Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics

Buddhism and psychedelic experimentation share a common concern: the liberation of the mind. Zig Zag Zen launches the first serious inquiry into the moral, ethical, doctrinal, and transcendental considerations created by the intersection of Buddhism and psychedelics. With a foreword by renowned Buddhist scholar Stephen Batchelor and a preface by historian of religion Huston Smith, along with numerous essays and interviews, Zig Zag Zen is a provocative and thoughtful exploration of altered states of consciousness and the potential for transformation. Accompanying each essay is a work of visionary art selected by artist Alex Grey, such as a vividly graphic work by Robert Venosa, a contemporary thangka painting by Robert Beer, and an exercise in emptiness in the form of an enso by a 17th-century Zen abbot. Packed with enlightening entries and art that lie outside the scope of mainstream anthologies, Zig Zag Zen offers eye-opening insights into alternate methods of inner exploration.

"Zig Zag Zen is a treasure trove...inspiring, frightening, powerful, funny, and eye-opening." Mark Epstein, M.D., author of Thoughts without a Thinker

"Zig Zag Zen is a must read for anyone who is concerned about the future of Buddhist practice." Bob Thurman, Chair of Indo-Tibetan studies at Columbia Univ.

"Zig Zag Zen challenges Buddhists to acknowledge their psychedelic legacies, while confronting the duality undermining any chemically dependent spiritual path." Douglas Rushkoff, author, Ecstasy Club, Exit Strategy, Playing the Future, and Coercion

"Zig Zag Zen touches all the high points...it is an important book." Laura Huxley, Founder of Children Our Ultimate Investment

Presents a serious inquiry into the moral, ethical, doctrinal, and transcendental considerations created by the intersection of Buddhism and psychedelics, presenting essays and interviews that explore altered states of consciousness and the potential for transformation.

Allan Hunt Badiner is a student of Buddhism and a contributing editor at Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. He lives in Big Sur, California.

Alex Grey?s paintings have been exhibited throughout the world and are collected in the book Sacred Mirrors: The Visionary Art of Alex Grey.

Huston Smith is an internationally recognized philosopher of religion, whose book The World?s Religions has been a classic for nearly 50 years. He is also the author of the recent book Cleansing the Doors of Perception.

Stephen Batchelor is a an acclaimed Buddhist scholar and teacher, and the author of numerous books, including Buddhism without Beliefs and Alone with Others.