nice book on history and neuroscience of psychedelics
4 stars
The author loves eccentric characters, and the history of psychedelics is full of them. The account of psychedelics since the 1950s is well written and interesting. You can sense the author's sympathies. This is followed by trip reports that focus in particular on mystical experiences, altered states of consciousness, and teachings. The last part deals with current psychedelic therapeutic research. Psychedelics are touted as potent means of catapulting oneself out of one's previous ego narrative. For this reason, the author recommends taking them from middle age onwards. At the same time, it is clear that the book is very much about legitimizing psychedelics in a puritanical culture. It is not an underground book, but rather aimed at an intellectual, middle-class audience. The author and trip reporter is around 60 years old and a journalist.
