Mindstates and Sueño Azul

My intrepid reporter friend Ryan is writing a book on drug culture and was in Costa Rica this past weekend attending the mindstates conference as part of his research (http://mindstates.org/2007speakers.html). The mindstates conference is an annual event where the psychedelic community gathers to discuss new developments in the “field,” listens to talks on various drugs and issues relating to psychedelics, watches movies, and generally spends the weekend tripping balls under the guise of a conference. These people are really serious about their hallucinogens.

Out of a deep sense of solidarity and friendship I naturally decided to join Ryan at the cushy resort where the conference was held. Sueño Azul is located in a town about an hour and half away from San Jose that is off the tourist path. Getting there by bus and foot was like finding the secret smurf village but well worth it. It’s situated on a huge spread of land where two rivers meet. Once you get past the gate, it’s another kilometer and then bridge crossing to get to the resort. It kind of has a plantation feel to it and “The courtyard, built around an ancient hacienda, is the "heart" of the resort. Here you can gather with family and friends or meet other travelers at the bar.” Indeed.

I skipped the boring lectures and movies on psychedelics (although there was an interesting session on holotropic breathwork which as far as I can tell consists of hyperventilating to rhythmic music until you start to get high and tingly) and hung out by the pool sampling various Costa Rican beers. Unfortunately I didn’t get to research other materials but evidently I was the only one because everyone else was walking around with an extra bounce in their step and a serene grin on their face. My brain thanks me though.

As you might imagine, people that dedicate a major portion of their lives to exploring and consuming psychedelics are a unique bunch, kind of like rabid Star Trek fans (in fact I’d wager there were some trekkies at the conference). However, I did meet some cool people including a professor from California, a researcher at Harvard, and spoke briefly to Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin who has something of a sycophantic (and well deserved) following among this group. More importantly, I ate some amazing food including my first good piece of steak down here. Just another weekend in Costa Rica!

I’ve also included some pics from Monday night in San Jose. Pura Vida!