This is a list of psychedelic literature, works related to psychedelic drugs and the psychedelic experience. Books the psychedelic experience shroomery message board. The psychedelic experience describes their discoveries in broadening spiritual consciousness through a combination of tibetan mediation techniques and psychotropic substances. I enjoy reading these reports, which are often very moving in terms of their lifechanging power, or impressive in terms of the depth of peoples visions and lessons received. The researchers and renegades bringing psychedelic drugs into the mental health mainstream. The varieties of psychedelic experience book by jean houston. Three new books suggest that psychedelic drugs did not necessarily have the power to rewrite society, but, instead. Much has been said about the psychedelic experience and its rich and thrilling history. The fourth part contains instructive passages adapted from the bardo thodol, which may be read to the voyager during this session, to facilitate the movement of. I have been on the lookout for books on psychedelics. A lot of people believe that whether you have a good trip or a bad trip, you got just what you needed. How to work with difficult psychedelic experiences.
Drawing on firstperson exploratory journalism as well as indepth research, tao details the experience of taking psilocybin, dmt, and cannabis, studies their chemical composure and legality, and ends his story with a pilgrimage out. A must read in the list of psychedelic books, it is a collective account in support of. Timothy leary the psychedelic experience audiobook,1966. These are my personal favourite books regarding philosophy of psychedelics and, more specifically, the psychedelic experience.
I got this for the hopes of better going into lsd trips and with this book i have a. Dec 24, 2018 michael pollans acid trip is one of 2018s 10 best books. The drug is only one component of a psychedelic session. It is by far the most eloquent and poetic description of the psychedelic experience ive ever read. In saying that, as a standalone piece of work the psychedelic experience seemed more woowoo than substance. He also explores these experiences in this new york times article called, my adventures with the trip doctors. Turn on, tune in, and drop out and into a good psychedelic book. The idea is that psychedelic drugs have some kind of innate wisdom that allows them to reveal to you just what you need to know at your current stage of life. In american trip, ido hartogsohn examines how the psychedelic experience in midcentury america was shaped by historical, social, and cultural forcesby set the mindset of the user and setting the environments in which the experience takes place. Finished godel escher and bach and i am a strange loop and working on metamagical themas guy is a fuckin genius. My first psilocybin journey began around an altar in the middle of a secondstory loft in a suburb of a small city on the eastern seaboard.
If you only end up taking one book away from this list, make sure it is this one. Timothy learys 5 levels of psychedelic experience zamnesia. A psychedelic experience is a journey to new realms of consciousness. A manual based on the tibetan book of the dead by timothy leary, ralph metzner and. A manual based on the tibetan book of the dead is a book about using psychedelic drugs that was coauthored by timothy leary. My intention when reading the book was to learn how to become a guide for others undergoing psychedelic experiences, and fadimans advice for trip sitters is very concise, helpful, and wise. Each one of these works involve what you would normally refer to as trip reports but that is not all that they deal with. A manual based on the tibetan book of the dead commonly referred to as the psychedelic experience is an instruction manual intended for use during sessions involving psychedelic drugs. Book store many of the books which i have referenced from are still in print and are available online. I dont really read many books that you would probably classify as psychedelic though i read the two strassman books. To save time i have borrowed the following description of the book and adapted it from this post. They embody an lsd or dmtlike quality of experience and environment.
Harmala alkaloids harmala will add a unique dimension to an acid experience. These four books on the psychedelic experience are essential, critical reading before going on an acid trip or other psychedelic voyage 1. Jan 27, 2018 i have been researching, writing, and speaking on psychedelics for almost a decade now and there are a few books that stand out for me as the ones that landed with a profound impact on my. A manual based on the tibetan book of the dead by timothy leary. Emily witt on three new books about psychedelic drugs and their impact. If you are interested in reading more on the psychedelic experience please refer to the list below. The psychedelic experience is a book written by timothy leary, ralph metzner and richard alpert. Beginners guide to psychedelic experience clair hamlett says. In this video, i explore the top 5 of those books and outline some of the main concepts presented in each one. There are swirling colors, endless fractal iterations of geometric shapes, organicbiological patterns, hyperspacial structures that can only be defined by mathematical formula in our mundane world, but which ziewe is able to encounter through direct experience. The best books on the psychedelic experience five books. Life lived in the absence of the psychedelic experience that primordial shamanism is based on is life trivialized, life denied, life enslaved to the ego.
Trip takes readers on a trip through psychedelic culture, from d. Top 10 psychedelic books best book recommendations, best. My expectations were more along the lines of a psychedelic howto touching base on the benefits of these drugs on cognitive function and spirituality. All of his other books focus on various eastern philosophies, but this book is basically a collection of his trip reports.
These four books on the psychedelic experience are essential, critical reading before going on an acid trip or other psychedelic voyage. This process is described in detail in the book the psychedelic experience. A psychedelic experience or trip is a temporary altered state of consciousness induced by the consumption of psychedelic drugs such as mescaline, lsd, psilocybin, and dmt or induced by practices such as meditation or holotropic breathing. Ten must read books about psychedelics we gathered for you ten must read books about psychedelics. Ive read the psychedelic experience by timothy leary which was a great book, but i want to expand my horizons and get recommendations on other great books, as there are many books out there on this subject. The psychedelic experience by timothy leary, ralph metzner, and richard alpert. Also, this post was originally called top 5 books on the psychedelic experience but was changed, in response to a reasonable critique offered on my facebook page, to better reflect the contents of the post. Aug 01, 2006 books john higgs top 10 psychedelic nonfiction.
Timothy leary has 107 books on goodreads with 422 ratings. A great deal of these books hail from the 20th century. Unlike a real ayahuasca experience i did not travel to the amazon, spend hours vomiting, or experience any kind of egodissolving. The third part contains practical suggestions on how to prepare for and conduct a psychedelic session. The experience of the clear light can only be attained by going through a full ego death. Dec 16, 2017 it was filled with political turmoil and protests, social change, and freethinking. A few weeks ago i experienced a virtual reality ayahuasca trip. The psychedelic experience audiobook by timothy leary. John higgs top 10 psychedelic nonfiction books the guardian.
Grof has more experience with the therapeutic use of psychedelic. The doors of perception by aldous huxley is, in my opinion, the greatest book ever. After i set out to write a book about psychedelics, it became obvious what. In this wholly unique book, the authors provide an interpretation of an ancient sacred manuscript, the tibetan book of the dead, from a psychedelic perspective. In his book, pollan describes his experiences with trained underground psychedelic guides. If you dont know that maybe you shouldnt be tripping. A manual based on the tibetan book of the dead is an instruction. Psychedelic societies vary widely in format based on community needs and desires.
If youre familiar with alans work, just imagine what his trips must have been like. Buy a cheap copy of the varieties of psychedelic experience book by jean houston. Books by timothy leary author of the psychedelic experience. Pdf the psychedelic experience download full pdf book. In earthoriented, shamanic cultures, even a psychotic breakdown, induced by a psychedelic, is part of the initiation. Psychedelics, alienation, and change, i more than halfbelieved the stereotypes id absorbed throughout my life about psychedelic drugsthat. The psychedelic experience, created in the movements early years by the prophetic shamanprofessors timothy leary, ralph metzner, and richard alpert ram dass, is a foundational text that serves as a model and a guide for all subsequent mindexpanding inquiries. Solid books about psychedelics the psychedelic experience. The psychedelic experience download ebook pdf, epub. The book also has plenty of advice for those thinking of embarking on their own psychedelic voyages, like paying attention to components like set. Nov 28, 2018 here are some of the best psychedelic books ever written. This book is an introductory text that serves as a guide for all questions regarding the mindexpanding properties of psychedelics. A manual based on the tibetan book of the dead citadel underground paperback october 1, 2000.
Here are the basics to a successful flight and how to avoid a bad trip. Psychedelic experience by leary, first edition abebooks. May 15, 2018 my adventures with the trip doctors by michael pollan the new york times magazine, may 15, 2018. If theres an ideal medium to achieve that, its poetry. Packed with governmental intrigue, freakout trips and the loving.
Drawing on the wisdom of the tibetan book of the deada centuriesold guide to changes in consciousness between death and the next lifethe psychedelic experience outlines the experience of ego death. The psychedelic experience, created in the movement. Sep 22, 2018 many of the contemporary classic psychedelic trip report books were written by important figures in the field, like ann and sasha shulgins pihkal. My top 5 most influential books on the psychedelic experience. Based on the tibetan book of the dead, an ancient religious text that deals with the nature of reality and the mind, leary translates the tibetan bardo states into 5 levels of psychedelic experience. Psychedelic literature contains some of the richest prose and musings on the human condition. Consciousness explorer and psychedelic connoisseur tim leary has been mapping out the psychedelic space for years, and developed a scale to asses the intensity of the trip. There are many psychedelic experience accounts online and in books, written by people whove dabbled or dived into substances from lsd to psilocybin, from peyote to increasingly these days ayahuasca. My adventures with the trip doctors by michael pollan the new york times magazine, may 15, 2018. I might lack huxleys confidence about what my psychedelic experience means, yet i have somewhat more confidence than michaux. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Trip to center of hybrid fractal hd psychedelic experience. Part memoir, part history, part journalistic expose, trip is a look at psychedelic drugs, literature, and alienation from one of the twentyfirst centurys most innovative noveliststhe electric koolaid acid test for a new generation.
The experience and effects of the most powerful psychedelic deep in the heart of the amazon jungle lives a people who have found a way to create dimethyltryptamine dmt, the most potent psychedelic drug in the world, in the form of a tea brewed from jungle plants. Although once in a mind trip, you are left to your own minds. A manual based on the tibetan book of the dead by leary, timothy, ralph metzner, and richard alpert. Psychedelics may be currently illegal in most places but talking about them openly is not. Psychoactive related journal articles journal articles and abstracts related to psychoactives. Both books were published in the 90s, at a time when the topic of psychedelics was still considered highly taboo. The best books about psychedelic therapy and microdosing lsd and. Currently reading all of the books by douglas hofstadter. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. A true psychedelic experience, even a socalled bad trip, is sacred.
Top 10 mindopening psychedelic books zamnesia blog. The psychedelic experience is a manual designed to be used as part of any psychedelic journey. Psychedelics are a perennially popular tool for young seekersand theyre a doubleedged sword. Consciousness explorer and psychedelic connoisseur tim leary has been mapping out the psychedelic space for years and developed a scale to assess the intensity of the trip. They come from researchers, doctors, chemists, prophets, social leaders, comedians, historians. They talk about the psychedelic experience, about experiments with psychedelics, about the history of psychedelics, and about their effect on society. I find that it infuses the trip with a mystical and ancient quality. Its authoritative research has great relevance to the current debate on drug. A manual based on the tibetan book of the dead is an instruction manual intended for use during sessions involving psychedelic drugs. This manual uses material from the tibetan book of the. It sheds light on the otherwise hidden half of the psychedelic experience. Based on the tibetan book of the dead, an ancient religious text that deals with the nature of reality and the mind, leary translates the tibetan bardo states into 5 levels. William james famously wrote that mystical experience perhaps.
Hundreds of years ago, such experiences were described and explored through literary works by all sorts of mystical and creative people. In this wholly unique book, the authors provide an interpretation of an ancient sacred manuscript, the tibetan book of the dead, from a. William james famously wrote that mystical experience perhaps the closest analogue we have of a psychedelic trip is ineffable. While isolating himself to work on his novel taipei, tao lin discovered the prolific work of terence mckennathe leading advocate of. Click download or read online button to get the psychedelic experience book now. A chemical love story and terence mckennas true hallucinations. To see this full list and links to each book, head to. Despite psychedelic researchers attempts to quantify results with tools like the mystical experience questionnaire, trip experiences such as encounters with snakegods tend. Ten must read books about psychedelics trancentral. Started as early as 1962 in zihuatanejo, the book was finally published in august 1964. But mostly, the sixties are known for the popularization of recreational drugs, specially lsd. Timothy learys most popular book is the psychedelic experience. Brilliantly described acquired experiences by three ph.
The great literature of meditation lends itself very well to this use. The authors find no need to invent new mental and spiritual materials for this purpose. These are gateway books to a rich and other worldly adventure. The psychedelic experience was written by shamanic professors including leary. This book will give you a trip, not change your life.
For example, the term acid trip refers to psychedelic experiences brought on by the use of lsd. One of the most important books written on the effects of lsd on the human psyche. The psychedelic experience is a guide to the usage of lsd and other psychedelic drugs, focused on the three stages of the psychedelic experience leary et al. A psychedelic society is a local group that meets regularly to provide peer education about the psychedelic experience. May 29, 2018 on trip reports from timothy leary, michael pollan, and tao lin. My adventures with the trip doctors michael pollan. The drug inspired many books and literary movements, but the psychedelic experience wasnt invented or discovered in the sixties. Psychedelic books has also been defined as textual works that arose from the proliferation of psychiatric and psychotherapeutic research with hallucinogens during the 1950s and early 1960s in north america and europe.
The list of books on its own, without watching the video, is out of context. Equally important is the mental and spiritual preparation, both before and in the course of taking the drug. How to work with difficult psychedelic experiences maps. Get ready for your psychedelic voyage by reading experience.