Freedom of consciousness? Who talks about that?  I do, that's who! Because freedom of consciousness underlies all the other freedoms we want to exercise, like freedom of thought, belief, speech, and the freedom to take psychedelics.   I ask questions: Why don't you have freedom of consciousness?  Who took it?  What you can do to get it back?  What does it feel like?  How do I make it happen for me? Laws that directly compel you to think or not think certain things used to be rare in the United States, but people who are nostalgic for times that never were are mounting decency crusades and legislating morality.  The Bible Belt is morphing into a Fourth Reich where there are dress codes for boys and girls, family entertainment can't be gay, book burnings are de rigeur, and hounding heretics to suicide via social media has replaced physical stoning. The drug laws aren't thought of as anti-heresy legislation, but I'll argue that is exactly what they are.  The first drug laws in the Western Hemisphere were imposed by Catholic priests who outlawed native religion, particularly practices using sacraments that are not placebos, but rather, facilitated vision quests and rituals that opened the doors to the infinite.  Oppression of native religious practices under the US and state Controlled Substances Acts and the UN Treaty on Narcotics.  The religious sincerity of visionary religion practitioners is subject to skepticism, and does not ward off law enforcement persecution. PunkLawyer will go after this topic with a classic three chord method, breaking it down with heavy rhythms and pop style.more