Terence McKenna. The entry for him will be one I’m likely to keep returning and adding to. He is among those I think of as the “almost” rishis.
Why almost, and why rishis?
Rishis, because they did in fact touch some surface of the pure truth, even if barely a scratch. They did what is the literal description of a rishi- pierced through the veil of rta and perceive the satya beyond- even if a speck of it. Terence’s latter ramblings, and near-certain surrender to the deep-state notwithstanding, for the briefest of moments in time he bore true witness.
And yet only almost, primarily because not to the enabling soil were the almost rishis born. They came in a different culture, one both in their times and even now seemingly bent upon being an inversion of everything true and real. No true rishi could germinate in that soiled a soil. But some almost could, and Terence was one of them.
Words that have always uplifted me:
“Nature loves courage, and I said – what’s the payoff on that? It said: It shows you that it loves courage because it will remove obstacles. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. Dream the impossible dream and the world will not grind you up. It will lift you up. This is the trick. This is what all these teachers and philosophers, the one’s who really counted, who really touched the alchemical gold – this is what they understood. This is the shamanic dance in the waterfall. This is how magic is done. It’s done by hurling yourself into the abyss and discovering that it’s a feather bed.”