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The Big & Dandy Psychedelic Books Thread

Kapitan said:
Ok, well ... it's a 500 page book, so I guess what I should have said is that I was reading it beforehand, took mescaline and read a few pages and thought about it, and then read the rest afterwards in the context of what I had thought about. But really, this is exactly what I'm talking about.

Who the fuck are you to say that I'm doing drugs INCORRECTLY? That's incredibly arrogant.

No offense intended :p
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I have taken no offense but it seems you did. Tripping is far too chaotic at any level worth exploring, save the read for before/after your trip. I said dose higher bc you will most likely get the insight and/or entertainment from just a slight increase in dose.

At any rate I feel I'm qualified to 'suggest' to people what they should do. I may not be a mod but I can tell you right now I have just as much experiential and scientific knowledge to do the job.
 
Kapitan said:
Personally, I try to avoid anything written by self-proclaimed psychedelic gurus like Leary and McKenna. There is no correct or incorrect way to use a drug, and they have no inherent meaning. People who claim otherwise are just being arrogant, imho.
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That particular Leary text is a very good guide for using psychedelics in a more spiritual context actually, it elaborates on a lot of psychedelic phenomena in relation to The Tibetan Book of the Death. It's not much of a dictatorial "You must do this", but more like "these are the feelings you might get and this is what it is". He does talk about certain mind traps someone might fall in to during tripping, but he only says they take away from the spirituality. It's kind of a guide for those "LSD gurus" (like that guy from The Trip who gives Peter Fonda his LSD) to use during sessions. I'm not much in to Leary at all, but that text might make your mind a bit easier during tripping. (Not sure if Kapitan really needs that but it's only 10 pages long or so)

As for McKenna, he doesn't really say how you should trip (apart from >5gr in a dark room) He might be a bit crooked, but if it weren't for the man I wouldn't philosophically and spiritually at the same point I'm now. His assessments of society were spot-on and that's basically 80% of what he says. It's a great point to start if you're not too keen on classical physics and want to understand this certain line of thought.
 
Hello all!

I recently published a book called Thank Earth You (http://www.amazon.com/Thank-Earth-You-Armand-Daigle/dp/0991310802/). It's my attempt at contributing to the push of psychedelics into mainstream life. It focuses on two experiences I had last year in the span of a week: a campfire with fungus and a shamanic ceremony with ayahuasca. It also centers on why and how I quit my cubicle engineering job to trade it for a better life, how I told my parents about my usage of psychedelics, my personal struggle and lessons learned while in altered states, and how they have affected my life. It ends with the capabilities that psychedelics have to change the world and that they could help facilitate major advancement/convergence in all fields.

It can get pretty intense, but it's gotten good reviews so far. I would love for any and all to read. Of course, supporting it monetarily is always good (I've sunk over $20,000 into writing this book), but if you can PM me with a compelling reason why you can't afford the book, I will be more than happy to send you a free electronic copy. At the end of the day, money is dumb and sharing and communicating and engaging conversation are much more important.

Thanks!
 
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Thanks for sharing! I'm heading out but I'll revisit this. I write as well though I haven't written a book yet (I have a good bit done on one I started a few years ago about my own life and experiences with and without psychedelics but I entered a period of intense turmoil so I stopped until I feel it's appropriate to keep writing it, as my beliefs are changing).
 
Thanks, Xorkoth. And I hear you on the turmoil. It's definitely good to be in check and in the right place when writing and exploring these experiences. I hope you get back into it and finish it though! It's some of the best/hardest therapy people can do.
 
Kapitan said:
Stahl's Essential Phychopharmacocoly is a great introductory text. The first four or five chapters will give you a great overview of how lots of different psychoactive drugs work. I'd also recommend From Chocolate to Morphine, except that I think Andrew Weil is a total quack. It might still be worth reading, though. The Synaptic Self is a pretty cool book about consciousness that will give you an idea about how the brain works, and how it's organized, at a high level. Susan Blackmore also has a lot to say about consciousness, and her short text Consciousness: A Very Short Introduction can be read in an afternoon. She talks a bit about her experiences with psilocybin and 2C-B. Reading Julian Jaynes' The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind blew my mind on mescaline, so you might dig that one as well, even though it has nothing to do with drugs.

Personally, I try to avoid anything written by self-proclaimed psychedelic gurus like Leary and McKenna. There is no correct or incorrect way to use a drug, and they have no inherent meaning. People who claim otherwise are just being arrogant, imho.
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try not to associate the media personality with the book. "the psychedelic experience" was written in 1962-1964. its also metzner and ram dass, not just crazy leary. there is a reason people say things like "set and setting" now--these guys invented it.

youre right, there is no right or wrong way to take LSD, but that book is a damn good read if you want a good idea on where to start.
 
other than the aforementioned text i dont really read leary. mckenna is far too wacky for me. here are some of the books on the subject i like:

the doors of perception - aldous huxley
heaven and hell - aldous huxley
breaking open the head - daniel pinchbeck
the cosmic trigger - robert anton wilson
sex, drugs, einstein and elves - clifford pickover
the psychedelic experience - leary, ram dass, ralph metzner
the electric kool-aid acid test - tom wolfe (i learned more about the group dynamics of psychedelia from this than any other book)
fear and loathing in las vegas - hunter s thompson
orange sunshine - nicholas schou
acid dreams - martin lee

i dont know if they count but i have read pretty much all of the grateful dead biographies--the best being phil lesh's autobiography "searching for the sound" and rock scully's book "living with the dead". there are a lot of sections where they talk about their use and experimentation with LSD in group settings, especially at gigs and the acid tests. also a lot of good stories about owsley and LSD production and distribution.
 
McKenna is okay if read as fiction or fantasy I think...
 
I'm currently reading 'Journeys into the bright world' written in the late 70s I believe by Marcia Moore. I don't remember how I stumbled upon it, but I'm glad I did. The subject is remarkably close to that of the book I am writing. The major difference is that their tool was ketamine, and mine is MXE, but it is amazing how we have reached essentially the same insights and conclusions through our journeys with these drugs.
A quick google search will let you find a PDF of the book for anyone interested.
 
I'm on my third crack at trying to set through Heaven and Hell. I've gotten halfway this time and again, hit a wall. Any tips on how to chip away a little easier? Am I trying too hard? GAHH!
 
I'm an explorer based in Australia who has written a book about Psychedelics! This first of its kind so extensive since DM Turners "The Essential Psychedelic Guide"

In this book, are my two articles about my baby, Changa, a lot information about the Acacias and DMT, and many explorations and tips for beginners and even the most seasoned explorers to get the most out of their journeys.

http://www.articulationsbook.com
 
vortech said:
Does anyone has any recommendations to add to this list?
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Would like to see some of Stanislav Grof's books on that list. He is one of the founders of the field of transpersonal psychology and mostly known for his early studies of LSD.

His books helped me immensely with making sense of my psychdelic experiences, especially the following:

"Realms Of The Human Unconscious: Observations From LSD Research"
"LSD Psychotherapy"
"The Cosmic Game: Explorations Of The Frontiers Of Human Consciousness"
 
vortech said:
Does anyone has any recommendations to add to this list?
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The Bhagavad Gita (I use the translation by Eknath Eshwaran)
Ram Dass - Paths To God: Living the Bhagavad Gita
Blavatsky: The Secret Doctrine
The Harvard Psychedelic Club - Lattin
Ram Dass - Still Here
 
Thanks guys, I have updated, and also updated some links that were broken. I obviously didn't have time to read the suggestions, but a glance at the synopses and I'm sold, definitely on my reading list. The Bhagavad Gita has been there for awhile though after so many recommendations by respected elders.
 
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