Instagram, tag @JavierHasse, and tell me!