Community Overlap: Bitcoin & Psychedelics

I’ve noticed a strange trend that was recently articulated incredibly well by Brandon Quittem (@Bquittem on Twitter). 

That trend would be the overlap between two (seemingly unrelated) communities. Those communities are the psychedelic revolution and the Bitcoin community. 

The shared space in the Venn Diagram of those communities is so much larger than we all realized. After listening to these two podcasts (Bitcoin is Psychedelic & Bitcoin & Psychedelics) from Brandon I wanted to summarize my own theory on why the overlap is so large. 

In both communities, it starts with one primary question that leads to thousands more. Both communities & primary questions will take you down rabbit holes. 

For Bitcoin, the primary question which takes you down the rabbit hole is usually some form of “what is money?”

This leads to a thousand more questions.

For psychedelics, the primary question which takes you down the rabbit hole is usually some form of “do unfelt emotions really account for so many of our problems?” 

This tends to lead to a thousand more questions. 

You need freedom in order to explore both spaces. One who explores both communities has to value the freedom to learn for themselves and not believe everything they are told. 

Effectively you are a sovereign individual if you are a part of both communities. No one can tell you what to believe or how the world works, you are the type of person who must figure that out on your own. 

To put it in simpler terms: It comes down to writing your own story.

It’s all about self-authoring. 

You must give up consuming traditional media to truly understand both communities. You must become a citizen of the internet to become a member of the Bitcoin crowd or the psychedelic revolution.

Brian Williams won’t help you understand either movement but Tim Ferriss can. 

The main characteristics to be apart of either community would be: 

• Curious 
• Self Starter
• Open-Minded
• Rebellious
• Autodidactic

You have to be uber curious in order to be a part of these communities.  Each one takes at least a hundred hours of self-directed research to truly understand. You’re not going to put that kind of time in unless you’re incredibly curious.

You have to be able to research & connect under your own self-discipline to be a part of these communities.  

As far as I know, there are no college classes for Bitcoin yet.  There are no degrees in the Psychedelic Renaissance.  These movements are being created in real-time.  

So if you want to engage and be a part of either one you have to be a self-starter.  There are no institutions that will hold your hand and guide you into either.

Both of these movements are a bit mind-bending.  They reshape the way you view reality.  On the Bitcoin side, you’re going to redefine what you believe money is.  It’ll also lead you down a path of reimagining governance,  studying history,  and a dozen paradigm-shifting journeys.  

On the Psychedelic Renaissance side, you’re going to redefine what becoming healthy means,  you’re going to question some assumptions about the existing medical system, and you’ll probably end up redefining what you believe spirituality is.  

You cannot have those shifts occur unless you’re open-minded.  People with belief systems that are too rigid can’t undergo the shift in beliefs in order to jump into these movements.

It is rebellious to say that the medical system needs a drastic overhaul without having an MD by your name.  The same goes for the financial system.  To be a part of this community is to question the existing power structures and by default become a rebel to the existing culture.

The only way you get to be a participant in these communities is by learning by yourself. The gateways are through learning. 

There are no college degrees in the Psychedelic Renaissance or in Bitcoin.  As of right now,  you have to be an autodidact to be an active participant in either.