Weekly: Magic Mushrooms, Micro-Payments & Rhyming History

Over the last week, I wrote about learnings from my visit to Chichén Itzá, and then ended the week in a town called San Jose del Pacifico (pictured above) in Oaxaca, Mexico.

For premium subscribers, I wrote about how Chichen Itza isn't technically a pyramid; why San Jose del Pacific is known as "magic mushroom town"; and why the crypto market needs to pay attention to enterprise blockchain patents.

I also shared a bit about overcoming pride as an entrepreneur - something that isn't often talked about a lot, because it comes with the territory of proud "lone wolf" types.

Rhyming stories throughout time

“History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” ~Mark Twain

Last week, we discussed the similarities in stories between Akhenaten and Jesus Christ.

During my trip to San Jose del Pacifico, I finished a book called The Gospel of the Toltecs. Much to my surprise, I learned of yet another story with eerie similarities to great teachers of the past - Ce Acatl.

Ce Acatl was a king from Toltec history who was mythologized for creating a kingdom of peace, wisdom and artistic proliferation, but not without trial and tribulations. He was known for his devotion to the "cult of Quetzalcóatl," which I later found out was the reason why the city of Chichén Itzá became as popular as it did.

Now, I'm not religious, but I do have respect for some of the fundamental truths espoused by many religions.

What's interesting is the similarities in what they try to preach - how to be a "good human." Same story but different people for different times.

What people seem to get lost in is the how, which leads to different sects, denominations, and even abuse of the original teachings.

And in learning about Ce Acatl, Akhenaten, and even Jesus, you start to see how their stories are about teaching "oneness", but their popularity then gets manipulated by others (later on) for power.

What's truly new?

My takeaway from the last week is that: while some things change, many things stay the same.

Entrepreneurs often aspire to "change the world". But how much of this actually moves needles? How much of this truly new or enlightening? It is usually only in retrospect that we can determine this.

In today's crypto market, I would argue that not much has actually been revolutionary or game-changing. When it comes to blockchain, there's only one use case I see as game-changing: micropayments.

When was the last time you paid for something in the 'real world' for less than a cent?

Much in the crypto market right now is a repeat of what we've seen in Web 2, but with bigger hype. Few have unlocked the power of micropayments. This is still an untapped opportunity for entrepreneurs.

Psychedelics and echoes from the past

As mentioned in a previous newsletter, much of what we see today can be found in echoes of the past, just in different form.

The myriad of available crypto-currencies are like all the different deities of Egyptian times. The mass manipulation of the Mayan lower class is like the mass manipulation of average netizens on social media today.

And then we have the use of psychedelics (e.g. "magic mushrooms"), which I learned has gone from sacred, ceremonial use, to recreational and productivity-based.

The late Apple founder Steve Jobs was known for taking LSD. As a result, Silicon Valley found a way to introduce 'micro-dosing' on magic mushrooms to boost productivity and careers.

Places like San Jose del Pacifico, where I visited, is where folks like Steve Jobs would've come to in the 70s. There's deep reverence and creativity to be found with psychedelics like "magic mushrooms."

But indigenous elders often say that it's important to have a "guide" with you when taking such things, as irresponsible use can lead to potential mental issues.

There's a lot to be gleaned from the past, and my research into indigenous oral traditions (specifically) seems to be providing further context to a lot of the academic and mainstream text found online or through universities. The journey continues.

Until next week, remember: it will come.

George

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