Synopses & Reviews
An exploration of the chemical, biological, psychological, and experiential dimensions of ayahuasca andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andbull; Details the scientific discovery of ayahuascaandrsquo;s sophisticated psychoactive delivery system in the brain and body and its potential applications in medicine and psychology andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andbull; Includes contributions from Dennis J. McKenna, Ph.D., J. C. Callaway, Ph.D., and Charles S. Grob, M.D., on the ethnopharmacology, psychology, phytochemistry, and neuropharmacology of ayahuasca andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andbull; Provides 24 firsthand accounts of ayahuasca experiences and resulting life changes andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Widely recognized by anthropologists as the most powerful and widespread shamanic hallucinogen, ayahuasca has been used by native Indian and mestizo shamans in Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador for healing and divination for thousands of years. Made from the Amazonian vine andlt;Iandgt;Banisteriopsis caapiandlt;/Iandgt; and the DMT-laden leaf of andlt;Iandgt;Psychotria viridisandlt;/Iandgt;, ayahuasca is regarded as the embodiment of intelligent plant beings who can offer spiritual teachings and healing knowledge to those who respectfully engage with them. Many Western-trained physicians and psychologists now acknowledge that ayahuasca allows access to spiritual dimensions of consciousness, otherworldly realms and beings, and visionary experiences indistinguishable from classic religious mysticism. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;With contributions from leading psychoactive scholars Dennis J. McKenna, Ph.D., Charles S. Grob, M.D., and J. C. Calloway, Ph.D., on the ethnopharmacology, psychology, phytochemistry, and neuropharmacology of ayahuasca, Ralph Metzner provides a comprehensive exploration of the chemical, biological, psychological, and experiential dimensions of this Amazonian hallucinogen. He includes more than 20 firsthand accounts from people who have participated in ayahuasca rituals and experienced major life changes as a result. He details the scientific discovery of ayahuascaandrsquo;s sophisticated psychoactive delivery system in the brain and body as well as the deep psychological impact of this potent entheogen. He concludes with his own findings on ayahuasca, including its applications in medicine and psychology, and compares the worldview revealed by ayahuasca visions to that of modern cultures.
Review
“A masterful collection of writings exploring the nature of this extraordinary sacred potion.”
Review
andldquo;andlt;Iandgt;The Ayahuasca Experienceandlt;/Iandgt; is a most valuable resource, encompassing the history, psychology, spirituality, scientific understanding, and raw experience of the Amazonian andlsquo;vine of the spiritsandrsquo; now entwining itself into the Western psyche. Metznerandrsquo;s work is particularly recommended to those first encountering ayahuasca, who require an authoritative, user-friendly guide to the mysterious terrains opened by this traditional, sacred medicine.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Thought provoking, wide ranging, and well reasoned, Metznerandrsquo;s collection of essays and self-reports contains an extraordinarily wide representation of subjective effects of, and scientific findings regarding, ayahuasca in the modern West. It provides ideas for future research and is essential for beginners and veterans in the field.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Ralph Metzner, world-famous pioneer of psychedelic research and consciousness explorer, brings together a masterful collection of writings exploring the nature of this extraordinary sacred potion, from its chemical and biological properties and psychological effects to its enormous healing and spiritual potential. This book will be an inspiration for lay audiences and a treasure trove of information for scholars studying consciousness and the human psyche.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;The andlt;Iandgt;Ayahuasca Experienceandlt;/Iandgt; is a classic in the enthogenic literature genre.andrdquo;
About the Author
Ralph Metzner, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist and professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. He studied psychology and psychopharmacology at Harvard University and was part of the Psilocybin Research Project with Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (later Ram Dass). He is the author of andlt;Iandgt;Green Psychologyandlt;/Iandgt;, coauthor of andlt;Iandgt;The Psychedelic Experienceandlt;/Iandgt;, and editor of andlt;Iandgt;Sacred Mushroom of Visions: Teonanandaacute;catlandlt;/Iandgt;. He lives in Sonoma, California.
Table of Contents
andlt;Bandgt;Introduction: Amazonian Vine of Visionsandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Ralph Metzner, Ph.D. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;1. Ayahuasca: An Ethnopharmacologic Historyandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Dennis J. McKenna, Ph.D. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;2. The Psychology of Ayahuascaandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Charles S. Grob, M.D. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;3. Phytochemistry and Neuropharmacology of Ayahuascaandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;J. C. Callaway, Ph.D. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;4. The Experience of Ayahuasca: Teachings of the Amazonian Plant Spiritsandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Initiation into Ancient Lineage of Visionary Healersandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Raoul Adamson andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;We Are Experiencing the Joyful Phenomenon of Re-creationandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Cristina Santos andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Having So Recently Experienced My Death, It Felt Miraculous to Be Aliveandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Stefan C. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Breaking from the Bondage of the Mindandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Kate S. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;A Vision of Sekhmetandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Ganesha andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;The Pieces of My Life Fell Together in a More Meaningful Patternandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Ava S. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Knowledge Was Graciously Invoked in Me by the Plant Teacherandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Oregon T. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Here Began a Series of Teachings about the Nature of the Heartandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Joseph S. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;A Vision of the Fabric That Is Woven by Us All andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Caroline S. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Ethereal Serpents Held Me in Thrall andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Shyloh Ravenswood andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;I Was Exploring Being with Greenness andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Pamela C. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Liquid Plumandrsquo;r for the Soul andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I. M. Lovetree andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;The Plant Spirits Help Me to Heal Myself and Othersandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Eugenia G. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;The Great Serpentine Dance of Life andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Raimundo D. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;A Most Palpably Buddhist-like Experience andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Renata S. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Journey to the Emerald Forest andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Richard N. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;The Long, Multifaceted Journey of Jewish Experience andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Abraham L. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Teaching the Body Its Relationship to the Spirit andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Wahtola H. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Ancient Augury of My Resurrection andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Barry F. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;An Entirely New World of Spirit Beings andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Frank Owings andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Death and Rebirth in Santo Daime andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Madalena Fonseca andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Nature Has Embraced Me, Blown the Breath of Life into Me andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Stefan C. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;The Buddha, the Christ, and the Queen of the Jungle andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Ganesha andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Agony and Rapture with Santo Daime andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Raoul Adamson andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;5. Conclusions, Reflections, and Speculations andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Ralph Metzner, Ph.D. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Notes on Contributors andlt;/Bandgt;