The Stash - by Adam Lewis

Your guide to the best in vital living in Toronto and beyond. Sharing news, insights, events and more.

Volume 009: Consciousness, AI and Frequency - Watch Video

Table of Contents

1. The Stash - by Adam Lewis

2. 📆 My Event Picks Column

3. 🤖 The Age of the Machine. Some Observations - Pt. …

   1. Cognitive and Intuitive Outsourcing

   2. Dependency Loops: The Gateway to Managed Thought

4. 🌟 Event Review: Arkaya’s Temple

5. 🍄 Products I'm Enjoying - Prism by Sero

📆 My Event Picks Column

🤖 The Age of the Machine. Some Observations - Pt. 1

I got a lot of great feedback from many of you on the AI content last year so I thought I’d lean in some more as the main topic for this week as well. I think about this stuff A LOT. And have a select group of people around me I can dialogue around this AI movement that helps ground and inform me. I know this technology will continue to change thee world but I also have concerns about the irresponsible adoption of it that I see that actually poses a greater threat to humanity than many are aware of of choose to acknowledge. So let’s dive in.

Most places we look, AI seems to be solving problems in ways we could never have thought, optimizing decisions, ideating and solving in many ways that we all know would take our own critical thought or processes far more time and energy.

In many ways, it checks every box for being a miracle and truly a technology of the future that we have the chance to play with now. Despite this, a part of my soul says something different. It intuits something misguided. A detected threat to our spirit and consciousness that if not responsibly assumed can have dire consequences to ourselves and the collective.

My soul yearns for sovereignty. It is our God given birthright and a pursuit I will never give up on. So when I sit back and see how I have been empowering my own life with AI, and also studying that of others, I can’t help but sit with a subtle level of discomfort around the blind hustle towards an existence of subtle enslavement.

The main ways I see this happen through:

1. Cognitive Outsourcing

2. Dependency Loops

3. Worldview Shaping

4. Spiritual and Relational Erosion

Let’s unpack 1 and 2 some more.

Cognitive and Intuitive Outsourcing

I’ll be the first to admit, I use ChatGPT to expedite a lot of my work and life. And over many years, I have come to acknowledge some profound intuitive gifts that have served and saved me in profound ways.

I navigate this human experience with a large degree of trust in the inner compass I was given to steward and the more I use it, the sharper it gets.

Now with the advent and ever-potent presence of AI in my life, I have noticed a lessening of reliance on this compass for major and minute things like decision making, summarizing and articulating concepts, recalling conversations, generating ideas or solutions and even just choosing direction.

In favouring AI over my own inner compass, I notice a redirection of energy. One that used to point inwards for decision making and processing that know goes outward. And in doing so, I notice a quieting of my gut instincts as a kneejerk “what would Chat do” thought intercepts the moment. A dulling of my inner genius that normally radiates through my thoughts, writing and conversations, and even a degree of spiritual disconnection - as a result of connecting to my machine more frequently than my own higher self in times of counsel and inquiry.

I’ll never claim that AI is stealing my genius, or even trying to persuade me to abandon it. But it is through the subtle and unconscious ways of incorporating it into my life that I unintentionally operate as though I don’t need it as much anymore.

Honestly, this scares the shit out of me.

I have been a devoted student to my unconscious mind for many years now. Rooted in my own insatiable curiosity for the metaphysical nature of reality and the gateways that exist through the mind. Through various forms of Jungian psychoanalysis, psychedelic exploration, shamanism and lived experience - I have developed a relationship to my subconscious that brings an evolved sense of awareness to the varying degrees of autonomy/free will I have in my life (or perceive to have) and treat it like a second brain to take care of. For as C.G Jung would say “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will continue to dictate your life and you will call it fate”.

I suggest everyone explore their unconscious realm, for in doing so, you too will begin to gain a deeper level of awareness of what motives you, and shapes your life and behaviour. It is through my practice that I have found these observations of how AI use is shaping my consciousness, and in ways that aren’t necessarily favourable to our spirituality and humanity.

Dependency Loops: The Gateway to Managed Thought

Tools like ChatGPT, Spotify, Notion AI, and even “mental health” bots are training you to offload thinking, feeling, and deciding.

This creates a neural laziness that spirals into reduced willpower, inability to navigate ambiguity, addiction to inputs over insight. This makes me think of 1984 by George Orwell where through exhaustion of the population, they were able to convince the people that 2+2=5. The sheer amount of high fidelity information we intake when using is truly unprecedented, pair that with the fast-paced society we live in - burnout is still on the rise and exhaustion looming - the perfect breeding grounds for a very tired and controllable population who won’t think twice about taking the convenient or comfortable answer in all domains of life.

Eventually, AI becomes your decision filter, your emotional coach, and your perspective generator. And at that point, who are you really but a prompt machine? Sovereignty requires friction. AI removes it, therein lies the danger.

An example I like to think of is with Google Maps. There was a time where humans all had to have a baseline understanding of navigational awareness to get around. Basic understandings and feeling of our directional senses, reading maps, gauging distances. This compass has been installed in us for a very long time to help us get to where we’re trying to go to, or navigate out of being lost.

Now in an age where we have something like Google Maps, we don’t ever have to think twice about our travels. A quick type or even voice prompt will give us the directions we need and all we have to do is follow. All of a sudden, we no longer have to use our directional sense because it’s been outsourced, and with mighty convenience too. And with that, comes the atrophying of a once innate skill we had. The saying “if you don’t use it, you lose it” comes up a lot for me these days. My hope is that our innate faculties remain intact and utilized for these are what make us human and I pray that as we sprint towards these artificial futures, we remain connected to our humanity as necessary reference points.

So while these tools are incredibly empowering, there is no free lunch. And my invitation here is to really try and assess and reflect on your innate faculties as we all continue to incorporate this intelligence into our lives and do our very best to ensure we do not atrophy our innate human gifts of thinking, feeling and navigating this world on our own.

I will elaborate on part 3 and 4 in another edition of the Stash. I’d love for you to share your thoughts on the above. I don’t mean for it to sound all doom and gloom as I do believe in a world whereby AI can be a benevolent multiplier and amplifier of our best traits and further liberate us - but until that is abundantly clear and embodied, I will share my concerns on behalf of myself and humanity.

For now, here are some actionable take for further responsible use.

1. Never ask AI what your soul should decide.

2. Use AI to refine your vision, not replace it.

3. Try to keep your ideation sacred. Start with blank pages, stillness, silence and inner inquiry.

4. Use AI for acceleration, never as a crutch.

5. Check answers and responses you share with humans with your own inner resonance.

🌟 Event Review: Arkaya’s Temple

Monday night marked A moment in history where a truly incredible event graced the good people of Toronto in what was a sonic superstorm, an ethereal symphony and Godly creation from the incredibly gifted Arkaya.

It was held at the wonderful Unity Studio, which you may have seen me review in the Stash here. It’s the home of the harmonic egg and where owner Ciara Adams has crafted a truly magical space for performances like this to occur. The event sold out well before it happened, a testament to the potent intention and energy put into it from inception.

Arkaya put together a phenomenal team of artists to support her performance vocalists for my dear friends Freddy, Stu, Robin, and perhaps most excitingly to me, from my beloved Chelsea. Together they were backed by incredible musicians on keys, sax, flute, drums, handpan, chimes, and beyond. All put together in what was a masterfully executed show inducing voice code activations that left the entire room electric, buzzing, inspired, and optimistic for a brighter future ahead.

I have never been more convinced that frequency is the future. Our consciousness is shaped by the frequencies around us, and we have the power to craft that within and around through the power of our own voice. This first Temple signified a shift in momentum for all of us, and I cannot wait to invite and see you all at the next one. The whole evening was recorded and will be turned into an album which I cannot wait to hear and share with you all. There are many more incredible facets to what this evening and experience represent for changing the music landscape: how music is created, shared, democratized, and here to empower musicians. Arkaya is a true leader. It’s an honour to witness and participate in the magic being created through her.

🍄 Products I'm Enjoying - Prism by Sero

Sero are our local leaders in the psilocybin and microdosing space with an amazing suite of products from capsules to chocolates and a recently released Prism, a mushroom tea that has an amazing flavor and even more delightful glow to it when consumed. I had the chance to try some Arkaya’s Temple on Monday. The experience was super clean, bubbly, and provided everything I would want from a slight tickle from the magical mushroom experience that I so deeply cherish already. Everything from the flavor, the dosage, and even the beautiful packaging emanates a high vibration and intentionality. For anybody interested in trying a new form factor or even trying microdosing for the first time, this is a beautiful way to give it a shot.

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🙏 Special Thanks This Week:

This week’s thanks goes out to my mother. We celebrated Mother’s Day on Sunday and as always, it’s a beautiful way to acknowledge and celebrate. Every day I am thankful for the incredible person and soul she is. For my whole life, a guiding beacon of light and wisdom who has wayshowed for me across many dimensions and been such a huge presence in helping me become who I am today. Loving and celebrating you always, mom. Thank you.

Godspeed everyone, I love you all ❤️ 

Adam