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The New Science of Psychedelics: At the Nexus of Culture, Consciousness, and Spirituality
What does the future hold for humanity, and can psychedelics help take us there?
• Shares insights from the author’s discussions with Terence McKenna, Edgar Mitchell, Rupert Sheldrake, Deepak Chopra, Candace Pert, and others
• Investigates the role of psychedelics in lucid dreaming, sex and pleasure enhancement, morphic field theory, the survival of consciousness, encounters with nonhuman beings, and the interface between science and spirituality
For as long as humanity has existed, we have used psychedelics to raise our levels of consciousness and seek healing--first in the form of visionary plants such as cannabis and now with the addition of human-created psychedelics such as LSD and MDMA. These substances have inspired spiritual awakenings, artistic and literary works, technological and scientific innovation, and even political revolutions. But what does the future hold for humanity--and can psychedelics help take us there?
Sharing insights from his discussions with luminaries such as Terence McKenna, Edgar Mitchell, Candace Pert, Deepak Chopra, Andrew Weil, Jerry Garcia, Albert Hofmann, Annie Sprinkle, and Rupert Sheldrake, author David Jay Brown explores the revelations brought about through his psychedelic experiences and his work with visionaries of the psychedelic and scientific communities. He investigates the role of psychedelics in lucid dreaming, time travel, sex and pleasure enhancement, morphic field theory, the survival of consciousness after death, encounters with nonhuman beings, and the interface between science and spirituality. Examining the ability of psychedelic drugs to incite creativity, neurogenesis, and the evolution of consciousness, he explains that they are messengers from the plant world designed to help elevate our awareness and sense of interconnectedness.
Revealing not only what psychedelics can teach us about ourselves and the world around us, Brown also shows how they are preparing humanity for a future of enlightened minds and worlds beyond our solar system.
• Shares insights from the author’s discussions with Terence McKenna, Edgar Mitchell, Rupert Sheldrake, Deepak Chopra, Candace Pert, and others
• Investigates the role of psychedelics in lucid dreaming, sex and pleasure enhancement, morphic field theory, the survival of consciousness, encounters with nonhuman beings, and the interface between science and spirituality
For as long as humanity has existed, we have used psychedelics to raise our levels of consciousness and seek healing--first in the form of visionary plants such as cannabis and now with the addition of human-created psychedelics such as LSD and MDMA. These substances have inspired spiritual awakenings, artistic and literary works, technological and scientific innovation, and even political revolutions. But what does the future hold for humanity--and can psychedelics help take us there?
Sharing insights from his discussions with luminaries such as Terence McKenna, Edgar Mitchell, Candace Pert, Deepak Chopra, Andrew Weil, Jerry Garcia, Albert Hofmann, Annie Sprinkle, and Rupert Sheldrake, author David Jay Brown explores the revelations brought about through his psychedelic experiences and his work with visionaries of the psychedelic and scientific communities. He investigates the role of psychedelics in lucid dreaming, time travel, sex and pleasure enhancement, morphic field theory, the survival of consciousness after death, encounters with nonhuman beings, and the interface between science and spirituality. Examining the ability of psychedelic drugs to incite creativity, neurogenesis, and the evolution of consciousness, he explains that they are messengers from the plant world designed to help elevate our awareness and sense of interconnectedness.
Revealing not only what psychedelics can teach us about ourselves and the world around us, Brown also shows how they are preparing humanity for a future of enlightened minds and worlds beyond our solar system.
- GenresSpirituality
352 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2013
18 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 9, 2013
Quite frankly, I'm having a hard time with this book (I'm currently on page 300). I've put it away on several occasions deciding i didn't like anything about it. Only to pick it up again out of curiosity, just to see if it got any better. Or maybe out of boredom, waiting for my next book orders to arrive. It doesn't get any better - at least for me. Let me explain:
First of all: the title of the book "The new science of psychedelics" is utterly misleading. If you're expecting some (or any) kind of scientific approach on the topic of psychedelics, you'll be very disappointed. There's also nothing "new" about its content or claims. The book's mainly about the author's personal experiences with all kinds of substances and experimental self-medication. It includes a lot of random interview quotes, a lot of name dropping and even more speculations and weird (and at times, funny) assumptions. But what really seemed unbearable were the millions of references to his own publications that make this book sound like a 300 page long advertising attempt.
That said, I do acknowledge some good aspects of the book. The author is likable, charming as well as refreshingly honest and open about his drug endeavors, his conclusions of altered states and his personal life. He leaves you feeling that everyone must get stoned. His optimism may seem naive, but truthful nonetheless.
However, Brown's uplifting personality doesn't make up for the lack of depth in his writing skills. If you ask me, most of the content of this book is entertaining "online blog material", and not necessarily meant to be pressed into a paperback format. If this style of writing suits you, you'd be better off reading Clifford Pickover's work - especially "Sex, Drugs, Einstein and Elves"...
First of all: the title of the book "The new science of psychedelics" is utterly misleading. If you're expecting some (or any) kind of scientific approach on the topic of psychedelics, you'll be very disappointed. There's also nothing "new" about its content or claims. The book's mainly about the author's personal experiences with all kinds of substances and experimental self-medication. It includes a lot of random interview quotes, a lot of name dropping and even more speculations and weird (and at times, funny) assumptions. But what really seemed unbearable were the millions of references to his own publications that make this book sound like a 300 page long advertising attempt.
That said, I do acknowledge some good aspects of the book. The author is likable, charming as well as refreshingly honest and open about his drug endeavors, his conclusions of altered states and his personal life. He leaves you feeling that everyone must get stoned. His optimism may seem naive, but truthful nonetheless.
However, Brown's uplifting personality doesn't make up for the lack of depth in his writing skills. If you ask me, most of the content of this book is entertaining "online blog material", and not necessarily meant to be pressed into a paperback format. If this style of writing suits you, you'd be better off reading Clifford Pickover's work - especially "Sex, Drugs, Einstein and Elves"...
January 29, 2014
I really enjoyed this wide-ranging discussion about the various, massive role psychedelics have played and are playing in our modern culture. I also enjoyed how the author mixed in a lot of his personal experiences and thoughts and was not afraid to address any topic. One of my frustrations is that so many people are afraid to come out of the psychedelic closet, though considering our cultural and legal taboo against their usage, I do understand why people do this. Still, I think the more of us who have experienced them and benefited from them came out and openly discussed their influence on our lives, the world would realize that the mainstream narrative about how dangerous they are is, for the most part, a bunch of hooey. So books like this are to be treasured for they are solid evidence of the great potential psychedelics have, and how, despite their legal status, they have had a very big influence on our culture especially over the past 50 years. One can hope that if more books like this came out and more people opened up, the legal status of psychedelics would change and we could get serious about researching them and using them for such critical issues as facing our mortality, PTSD, depression and the creative process.
July 27, 2020
What an utterly misleading title.
No science shall be found here, just a bunch of anecdotal stories with some pseudoscience explanations to make it sound ‘plausible’.
The question you should ask yourself before reading this book is “what reality are you living in?”
If it’s a reality in which you’ve had little experience with psychedelics and are searching for information on how you can employ this chemical for the betterment of ones life. I would suggest stay clear of this book.
If it’s a reality similar to the author, who has been dosing himself up since the age of 14 and made it his mission to ‘turn people on’. Then read away, you’ll have a few laughs.
I recommend ‘How to change your mind - Michael Pollen’ for anyone after an impartial scientific approach.
No science shall be found here, just a bunch of anecdotal stories with some pseudoscience explanations to make it sound ‘plausible’.
The question you should ask yourself before reading this book is “what reality are you living in?”
If it’s a reality in which you’ve had little experience with psychedelics and are searching for information on how you can employ this chemical for the betterment of ones life. I would suggest stay clear of this book.
If it’s a reality similar to the author, who has been dosing himself up since the age of 14 and made it his mission to ‘turn people on’. Then read away, you’ll have a few laughs.
I recommend ‘How to change your mind - Michael Pollen’ for anyone after an impartial scientific approach.
May 9, 2022
on expanding consciousness, why not
An intelligent, learned, well written, mostly sane and stable account of the role of psychedelics in expanding consciousness. Who wouldn’t want that. It inevitably includes discussions of lucid dreaming, psychic experiences and life after death. A potent mix. The author is amongst other things a neuroscientist and long term practitioner. He has a lot to say that’s worth listening to. And some solid technical advice on substances and combinations and general practice. Interspersed here and there with the most outrageous nonsense stated blandly and baldly as fact. We’ll assume this is an attempt to jolt us out of our complacency and challenge our assumptions or just to see if we are still awake. You can decide for yourself which bits are which.
An intelligent, learned, well written, mostly sane and stable account of the role of psychedelics in expanding consciousness. Who wouldn’t want that. It inevitably includes discussions of lucid dreaming, psychic experiences and life after death. A potent mix. The author is amongst other things a neuroscientist and long term practitioner. He has a lot to say that’s worth listening to. And some solid technical advice on substances and combinations and general practice. Interspersed here and there with the most outrageous nonsense stated blandly and baldly as fact. We’ll assume this is an attempt to jolt us out of our complacency and challenge our assumptions or just to see if we are still awake. You can decide for yourself which bits are which.
October 22, 2018
It's been said before but the title is a misnomer, the book doesn't go into the science of psychedelics at all. It just gives you a whole bunch of pseudoscience and speculation about extraterrestrials, ESP, consciousness after death, ... all the usual topics you can expect from psychedelic literature and people tripping out on psychedelic drugs.
On that last note especially it is interesting how the author asks a random bunch of people on their views of consciousness after death.
IF you enjoy reading psychedelic literature or have the occasional psychedelic experience yourself, you might want to give it a go, but don't expect to find any actual science here.
On that last note especially it is interesting how the author asks a random bunch of people on their views of consciousness after death.
IF you enjoy reading psychedelic literature or have the occasional psychedelic experience yourself, you might want to give it a go, but don't expect to find any actual science here.
January 2, 2024
Very fun read! I read this while drunk.
August 27, 2013
There was a lot of good stuff in this book, but I feel like there was also a lot of getting off topic and getting further out than the evidence can support. Some of the speculations made by the author made me a little uncomfortable, but other things resonated really well with me.
My biggest criticism is probably that the title of this book should probably not contain the word "science." If it had more research cited in a clearer and more organized fashion, maybe, but not the book as it was written. There was some science in there, but not enough to justify including it in the book's title.
Pretty good reading for people who are into a lot of psychedelic literature, but probably would not be my first choice to introduce someone to the subject.
My biggest criticism is probably that the title of this book should probably not contain the word "science." If it had more research cited in a clearer and more organized fashion, maybe, but not the book as it was written. There was some science in there, but not enough to justify including it in the book's title.
Pretty good reading for people who are into a lot of psychedelic literature, but probably would not be my first choice to introduce someone to the subject.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews