--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The psychedelic issue is a civil rights…" description: "\"The psychedelic issue is a civil rights and civil liberties issue. It is an issue concerned with the most basic of human freedoms: religious practice a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30e/terence-mckenna-287_civil-liberties_the-psychedelic-issue-is-a-civil-rights_2551990.png" --- # The psychedelic issue is a civil rights and civil… ![“The psychedelic issue is a civil rights and civil liberties issue. It is an issue concerned with the most basic of human freedoms: religious practice and the privacy of the individual mind.” quote by Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30e/terence-mckenna-287_civil-liberties_the-psychedelic-issue-is-a-civil-rights_2551990.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30e/terence-mckenna-287_civil-liberties_the-psychedelic-issue-is-a-civil-rights_2551990.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30e/terence-mckenna-287_civil-liberties_the-psychedelic-issue-is-a-civil-rights_2551990.png) > “The psychedelic issue is a civil rights and civil liberties issue. It is an issue concerned with the most basic of human freedoms: religious practice and the privacy of the individual mind.” [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Psychedelic use intersects with fundamental freedoms like religion and mental privacy, framing it as a civil rights issue. **In simple terms:** Psychedelics relate to personal freedoms. Key Takeaway Defend mental liberty. Themes civil rights psychedelics freedom Mood advocacy thought‑provoking Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy advocacy - personal spirituality - legal reform Key Concepts human rights privacy law Questions to Reflect On - Why should psychedelics be protected? - What safeguards are needed? A Different Perspective Legal status varies globally; risks exist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil liberties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-liberties/) [Civil Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-right/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Human freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-freedom/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Privacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privacy/) [Psychedelic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychedelic/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious practices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-practices/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) ## Related quotes > [I think that the whole thing, the crux of the whole psychedelic issue, is that it accentuates personal responsibility by making people take their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/i-think-that-the-whole-thing-the-crux-of-the-whole-psychedelic-issue/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The last of human freedoms - the ability to chose one's attitude especially an attitude of gratitude in a given set of circumstances especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/the-last-of-human-freedoms-the-ability-to-chose-one-s-attitude/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [Since Castro took power, the Cuban people have been denied basic human freedoms. No freedom of religion, no freedom of the press, no political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/since-castro-took-power-the-cuban-people-have-been-denied-basic-human/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression. The second is freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/we-look-forward-to-a-world-founded-upon-four-essential-human-freedoms-2/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [No one can take from us the ability to choose our attitudes toward the circumstances in which we find ourselves. This is the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/no-one-can-take-from-us-the-ability-to-choose-our-attitudes-toward/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [As for what it's against - the story is against those who pervert and misuse religion, or any other kind of doctrine with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/as-for-what-it-s-against-the-story-is-against-those-who-pervert-and/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Human rights, human freedoms... and human dignity have their deepest roots somewhere outside the perceptible world... while the state is a human creation, human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/human-rights-human-freedoms-and-human-dignity-have-their-deepest-2/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [I pass no judgment about historic events. I defend the human freedoms. Whatever event has taken place throughout history, or hasn't taken place, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/i-pass-no-judgment-about-historic-events-i-defend-the-human-freedoms/) [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/) > [Human rights, human freedoms, and human dignity have their deepest roots somewhere outside the perceptible world. These values are as powerful as they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/human-rights-human-freedoms-and-human-dignity-have-their-deepest/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/we-who-lived-in-concentration-camps-can-remember-the-men-who-walked/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [The last of the human freedoms — to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-last-of-the-human-freedoms-to-choose-one-s-attitude-in-any-given-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The last of the human freedoms is to choose one's attitudes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-last-of-the-human-freedoms-is-to-choose-one-s-attitudes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What blinds us, or makes historical progress very difficult, is our lack of awareness that our beliefs have grown obsolete and should be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-blinds-us-or-makes-historical-progress-very-difficult-is-our/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [They don't have special rights because we have civil rights laws that protect them. The laws work both ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-allen/they-don-t-have-special-rights-because-we-have-civil-rights-laws-that/) [Tom Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-allen/) > [We are working with the office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in addressing the challenges with the social media companies to ensure that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-mayorkas/we-are-working-with-the-office-of-civil-rights-and-civil-liberties-in/) [Alejandro Mayorkas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-mayorkas/) ## More by Terence McKenna > [History was an incredibly damaging experience, and now it's over . . . in a sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/history-was-an-incredibly-damaging-experience-and-now-it-s-over-in-a/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The history of man that you don't know is what your unconscious is made out of. Just as the history of yourself that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/the-history-of-man-that-you-don-t-know-is-what-your-unconscious-is/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [We are consciousness. We may not always be monkeys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-consciousness-we-may-not-always-be-monkeys/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What is happening here is we are living past the age, by the millions, living past the age where cultural values make any sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-is-happening-here-is-we-are-living-past-the-age-by-the-millions/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [What history is, essentially, is a careening, out-of-control effort to find our way back to this state of primordial balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-history-is-essentially-is-a-careening-out-of-control-effort-to/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [And what is the primary datum? It's the felt presence of immediate experience. In other words, being here now is the primary datum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/and-what-is-the-primary-datum-it-s-the-felt-presence-of-immediate/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Our culture difinitely takes an egocentric dominator view. The fear of the psychedelic experience is quite literally the fear of losing control. Dominator types…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/our-culture-difinitely-takes-an-egocentric-dominator-view-the-fear-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Every step into freedom contains within it the potential for greater bondage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/every-step-into-freedom-contains-within-it-the-potential-for-greater/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [This is the message of your life and my life - it’s that nothing lasts. Heraclitus said it: Panta Rhei. All flows, nothing lasts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/this-is-the-message-of-your-life-and-my-life-it-s-that-nothing-lasts/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [I often like to think that our map of the world is wrong, that where we have centered physics, we should actually place literature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/i-often-like-to-think-that-our-map-of-the-world-is-wrong-that-where/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Knowledge, or verbal facility, is no proof that you know what you're talking about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/knowledge-or-verbal-facility-is-no-proof-that-you-know-what-you-re/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [No culture on earth is as heavily narcotized as the industrial West in terms of being inured to the consequences of maladaptive behavior. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/no-culture-on-earth-is-as-heavily-narcotized-as-the-industrial-west/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Man was not put on this planet to toil in the mud. Or the god who put us on this planet to toil in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/man-was-not-put-on-this-planet-to-toil-in-the-mud-or-the-god-who-put/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [If you take psychedelics and the Internet and music and put all of that together you have the basis for a new community that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/if-you-take-psychedelics-and-the-internet-and-music-and-put-all-of/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) [Explore all 745 Terence McKenna quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## More Civil liberties quotes > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Using a broad brushstroke, I think Libertarian - most of America are socially accepting and fiscally responsible. I'm in that category. I think, broadly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/using-a-broad-brushstroke-i-think-libertarian-most-of-america-are/) [Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/) > [As long as I have any choice in the matter, I shall live only in a country where civil liberty, tolerance and equality of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/as-long-as-i-have-any-choice-in-the-matter-i-shall-live-only-in-a/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [It is aspiring tyrants who say that 'civil liberties end when an attack on our safety begins.' Conversely, leaders who wish to preserve the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-d-snyder/it-is-aspiring-tyrants-who-say-that-civil-liberties-end-when-an/) [Timothy D. Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-d-snyder/) > [Since I became chairman, I've tried to turn EFF into civil liberties and responsibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-dyson/since-i-became-chairman-i-ve-tried-to-turn-eff-into-civil-liberties/) [Esther Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-dyson/) > [For the hundreds of thousands of Californians in gay and lesbian households who are managing their day-to-day lives, this decision affirms the full legal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/for-the-hundreds-of-thousands-of-californians-in-gay-and-lesbian/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [“It's almost hard to imagine anything more undemocratic than the view that political officials should not debate American wars in public, but only express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-almost-hard-to-imagine-anything-more-undemocratic-than-the-view/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [Critics have stepped up their attacks on the President for authorizing the National Security Agency to listen to international communications of known al Qaeda…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-mcclellan/critics-have-stepped-up-their-attacks-on-the-president-for/) [Scott McClellan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-mcclellan/) > [I was on the state board of directors of the American Civil Liberties Union.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-hill/i-was-on-the-state-board-of-directors-of-the-american-civil-liberties/) [Betty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-hill/) > [George W. Bush and his administration embarked on a full-scale assault on civil liberties, human rights and the rule of law, walking away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-jagger/george-w-bush-and-his-administration-embarked-on-a-full-scale-assault/) [Bianca Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-jagger/) > [I have very real concerns about the civil liberties implications of ultimately requiring every resident to submit themselves for compulsory fingerprinting or some other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-hewitt/i-have-very-real-concerns-about-the-civil-liberties-implications-of/) [Patricia Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-hewitt/) > [I think when people talk about civil liberties, they sometimes forget that action taken to protect the citizen against physical violence and physical attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard/i-think-when-people-talk-about-civil-liberties-they-sometimes-forget/) [John Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard/) > [“Fugitive Peace (Sonnet 2219) In the opera of war, peace is fugitive - thinking soldiers are no good to state, either you kill without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/fugitive-peace-sonnet-2219-in-the-opera-of-war-peace-is-fugitive/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [It is no response to assert that the Patriot Act has been useful; what you need to explain is how any particular safeguard would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-sanchez/it-is-no-response-to-assert-that-the-patriot-act-has-been-useful-what/) [Julian Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-sanchez/) > [Funny, for all surveillance, Osama bin Laden is still free—and we're not. Guess who's winning the "war on terror?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/funny-for-all-surveillance-osama-bin-laden-is-still-free-and-we-re/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) [Browse all 325 Civil liberties quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-liberties/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The psychedelic issue is a civil rights and civil liberties issue. 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