Coffeehouse Culture; Plain Text; Page Seven; Article Two

SO, WE RECKON we have a ‘new take on dope’? Howzat? Listen up, concentrate, pretend you’re Jennifer Anston or, better still, roll a joint, because you are going need all your brain cells to get your head round this one (and this is the abridged version). Or, maybe not . . . .
FIRST of all, some key background precepts. Look at the blackboard, Stimpkins!

1. The smoking of cannabis promotes the experience of increased consciousness. OKAY with that? Yes, we thought so. Well, try this one.

2. Since consciousness is responsible for everything we are, it must be the factor that dictates how we function in society. YEAH? Now, let’s extend that a little.

3. Regular and repeated experience of increased consciousness brings that consciousness into everyday activity --- provided, and only provided, there is a strong nervous system to support the consciousness. OKAY, so this is a bit more difficult to accept, we know. We do, however, explain it elsewhere on this page. (see 'System Upgrade -- No Need To Be Nervous')

SO, those are the ‘key precepts’. That means that everything that follows is based on those precepts. OKAY? Ready? Got your space helmet on? Good, because here we go.
AMSTERDAM. Amsterdam. We could almost sing it. This city of light. This glorious sanctuary. This place of freedom. This home of consciousness.
SORRY about that. But Amsterdam, you know, is a special place. The whys and wherefores are, we believe, easy to understand.
FOR us (and for many others, because we know we are not alone), they come down to one thing: ---consciousness.
FOR over thirty years there has been some kind of cannabis society in Amsterdam. For over thirty years there have been a group of people who have been experiencing increased consciousness on a regular, daily basis.
SLOWLY, slowly, over those thirty years all that consciousness has been integrated into the functioning of all those people and through them into society. Ever wondered why Amsterdam feels so mellow?
PUTTING together some of the strings of logic here: if, as we said earlier, consciousness is the thing that dictates an individual’s level of functioning, one would expect to see a higher level of functioning within the coffeeshop society.
AND that is the remarkable thing. You can!
THE coffeeshop society IS a society functioning at a higher level than straight society. We all know that. The coffeeshop society has a higher level of ethics, a higher level of morality, it is a more caring, a more environmentally aware, a more creative, a more spiritual (much more spiritual) society than the society that proscribes against the substances that promote the qualities that produce this higher level of society.
IF you find all that a little too much to swallow, try this. At least, the coffeeshop society is a less aggressive and happier society. That, after all, is one of the reasons we started to smoke cannabis.
ALTHOUGH this description gives none of the substance (illegal or otherwise) on which this is based, essentially almost all of those who are a part of the coffeeshop society, whether resident or overseas members, agree that we have found a way to do it better.
WE certifiable crazies at Coffeehouse Culture, however, have extended even this outrageous proposition. We believe that we have identified a fully grown culture trying to emerge from the closet. If you consider the things that define a culture -- distinct social values, art forms, spiritual structures, social mores, etc. -- these are all to be found within the coffeeshop society.
AND, what is more, we believe that it is time for this culture to stand up and become an accepted part of society as a whole.
COFFEEHOUSE Culture, perhaps, represents a first step towards that.

	COFFEEHOUSE CULTURE -- Issue 1
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	PAGE SEVEN; ARTICLE TWO; POLICY STATEMENT DEFINING THE FUTURE Originally published under the title 'Take Out', this article contains the main elements of the rationale that supports Coffeehouse Culture. Although we have simplified the concepts and abridged the explanations, it still makes for a fairly mind- numbing read. But, dear reader, believe us when we say you are getting off lightly. For every single aspect of the rationale we put here has its own rationale.
	SO, WE RECKON we have a ‘new take on dope’? Howzat? Listen up, concentrate, pretend you’re Jennifer Anston or, better still, roll a joint, because you are going need all your brain cells to get your head round this one (and this is the abridged version). Or, maybe not . . . . FIRST of all, some key background precepts. Look at the blackboard, Stimpkins! 1. The smoking of cannabis promotes the experience of increased consciousness. OKAY with that? Yes, we thought so. Well, try this one. 2. Since consciousness is responsible for everything we are, it must be the factor that dictates how we function in society. YEAH? Now, let’s extend that a little. 3. Regular and repeated experience of increased consciousness brings that consciousness into everyday activity --- provided, and only provided, there is a strong nervous system to support the consciousness. OKAY, so this is a bit more difficult to accept, we know. We do, however, explain it elsewhere on this page. (see 'System Upgrade -- No Need To Be Nervous') SO, those are the ‘key precepts’. That means that everything that follows is based on those precepts. OKAY? Ready? Got your space helmet on? Good, because here we go. AMSTERDAM. Amsterdam. We could almost sing it. This city of light. This glorious sanctuary. This place of freedom. This home of consciousness. SORRY about that. But Amsterdam, you know, is a special place. The whys and wherefores are, we believe, easy to understand. FOR us (and for many others, because we know we are not alone), they come down to one thing: ---consciousness. FOR over thirty years there has been some kind of cannabis society in Amsterdam. For over thirty years there have been a group of people who have been experiencing increased consciousness on a regular, daily basis. SLOWLY, slowly, over those thirty years all that consciousness has been integrated into the functioning of all those people and through them into society. Ever wondered why Amsterdam feels so mellow? PUTTING together some of the strings of logic here: if, as we said earlier, consciousness is the thing that dictates an individual’s level of functioning, one would expect to see a higher level of functioning within the coffeeshop society. AND that is the remarkable thing. You can! THE coffeeshop society IS a society functioning at a higher level than straight society. We all know that. The coffeeshop society has a higher level of ethics, a higher level of morality, it is a more caring, a more environmentally aware, a more creative, a more spiritual (much more spiritual) society than the society that proscribes against the substances that promote the qualities that produce this higher level of society. IF you find all that a little too much to swallow, try this. At least, the coffeeshop society is a less aggressive and happier society. That, after all, is one of the reasons we started to smoke cannabis. ALTHOUGH this description gives none of the substance (illegal or otherwise) on which this is based, essentially almost all of those who are a part of the coffeeshop society, whether resident or overseas members, agree that we have found a way to do it better. WE certifiable crazies at Coffeehouse Culture, however, have extended even this outrageous proposition. We believe that we have identified a fully grown culture trying to emerge from the closet. If you consider the things that define a culture -- distinct social values, art forms, spiritual structures, social mores, etc. -- these are all to be found within the coffeeshop society. AND, what is more, we believe that it is time for this culture to stand up and become an accepted part of society as a whole. COFFEEHOUSE Culture, perhaps, represents a first step towards that.

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