--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What they [psychedelics] cause is what…" description: "\"What they [psychedelics] cause is what I'm advocating, a fundamental revaluation of cultural values, because culture as we're practicing it currently i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/terence-mckenna-287_advocating_what-they-psychedelics-cause-is-what-i-m_1246718.jpg" --- # What they \[psychedelics\] cause is what I'm advocating, a… ![“What they [psychedelics] cause is what I'm advocating, a fundamental revaluation of cultural values, because culture as we're practicing it currently is causing a lot of pain to a lot of people, and animals, and ecosystems, none of whom were ever allowed to vote on whether they wanted this process…” quote by Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/terence-mckenna-287_advocating_what-they-psychedelics-cause-is-what-i-m_1246718.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/terence-mckenna-287_advocating_what-they-psychedelics-cause-is-what-i-m_1246718.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/terence-mckenna-287_advocating_what-they-psychedelics-cause-is-what-i-m_1246718.jpg) > “What they \[psychedelics\] cause is what I'm advocating, a fundamental revaluation of cultural values, because culture as we're practicing it currently is causing a lot of pain to a lot of people, and animals, and ecosystems, none of whom were ever allowed to vote on whether they wanted this process to go in this direction.” [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. He argues that psychedelics prompt a deep reassessment of cultural values, which currently cause harm to many beings without their consent. **In simple terms:** Psychedelics demand a cultural value rethinking. Key Takeaway Advocate for inclusive, compassionate cultural change. Themes culture psychedelics ethics consent Mood thoughtful critical hopeful Type philosophical activist When to use this quote - policy reform - public education - research funding - community dialogue Key Concepts value revaluation ecological ethics animal rights Questions to Reflect On - Who decides cultural direction? - What ethical frameworks guide such reevaluation? A Different Perspective Changing entrenched cultural norms is slow and faces resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Ecosystems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ecosystems/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Psychedelic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychedelic/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [“Part of what psychedelics do is they decondition you from cultural values. This is what makes it such a political hot potato. Since all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/part-of-what-psychedelics-do-is-they-decondition-you-from-cultural/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [“On a group of theories one can found a school; but on a group of values one can found a culture.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignazio-silone/on-a-group-of-theories-one-can-found-a-school-but-on-a-group-of-2/) [Ignazio Silone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignazio-silone/) > [To be a soulful person means to go against all the pervasive, prove-yourself values of our culture and instead treasure what is unique and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-shinoda-bolen/to-be-a-soulful-person-means-to-go-against-all-the-pervasive-prove/) [Jean Shinoda Bolen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-shinoda-bolen/) > [On a group of theories one can found a school; but on a group of values one can found a culture, a civilization, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignazio-silone/on-a-group-of-theories-one-can-found-a-school-but-on-a-group-of/) [Ignazio Silone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignazio-silone/) > [“To instill the values for the culture was and is the responsibility of the leadership, and staff alignment was critical to its success. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-mallory/to-instill-the-values-for-the-culture-was-and-is-the-responsibility/) [Sue Mallory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-mallory/) > [In India, we are parented in a way that we get very good values. But the whole culture forgets to tell us to also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/in-india-we-are-parented-in-a-way-that-we-get-very-good-values-but/) [Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) > [In any society, the way a woman gives birth and the kind of care given to her and the baby points as sharply as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kitzinger/in-any-society-the-way-a-woman-gives-birth-and-the-kind-of-care-given/) [Sheila Kitzinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-kitzinger/) > [Changes in language often reflect the changing values of a culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/changes-in-language-often-reflect-the-changing-values-of-a-culture/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [Moral values, and a culture and a religion, maintaining these values are far better than laws and regulations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/moral-values-and-a-culture-and-a-religion-maintaining-these-values/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Americans want our leaders to defend our values, our culture, our legacy of liberty and our way of life, not apologize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-o-donnell/americans-want-our-leaders-to-defend-our-values-our-culture-our/) [Christine O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-o-donnell/) > [We can't stop talking about the importance of our values and our culture. We can't stop talking about them because the moral well-being of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/we-can-t-stop-talking-about-the-importance-of-our-values-and-our/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [There is no hierarchy of values by which one culture has the right to insist on all its own values and deny those of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/there-is-no-hierarchy-of-values-by-which-one-culture-has-the-right-to/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“Although the realization of values in a culture may seem on the surface to be concerned merely with the temporal and material, this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-r-van-til-2/although-the-realization-of-values-in-a-culture-may-seem-on-the/) [Henry R Van Til](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-r-van-til-2/) > [We care about shared values, culture and identity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxime-bernier/we-care-about-shared-values-culture-and-identity/) [Maxime Bernier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxime-bernier/) ## 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 Advocating quotes > [As an American I am of course fundamentally opposed to democracy and to anyone advocating or defending democracy, which in theory and practice is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-wilder-lane/as-an-american-i-am-of-course-fundamentally-opposed-to-democracy-and/) [Rose Wilder Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-wilder-lane/) > [I am not a terrorist, but neither am I a pacifist. I am simply a regular guy from the Palestinian street advocating only what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marwan-barghouti/i-am-not-a-terrorist-but-neither-am-i-a-pacifist-i-am-simply-a/) Marwan Barghouti > [I am not advocating doing nothing. I am advocating for you to energetically, actively and vigilantly monitor how you are BEING.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-strong/i-am-not-advocating-doing-nothing-i-am-advocating-for-you-to/) [Brenda Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-strong/) > [We did 'Jack & Bobby' in the middle of the Kerry/Bush election. It hurt it a little bit. No matter what we did, everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-berlanti/we-did-jack-bobby-in-the-middle-of-the-kerry-bush-election-it-hurt-it/) [Greg Berlanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-berlanti/) > [I'd like to see more crossover between white and black music. That's something I've been advocating for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/i-d-like-to-see-more-crossover-between-white-and-black-music-that-s/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [Every company can use someone advocating loudly for the customer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dunn/every-company-can-use-someone-advocating-loudly-for-the-customer/) [Andy Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dunn/) > [If we were living in ancient Rome or Greece, I would be considered sickly and unattractive. The times dictate that thin is better for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/if-we-were-living-in-ancient-rome-or-greece-i-would-be-considered/) [Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/) > [Are the great spiritual teachings really advocating that we fight evil because we are on the side of light, the side of peace? Are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/are-the-great-spiritual-teachings-really-advocating-that-we-fight/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [I think Hamas should be challenged to consider really embracing Gandhi and Dr. Kings philosophy of advocating nonviolence as a way to achieve self…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/i-think-hamas-should-be-challenged-to-consider-really-embracing/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [Whatever I believe here and whatever you think I'm advocating, it's not because I care what happens to the Republican Party. I care about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/whatever-i-believe-here-and-whatever-you-think-i-m-advocating-it-s/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The press has bravely and nobly eroded the public trust... What I'm advocating is the media come work for us again. Remove themselves from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/the-press-has-bravely-and-nobly-eroded-the-public-trust-what-i-m/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [I knew about some experience on the operational part of the CIA with Latin American services and so forth having to do with torture.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/i-knew-about-some-experience-on-the-operational-part-of-the-cia-with/) [Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/) > [If I was courting the Muslim vote, I wouldn't have put establishing the partnership ceremony at the forefront of my first term, would I?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/if-i-was-courting-the-muslim-vote-i-wouldn-t-have-put-establishing/) [Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/) > [Freedom is living without government coercion. So when a politician talks about freedom for this group or that, ask yourself whether he is advocating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/freedom-is-living-without-government-coercion-so-when-a-politician/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Zbigniew Brzezinski, who was really one of the - whose name is impossible to pronounce - who was really one of the architects of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/zbigniew-brzezinski-who-was-really-one-of-the-whose-name-is/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) Browse all 194 Advocating quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What they [psychedelics] cause is what I'm advocating, a fundamental revaluation of cultural values, because culture as we're practicing it currently is causing a lot of pain to a lot of people, and animals, and ecosystems, none of whom were ever allowed to vote on whether they wanted this process to go in this direction.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terence McKenna" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-they-psychedelics-cause-is-what-i-m-advocating-a-fundamental/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advocating" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-they-psychedelics-cause-is-what-i-m-advocating-a-fundamental/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/terence-mckenna-287_advocating_what-they-psychedelics-cause-is-what-i-m_1246718.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/terence-mckenna-287_advocating_what-they-psychedelics-cause-is-what-i-m_1246718.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/terence-mckenna-287_advocating_what-they-psychedelics-cause-is-what-i-m_1246718.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What they [psychedelics] cause is what I'm advocating, a fundamental revaluation of cultural values, because…” — Terence McKenna", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Terence McKenna", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What they [psychedelics] cause is what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-they-psychedelics-cause-is-what-i-m-advocating-a-fundamental/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-they-psychedelics-cause-is-what-i-m-advocating-a-fundamental/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```