The Psychedelic Future of the Mind: How Entheogens Are Enhancing Cognition, Boosting Intelligence, and Raising Values

by Thomas B. Roberts

Explores scientific and medical research on the emerging uses of psychedelics to enrich mind, morals, spirituality, and creativity

• Outlines a future that embraces psychedelics as tools for cognitive development, personal growth, business, and an experience-based religious reformation

• Presents research on the use of psychedelics to enhance problem-solving, increase motivation, boost the immune system, and deepen ethical values

• Includes chapters by Roger N. Walsh, M.D., Ph.D., and Charles Grob, M.D., on their psychedelic research on religious experience and alleviating the fear of death

As psychedelic psychotherapy gains recognition through research at universities and medical establishments such as the Johns Hopkins Medical Institute and Bellevue Hospital, the other beneficial uses of psychedelics are beginning to be recognized and researched as well--from enhancing problem-solving and increasing motivation to boosting the immune system and deepening moral and ethical values.

Exploring the bright future of psychedelics, Thomas B. Roberts, Ph.D., reveals how new uses for entheogens will enrich individuals as well as society as a whole. With contributions from Charles Grob, M.D., and Roger N. Walsh, M.D., Ph.D., the book explains how psychedelics can raise individual and business attitudes away from self-centeredness, improve daily life with strengthened feelings of meaningfulness and spirituality, and help us understand and redesign the human mind, leading to the possibility of a neurosingularity--a time when future brains surpass our current ones. Roberts envisions a future where you will seek psychedelic therapy not only for psychological reasons but also for personal growth, creative problem solving, improved brain function, and heightened spiritual awareness.

Our psychedelic future is on the horizon--a future that harnesses the full potential of mind and spirit--and Thomas Roberts outlines a path to reach it.

Genres: Psychology, Spirituality, Science

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2013

Reviews

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very well written and very refreshingly science friendly compared to some other psychedelic and entheogenic books that I've read through lately. I highly recommend this to anyone working in fields that might benefit from research done on psychedelics or altered states of mind (even those induced by other means, meditation, sensory deprivation, etc.).

The author has a lot of ideas for how to move the field forward, and while I'm not sure of the viability of all these ideas it is very encouraging to see someone put this much thought and effort into developing plans for the future using creative strategies (such as finding a way to put profit motive into getting research and therapy funded). Some of the author's ideas about mind-body states went a little over my head, but I am guessing that a rereading would offer me some clarity, and nothing seemed overwhelmingly complex.

This might not be the best book for a layperson, but for anyone who is already interested in the field and who is familiar with some of the research and theories and has done some reading, this is an excellent book. Lots of footnotes, lots of references, lots of new jumping points to other books that I might investigate for further reading. I wish the author was a professor in a university near me.

[Nils Paar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable and easy-to-digest read. Roberts lines out the current state of the psychedelic space well and introduces his main idea, Multistate Theory, in an accessible way that is easy to grasp, also for people with zero psychedelic experience.

I read this book in combination with Sacred Knowledge by William A. Richards, and there is obviously great overlap between the two, as they both focus on psychedelic induced mystical experiences. Richards has more depth as the mystical experience is the main focus of his book, for Roberts, it's just one of the areas he touches on. This book feels more fun for that reason, as you can really taste the author's excitement as he continues to go through all the possible contributions psychedelics can bring to the world.

The greatest value this book had to offer me was the technical examination of so-called mindbody states and how these relate to Roberts' Multistate Theory. Roberts provides a "psychogeography of inner states", and explains how apps are to devices as mindbody states are to minds. For this reason, we can question the validity of our perceptions in our default mindbody state, which opens the doors to almost infinite research on our perceptions in other mindbody states.

To end with my favorite quote from the book:

"From a multistate perspective, one of the most informative intellectual activities you can experience is the exploration of mindbody states."

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has entered my list of favorite pyschonautical books. Psychedelic Future of the Mind shows the vast benefits of psychedelics in many areas of interest: psychotherapy, spirituality, innovation; to name a few. This is one of the better modern books I've read on the subject that gives a detailed account of where things are at in modern day, 2013, and thoughts for where research and education can go in the future. For how much information is packed into this book it was easy to comprehend, as well as being an enjoyable read. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking to get better insight into the real potential of psychedelics.

[Brent Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was pretty disappointed with this book. It basically a sweeping survey with very little detail. I found the chapter on psychedelics boosting the immune system to be terribly cumbersome. Perhaps there is a relationship, but even at the authors admission this research is in its larval stage. That being the case, I felt that, had they left this chapter out, more detail could have been spent discussing the more developed research. I am not familiar with the work of Grof, but even still, i find that this book is very dependent upon his work in a way that it narrows the books vision. I don't recommend it to anyone, as the money spent on this book could be spent elsewhere on something vastly more comprehensive.

[Kim Lacey]

A bit too mystical for my tastes--I was hoping or a more scientific understanding of the future of LSD, but didn't get it. Oh, well.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

starts great, ends a bit too out there. weirdness on the stages of birth and movie reviews... but the first several chapters are excllent.