Sifting for Gold: How to Find Valuable Resources in a Conscious Community

Created on Canva.com

I once met a tech bro (his words, not mine) in downtown Austin one sunny afternoon as I sipped on my eight-dollar oat latte. He asked me what I did as the person I was with had an expensive camera with an extended lens attached to his hand.

“I’m updating my website pictures,” I responded.
“For? What kind of business?” he inquired.
“I’m a shaman.”
“Psychedelics?’ he asked as his eyes lit up.
“I’m known as the modern-day exorcist. I bridge the gap between psychology and purgatory,” I said.

At this point, Tech-bro’s eyes almost jumped out of his head as I smiled. He began to align my story with how he was engaged to a spiritual healer from New York. A woman who grew up in a cult and now has a psychedelics organization. “She’s super connected to the conscious community in Austin and I can introduce you to people here,” he offered.

I looked at this gleamy-eyed soul and declined his offer. Nothing bad nor good, just indifferent. For the last eight years, I’ve watched the Los Angeles spiritual scene form and expand in the brightest and darkest of ways. For the past two, I have observed Austin city limits expand into the suburbs, as well as the expansion of its’ conscious communities.

Los Angeles had opportunists from the shadows crawl out to capitalize on the healing waves like any good opportunists would.

In Thailand, there’s a saying. Same, same, but different. Translation; it’s the same thing but with some differences.

The Austin conscious community is the same, same, but different. Which reinforces the importance of discernment and self-reflection when seeking guidance and support in one’s personal growth and healing journey.

Searching for gold standards, people, or healers within a conscious community involves a set of steps similar to sifting for gold in a river or stream. There are undoubtedly valuable resources to be found, but it…