Peter Pan—flying ever higher, continually seeking the next quest, refusing to grow up, and instead choosing to live in the dramatic dreamworld of Neverland—is the quintessential image of the Eternal Youth.
In depth psychology, this archetype is known as the puer (or puella) aeternus, the eternal boy or girl. In the psychedelic community, one does not have to look far to see this archetype dancing with people.
Self-described “biohackers,” usually white dudes obsessed with extending their youth, are magnetized to psychedelics for productivity purposes and the “hacks” they perceive these medicines might offer them in their perpetual quest for optimization and perfection. The entire biohacking phenomenon could be seen as a puer fantasy, obsessed with the pursuit of youth, seeking the Holy Grail as quickly as possible while bypassing the quest. But there are no shortcuts in this work.
Programs in which people believe they can get a rapid online certification to become an “expert” or “shaman” are entranced by the archetype of the Eternal Youth, which always seeks the quick and easy path.
While this sort of behavior has today become commonplace, there used to be a word for people who peddled this kind of unearned authority: charlatan.
The Eternal Youth is the archetypal foundation of the sibling society. Robert Bly often referred to “flying boys”—youthful archetypes of escapism and aloofness—appearing throughout myth and fairy tales. Being “high” and constantly needing to alter one’s consciousness is another method of flight that many people use to escape the heavier realities here on earth. We could even see a superficial relationship to feathers in various New Age ceremonial circles as an indication that the Eternal Youth archetype is present.
When sincere Indigenous cultural practices become a fashion statement, you know that the energy of Eternal Youth is in the room.
While the Eternal Youth is mostly concerned with themselves, the Wise Elder is concerned with their community. By way of initiation, the Wise Elder becomes less and less self-focused and more oriented toward service of others. The Wise Elder teaches and shares what they’ve learned for those who seek it out. It is natural that an initiated psyche seeks to help support the initiation of others.
Yet another reason why elders are so necessary in cultivating psychedelic leadership is that they can serve as examples for what a right relationship with power might look like. Many (but not all) of the medicine elders I’ve known carry a lightness and humor with them and seem to hold their power lightly, or not at all. They have nothing to prove and are not seeking to meet their own emotional needs through those they serve.
Power naturally gathers within them the way water settles into a still pond—impersonal, gentle, and brimming with vitality. It becomes a source of abundance for all who drink from it, a Well of lifegiving waters.
The Wise Elder also knows grief. They can relate equally to the depths of the underworld and to the summit of the Sacred Mountain. Part of their role is simply to support and bless others as they navigate the many twists of life’s labyrinth, because they’ve been there before. Yet despite this, the Wise Elder still preserves some of the sweetness, playfulness, and hope of the Eternal Youth. Otherwise, life will leave us bitter and cynical.
The name of the ancient Chinese sage Lao Tzu, it is said, translates both to something like “old master” and “ancient child.” It is in this paradox, on the precipice of age and youth, joy and suffering, and hope and despair, that the Wise Elder makes their home.
Thanks for reading this series on Leadership Archetypes and the Psychedelic Guide.
I invite you to explore the previous two articles in the series, exploring the archetypes of the Guru vs. the Sovereign, and the Dark Sorcerer vs. the Wounded Healer.
These articles are excerpts from chapter seven in my book, Psychedelics and the Soul: A Mythic Guide to Psychedelic Healing, Depth Psychology, and Cultural Repair, which is now available for pre-order here or wherever books are sold. (That said, I highly encourage you to pre-order from Powell’s Books or any other independent bookstore you want to support.)
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Really appreciating your archetype series. Beautifully presented with clear language and examples and without a sense of judgement. It’s giving me helpful paradigms to consider people and situations I’ve navigated in psychedelic spaces and beyond. Thank you for your work ✨