Visionary: The Mysterious Origins of Human Consciousness

by Graham Hancock

The latest archaeology and history redefining book from bestselling author Graham Hancock ( Fingerprints of the Gods ), who is featured in Ancient Apocalypse , a hit Netflix original docuseries."With the original unabridged text of Supernatural , I offer the reader an investigation that explores the human experience with psychedelics from the Stone Age to the Space Age and the role of these extraordinary plant medicines as tools to investigate the nature of reality itself."—Graham HancockDiscover the pathway to the gods.Less than 50,000 years ago mankind had no art, no religion, no sophisticated symbolism, no innovative thinking. Then, in a dramatic and electrifying change, described by scientists as "the greatest riddle in human history," all the skills and qualities that we value most highly in ourselves appeared already fully formed, as though bestowed on us by hidden powers.In Visionary , Graham Hancock sets out to investigate this mysterious "before-and-after moment" and to discover the truth about the influences that gave birth to modern human mind. His quest takes him on a journey of adventure and detection from the stunningly beautiful painted caves of prehistoric France, Spain, and Italy to remote rock shelters in the mountains of South Africa, where he finds a treasure trove of extraordinary Stone Age art.Hancock uncovers clues that lead him to travel to the depths of the Amazon rainforest to drink the powerful plant hallucinogen ayahuasca with Indian shamans, whose paintings contain images of "supernatural beings" identical to the animal-human hybrids depicted in prehistoric caves and rock shelters. Hallucinogens such as mescaline also produce visionary encounters with exactly the same beings. Scientists at the cutting edge of consciousness research have begun to consider the possibility that such hallucinations may be real perceptions of other "dimensions."Could the "supernaturals" first depicted in the painted caves and rock shelters be the ancient teachers of mankind? Could it be that human evolution is not just the "blind," "meaningless" process that Darwin identified, but something more purposive and intelligent, something that we have barely even begun to understand?Previously published as Supernatural , this definitive edition includes a new Introduction by Graham Hancock as well as restored chapters that were omitted from the original paperback release.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Science, Spirituality, Anthropology, Psychology

640 pages, Paperback

Published April 4, 2022

About the author

Graham Hancock is a British writer and journalist. His books include Lords of Poverty, The Sign and the Seal, Fingerprints of the Gods, Keeper of Genesis (released in the US as Message of the Sphinx), The Mars Mystery, Heaven's Mirror (with wife Santha Faiia), Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization, Talisman: Sacred Cities, Secret Faith (with co-author Robert Bauval), Supernatural: Meeting with the Ancient Teachers of Mankind and Magicians of the Gods. He also wrote and presented the Channel 4 documentaries Underworld: Flooded Kingdoms of the Ice Age and Quest for the Lost Civilisation. His first novel, Entangled, was published in 2010.

Reviews

[Peter A. Lio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an important book that advances key ideas. I'm frustrated that it is so long (way too long) and that ultimately, this is probably 2 (maybe even 3) different books in one.

I think that a really good editor would have seen this and advocated to break this project up a bit more to get those important ideas out.

1) We have a history of mankind and consciousness and creativity. This is like the "stoned ape" concept. It's fine. It's fairly interesting but was overlong and not what I was really here for. This would be a fine book by itself (that I would not read).

2) We have a super-critical idea that has been advanced about UFO contact. If Vallee pushed things forward in his "Passport to Magonia", then Hancock moves things to the next phase by connecting it to shamanistic other worlds. I think this is the most compelling and important part of this book. I LOVED this part and it is why I gave it 5 stars. It is thoughtful, well-researched, and beautifully written. Summarizing the idea: UFOs are people from another planet --> (Vallee) UFOs have always been here and connect beautifully with ancient lore around faeries and the like, as well as with religious concepts such as Marion apparitions --> (Hancock) Yes, and those dovetail nicely with shamanistic visions of beings and realms on psychoactive hallucinogens. This may be a "real" realm, depending on what we mean by "real".

3) The third book was more about hallucinogens in general, with their use for addiction, and what it might mean about consciousness. I think this was fine but again, added to the length and felt out of place.

[Brando · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally believe it is very important to reassess your beliefs when new evidence comes to light and am very happy Graham Hancock took the time to revise his book when he did. All scholars of any field should strive to do the same; that's what drives science in the first place.

I listened to the audio book and love that he narrated it himself. He has a wonderful voice and I felt the passion in his words.

[Courtney Coffelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not for the weak. Very dense information. Graham follows his intuition when it comes to research. Almost as if his intuition is driven to him by the same teachers that effect everyone who has entered the psychedelic space. This book links what we collectively “feel” as truth. Linkage from Neolithic cave art 10,000 years ago to the shockwave of advancement in human consciousness seemingly overnight in comparison of the 2.5 million years that humans & close sub species have inhabited the earth. Graham links shamanism to the advancement of human culture, proposing humans were and still are taught by spiritual beings through trance states. Where patterns emerge regardless of religion, or cultural background. As the book progresses he links supernatural phenomena with identical patterns hidden in plain sight by legends & lore from ancient cultures to modern instances. Fairies from medieval times have extremely similar stories of UFO encounters, we realize this only when we line them up side by side. Ending this book ties in the psychedelic world & how each of us perceives it. Only to realize.. there is a lot more to this inter dimensional space than we might of realized, but may have always known to be true. That our world is layered by dimensions that plants unlock the vision beyond the veil.

[John Min · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as his books come out, I buy them and I am never disappointed. Each book pushes back against the conventional wisdom about us humans and our fragmented history and expands what we know about us humans in a way that demolishes the dogmatic conventions we have all grown up with such as the ages of megalith temples and cities around the world, how a very advanced human culture(s) were destroyed by global catastrophes of the meteor / comet kind. This book may be his most far reaching to date - an update on Supernatural. It is hard to even write a review about Visionary without sounding silly to the lay mind the (ie, the supernatural is REAL) but Mr. Hancock pulls it off with power. Of course academia will laugh at him but they always have and they have always been shown to be wrong. He had the balls to say that some of what we call hallucinations may be REAL, ie, the entities that one encounters may be real beings and he gives a giant book's worth of evidence for this that covers 35,000 + years! I would bet Mr. Hancock is right here too. Anyone who has had a deep experience with psilocybin, DMT or salvia divinorum would readily agree to be way open to such an idea. At a minimum, these trance / visionary experiences never fail to let one know that the 'world' if far more complex and rich than you can ever imagine. I would love for these studies, like the Rick Strassman, MD studies (DMT The Spirit Molecule) would continue - go DMT-X! This book is not going to be looked at favorably by the godless academia and their material world view - it already hasn't and he details some of the BS that has gone on in academia herein . What is sad is that any of these critics can take a dose of one of these substances and see for themselves but they won't, they will just try to corrupt the character of Graham Hancock and try to turn him into a laughing stock instead of peaking into that other place. The joke is on them...this is an amazing book and I think this book will go down as a huge milestone in the history and capabilities of human beings. I listened to this book on audible, but bought the book to see the pictures. Thanks again Mr. Hancock. If I ever won the lottery, I would love to fund expeditions of your choosing to uncover our human past such as more underwater archeology or lidar mapping of the African jungles for ancient undiscovered cities. You are really an amazing teacher.

[Tyler Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big fan of Hancock however this was a little too long. Maybe needed to be cut short but 1/4 to a 1/3. A lot of Info to process and maybe just a little too many examples etc. found my self just wanting to finish the book instead of enjoying it.

[Zdenek Sykora · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Visionary: The Mysterious Origins of Human Consciousness" by Graham Hancock is an intellectually ambitious exploration that delves into the profound connections between human consciousness, ancient history, and paranormal phenomena. Divided into three distinct but interconnected parts, Hancock navigates through the realms of human evolution, UFO encounters, and the profound influence of hallucinogens on human consciousness.

Graham Hancock's "Visionary" intricately weaves together three compelling narratives: a historical exploration of mankind's creative consciousness, a groundbreaking theory connecting UFO encounters with ancient shamanistic traditions, and an investigation into the transformative potential of hallucinogens. While the breadth of topics may initially overwhelm, Hancock's captivating prose and meticulous research ultimately create a cohesive journey through the mysteries of human existence.

The Seven Big Ideas:

Stoned Ape Theory Revisited: Explores the hypothesis that early human consciousness evolved through interactions with psychedelic substances, challenging conventional views of human history.

UFOs and Ancient Lore: Proposes that UFO encounters throughout history are linked to shamanistic visions and religious experiences, presenting a paradigm shift in how we perceive extraterrestrial contact.

Hallucinogens and Consciousness: Examines the role of hallucinogenic plants in expanding human consciousness and their potential implications for addiction treatment and psychological healing.

Historical Connections: Draws parallels between Neolithic cave art, supernatural phenomena, and modern-day paranormal encounters, suggesting a continuity of spiritual teachings across millennia.

Cultural Cross-Examinations: Analyzes folklore and mythologies from various cultures to illustrate common themes in supernatural encounters and visionary experiences.

Scientific Skepticism vs. Experiential Evidence: Challenges scientific skepticism by presenting compelling anecdotal and experiential evidence supporting paranormal phenomena.

Integrative Vision: Synthesizes disparate fields such as anthropology, psychology, and neuroscience to propose a holistic understanding of human consciousness and its evolution.

Summary:

"Visionary" by Graham Hancock is a thought-provoking exploration that pushes the boundaries of our understanding of human consciousness and its origins. While the book covers diverse and at times controversial topics—from psychedelic theories of human evolution to UFO encounters and paranormal phenomena—Hancock's scholarly rigor and engaging narrative style captivate readers throughout. Despite its length and occasional speculative leaps, "Visionary" stands as a testament to Hancock's relentless pursuit of uncovering profound truths about human existence. Whether you approach it with skepticism or curiosity, this book promises to challenge and expand your perspective on the mysteries of consciousness and the universe.

[Aurelio Guerra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot praise this book highly enough. Of the 45 books I've read this year, Visionary is by far the most interesting. It's mind-blowing fascinating. I've read other books on similar or tangential subjects (origins of consciousness, plant-based hallucinogens, paranormal phenomena, etc.) yet while reading this book I wondered if I had not read all these under a rock.

Methodologically, Hanckock's approach has a recurring fault: he often conjectures enough on the logical ramification of a crazy idea as to work it into a hypothesis. By his own admission, these far-fetched hypotheses are nothing but what-ifs; next thing you know, by the following chapter, they are already, in his mind, immovable facts upon which he builds his next argument.

There is also a lot of wishful thinking in the book and, to name but a few, a whole slew of biases: confirmation, illusory-truth, anecdotal, survivalship, and correlation. Despite all these argumentative faults and fallacies, the book's thesis is so powerful and his narrative style so enthralling that as a reader one has to give in.

But it is not all stoned nonsense.

Hancock is a formidable researcher, plus he has his own experience to back up his claims. In this case his statements are not mere anecdotal truths since he correlates his experience with those of other subjects, particularly those of the very convincing study by Rick Strassman (which I had read before).

There is no way, after reading this book, that a rational person can ever see the purported paranormal phenomena as superficially, silly or even isolated as before. Even if you are a rational, iron-rule scientist, the richness of examples Hancock brings to bear are so thorough that they make it perfectly evident (and I mean evident beyond highest-threshold) that despite any degree of skeptic free-thinking, all the paranormal phenomena since the beginning of recorded history (including cave-paintings) have a common if not same origin.

Do not skip this book if you can read it.

[Francis Bezooyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I should say that I am much more skeptical than the author about the prospect that the kinds of experiences related in this book are the result of actual encounters with supernatural beings and feel that there were some important errors in the reasoning he put forward in service to that conclusion (which, it must be said, he doesn't unequivocally endorse anyway). Despite this, I applaud him for exploring the possibility and - Damn! This was a really interesting read that, by my reckoning, makes a very persuasive case for the idea that altered states of consciousness of the kind so often achieved via psychedelics not only provide a believable explanation for the kinds of images we find in prehistoric cave art but many other phenomena, like alien abductions, faery sightings, angelic visitations, and the origins of most world religions. Furthermore, his assertion that the widespread similarities between these phenomena are not easily explained and deserve more than hand-waving about coincidences, mere hallucinations, people being crazy, etc is spot on. There appears to be a very interesting phenomenon here that cries out for a more rigorous and open-minded investigation. Though, at this point, my money remains with the answer being some version of it being all in our heads.

[Ya'el Carmel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A disclaimer: while I rate this book three stars, I learned quite a bit and will take much from this impressive work. It is clear that Hancock is deeply immersed in his field, extraordinarily knowledgeable, and trustworthy.

That being said, I agree with a lot of other reviewers that this book is unnecessarily and gratuitously long. I could see it being three separate books: one on parallels in art that suggest trance states and the emergence of consciousness, one on encounters with other realms, and one more generally on the current state of psychedelics in society and science.

There are some logical leaps I don't quite agree with, but am always happy to read things that stretch the bounds of my understanding of the world. I respect his commitment to experiencing various psychedelic substances himself before claiming the requisite experience to write about them.

I was also hoping that there would be a bit more on how psychedelic/trance states and the accompanying visions might underlie some Christian/biblical perceptions and stories. While this was hinted at, maybe we'll get a follow-up someday with more thorough considerations...

[Jens Kuppers · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️

I once heard someone say that Graham Hancock is the master of speculation. And after reading another one of his iconic works, I cannot deny that he is the undisputed king of just that.

Unlike anyone else out there, Hancock so seamlessly connects crumbs of evidence to form daring and foundation-shaking theories that threaten to shatter the institutions we rely on for truth and knowledge.

Nobody is as convincing and thorough as Hancock. He literally leaves no stone unturned, and that’s especially the case for Visionary, where he leaves the reader without a shadow of a doubt on the existence of a “supernatural”, other-world permeating our own.

And nobody else but Hancock could ever convince the reader of such a supernatural fact.

[Melanie Brocklehurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hancock investigates the effect of psychedelics on humans and decides to undertake practical research by taking mushrooms with shamans and being involved in a synthetic psychedelic drug test. As a result of his own experience and the detailed accounts of others, he posits the view that the psychedelic allows the brain to tune in to another dimension and that cave art depicts the results of psychedelic experiences from the stone age. He also suggests that the modern day phenomena of alien abduction is the result of a person tuning in to an alternate reality. Per his other books this is full of references to research papers and written accounts and reflects the interesting left of field theory that Hancock is known for.

[A.J. Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unbelievably in-depth look at the connections between our prehistoric ancestors and the development of civilization, but seen thru the lens of psychedelics. Plus, this revised version of one of Hancock's earlier books ties a few things together and adds info about new research into the use of psychedelics for therapeutic reasons.
As with most of Hancock's other works, my biggest gripe is his habit of constantly repeating himself. And it's not just quick references to earlier chapters, it's often rewriting entire paragraphs. I know he's putting out a ton of information, but please give your readers some credit!

[Brad Gerlach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graham Hancocks dedication to this book and topic shines through. An open mind beyond science must be strongly considered after reading this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey and am grateful for minds such as Graham Hancock and hope it leads to many more studies and literature on the role plant medicines and psychedelics play, and played, in our evolution, ancestry and how it can be optimised to treat and heal amidst our current day mental health prevalence. Kudos to him for making the required tweaks to the original version of this book based on updated research and evidence coming to the forefront.

[Marjan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess it is a good book, but I never got further than a 300-something pages. I love how GH writes his more "important" books, like America Before or "Fingerprints," but the sideshows are simply too detailed and too long for an average reader or even some of his fans. These often feel more like catalogs of everything that he read, saw, considered, wrote, thought... A bit too much for me, so I'm calling it quits now.

[stefanddddddd · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesting book bringing together topics linked to archeology, religion, psychology and alternate states of consciousness. it references lots of other works and augmented my undestanding of the surrounding world with a new set of hypothesis. maybe the strongest one is that maybe the brain is a receiver of conscieousness rather than its originator - exploring the possible implications of this concept alone is worth the effort of reading this book.

[Mary Holt-Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, I know. There is some far reaches and some hooey. But I found this one by Hancock quite fascinating and thought-provoking. Some of the leaps he makes are indeed leaps, but interesting leaps, at least in my opinion, given my penchant for all things mystical. The focus here is primarily on cave art, psychedelics, trance, and parallel realities to our own accessed by the aforementioned.

[Lauren Floyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book just like I love all Graham Hancock’s books. So detailed and well explained. The intensity of his research is inspiring and I love that he always challenges mainstream ideas and makes you think about the real magic and wonder that our world has to offer. Thank you for always bringing the mysticism back into our lives. I look forward to reading it again in the future.

[Sandrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable work which is highly educational to all who know that we and everything around us is more than we can see, hear, taste, smell and feel. Thank you for the bravery to put it out there and flow against the mainstream.

[Graham Bear · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new updated version of Supernatural. Highly fascinating excellent research and a thoroughly enjoyable book. As usual a brilliant overview of the current knowledge regarding Psychedelics and our ancient ancestors. I however do not subscribe to the globe model . This aside a great rwad.

[Jenel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting with the Paleolithic caves and moving on through research in LSD, DMT, Psilocybin with a stop off to review the research done on alien abductions. It's a very interesting and thought-provoking ride through what is real and what is imagined and where the lines are inbetween.

[Aman Srivastava · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little dense and dry but truly illuminating.

[Kurt Cornish · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was it just me or could this book be summarised in just one paragraph, two if you're generous?

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really 3.5 stars - too long-winded in some sections. Not convinced of the thesis, but fascinating nonetheless.

[Hannah Mclarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite possibly the most fascinating and thought-provoking book I’ve ever read (or listened to in this instance). Remarkable.

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t as interested in this topic which explores uses of various drugs to examine what I would call inner worlds.

[Greg Latanick · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Trisha Griffiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adore Graham, but found this book hard work, Latin names for ever checking the dictionary

[Roderic · Rating 4 out of 5]

wild hallucinatory Fear & Loathing trip down proto-humans origin of consciousness

[Abstract Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gem by Graham Hancock. I adore the the research that he puts into his books. He is a strong believer in many ideas proposed in his books but I love that he doesn’t push his opinions, instead presents deeply researched ideas and let’s the reader make their own conclusions. Graham is an incredible author and this has book been amazing to listen to when narrated by himself.