An investigation into experiences of other realms of existence and contact with otherworldly beings
� Examines how contact with alien life-forms can be obtained through the “inner space� dimensions of our minds
� Presents evidence that other worlds experienced through consciousness-altering technologies are often as real as those perceived with our five senses
� Correlates science fiction’s imaginal realms with psychedelic research
For thousands of years, voyagers of inner space--spiritual seekers, shamans, and psychoactive drug users--have returned from their inner imaginal travels reporting encounters with alien intelligences. Inner Paths to Outer Space presents an innovative examination of how we can reach these other dimensions of existence and contact otherworldly beings. Based on their more than 60 combined years of research into the function of the brain, the authors reveal how psychoactive substances such as DMT allow the brain to bypass our five basic senses to unlock a multidimensional realm of existence where otherworldly communication occurs. They contend that our centuries-old search for alien life-forms has been misdirected and that the alien worlds reflected in visionary science fiction actually mirror the inner space world of our minds. The authors show that these “alien� worlds encountered through altered states of human awareness, either through the use of psychedelics or other methods, possess a sense of reality as great as, or greater than, those of the ordinary awareness perceived by our five senses.
Rick Strassman is a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. He trained as a medical doctor specialized in psychiatry with a fellowship in clinical psychopharmacology research and holds degrees from Stanford University and Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. He has held a fellowship in clinical psychopharmacology research at the University of California San Diego and was Professor of Psychiatry for eleven years at the University of New Mexico. After twenty years of intermission, Strassman was the first person in the United States to undertake human research with psychedelic, hallucinogenic, or entheogenic substances with his research on DMT. He is the author of the well-known book "DMT: The Spirit Molecule" which summarizes his academic research into DMT.
This book goes into some really weird and bizarre territory which could shatter your beliefs on the nature of reality if you choose to belief everything presented in it, but it difficult for me to belief all of the ideas but there are some fascinating chapters.
In the early chapters Dr. Rick Strassman presents his theories and research on DMT. Most of this information can be found in his previous book DMT the spirit molecule i.e. DMT takes you to other strange alien "realities". Towards the end of the book there is an excellent chapter, written by Strassman, on preparing for a DMT or ayahuasca experience. This was not covered in the spirit molecule book and I highly recommended reading it if you are thinking of trying these hallucinogens for the first time. I wish I read this before I took ayahuasca as maybe then I could have found it easier to completely let go and enter the "spirit" worlds.
More interesting to me were the other chapters by the other authors, Slawek Wojtowicz and Ede Frecska.
Wojtowicz gives some, quite long, descriptions of people's bizarre personal experiences on mushrooms and DMT. They are very interesting to read. Next he writes about other techniques like hypnosis, meditation, yoga, rebirthing and holotropic breathwork that can produce experiences almost identical in content and intensity as those produced by psychedelics. He wonders if these experiences just mind candy or are they something with a deeper purpose. He mentions Harvard professor's John Macks books published on abductions, the UFO phenomena , the case for pre-historic cave paintings that seem to describe a variety of alien type beings. He theorizes the origin of these experiences could be related to DMT type experiences or due to a sudden release of DMT in the brain.
In his final chapter he speculates on the influence of science fiction on reality, he believes science fiction writing is good at predicting the future. He says films like Star Wars, the Matrix, Total Recall, Cube, Vanilla Sky, The Fountain and Dark City have helped to spread ideas, known to mystics for millennia, on invisible powers at play, reincarnation, alternate realities, the search for answers or virtual realities. He then gives a really good explanation on the meaning behind Philip K Dick's Ubik which I really enjoyed.
Ede Frecska's chapter goes into ancient texts and their accounts of the divine experiences. He is trying to argue that there was paleocontact and many scriptures from around the world say this. The most controversial one is from the Bible where "the Nephilim" are mentioned. Depending on your interpretation the Nephilim can mean titans, giants or the fall ones or fallen beings. Erik Von Daniken and Zecharia Sitchin are the biggest supporter of this "ancient astronaut" theory and have written many books about this topic.
He then goes on to tell about Sumerian history and the Anunnaki. The Anunnaki were worshiped and feared as gods by the Sumerians. They are mythical legends, or real beings, who were superior to common Sumerians. The Anunnaki taught people a wide array of civilised behaviours. He goes into all this in great deal. It's hard to know what to believe. Is it all accurate? I don't know.
There are many colorful illustrations from artists, throughout the book, that show bizarre alien worlds that you encounter on psychedelics. These are cool!
Finally some of the chapters on the science behind psychedelics I found quite boring and difficult to fully understand.
Overall a lot of strange ideas to contemplate that are ultimately beyond most people's understanding of the world.
In this book is a summary of the research of Dr. Rick Strassman on DMT in the early 90's... the first medical research on psychedlics in the US since the early 60's.
After reading Strassman's first book, DMT: The Spirit Molecule, it seemed that he had a hard time explaining within the current scientific constructs the frequency of actual being contact within the study participants. This book focuses primarily on that aspect of his work and he has invited several other scholars and experts on DMT, psilocybin and the science of psychointegrator plants along to fill in the gaps.
By combining some of the archaic revival thought constructs with newer research and information on integrative altered states of consciousness (ASCs), Inner Path's to Outer Space explains the shortcomings of science and religion in seeking truth about human existence and paints the most complete landscape I've read to date about our place in the natural world.
I'm ambivalent about the rating (considering a 2.5). I liked the essays that involved ethnographic research into shamanic experiences, but the rest of the essays had me wondering which audience the authors had in mind. The writing was simple and toned down, and the information was mostly basic to a lot of spiritual people (Entanglement theory, basic tenets of Buddhism and Taoism, etc.) At times the essays seemed aimed at an audience of scientists and the purpose seemed to convince those scientists that journeying is not just a fantasy of the brain on drugs, and that it's possible that we humans may actually be capable of entering into alternate realities via drugs. The author tried hard to distance himself from so-called "new agers" but much of what he was saying was precisely core philosophy of new age thinking. So, the irony to me is that while he's trying to persuade scientists that their skepticism is misplaced and elitist, he was at the same time alienating those who would agree with him the most. Most of the information in it was not new to me, and therefore, too basic for scientists, I would think. The few tidbits of information that were new, were glossed over or else discussed with the assumption that we all knew what he was talking about. I've read some fairly complex tomes on Quantum physics, and I'm an avid reader, so I don't think that my intelligence level is the problem, though I admit I am not much of a scientist. However, there were entire passages here where the author drew conclusions without explaining the premises clearly enough for a lay person. I read them out loud to my husband, who is scientifically minded, and his reaction was similar to mind: "What's he talking about?" In short, sometimes the book went above my head, but most of the time it was condescendingly simple. There's even a whole chapter on how to do drugs, with a prologue about two pages long where the authors emphasize that they do not promote illegal drug use. Boring. What have we learned? Unfortunately, for those of us who have followed ethnographic studies on Shamanism, not much. The whole premise: it's possible that DMT and other drugs allow us to connect to hidden worlds. Grahm Hancock's Supernatural, though not so academically vetted, proposes the same idea and is better written, filled with many more case studies and referencing interesting scientific theories on the subject. This book, for me, didn't add anything new, even as it acknowledged Hancock's book.
A beautiful book (cover, pictures). More than 300 pages. It's about the experiences people have when using drugs with a psychedelic or hallucinogenic effect. And about spiritual experiences, the mystic experience, consciousness. The authors have a scientific attitude. The book is of high level (chemically, biologically, psychologically, quantum physics) and remains good to read. They propose cytoskeletal networks as a basis for nonlocal information entering the brain, and by that beautifully explain intuition. It convinces you that it is really possible to have contact with plants. Excellent and mind-blowing. Why then 4 stars rating instead of 5? Because a part of the book is not interesting to me personally, I don't intend to actually use mushrooms or other psychedelics. And one of the authors seems to believe in aliens, I'm not sure.
From my perspective, this book is great for people who have taken psychedelic drugs in the past but are looking for a more grounded view of their experience. The book is very direct and I feel lacks any dogma. Many times they say that psychedelic drugs are not for everyone and clearly state the legal status of drugs in many countries. That being said, it can be very comforting knowing that there are other people in the world who also wish to question our reality in an intellectual way.
James Fadiman of The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide said this was "mandatory." I won't echo him, but I admit its mix of information and speculation was fun to read.
Negatives - The first few Strassman sections rehash his previous book, except (for brevity's sake) without the background that made it interesting. - Strassman continues his bad etymology streak (details in preceding link) by calling psychedelic "a philologically incorrect amalgam of Greek and Latin roots." Well, both psyche and delos are Greek, so I dunno where he got that from; and if we want to nitpick the suffix -ic, then we might well call English itself a "philologically incorrect amalgam," so. - Half of Chapter 6 just rips trip reports off Erowid, which is a cheap way to pad out a book. - The otherwise philosophically literate Ede Frecska wrongly simplifies Perennialism in an otherwise brilliant chapter (Perennialist axioms are theorist-dependent and more diverse than the four into which he shoehorns the category.)
Positives - Chapter 4 is a wonderfully evocative anthropological memoir, not to be skipped. - Chapter 7's fairly in-depth attempt to reconcile rational and mystical cognition is laudable, if not persuasive. - has borne out certain predictions, such as "We may say that the deeper a person enters into the experience, the richer are its benefits." (Ch. 5) - Strassman's guide to responsible tripping (Ch. 11) covers questions and techniques I haven't found elsewhere. - Ever since learning of master meditators' ability to attain at-will gamma brainwave coherence, I'd been wondering if psychedelics could induce something similar. Because if so (and under a definition of enlightenment as a persistent subjective phenomenon), the notion that meditation can lead to enlightenment gains credence. So I was happy to find a herein affirming at least the former relation.
Opens with a long summary of Strassman's controlled double-blind research on DMT experiences. Then a few other researchers meld quantum theory, synchronicity, DNA, shamanic knowledge, others thru the rip in the curtain, and all that. The notion of the cytoskeletal structures as the quantum-sized antennas to the plenum, now that was fascinating.
If this work is taken seriously, then there is a lot of fascinating outer-space work we can do from the comfort of our own tripping heads.
Well, I thought the book started off with all of the promise of a five star book. Really, it did! Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, origin stories, detailed descriptions of personal experiences...l was blown away! Then, half way through the book, the bottom fell out. I felt like I was being talked down to. I don't like being talked down to. If you aren't as sensitive as I am, you might find this book to be one of those WOW books. Just because it didn't resonate with me shouldn't mean that you won't enjoy it. Give it a shot! By the way, did I mention that I don't like being talked down to?
A mind-blowing book from some of the best heads in consciousness studies. My favorite section was on how quantum theory means the mind is potentially connected to all other points (non local connections) based on their original connection before the big bang. (That's how I understand the way they were writing about this phenomenon, anyway). The book contains other interesting studies too. I'd give it four stars, but the authors are a little too long-winded.
Mixed bag of essays. Some are good others are harder to follow or not well written. Hard to understand what point the book is trying to make or who it’s written for. Don’t feel questions posed in the first essay are really answered by the others. Some of the points on quantum physics are stated as facts vs I would have expected more explorations related to that topic.
A collection of essays by some prominent scientists and thinkers in the psychedelic space. I mainly bought this to read Strassman’s entries on DMT, but all the essays in the book are fascinating. If I had to give someone one book to help them understand what I believe to be the true magnitude of psychedelic substances, it’d be this one.
The scientific research on DMT by Strassman is detailed here in a way that the layman can easily digest. It also includes some trip reports from those who have experienced the substance.
Beyond the known science, the book traverses the depths of quantum physics and details some anthropology surrounding the usage of these substances. In western society, under the guise of rationalism, we try to feel safe in thinking that we have things all figured out. But really we haven’t come anywhere near true comprehension of the universe or the nature of reality. If this idea resonates with you, this book will be right up your alley.
The book also includes colored scans of surrealist and visionary art, which enhanced the reading experience for me. Overall this book is highly recommended for anyone interested in the science, history, and impact of psychedelics.
Open minded required to explore the profound inquiries into the nature of reality and mysteries of consicousneess. The authors provide a wide overview of "spirtual technologies" that enable the human mind to tap into the alternate. From quantum physics, to shamanic traditions, the contexts is fascinating and the touch points interesting - the book fails short in that each chapter could be expanded into book length discussions and overviews. Its a good primer to get those interested in the topic exploring but sadly needs more debate, exploration and viewpoints.
Most of the ideas and stories presented here are not new for anyone who has read about psychedelics and or shamanism but there are a handful of very intriguing chapters which were new to me - most importantly, the connection between quantum physics and shamanism.
And if you haven’t read other books like this, then this is a great overview. Well written and engaging.
This is an excellent collection of ideas presented by a collection of forward-thinking scientists. None of them get too in-depth with the topics they cover, but this book is a fantastic collection of jumping-off points for a wide variety of directions to travel with further research. Engaging and fascinating.
Undeniably enticing, particularly all Rick Strassman's sections, but gets progressively into the world of deep mumbo jumbo with all the UFO nonsense. 5g-type paranoia not mentioned but visible in the distance, read selectively.
Mind-blowing. A springboard from which to explore all the topics further, in their own books. Can’t wait. Much more food for my future in psychedelic psychotherapy. Nom.
This was another practical book that helps clinicians feel they are still working within an evidence base. The psychiatry profession is as a whole pretty conservative. So these books are necessary
Luna, Strassman, Wojtowicz contribute ethnobotanical reports about native SoAm ayahuasca use, inferences made from measured scientific studies, and thought-provoking parallels to NDE as well as so-called "abduction" experiences. This pairs extremely well with a similar Graham Hancock book I'm currently in the middle of. Procedural and rather thought-provoking.
Ede Frecska, on the other hand... Oh dear. Expect incoherent regurgitation of Jewish mysticism, citation of "serpents" from the book of Revelation, and Deepak Chopra stuff about nibiru, nephilim, and "quantum consciousness" - whatever that means - conveniently obfuscated in meaningless word-salad. Just look at this: The view held by a great majority of eminent theologians, mystic sages, and nonmaterialist philosophers at various times is known as perennial philosophy. It is perennial because it holds profound, everlasting insights into life and nature, spanning cultures, and has been taught by the great thinkers of all time. Really? I've heard more objective testimony from the g-d Ancient Aliens Guy. Theirs is clearly the view of an individual who's made up their mind and only loosely entertains evidence to support it, much to the volume's detriment. Pass.
This is a collection of essays by medical doctors, psychiatrists and one PhD in Religious Studies about various topics in psychedelic research. Several of the essays are by Rick Strassman and are largely a repeat of what can be found in his book DMT: The Spirit Molecule. One of the main themes investigated is the similarity of UFO abduction experiences with psychedelic experiences, though a few essays are little more than pure speculation. The greatest virtue to this book is the collection of glossy, color reproductions of artwork inspired by psychedelics.
A very interesting book. Some of the quantum mechanical sections were a bit beyond me, but I get the general jist. I've always thought there is something going on underneath what we perceive as reality. I just can't nail it down as to what it is. I think we are all fish in the sea. With no comprehension of what life is like on land. Similarly we cannot escape the confines of our own conscious awareness. Unless you believe in some type of awakening. Like the Buddhist concept of enlightenment and Nirvana.
This one took me a while. The content goes over my head in parts, but the majority was exactly what I needed. Slow to get through, but it's allowed me to find the beauty in the medicine again, has led me to new insights from my traumatic integration process, and (best of all) I'm excited and ready to drink again.
Excellent, mind blowing, trippy! Wow! The only thing is the chapter by Ede Frecska, MD is very good but there is so much information crammed into it, it should be in it's own book and broken up a bit.
This book is AMAZING! It talks about some of the major psychedelics (Shrooms, DMT, Ayahuasca) in depth from a scientific point of view. I would recommend this to any psychonaut.
Found book used for 2 dollars. Well worth this price. I really enjoyed all chapters except those written by Ede Frecska, which were terrible in my opinion.
Pretty good, presents some very interesting theories about consciousness and psychedelics, although somewhat outlandish, it doesn't reduce the quality of the book at all whatsoever