I’ll be blunt. If you live in the United States and have used ANY drug that our society has seen fit to declare illegal, stop what you’re doing and BUY THIS BOOK NOW. Most U.S. citizens are shamefully unaware of the rights guaranteed to them by the U. S. Constitution and the constitutions of the several states, and the sad ... [ read more ]
One of my favorite habits is a periodic visit to the local bookstore to look for interesting new secondhand acquisitions in the “drugs” section. On one of these periodic jaunts, I ran across a slim title with a blank spine which I pulled out in curiosity to reveal a most enticing title: Yet Another Beautiful Day In Paradise (YABDIP). ... [ read more ]
The Psychedelics Encyclopedia, by Peter Stafford is an excellent general reference work on the subject. I recommend it strongly as a first purchase for anyone interested in visionary drugs; it should be part of every entheogenic library. [ read more ]
After nearly 20 years, Grinspoon and Bakalar’s Psychedelic Drugs Reconsidered remains a valuable reference work on the subject of entheogenic drugs. After too long a period out of print, it has been republished by the Lindesmith Center, the first in a series of reprints of classic works on drug policy for which I, for one, have high hopes. [ read more ]
Turner’s slim volume is not entirely without its merits. Foremost among these is the extremely personal nature of the narrative. [...] But the personal, even idiosyncratic nature of “The Essential Psychedelic Guide” is a double-edged sword. Turner’s style occasionally degenerates from the agreeably informal to the inappropriately casual… [ read more ]
The Secret Chief is an edited interview between Myron Stolaroff and a man referred to as “Jacob” – the ‘Secret Chief’ – who performed psychedelic psycho-spiritual therapy with 3,000 people between the 60’s and his death in the late 80’s.
The book offers a frank discussion between two experienced psychedelicists about the processes Jacob developed over his many years leading people ... [ read more ]
Imagine going for a session with your therapist. He reminds you of the structure of the session. You have brought the family pictures you were assigned to bring. The therapist offers you a ritual cup with your potion for the day. After drinking the potion you retire to a comfortable sofa and don the earphones to listen to music ... [ read more ]
Marijuana is highly addictive. Marijuana is a gateway drug. Marijuana is more potent today than in the past. [...] Zimmer and Morgan devote a chapter to each of these ‘marijuana myths’ in which they examine the existing scientific evidence to see whether these assertions hold true. Their conclusion, on almost all counts, is a resounding no. [ read more ]
Music and drugs have been intertwined in countless cultures over the ages. Youth cultures in the US and Europe have played out this dynamic over and over again in the past decades: the psychedelic movement produced psychedelic rock, reggae music celebrated the marijuana plant, and grunge supposedly glamorized heroin. One of the most striking recent partnerships of drug scene and music scene, that between Ecstasy and Acid House, is chronicled in the illuminating new book Altered State, by Matthew Collin. [ read more ]
The text of the book varies from very good to spotty. [...] The target audience of the book is the mainstream audience of folks who are looking for a short overview of information on ecstasy. For that, the tone is level headed and the information clearly stated. [ read more ]