The Courier

I recently read an interesting study (at least it was interesting to me) about a 1960’s youth center in Amsterdam called Fantasio. Fantasio was a youth center where young people from around the world came to experience psychedelic drugs and mind-altering experiences (I know I got your attention now, and definitely not something to condone). The youth center contained many rooms painted in bright colours to create a dreamlike atmosphere. In the study, the author noted that the young people who attended Fantasio were not really looking for a mere psychedelic experience. The main reason people went to Fantasio was to learn about their inner-selves. They took psychedelic drugs to assist in their journeying within themselves. The drugs, in the end, did far more harm than good and Fantasio quickly morphed into a drug-free spiritual centre renamed Kosmos Meditation Center.

What I found interesting in the study about Fantasio was that the author linked the desire of the 1960-1970’s youth to pay attention to their inner world with people today in the 21st century. The author suggests that people today are looking within themselves for answers that often can only be found outside of themselves. People are meant for community, we need each other. Though we often need to start a spiritual, emotional, or intellectual journey from within, we quickly learn that it is by relying on, and interacting with, others that the journey really takes off.  Fantasio shut down for a reason (not just because psychedelic drugs are harmful). The center had to morph into something that was not so self-focused. It needed to change into something which invited a sense of togetherness and unity. Though many of us like to believe that we are self-reliant, the truth is, we need others if we want to progress towards healthy inner-selves.

In the movie “About a Boy,” the main character Will Freeman (played by Hugh Grant) likes to think of himself as an island. I love one of the final lines in the movie where Will reminisces to himself that he is still an island but an island that is interconnected with other islands. In the film, Will Freeman journeys from being an unhappy self-reliant man to a more contented individual who realizes his need for others in his life.

What about you? Are you an island trying to cope through life by finding all the answers from within yourself? Or are you able to seek support from those around you? Wherever you are on your journey called life and however many people you have around you for support, please know that the 4 Wing chaplain team is here for you. We would love to be a guiding voice and support for you. We don’t want you to have to go through life as a stand-alone island.

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