What Are The Machine Elves? .wpb_animate_when_almost_visible { opacity: 1; }.rll-youtube-player, [data-lazy-src]{display:none !important;} Monster Children Discover Surf Skate Music Art Travel Magazine SHOP Photo Competition Photo Competition Enter About 2021 Winners & Finalists Partners Rules & FAQ BYT Follow MC About Contact 1700NAUD MC06 MC Creative Monster Children Films Discover Surf Skate Music Art Travel Magazine SHOP Photo Competition Photo Competition Enter About 2021 Winners & Finalists Partners Rules & FAQ BYT Sign up What Are The Machine Elves? By Louis O'Neill - November 8, 2021 Do psychedelics let us visit other dimensions, or is it all merely a figment of our imagination? Having worked in the cannabis industry for several years, it wasn’t uncommon for me to brush shoulders with people working in psychedelics. And while I considered cannabis to be underutilized from a medicinal perspective, the plant didn’t fascinate me nearly as much as psychedelics did and still do. As an adolescent, I would regularly listen to the late Terence McKenna, the nasal-voiced lecturer and psychonaut who would speak at length about his experiences with various psychedelic compounds. To me, McKenna’s most fascinating talks are those he gave about the ‘self-transforming elf machines.’ The machine elves, according to Terence, are entities that one encounters when they consume the requisite amount of Dimethyltryptamine—or, more commonly, DMT. Here is Terence’s description of the beings: ‘You pass through a membrane of some sort, and you’re in a place. You’re pushed through, and you see the tykes, as I call them. The self-transforming machine elves that are singing in a hyperdimensional language. They surround you and say, “Welcome, we’re so glad to see you.”’ Using language, Terence says, these elves transform themselves and the objects surrounding them, in a fluorescent playpen of hills and flashing lights. Upon hearing this, it’s easy to dismiss this description as mere drug-fuelled delusions, and they very well could be. However, what is perhaps most compelling about Terence’s description of these elves is that he’s not the only person to have encountered them. Between 1990-1995, the first-ever U.S. study into psychedelics was undertaken at the University of New Mexico by Dr Rick Strassman (interview with Strassman later in the week), an associate professor in psychiatry. In these studies, Strassman administered DMT to 60 volunteers in a clinical setting and recorded his findings in his magnum opus, DMT: The Spirit Molecule. In the chapters entitled ‘Contact Through the Veil’ parts one and two, Strassman details the recurrent encounters that the volunteers experienced upon consuming DMT. Speaking on the bizarre reports of extra-terrestrial encounters by his volunteers, Strassman said: ‘I was familiar with Terence McKenna’s tales of the “self-transforming machine elves” he encountered after smoking high doses of the drug… I admittedly chalked up these stories to some kind of West Coast eccentricity. Therefore, I was neither intellectually nor emotionally prepared for the frequency with which contact with these beings occurred in our studies, nor the often utterly bizarre nature of these experiences.’ His book then goes on to describe various entities met by his volunteers while in the DMT realm, including elves, insectoids, reptilian humanoids, and clowns to name just a few. Some of the volunteers were welcomed by these entities with open arms and a loving embrace, others were plunged into a dystopic world, in which experiments were performed upon them. What is most interesting to me about these reports is that many of the volunteers described similar beings, without having spoken to each other about their experiences. So, do humans tend to conjure up similar images when administered DMT? Or are we actually visiting a place where these beings exist? A study published last year in The Journal of Psychopharmacology surveyed 2,561 adults about their encounters with entities on DMT and 81 per cent of respondents described their encounters as being ‘more real than reality.’ Just 9 per cent of respondents to the study believe that the beings existed ‘completely within myself.’ During my time working with the cannabis industry, I was fortunate enough to interview Dennis McKenna—brother of Terence—an esteemed psychonaut in his own right. In our discussion, I asked Dennis whether he thought these recurrent visions or motifs of elves, mantises and other entities seen on DMT were simply archetypes that existed within the human mind, or whether he considered them to be autonomous beings that we gained access to through these psychedelic compounds. He responded: ‘That’s the $64 million dollar question right there—is it another dimension? [Terence and I] were convinced that it was a portal into another dimension. But now, I think it’s impossible to say. I think these are archetypes, but the crux of the question is, is it another place? It certainly has that feeling about it.’ Dennis is right, it is impossible to say whether these entities are real or merely figments of our imagination. But perhaps as our understanding of psychedelics grows we may be able to conclusively answer this question in the coming decades. In other drug related news, we busted the 6 most common recreational drug myths. Sign up for the Monster Children Newsletter Read more 2022 MC Photo Annual Launch & Exhibition in Los Angeles All the glitter and glitz from photography's night of nights. Part Dos. By Monster Children - | December 21, 2022 Read more MC Approved: Poler Stuff Our AI overlords say that camping is way better than being stuck in the office. By Kevin Duffel - | December 21, 2022 Read more Is Sam Muller the Goya of Skate Photography? He might not be dark and brooding, but he sure is talented. By Naz Kawakami - | January 5, 2023 Read more Karina Rozunko is Making Some Noise With a new side project that's ticking all the boxes. By Sam Hetherington - | January 4, 2023 Read more Meet Ryji Masuda, RVCA’S Pint-Sized Prodigy A new breed of gnar. By Monster Children - | January 2, 2023 Read more Meet Melissah Shahparnia, Winner of Our Lifestyle Category The LA photographer on turning a hobby into a career. By Monster Children - | December 20, 2022 Watch Video Days: Naquan Rollings Filming skate and the difference between NYC and LA. By Naz Kawakami - | December 31, 2022 Read more Satisfied with Brice Partouche A chat with the man behind the world's best running brand. By Crom - | December 28, 2022 Read more Keeping Music Digable with Anton Newcombe The Brian Jonestown Massacre frontman has something to say. By Nolan Gawron - | December 25, 2022 Read more The Ancient World of the Mitchell Plateau A 70,000-year-old community in the remote Kimberly is under threat. By Monique Penning - | December 29, 2022 Read more Is This Surfing’s Final Frontier? Filmmaker Spencer Frost (and 60 hours of travel) make a solid case. By Sam Hetherington - | December 20, 2022 Read more Satisfy Drop Winter Pack It's freeeeeeezing... in France. By Crom - | December 19, 2022 Read more Mary Caroline Russell Proves You Should Always Go to the Gig How our Music category winner almost missed the prize-winning shot. By Monster Children - | December 19, 2022 Read more Matthew Price Has Cracked the Work-Life Code Meet the winner of Shot on Mobile in our 2022 Photo Comp. By Monster Children - | December 19, 2022 Read more Watch: From The Shadow Of A Mountain The journey of Markelle Taylor. By Monster Children - | December 16, 2022 Read more The Yin & Yang of Stacy Peralta A conversation with one of the world's most-viewed directors. By Crom - | December 13, 2022 Read more Meet Skate Category Winner, Fabiano Rodrigues More on his winning shot and Brazilian skateboarding. By Monster Children - | December 16, 2022 Read more Gift Guide for the Young Photographer Ways you can support their feeble little dreams. By Naz Kawakami - | December 15, 2022 Read more Hayden Cox on the Future of Surfing The man doesn't stop at boards. By Sam Hetherington - | December 15, 2022 Read more Downtime to Draw: Ben Colen You know his photography, but did you know he can draw, too? By Crom - | December 22, 2022 Read more You’re Going to Want a Hendrik Max Knife We stopped by his Sydney studio to watch sparks fly. By Monique Penning - | December 14, 2022 Read more Ten Stupid Questions with Karina Rozunko Barbequing the Queen of Cool. By Sam Hetherington - | December 13, 2022 Read more The 2022 Monster Children Annual Is On Sale Now! It’s the best thing we ever did ever. Again. By Monster Children - | December 8, 2022 Read more The Best Job in NZ Is Yours For The Taking Enter for your chance to win a month-long vacation with your best mate. By Monster Children - | December 8, 2022 Read more 60 Portraits of First Nations Women Will Command Sydney’s Foreshore In a major new artwork from Brenda L. Croft. By Monique Penning - | December 12, 2022 Read more Meet Baby Darrington A confusing chat with the enigmatic entrepreneur. By Naz Kawakami - | December 12, 2022 Watch ‘NOZ VID’ is 30 Straight Minutes of Insanity Noa Deane has done it again. By Monster Children - | December 12, 2022 Read more 2022 MC Photo Annual Launch & Exhibition All the glitter and glitz from photography's night of nights. By Monster Children - | December 8, 2022 Watch Torren Martyn in Conversation with Surfboard Shaper, Simon Jones Smooth stylings from needessentials and Ishka Folkwell. By Monster Children - | December 8, 2022 Read more The Winners of our 2022 Photo Comp are Here! Who's taking home the cash? By Monster Children - | December 8, 2022 Read more ‘Unpopular’ is a 90’s Grunge Treasure Trove And its owner let us rifle through it. By Monster Children - | December 21, 2022 Read more Flagler Beach is Heading Back to Surfing’s Roots Meet the young surfers hellbent on recapturing what surfing once was. By Monster Children - | December 26, 2022 Read more Good Times and Fine Lines with Jesse Ocean The rise and rise of our (second) favourite Taurus. By Crom - | January 3, 2023 Read more I’m Sorted For Medical Cannabis and So Can You! It was surprisingly easy. By Amos Turtlecock - | December 7, 2022 Watch Being Nancy Whang The LCD Soundsystem co-founder tickles the ivories. By Naz Kawakami - | January 1, 2022 Read more For a World Less Square: Rune Glifberg and His Hasselblad XPan 'Good compositions elevate photos.. they speak for themselves.' By Monster Children - | December 23, 2022 Read more Vivian Kim: Island Time For your slow enjoyment. By Crom - | December 6, 2022 Read more How to Survive the Silly Season Get through December without killing anyone. By Isabelle Webster - | December 6, 2022 Read more Gift Guide For the Skater in Your Life Yultide intel for non-skaters. By Naz Kawakami - | December 5, 2022 Read more Music Lover’s Gift Guide All killer, no filler, except for the dumb stuff we included to flesh it out a bit. By Crom - | December 5, 2022 Read more Fontaines D.C. Think You Should Be Dancing A chat with one of our favourite bassists, Conor Deegan III. By Naz Kawakami - | December 5, 2022 Read more TIME Reveal Their Top 100 Photos of 2022 Dominated by the war in Ukraine. By Monique Penning - | December 5, 2022 Read more Manawa Tapu is Leading a Māori Arts Resurgence The multi-disciplinary artist on honouring his indigenous roots. By Max Olijnyk - | December 2, 2022 Read more Hackney Bumps Skatepark Gets Polished Back to Life The power of a bit of spit and polish. By Sam Hetherington - | December 5, 2022 Read more Our Planet-Loving Christmas Gift Guide Landfill is for losers. By Sam Hetherington - | December 1, 2022 Read more Christmas Gifts for the Surf Nerd In Your Life Offshore winds not included. By Sam Hetherington - | December 1, 2022 Read more A Gift Guide For Your Dad You lived together for 18 years and you don’t even know his favorite color. By Naz Kawakami - | December 1, 2022 Read more Heaps Normal Release The Half Day Hazy Sunshine in a can. By Monster Children - | December 1, 2022 Read more Smoke a Spliff with Broccoli Magazine Essential printed matter for the cannabis lovers among us. By Sam Hetherington - | December 1, 2022 Read more Frankie’s are Having the Send Off of the Century Pulling the plug in style. By Monique Penning - | November 30, 2022 Read more Can Psychedelics Treat Brain Injury? Dr. Evan Lewis and the future of contact sports recovery. By Louis O'Neill - | November 30, 2022 Read more A Gift Guide for the Cat Owner in Your Life (spoiler: it's stuff for cats) By Naz Kawakami - | November 30, 2022 Read more You’re Invited to King Gizz’s Record Fair Better bring a trailer. By Monique Penning - | November 30, 2022 Read more African Photographers You Should Be Following 6 image-makers who continue to shape the Black gaze. By Monster Children - | November 29, 2022 Read more 6 Ceramicists We Love And how to get your hand on their stuff. By Sam Hetherington - | November 30, 2022 Read more Sydney Nightlife Icon Gets The Kiss of Life Abercrombie is back, baby. By Monique Penning - | November 29, 2022 Read more James Kates is a Man of Many Hats But we're here to chat new photo show, 'Treasure Teachings.' By Sam Hetherington - | November 29, 2022 Read more 7 Bands You Should Know If you don't know these bands, we don't know what to do with you. By Naz Kawakami - | November 29, 2022 Read more Playlist: Brice Partouche Running tunes from the founder of Satisfy Running. By Crom - | November 29, 2022 Read more Get a Free Tattoo from Lauren Winzer! A rare opp with the high-demand tattooist. By Monique Penning - | November 28, 2022 Read more MC’s Girlfriend Gift Guide Foolproof holiday gift ideas for the woman you love. By Crom - | November 25, 2022 Read more Falls Festival are Having a Ugeeee Black Friday Sale Ring in the New Year with the Arctic Monkeys, Peggy Gou, and more. By Monster Children - | November 25, 2022 Read more How Do You Do, Jai Tanju? An audience with skate photographer royalty. By Naz Kawakami - | November 24, 2022 Read more How To Look After Plants That Live in Pots in Houses Bring them to life and keep them alive. By Monster Children - | November 24, 2022 Read more Why You Need to Step Inside Jonah Hill’s Therapist’s Office A documentary to help you on your quest to feeling better. By Monique Penning - | November 24, 2022 Read more The Sexiest World Leaders in The World You didn't ask, and we answered! By Monster Children - | November 24, 2022 Read more Sydney’s Newest Live Music Venue Comes With a Tasty Surprise And it smells like fried chicken. By Monster Children - | November 22, 2022 Read more The Joy of Stains With Noa Emberson The artist and designer on having the best stage name. By Naz Kawakami - | November 22, 2022 Watch ‘Sweet Adventure’ Is Not Your Average Surf Flick Starring Albee Layer, Nora Vasconcellos, Selema Masekela and more. By Sam Hetherington - | November 22, 2022 Read more What Did COP27 Actually Achieve? With over 600 fossil fuel reps in attendance... Not much. By Sam Hetherington - | November 21, 2022 Read more Marty Baptist Has a Case of Tulip Mania See it for yourself in his first-ever Melbourne gallery show. By Monique Penning - | November 21, 2022 Read more Pleasures Playhouse Lives On! Open longer and later for the summer months. By Monique Penning - | November 21, 2022 Read more Roark Grrrls The women's voice in adventure will no longer be ignored. By Monster Children - | November 21, 2022 Read more We Just Want to Say Sorry… Rule Two quick rounds of correspondence with the London-based band Sorry. By Naz Kawakami - | November 21, 2022 Read more Swirl Surf Skate Fest 2022 GRLSWIRL proves Cindy Lauper wasn't lying. By Monster Children - | November 18, 2022 Read more C.O.F.F.I.N’s Skull-Rattling Playlist Will Get You Psyched For Chopped For the lovers of hot rods and headbanging. By Monster Children - | November 18, 2022 Read more The Photo Comp Shortlist for ‘Surf’ is Here! One's taking home the cash, can you pick it? By Monster Children - | November 18, 2022 Read more Why Surfers Aren’t Afraid of Sharks Well, for the most part. By Sam Hetherington - | November 17, 2022 Read more Breakfast with Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast An interview I forgot I did. By Naz Kawakami - | November 17, 2022 Read more Jaleesa Vincent and Luka Raubenheimer’s Art Show AAAAAAAAAART! By Sam Hetherington - | November 18, 2022 Read more The Photo Comp Shortlist for ‘Travel’ is Here! And only one of them's taking home the cash... By Monster Children - | November 17, 2022 Read more Bright Young Things: Claire Murphy Our new favourite Ventura-based surf photographer By Andrew Peters - | November 17, 2022 Read more The Photo Comp Shortlist for ‘Lifestyle’ is Here! Have a peek before our winner's reveal. By Monster Children - | November 15, 2022 Read more Clipping Room: Jimmy Ganzer The gold that never made it to print. By Andrew Peters - | November 15, 2022 Read more We Spent 3 Days Ripping-in-ing With Young Henrys Along with some of your favourite musicians, skaters, surfers, and more. By Dougal Gorman - | November 15, 2022 Read more The Monster Children Guide to Growing Marijuana An idiot's guide. By Monster Children - | November 14, 2022 Read more Cat News No, it's not one of our 'pillars', but fuck it. By Crom - | November 14, 2022 Read more Art Shows, Khruangbin Live and Poolside Margies A huge weekender with El Ganzo and Cobrasnake. By Monster Children - | November 14, 2022 Read more The Best Sydney Art Shows to See This November The city's heating up, and so is the art scene. By Chloe Borich - | November 14, 2022 Read more The Photo Comp Shortlist for ‘Music’ is Here! 10 shots, 1 winner, $30K up for grabs. By Monster Children - | November 11, 2022 Read more Nicole Hause: Next & Last What Real's latest pro has been up to and intends to get up to. By Andrew Peters - | November 11, 2022 Read more The Photo Comp Shortlist for ‘Skate’ is Here! 10 photos, but only 1 winner. By Monster Children - | November 9, 2022 Read more How to Pedestrian It should be pretty straight forward, but it aint. By Crom - | November 9, 2022 Read more 7 of Australia’s Best Summer Stays Get away and get some sun. By Sam Hetherington - | November 9, 2022 Read more The Perfect Gift for the Analogue Lovers Scribble away your screen time with The James Brand. By Sam Hetherington - | November 9, 2022 Watch You’ve Never Done Cold Water Surfing Like This Get the 4000 millimeters of rubber out—we're going surfing. By Sam Hetherington - | November 8, 2022 Read more Surfing in the Tiger’s Lair Ritter and McCoy in paradise. By Jam - | November 7, 2022 Read more The Photo Comp Shortlist for ‘Shot on Mobile’ is Here! Can you pick the winner? By Monster Children - | November 4, 2022 Read more The 3rd Annual Dipshit! Rat Cage Classic We sponsored some obstacles at a skate contest and zine release in Honolulu, Hawaii By Naz Kawakami - | November 4, 2022 Read more Solid Lines is Bringing First Nations Illustrators to the Forefront Run by and for some of our country's finest talents. By Sam Hetherington - | November 4, 2022 Read more Bret McKenzie: Songs Without Jokes A conversation with half of the Flight of the Conchords about his new album. By Naz Kawakami - | November 4, 2022 Read more 6 Drugs to Boost Your Productivity Spoiler: heroin is not one of them. By Louis O'Neill - | November 3, 2022 Read more The Legend of Jim Ganzer The man, the myth, the vision behind Jimmy’z. By Monique Penning - | November 2, 2022 Watch Cole Walton, Mastermind of Tom Morat’s New Video Tom is a good house guest, great surfer, and polite young man. By Andrew Peters - | November 2, 2022 Read more Disposable: Kenny Anderson Everything Kenny touches turns to gold. By Monster Children - | November 1, 2022 Read more Half Cabbing Bangkok Skate jam in Thailand for the 30th anniversary of the Vans Half Cab. By Max Ol… truncated (3,728 more characters in archive)