“I found myself in a field in Tennessee. Up until then, I was only a mirror for people’s desirable traits. I had invested no effort in developing my own value as it was much easier to claim others as my own.”

Lightning in a Bottle 2018

“It started to grow harder to be alone, I didn’t recognize myself without others around. I fell into a deep depression and realized quickly no one wanted to be around me when I was not like them.⁠

I stepped into a free space the summer of 2014. I found myself breathing and growing without the ‘wait’ of the world on my shoulders. Every summer I seek that same freedom and surround myself with thoughtful minds. ⁠

Now, I work to reflect my own positivity at others. I no longer look to others to define my own self-worth.”⁠

⁠
Traveled from Denver, Colorado

Lightning in a Bottle 2018

Lake San Antonio

Bradley, California

“What are the results of following our passion? Can we find a passion that might also do some good in the world, and can it sustain us? Can it lead to our ultimate happiness and fulfillment?”

Lightning in a Bottle 2018

“There are trees behind you, I see thousands. And each one of those trees has leaves. When I hear ‘follow your passion,’ I think of each leaf as an action we can take—our way of living. ⁠
⁠
If we don’t ask the question ‘What does our passion lead to?’, we pick the leaf that’s optimal for short-term happiness. But each of these trees had a seed, and the seed is the cause you care about. It’s what matters in the world.⁠

In order for the tree to grow, you need roots. This is your understanding, this is the research. The trunk becomes your vision of change, and the branches are each type of path you could take to improve the world. And then there are all those leaves—the actions to be taken. ⁠

We don’t have to pick the optimal leaf for short-term happiness. We can first pick the seed that we care about most, and invest ourselves as a positive resource for change. And as it grows, on that tree, we can pick the leaf that makes the most sense and offers the most fun. ⁠

That creates dopamine and allows us to make patterns that give us the enthusiasm to carry on in something we care about. And that’s addicting.⁠

When we can have passion for something that is really about doing good in the world, we have an opportunity to get addicted to something worthwhile, and we can do it as optimally as possible. That’s where we find long-term fulfillment.”

Lightning in a Bottle 2018

Lake San Antonio

Bradley, California

“My passion is to see people. For them to be witnessed in my space, for me to be a mobile space. And a hub. So that people feel safe. Even for an instant, to allow people to feel the power of being seen. To do that is everything to me. To feel that for myself, to give that to someone. … To be seen.”

Lightning in a Bottle 2018

Traveled from Boulder City, Nevada

Lightning in a Bottle 2018

Lake San Antonio

Bradley, California

“I’m creating a character. I’m building a band, and I’m the front man. So I spend a lot of time in my room creating all kinds of art, but the one character I’m trying to express right now is masculine and feminine. The balance of it. Yin yang. Masculine being the constructive side, kind of like the right brain. Where it has rules, and it’s in a boundary and it has to stick to the rules. And then you have feminine. Where it can go anywhere it can be creative. And it has no boundaries.”

Lightning in a Bottle 2018

Lightning in a Bottle 2018

Lake San Antonio

Bradley, California

“There will be days in your life where your heart will try to guide you. Sometimes this guidance defies logic, and you are encouraged to take a leap of faith. You have the choice to listen, or suppress that voice. One of the greatest things that I’ve learned is that listening to the intelligence of your heart will assist in manifesting the greatest treasures in your life and the greatest you. Earlier this year, I had one of those moments. In this instance, following my heart resulted in the greatest adventure of my life and facilitated the opportunity to collaborate with one of my favorite electronic artists. We created an album together with the intentions of healing and spreading love. Then, I was blessed to travel and hear our art be shared with crowds at festivals and shows all around the country, as well as teaching a couple workshops at festivals. It has been such a profoundly magical journey. And to think, if I had not listened to the guidance to take that chance, none of it would have happened. So listen to your heart, take a chance, go with the flow, and enjoy the journey. The path is not always easy, but have faith that Universe is conspiring in your greatest favor.”

Lightning in a Bottle 2018

Traveled from Gainesville, Florida

Lightning in a Bottle 2018

Lake San Antonio

Bradley, California

“I’m a climber. A rock climber, a tree climber, an everything climber. ⠀ ⠀ I’m always climbing—climbing the pole. Climbing the corporate ladder, whatever it is. ⠀ ⠀ I’ve been a climber since I was a kid. I’ve always been into scaling things. I want to get to the top of everything. ⠀ ⠀ It’s scary. When you’re climbing, you have the fear of falling, hurting yourself… not being able to make it, not being strong enough. ⠀ ⠀ When you get there, it’s an accomplishment. It feels amazing. I guess I’m scared of heights, and when you push through it, you know you can push through your biggest fears.” ⠀

Lightning in a Bottle 2018

Traveled from Maui, Hawaii

Lightning in a Bottle 2018

Lake San Antonio

Bradley, California

“With psychedelic experiences, we have a new perception of what’s going on. We see ourselves in a different light. ⠀ ⠀ By chance, I was listening to podcasts. The Rogan experience showed me Duncan Trussel, a psychonaut who ended up interviewing Rick Doblin. From there, I learned about MAPS. But I didn’t know they were located anywhere near me. Six months later, I found out by accident that they were in Santa Cruz. And that’s when I knocked on the door.⠀ ⠀ It’s really about education. Knowing a little bit more than you would have if psychedelic research wasn’t being done. It’s mainstreaming, people have a better understanding than they did 10 years ago, 15 years ago, 20 years ago. ⠀ ⠀ When that grows, the fear goes away. The stigmas are loosened.”

Lightning in a Bottle 2018

Traveled with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)

Lightning in a Bottle 2018

Lake San Antonio

Bradley, California