What do you think?
Rate this book
My Year of Psychedelics: Exploring the amazing potential of mushrooms, MDMA, LSD and other life-enhancing substances
Exploring first-hand the amazing potential of mushrooms, MDMA, LSD and other life-enhancing substances.
Twenty years on from the bestselling success of Buddhism for Mothers, Sarah Napthali remains keen to explore the depths of the human experience. Intrigued by reports of the power of mushrooms, MDMA, LSD, ayahuasca and others, and the immense potential for personal and spiritual growth, she becomes determined to try these medicines and apply what she learns to the challenges she now faces as a newly divorced empty-nester.
Over one year, Sarah takes eight psychedelic medicines. She navigates the highs of new romance and travel, but also grapples with the loss of old friends and a confrontation with aching loneliness.
The psychedelic renaissance has provided a wealth of empirical evidence about the potential of these medicines, but this is a first-person account, a chance to join someone on their trips, and see how they impact her daily life.
Twenty years on from the bestselling success of Buddhism for Mothers, Sarah Napthali remains keen to explore the depths of the human experience. Intrigued by reports of the power of mushrooms, MDMA, LSD, ayahuasca and others, and the immense potential for personal and spiritual growth, she becomes determined to try these medicines and apply what she learns to the challenges she now faces as a newly divorced empty-nester.
Over one year, Sarah takes eight psychedelic medicines. She navigates the highs of new romance and travel, but also grapples with the loss of old friends and a confrontation with aching loneliness.
The psychedelic renaissance has provided a wealth of empirical evidence about the potential of these medicines, but this is a first-person account, a chance to join someone on their trips, and see how they impact her daily life.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 4, 2025
7 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Napthali
17 books68 followersSarah Napthali is a mother of two young boys who tries to apply Buddhist teachings in her daily life. Her working life has ranged from teaching English as a Second Language and corporate training, to human rights activism and interpreting. Since becoming a mother she has focussed on writing, initially for companies and later for individuals wanting to record their memoirs. With seven memoirs completed, she is also the author of Buddhism for Mothers (Allen & Unwin, 2003) which has sold 54,000 copies around the world and been translated into eight languages to date. Since the children started school, Sarah is very pleased to report that she manages to meditate daily.
from http://www.allenandunwin.com/default....
from http://www.allenandunwin.com/default....
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 13, 2025
Napthali has a very accessible writing style that made this one a quick read. I’m not sure what I was expecting from this book, but it read more like a memoir than a science book. In a way I’m glad the author did not try to reinvent the wheel and instead cited a number of sources by scientists and academics for extended reading on the subject.
The trip reports felt a little contrived and evoked the same feeling as listening to someone else describe their dreams - no doubt intense and vivid and mind boggling to the experiencer, but almost a feeling of boredom for the listener. Like dreams, psychedelic trips are such an intensely personal experience that words can never do justice, and Napthali’s descriptions fell a little short for me.
Overall, the book is an accessible entry point into psychedelics and piqued my interest enough to read more into this emerging medicinal field. 3.5 stars
The trip reports felt a little contrived and evoked the same feeling as listening to someone else describe their dreams - no doubt intense and vivid and mind boggling to the experiencer, but almost a feeling of boredom for the listener. Like dreams, psychedelic trips are such an intensely personal experience that words can never do justice, and Napthali’s descriptions fell a little short for me.
Overall, the book is an accessible entry point into psychedelics and piqued my interest enough to read more into this emerging medicinal field. 3.5 stars
April 2, 2025
This was a very interesting read and I definitely learned a lot. I really appreciated the author's willingness to be vulnerable and open about her emotional issues.
PS: This book needed a stronger editor - there are lots of mechanical errors in here!
PS: This book needed a stronger editor - there are lots of mechanical errors in here!
December 2, 2025
Psychadelics definitely aren't for me😂
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews