Synopses & Reviews
A revelatory look at the previously unseen world behind today's psychedelic renaissance: contemporary Western women who have long guided people on shamanic, visionary journeys into healing and the self
The use of entheogens, or psychedelics, is out of the closet today. Bestselling author Michael Pollan wrote about his trips, and the National Institutes of Health is studying the efficacy of psilocybin and MDMA for treatment of PTSD, addiction, depression, and end-of-life anxiety. Once associated only with 1960s counterculture, they are now being legally studied for their healing properties. But as Rachel Harris shows, there has long been an underground use and study of psychedelics by women, dating back to the time of the Eleusinian Mystery Schools of ancient Greece.
The modern women carrying on this tradition, interviewed by Harris, have "a nuanced quality in their relationship with the medicines — a more subtle, energetic connection with the spirit world that the medicines open." As psychedelics edge closer to the mainstream, she hopes we don't lose the hard-won wisdom of the longtime practitioners she profiles; theirs is a wisdom of time and experience that cannot be replicated in a lab, and they have much to teach us. "They've been guiding journeys for decades," Harris writes, "since long before the psychedelic renaissance opened up research into entheogens and began to discover what these women have known all along." Any reader interested in inspiration, healing, and enlightenment will find here a wonder-filled narrative packed with provocative and perhaps life-changing insight.
Review
"The space of psychedelic ceremony is vast — a sacred ocean. This remarkable book is a narrative distillation of knowledge and insight informed through extensive conversation with women ceremony leaders from the psychedelic underground of contemporary Western society. It is a skillfully woven pedagogical treasure for present and future generations of healers — a sourcebook of wisdom jewels from medicine women who operate with intuitions cultivated over decades and thousands of hours of immersive practice. A true gem!"
David E. Presti, University of California, Berkeley, author of Foundational Concepts in Neuroscience: A Brain-Mind Odyssey and Mind Beyond Brain
Review
"What an opportunity! Fifteen wise women with hundreds of years of experience guiding psychedelic life-changing journeys share their stories. Rachel Harris has deftly woven their opinions, concerns, reservations, and reflections into a book-length conversation. Her own additional observations, personal experiences, and pertinent research expand the value of every other contribution. The result is a feast of wisdoms to guide the next generation, emphasizing putting healing others above all else to develop their hearts as well as their skills. This book is a treasure box of guidance and support."
James Fadiman, microdose researcher and author of The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys
Review
"Ever so carefully, Rachel Harris leads us into the deep end. Her storytelling pulses with life, illuminating treasures that have been overlooked for far too long. In gratitude, she reveals the untold stories of some of our bravest navigators. Swimming in the Sacred takes us on a delightful journey through the underground of this psychedelic renaissance and brings us back to the surface, for a much-needed breath of fresh integrity."
Joe Tafur, MD, author of The Fellowship of the River: A Medical Doctor's Exploration into Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicine
Review
"Rachel Harris has become an important voice in psychedelic studies. Her perspective is compassionate, balanced, informed, and pragmatic. Swimming in the Sacred is full of wisdom, experience, and nuance — a necessary contribution to the field."
Jeremy Narby, author of Plant Teachers and The Cosmic Serpent
About the Author
Psychologist Rachel Harris, PhD, has been in private practice for forty years and has published more than forty scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals. The author of Listening to Ayahuasca: New Hope for Depression, Addiction, PTSD, and Anxiety, she lives on an island in Maine.
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