Author: CAIT BROOKE
“…and that’s what I’m saying man, on a molecular level humans aren’t even a solid- just tiny atoms all dancing real close together…”
“Dude.”
“..yeahhh…”
The clouds of smoke have gathered at the surface of the ceiling, tumbling against the fan gusts coming from below. The conversation started with deciding what snack to make but somewhere around the end of the second bowl of Durban Poison, things took a deep universal turn, nothing out of the unusual. Something about the psychoactive transition from the cannabis opened an alternative portal in reality, a space almost identical but with more answers and slower time. We could be caught in a “high talk” vortex forever, solving the world’s problems while simultaneously being amazed at how cool our own fingertips are.
I think most of us have experienced this “slowed time” phenomenon while stoned. Gasping and giggling at how we fit so much life into only a mere three minutes. It seems this illusion of slowed time stems from the heightened sense of our surroundings. The bowl of pasta we would have originally just shoveled down tastelessly is now savored and praised with each bite; pepper, mushroom and tomato explored on every taste bud. The same old song comes over the radio but now with special clarity, somehow isolating each instrument, our ears picking up notes and runs we hadn’t noticed before. Every second still sounds the same beat, but because of this new awareness, we have opened up the moment to its full potential.
All five of our senses are stimulated when THC interacts with our brain’s receptors, heightening the input experience. Smells may seem more potent, tastes more bold, touches more sensitive, colors more bright and sounds more magnified. All these elevated experiences allowing us to take full notice of what’s always been right in front of us.
If you’ve ever journeyed to the outdoors, sat in a still forest or cast out a line onto a quiet lake, you’ve probably experienced this “slowed time” phenomenon here too. Nature follows its own course, creates its own patterns, and exists in its own time; It keeps no agenda but to just be. It seems when we submerge ourselves in nature it sends this message into our soul, a reminder to just be.
While Cannabis can slow time by heightening our sensory experience on a psychoactive level, Mother Nature shows us how enormous a moment can be by dwindling our daily distractions and instead overloading our senses with the overwhelming amount of energy and life that exists outside of being human. Every inch of the wild holds so much activity it seems impossible to take note of it all. Even beyond the apparent grandeur of the limitless skies and immense trees that reach ever upward, there are more invisible forces and tiny creatures at marvelous work.
Deep in the mountains, with our normal interferences at a lull, we can focus instead on the mighty present around us- the enormous stretch of uncharted terrain that consumes our small bodies and makes us one with its tranquility. Walking through the wilderness, all five of our senses are intensely stimulated, jam-packed with so much to process. From the bump and crunch of dirt and gravel beneath our feet, the rustling of small animals fleeing as we brush by, and the scent of tree sap thick in the air, whaffing into our nostrils with the luscious aroma of wildflowers and shrub. Our own agenda has already begun to fade away, as we tuck ourselves into the blankets of green.
What may have been lost and unnoticed down in the bustle of the city, now glows under Nature’s spotlight. (Down to how incredibly delicious a regular sandwich can be when eaten at the top of a just-tackled mountain.) Stripped of our rushed and hurried lifestyle, nature forces us to assimilate to its leisure hands, a reminder that there is so much we miss if we don’t stop to pay attention. In the middle of a busy day, stop and ask yourself, what am I smelling, tasting, feeling, hearing, and seeing at this very moment? Connect with yourself and the moment by becoming aware of all that inhabits it. This has been one of the greatest lessons that Cannabis and all of Mother Nature has taught me; we have the power to stretch every moment merely by being more aware of ourselves and our experiences.
If you haven’t made it out into the wilderness yet, this is a MUST! In fact, I challenge all of you to head out there at least once this new year of 2019 and allow yourself to get lost in the trees. (Please don’t literally get lost, trails sometimes are not clearly marked.) Check out www.theadventurehigh.com for some awesome nearby hike recommendations! Remember to always leave nothing behind and take only the lessons of the woods.
