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The Doors of Perception & Heaven and Hell
As only he can, Aldous Huxley explores the mind's remote frontiers and the unmapped areas of human consciousness. These two astounding essays are among the most profound studies of the effects of mind-expanding drugs written in this century. Contains the complete texts of
The Doors of Perception
and
Heaven and Hell
, both of which became essential for the counterculture during the 1960s and influenced a generation's perception of life.
187 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1956
5,603 people are currently reading
97k people want to read
About the author
Aldous Huxley
1,056听books13.1k听followersAldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and philosopher. His bibliography spans nearly 50 books, including non-fiction works, as well as essays, narratives, and poems.
Born into the prominent Huxley family, he graduated from Balliol College, Oxford, with a degree in English literature. Early in his career, he published short stories and poetry and edited the literary magazine Oxford Poetry, before going on to publish travel writing, satire, and screenplays. He spent the latter part of his life in the United States, living in Los Angeles from 1937 until his death. By the end of his life, Huxley was widely acknowledged as one of the foremost intellectuals of his time. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature nine times, and was elected Companion of Literature by the Royal Society of Literature in 1962.
Huxley was a pacifist. He grew interested in philosophical mysticism, as well as universalism, addressing these subjects in his works such as The Perennial Philosophy (1945), which illustrates commonalities between Western and Eastern mysticism, and The Doors of Perception (1954), which interprets his own psychedelic experience with mescaline. In his most famous novel Brave New World (1932) and his final novel Island (1962), he presented his visions of dystopia and utopia, respectively.
Born into the prominent Huxley family, he graduated from Balliol College, Oxford, with a degree in English literature. Early in his career, he published short stories and poetry and edited the literary magazine Oxford Poetry, before going on to publish travel writing, satire, and screenplays. He spent the latter part of his life in the United States, living in Los Angeles from 1937 until his death. By the end of his life, Huxley was widely acknowledged as one of the foremost intellectuals of his time. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature nine times, and was elected Companion of Literature by the Royal Society of Literature in 1962.
Huxley was a pacifist. He grew interested in philosophical mysticism, as well as universalism, addressing these subjects in his works such as The Perennial Philosophy (1945), which illustrates commonalities between Western and Eastern mysticism, and The Doors of Perception (1954), which interprets his own psychedelic experience with mescaline. In his most famous novel Brave New World (1932) and his final novel Island (1962), he presented his visions of dystopia and utopia, respectively.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,789 reviews
November 5, 2010
Generally, I greatly prefer to read books in the dead-trees format鈥攁ctual paper in my hand. This was the first I've read in a long time where I found myself desperately longing, not only for an electronic edition, but for a fully hypertextual version, rich with links. Over the two months I spent on this volume, on and off, I believe two-thirds of my time was spent on the Internet looking up references. At the very least, this book would benefit greatly from extensive illustration: the range of artistic works referenced, from to to , is sure to baffle most modern readers without a degree in Art History. Remember ? Yeah, me neither.
Frankly, with the state of Liberal Arts education today, I have a hard time believing that much of anyone who has read this in the last 30-40 years has understood but a fraction of it鈥攁nd reading over the reviews I can find bears this out. Both essays are often seen as little more than an apologia for "drug experimentation." While that is certainly an element of both, it can hardly be taken as Huxley's central point. It was rather who much later reduced the matter to such a , and even he had more than that to say to those who were willing and able to delve beneath the surface.
Instead, while making the case for the legitimacy of drug use, Doors offers a hypothesis for the mechanism of the experience via the well known and the then-current state of neuro-biological research; to wit, that ordinary perception is a matter of the mind filtering data for survival, while transformed or visionary experience鈥攚hether achieved through asceticism, art, or chemistry鈥攐pens the mind to all the data available, regardless of its mere survival value, thus allowing one to see through the ordinary to a truer vision of reality. Why, after all, should one need to starve or abase oneself for months and years to achieve such states when the same experience, or a reasonable simulacrum, can be had for the cost of a drug and perhaps a mild hangover?
Heaven and Hell goes on to develop this thesis by comparing the visions induced by exogenous chemicals to the more visionary pieces of art throughout history, as well as elaborating on the religio-spiritual theme. This is where, I believe, a majority of readers are likely to get lost, and thus explains why there are far more extant reviews of the former essay than of the latter. Even with handy art references, the latter is still the more difficult read, with its several tangential appendices and textual digressions. One might almost suppose that the drugs had not yet worn off while he wrote this one. Still, for the persistent, this is a worthwhile sequel, and it is readily obvious why the two are so often packaged together. But keep your browser near at hand, because many of his points are utterly lost without knowing the art to which he refers.
Finally, it is this very lack of illustration, and internal referencing for the modern reader, that prompts me to deduct one star from what would otherwise be a truly stellar recommendation. I continue to hope that the Huxley estate, or whoever controls the copyrights, will consider reissuing this with the necessary supplemental material, perhaps even in a definitive scholarly "critical edition." Were it in the public domain, I might take on such a project myself.
Frankly, with the state of Liberal Arts education today, I have a hard time believing that much of anyone who has read this in the last 30-40 years has understood but a fraction of it鈥攁nd reading over the reviews I can find bears this out. Both essays are often seen as little more than an apologia for "drug experimentation." While that is certainly an element of both, it can hardly be taken as Huxley's central point. It was rather who much later reduced the matter to such a , and even he had more than that to say to those who were willing and able to delve beneath the surface.
Instead, while making the case for the legitimacy of drug use, Doors offers a hypothesis for the mechanism of the experience via the well known and the then-current state of neuro-biological research; to wit, that ordinary perception is a matter of the mind filtering data for survival, while transformed or visionary experience鈥攚hether achieved through asceticism, art, or chemistry鈥攐pens the mind to all the data available, regardless of its mere survival value, thus allowing one to see through the ordinary to a truer vision of reality. Why, after all, should one need to starve or abase oneself for months and years to achieve such states when the same experience, or a reasonable simulacrum, can be had for the cost of a drug and perhaps a mild hangover?
Heaven and Hell goes on to develop this thesis by comparing the visions induced by exogenous chemicals to the more visionary pieces of art throughout history, as well as elaborating on the religio-spiritual theme. This is where, I believe, a majority of readers are likely to get lost, and thus explains why there are far more extant reviews of the former essay than of the latter. Even with handy art references, the latter is still the more difficult read, with its several tangential appendices and textual digressions. One might almost suppose that the drugs had not yet worn off while he wrote this one. Still, for the persistent, this is a worthwhile sequel, and it is readily obvious why the two are so often packaged together. But keep your browser near at hand, because many of his points are utterly lost without knowing the art to which he refers.
Finally, it is this very lack of illustration, and internal referencing for the modern reader, that prompts me to deduct one star from what would otherwise be a truly stellar recommendation. I continue to hope that the Huxley estate, or whoever controls the copyrights, will consider reissuing this with the necessary supplemental material, perhaps even in a definitive scholarly "critical edition." Were it in the public domain, I might take on such a project myself.
April 7, 2013
Have you ever had to be the designated driver while your buddies got wasted? Watching them laugh at nothing and behave like asses while you鈥檙e (unfortunately) stone cold sober is a pretty miserable experience as your mind hasn鈥檛 been altered by chemicals. Reading 鈥淭he Doors of Perception鈥� is like this - Aldous Huxley does mescaline and then describes it extensively to the bored reader who is probably not on mescaline. And it鈥檚 not nearly as fascinating as Huxley believes it to be - because we鈥檙e probably not on mescaline (I know I wasn鈥檛 when reading this crap). 鈥淭he Doors of Perception鈥� is a 50 page essay and it鈥檚 sequel, 鈥淗eaven and Hell鈥�, a 33 page essay, read like far longer works because they鈥檙e so unreadable.
The point of the essays is that Huxley believes there is more to human nature than the base level of survival and that it鈥檚 because of how our species has developed that has made us forget ways in which we can perceive things beyond the ordinary. He wants to allow people to experience mescaline in order to see things he believes are there but beyond our reach without the help of hallucinogenics.
And here鈥檚 the big problem I have with this view - it鈥檚 that assuming that what you experience while high is worth more and is more real than what you experience everyday. I mean, what you鈥檙e experiencing is simulated with the aid of chemicals - why would it be more 鈥渞eal鈥� than reality? A problem endemic to this book is that Huxley is talking about experiences that are purely visceral and 鈥渂eyond man-made constructs鈥� such as language and are therefore indescribable - yet he鈥檚 trying to describe them with language. Which is why you get drivel like this:
鈥淚 spent several minutes - or was it several centuries? - not merely gazing at those bamboo legs, but actually being them - or rather being myself in them; or, to be still more accurate (for 鈥淚鈥� was not involved in the case, nor in a certain sense were 鈥渢hey鈥�) being my Not-self in the Not-self which was the chair.鈥� p.10
鈥淐onfronted by a chair which looked like the Last Judgement - or, to be more accurate, by a Last Judgement which, after a long time and with considerable difficulty, I recognized as a chair - I found myself all at once on the brink of panic.鈥� p.33
Good lord, this crap goes on and on for nearly a 100 pages and it doesn鈥檛 help that he鈥檚 not a very good writer to start with. His rambling style fused with a dry, almost academic, vernacular makes reading this book of insubstantial observations and half-formed ideas all the more insufferable. All he proves is that drugs make intelligent people sound like morons.
He feebly attempts to make the argument that researchers and scientists don鈥檛 take 鈥渟piritual鈥� experiences seriously because they can鈥檛 see it, measure it, rationalise it, in any scientific way. Duh. He bewails methods (eg. taking mescaline) that allegedly 鈥渕ake you more perceptive, more intensely aware of inward and outward reality, and more open to the spirit鈥� which constitute the 鈥渘on-verbal humanities鈥� aren鈥檛 taken more seriously. Well, when you put it like that, Aldous...
He attempts to rectify this by constantly referencing William Blake, Homer, and Goethe in an effort to make the essay appear academic and therefore substantial and worthy of consideration. It鈥檚 truly pretentious and pathetic in its ineffectiveness.
This quote basically sums up the essays:
鈥淭hose folds in the trousers - what a labyrinth of endlessly significant complexity! And the texture of the grey flannel - how rich, how deeply, mysteriously sumptuous!鈥� p.16
Wooaaaah, Aldous got fucked up on mescaline!
The point of the essays is that Huxley believes there is more to human nature than the base level of survival and that it鈥檚 because of how our species has developed that has made us forget ways in which we can perceive things beyond the ordinary. He wants to allow people to experience mescaline in order to see things he believes are there but beyond our reach without the help of hallucinogenics.
And here鈥檚 the big problem I have with this view - it鈥檚 that assuming that what you experience while high is worth more and is more real than what you experience everyday. I mean, what you鈥檙e experiencing is simulated with the aid of chemicals - why would it be more 鈥渞eal鈥� than reality? A problem endemic to this book is that Huxley is talking about experiences that are purely visceral and 鈥渂eyond man-made constructs鈥� such as language and are therefore indescribable - yet he鈥檚 trying to describe them with language. Which is why you get drivel like this:
鈥淚 spent several minutes - or was it several centuries? - not merely gazing at those bamboo legs, but actually being them - or rather being myself in them; or, to be still more accurate (for 鈥淚鈥� was not involved in the case, nor in a certain sense were 鈥渢hey鈥�) being my Not-self in the Not-self which was the chair.鈥� p.10
鈥淐onfronted by a chair which looked like the Last Judgement - or, to be more accurate, by a Last Judgement which, after a long time and with considerable difficulty, I recognized as a chair - I found myself all at once on the brink of panic.鈥� p.33
Good lord, this crap goes on and on for nearly a 100 pages and it doesn鈥檛 help that he鈥檚 not a very good writer to start with. His rambling style fused with a dry, almost academic, vernacular makes reading this book of insubstantial observations and half-formed ideas all the more insufferable. All he proves is that drugs make intelligent people sound like morons.
He feebly attempts to make the argument that researchers and scientists don鈥檛 take 鈥渟piritual鈥� experiences seriously because they can鈥檛 see it, measure it, rationalise it, in any scientific way. Duh. He bewails methods (eg. taking mescaline) that allegedly 鈥渕ake you more perceptive, more intensely aware of inward and outward reality, and more open to the spirit鈥� which constitute the 鈥渘on-verbal humanities鈥� aren鈥檛 taken more seriously. Well, when you put it like that, Aldous...
He attempts to rectify this by constantly referencing William Blake, Homer, and Goethe in an effort to make the essay appear academic and therefore substantial and worthy of consideration. It鈥檚 truly pretentious and pathetic in its ineffectiveness.
This quote basically sums up the essays:
鈥淭hose folds in the trousers - what a labyrinth of endlessly significant complexity! And the texture of the grey flannel - how rich, how deeply, mysteriously sumptuous!鈥� p.16
Wooaaaah, Aldous got fucked up on mescaline!
October 18, 2012
November 22, 1963. That fateful day. Yes, the day Huxley died. His last words were 鈥淟SD, 100 micrograms I.M.鈥� He took psychedelic drugs less than a dozen times in his life, but he always did so with a deep spiritual purpose, never casually. is a detailed account of the first time. The title comes from
"If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro' narrow chinks of his cavern."
Huxley attempted to open up that door and find the perfect state of grace that he believed was possible for all. The session was recorded and he was able to reconstruct "the trip" and his thoughts very thoroughly. It is quite evident the man truly had a beautiful mind. He is erudite, witty and full of good will toward men.
Ironically, part of the trip occurs at "the world's biggest drugstore", where, browsing through some art books, he waxes eloquent on art and culture. His thoughts on drapery make you believe that folds in a piece of cloth are the most important thing in the world. And I would have to agree.
In the average Madonna or Apostle the strictly human, fully representational element accounts for about ten per cent of the whole. All the rest consists of many colored variations on the inexhaustible theme of crumpled wool or linen. And these non-representational nine-tenths of a Madonna or an Apostle may be just as important qualitatively as they are in quantity.
They had seen the Istigkeit, the Allness and Infinity of folded cloth and had done their best to render it in paint or stone. Necessarily, of course, without success. For the glory and the wonder of pure existence belong to another order, beyond the Power of even the highest art to express. But in Judith's skirt I could clearly see what, if I had been a painter of genius, I might have made of my old gray flannels.
Timothy Leary read Huxley鈥檚 book, and they had met at Harvard. However Huxley was dismayed that had been used in the launch of the counterculture of the 1960s. That he ends up on the cover of Sgt. Pepper's was not exactly what he intended. But if he inspired (rather than "come on baby, light my fire") I think he would not have minded.
"We were talking - about the space between us all
And the people - who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion
Never glimpse of truth - then it's far too late - when they pass away." -George Harrison
Huxley, second last row, third from the left
Some of Huxley's stoner thoughts:
On C茅zanne's self portrait - "What pretensions!" I kept repeating. "Who on earth does he think he is?" The question was not addressed to Cezanne in particular, but to the human species at large. Who did they all think they were? 鈥t's like Arnold Bennett in the Dolomites."
An hilarious art anecdote - "One day towards the end of his life, Blake met Constable at Hampstead and was shown one of the younger artist's sketches. In spite of his contempt for naturalistic art, the old visionary knew a good thing when he saw it- except of course, when it was by Rubens. "This is not drawing," he cried, "this is inspiration!" "I had meant it to be drawing," was Constable's characteristic answer."
Vermeer - "For that mysterious artist was truly gifted-with the vision that perceives the Dharma-Body as the hedge at the bottom of the garden, with the talent to render as much of that vision as the limitations of human capacity permit, and with the prudence to confine himself in his paintings to
the more manageable."
The Le Nain brothers - "They set out, I suppose, to be genre painters; but what they actually produced was a series of human still lives, in which their cleansed perception of the infinite significance of all things is rendered not, as with Vermeer, by subtle enrichment of color and texture, but by a heightened clarity, an obsessive distinctness of form, within an austere, almost monochromatic tonality. "
The schizophrenic - "...a soul not merely unregenerate, but desperately sick into the bargain. His sickness consists in the inability to take refuge from inner and outer reality (as the sane person habitually does) in the homemade universe of common sense - the strictly human world of useful notions, shared symbols and socially acceptable conventions. The schizophrenic is like a man permanently under the influence of mescalin, and therefore unable to shut off the experience of a reality which he is not holy enough to live with, which he cannot explain away because it is the most stubborn of primary facts, and which, because it never permits him to look at the world with merely human eyes, scares him into interpreting its unremitting strangeness, its burning intensity of significance, as the manifestations of human or even cosmic malevolence, calling for the most desperate countermeasures, from murderous violence at one end of the scale to catatonia, or psychological suicide, at the other.
5/5 碌g's
April 10, 2013
Increasingly, I'm learning that perception is far more complicated than I ever imagined. Sight, as an example, isn't simply eyes acting like cameras, sending image data to the brain for interpretation. An article in the online journal, Nature, described the mechanism by which the brain "sees" what our eyes are going to see before our eyes see it. This is why we don't view the world through what would otherwise look like a hand-held camera. Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has shown that "the human retina can transmit data at roughly 10 million bits per second."
What the brain does with this data is amazing. For one thing, it compensates for anything that prevents us from seeing things as normal. In 1896, George Stratton experimented with eyeglasses that inverted his vision. After a few days, his brain adapted and Stratton saw everything the right way up.
The brain, needing to process data rapidly, is predisposed to see a perceptual set, which means we see what we expect to see, based largely on prior experience. No wonder children look at the world with such wide eyes--they are truly looking, whereas adults are watching re-runs. All this is necessary from an evolutionary point-of-view, since survival depends on quick data interpretation and reaction--useful for escaping lions, for example.
In The Doors of Perception, (published in 1956), Huxley recounts his personal experience with mescalin and its effect on his senses and thought processes. An interesting springboard into the discussion was Huxley's admission of being quite ordinary in artistic skills, yet wanting to see the world as an artist sees it. Likewise, he wanted to see and feel about the world as would a mystic. Most of the essay described exactly that.
An interesting section, which I expect has been more thoroughly researched by now, discusses adrenochrome, a product of the decomposition of adrenalin. Huxley wrote that adrenochrome "can produce many of the symptoms observed in mescalin intoxication. But adrenochrome probably occurs spontaneously in the human body. In other words, each one of us may be capable of manufacturing a chemical, minute doses of which are known to cause profound changes in consciousness. Certain of these changes are similar to those which occur in that most characteristic plague of the twentieth century, schizophrenia."
Mescalin, it seems, along with chemicals found naturally in the body, can shake up the way the brain normally filters and manipulates data input. Huxley thought it prevented the brain from filtering input from our senses, thereby making everything intense and amazing. The end result was to make other things less important, such as the idea of the individual and our self-importance. If we have a finite capability for 'input', then it stands to reason that turning the valve on the senses will change other aspects of our world view. Huxley coined a term, Mind at Large, which I rather liked--
鈥淓ach person is at each moment capable of remembering all that has ever happened to him and of perceiving everything that is happening everywhere in the universe. The function of the brain and nervous system is to protect us from being overwhelmed and confused by this mass of largely useless and irrelevant knowledge, by shutting out most of what we should otherwise perceive or remember at any moment, and leaving only that very small and special selection which is likely to be practically useful. According to such a theory, each one of us is potentially Mind at Large."
In any case, I enjoyed this slim volume as it connects scientific inquiry with what seems to me to be a higher pursuit of our consciousness. The other edge of the sword is that one cannot operate or navigate in this world, outside a lock down mental facility, with other than a brain that functions within certain margins of filtration. While under the influence of mescalin, Huxley lost interest in relationships and all sorts of trivial pursuits necessary to sustain life in society. Seems we are as we need to be, and if one wants to pursue other avenues of consciousness, they'll have to do so within certain limitations.
Sidenote from internet search: "On his deathbed, unable to speak, Huxley made a written request to his wife for "LSD, 100 碌g, intramuscular". According to her account of his death, in This Timeless Moment, she obliged with an injection at 11:45 am and another a couple of hours later. He died at 5:21 pm on 22 November 1963, aged 69."
One can't help but wonder what that trip was like.
December 24, 2017
An erudite artist and scholar tripping on mescaline.
Decades before other drug culture manifestos and hippy folios cool cat Aldous Huxley first published his Doors of Perception in 1954 ( the same year as Poul Anderson鈥檚 and Richard Matheson鈥檚 ). The initial part is a first person narrative about his experiences taking peyote and his descriptions of the insight.
Of course what makes this stand out from the legion of trip and tells is his intellectual observations. Huxley鈥檚 heightened appreciation for art, music, psychology and philosophy is the antithesis to the Homer Simpson 鈥渄oh!鈥� or Cheech and Chong weed humor. His drug-induced musings reminded me of the .
The second part, though, is what really hooked me. Huxely鈥檚 essay for the promotion of mescaline is all the more timely as we enter the beginning stages of our growing social acceptance of marijuana and the approaching end to that ridiculous prohibition. Huxley, speaking from the early 50s does the green libertarians one better by advocating for mescaline. Like the persuasive argument today about how tobacco and alcohol are far more harmful than illegal pot, Huxley goes on to articulate how mescaline is the more spiritual and beneficial for society and even for religion.
A surprisingly entertaining and illuminating essay.
Decades before other drug culture manifestos and hippy folios cool cat Aldous Huxley first published his Doors of Perception in 1954 ( the same year as Poul Anderson鈥檚 and Richard Matheson鈥檚 ). The initial part is a first person narrative about his experiences taking peyote and his descriptions of the insight.
Of course what makes this stand out from the legion of trip and tells is his intellectual observations. Huxley鈥檚 heightened appreciation for art, music, psychology and philosophy is the antithesis to the Homer Simpson 鈥渄oh!鈥� or Cheech and Chong weed humor. His drug-induced musings reminded me of the .
The second part, though, is what really hooked me. Huxely鈥檚 essay for the promotion of mescaline is all the more timely as we enter the beginning stages of our growing social acceptance of marijuana and the approaching end to that ridiculous prohibition. Huxley, speaking from the early 50s does the green libertarians one better by advocating for mescaline. Like the persuasive argument today about how tobacco and alcohol are far more harmful than illegal pot, Huxley goes on to articulate how mescaline is the more spiritual and beneficial for society and even for religion.
A surprisingly entertaining and illuminating essay.
October 20, 2023
Aldous Huxley鈥檚 The Doors of Perception and its appendix, Heaven and Hell, offer a philosophical exploration into the effects of mind-altering substances, especially the mescaline compound found in the peyote cactus (also present in San Pedro cacti). Through his own mescaline experiments, Huxley explores the furthest frontiers of the mind and investigates the nature of visionary and mystical experience.
At the core of Huxley鈥檚 experiential report lies the concept of 鈥淢ind at Large鈥� 鈥� an increased ability to feel and perceive, compared to which ordinary waking consciousness offers only a fragment of reality. Following 鈥檚 model of the brain as a filtering mechanism, Huxley posits that the nervous system functions as a 鈥渞educing valve鈥� that limits our perception, allowing only practically useful information to make it through to our consciousness. According to Huxley, certain vision-inducing substances like mescaline and acid (let鈥檚 also add other psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and ecstasy), as well as activities like meditation and fasting, can block the inhibitory functions of the brain and provide fleeting glimpses into Mind at Large. In other words, the function of the brain might not be to understand our environment but to filter out all of the less important noise and thoughts. In this sense, consciousness is essentially a subtractive process, not an additive, and Huxley argues that these substances lower the floodgates of our experience to open your senses to everything we are usually unaware of.
Under mescaline, Huxley encountered, in his own words, a 鈥渨orld where everything shone with the Inner Light鈥�, which he equates with the 鈥渕ystical experience of pure Being鈥�. He explores the 鈥渋ntrinsic significance of every existent鈥�, finding divinity in objects as humble as chair legs and trouser folds. For Huxley, mescaline provides access to the 鈥渟acramental vision of reality鈥�, showing 鈥渉ow things really are鈥�. In short, it is a shortcut to a mystical experience. However, Huxley also acknowledges the downsides of prolonged visionary states, disconnecting one from practical concerns and human relations.
Huxley leverages many philosophical and spiritual traditions to contextualise his observations. He references 鈥檚 theory of forms, the Dharma-Body concept in Buddhism, and 鈥檚 spiritual cosmology, among others. The interdisciplinary synthesis reflects Huxley鈥檚 erudition and positions his insights within a complex spiritual lineage.
In Heaven and Hell, Huxley expands his analysis to assess the light and dark extremes of visionary experience and makes fascinating connections between psychedelic experiences and aesthetic judgements, drawing many examples from art鈥檚 history. He also catalogues the imagery found across world mythologies 鈥� gemstone paradises, the luminous architecture of the New Jerusalem, and brilliant flowers that constitute the 鈥淢ind鈥檚 antipodes鈥� (see, for instance, the Mystic Rose at the end of the ). Conversely, he examines disturbing visionary hellscapes, evoking the phantasmagoric worlds of Hieronymus Bosch, Dante鈥檚 Inferno, Goya鈥檚 Black Paintings and 鈥檚 nightmarish stories. For Huxley, darkness and light are two sides of the same visionary coin. Even pleasurable psychedelic trips carry the latent risk of descending into a 鈥渘egative transfiguration鈥� or 鈥渋nfernal vision鈥� 鈥� commonly known as a 鈥渂ad trip鈥�.
Ultimately, Huxley frames this sort of visionary experience as a 鈥済ratuitous grace鈥� 鈥� neither necessary nor sufficient for enlightenment, but potentially opening doors to numinous realities beyond ordinary consciousness. As foreshadowed in his novel with the presence of Soma (a fictional happiness-inducing drug), the author does not shy away from psychedelic utopianism, envisioning a future where chemicals provide controlled access to self-transcendence, guiding humanity towards psychological maturation.
Nearly seventy years after publication, Huxley鈥檚 work remains a visionary touchstone in studying consciousness alteration and mysticism. While some physiological hypotheses can feel dated or sketchy, the precision of Huxley鈥檚 prose reveals fantastical inner landscapes as vibrantly detailed as any hallucinogenic-induced reverie and guides us towards the farthest shores of Mind at Large.
At the core of Huxley鈥檚 experiential report lies the concept of 鈥淢ind at Large鈥� 鈥� an increased ability to feel and perceive, compared to which ordinary waking consciousness offers only a fragment of reality. Following 鈥檚 model of the brain as a filtering mechanism, Huxley posits that the nervous system functions as a 鈥渞educing valve鈥� that limits our perception, allowing only practically useful information to make it through to our consciousness. According to Huxley, certain vision-inducing substances like mescaline and acid (let鈥檚 also add other psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and ecstasy), as well as activities like meditation and fasting, can block the inhibitory functions of the brain and provide fleeting glimpses into Mind at Large. In other words, the function of the brain might not be to understand our environment but to filter out all of the less important noise and thoughts. In this sense, consciousness is essentially a subtractive process, not an additive, and Huxley argues that these substances lower the floodgates of our experience to open your senses to everything we are usually unaware of.
Under mescaline, Huxley encountered, in his own words, a 鈥渨orld where everything shone with the Inner Light鈥�, which he equates with the 鈥渕ystical experience of pure Being鈥�. He explores the 鈥渋ntrinsic significance of every existent鈥�, finding divinity in objects as humble as chair legs and trouser folds. For Huxley, mescaline provides access to the 鈥渟acramental vision of reality鈥�, showing 鈥渉ow things really are鈥�. In short, it is a shortcut to a mystical experience. However, Huxley also acknowledges the downsides of prolonged visionary states, disconnecting one from practical concerns and human relations.
Huxley leverages many philosophical and spiritual traditions to contextualise his observations. He references 鈥檚 theory of forms, the Dharma-Body concept in Buddhism, and 鈥檚 spiritual cosmology, among others. The interdisciplinary synthesis reflects Huxley鈥檚 erudition and positions his insights within a complex spiritual lineage.
In Heaven and Hell, Huxley expands his analysis to assess the light and dark extremes of visionary experience and makes fascinating connections between psychedelic experiences and aesthetic judgements, drawing many examples from art鈥檚 history. He also catalogues the imagery found across world mythologies 鈥� gemstone paradises, the luminous architecture of the New Jerusalem, and brilliant flowers that constitute the 鈥淢ind鈥檚 antipodes鈥� (see, for instance, the Mystic Rose at the end of the ). Conversely, he examines disturbing visionary hellscapes, evoking the phantasmagoric worlds of Hieronymus Bosch, Dante鈥檚 Inferno, Goya鈥檚 Black Paintings and 鈥檚 nightmarish stories. For Huxley, darkness and light are two sides of the same visionary coin. Even pleasurable psychedelic trips carry the latent risk of descending into a 鈥渘egative transfiguration鈥� or 鈥渋nfernal vision鈥� 鈥� commonly known as a 鈥渂ad trip鈥�.
Ultimately, Huxley frames this sort of visionary experience as a 鈥済ratuitous grace鈥� 鈥� neither necessary nor sufficient for enlightenment, but potentially opening doors to numinous realities beyond ordinary consciousness. As foreshadowed in his novel with the presence of Soma (a fictional happiness-inducing drug), the author does not shy away from psychedelic utopianism, envisioning a future where chemicals provide controlled access to self-transcendence, guiding humanity towards psychological maturation.
Nearly seventy years after publication, Huxley鈥檚 work remains a visionary touchstone in studying consciousness alteration and mysticism. While some physiological hypotheses can feel dated or sketchy, the precision of Huxley鈥檚 prose reveals fantastical inner landscapes as vibrantly detailed as any hallucinogenic-induced reverie and guides us towards the farthest shores of Mind at Large.
October 25, 2016
丿乇亘丕乇賴 蹖 讴鬲丕亘 - 賵蹖乇丕蹖卮 卮丿
亘爻蹖丕乇蹖 亘丕 丌賱丿賵爻 賴丕讴爻賱蹖 亘賴 賵丕爻胤賴 讴鬲丕亘 丿賳蹖丕蹖 賯卮賳诏 賳賵 丌卮賳丕 賴爻鬲賳丿. 丕賲丕 丕蹖賳 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 賲毓乇賵賮 丕孬乇 噩賳噩丕賱蹖 丿蹖诏乇蹖 丿丕乇丿 讴賴 丿乇 丕蹖乇丕賳 賳丕卮賳丕禺鬲賴 丕爻鬲: 丿乇賴丕蹖 丕丿乇丕讴 丿賵夭禺 賵 亘乇夭禺. 賴丕讴爻賱蹖 丿乇 亘禺卮 丕賵賱 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 鬲丨鬲 毓賳賵丕賳 丿乇賴丕蹖 丕丿乇丕讴貙 鬲噩乇亘蹖丕鬲 禺賵丿 乇丕 丕夭 賲氐乇賮 乇賵丕賳诏乇丿丕賳 賲爻讴丕賱蹖賳 卮乇丨 丿丕丿賴 丕爻鬲. 賴賲丕賳胤賵乇 讴賴 丕夭 賳丕賲 讴鬲丕亘 賲卮禺氐 丕爻鬲貙 倬爻 丕夭 賲氐乇賮貙 噩賴丕賳 亘乇丕蹖 賴丕讴爻賱蹖 賴賲丕賳 噩賴丕賳 丕爻鬲貙 丕賲丕 讴蹖賮蹖鬲 丕丿乇丕讴 賵蹖 丿乇 賲賵丕噩賴賴 亘丕 胤亘蹖毓鬲 賵 賴賲趩賳蹖賳 氐賳丕蹖毓 丿爻鬲 丕賳爻丕賳貙 賳馗蹖乇 賲賵爻蹖賯蹖 賵 賳賯丕卮蹖 丿趩丕乇 鬲睾蹖蹖乇丕鬲 賵爻蹖毓蹖 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲
鬲賵氐蹖賮丕鬲 賴丕讴爻賱蹖 丕夭 卮賮丕賮蹖鬲 賵 丿乇禺卮卮 賲賳丕馗乇 賵 賳賵乇 丿乇 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘貙 亘丕 亘禺卮蹖 丕夭 鬲賵氐蹖賮丕鬲 賲乇亘賵胤 亘賴 亘賴卮鬲 丿乇 賲爻蹖丨蹖鬲 賵 丕爻賱丕賲 卮亘丕賴鬲 夭蹖丕丿蹖 丿丕乇丿
亘禺卮 丿賵賲 讴鬲丕亘貙 亘賴卮鬲 賵 丿賵夭禺貙 毓賱賲蹖 賵 亘賴 賯丿乇 讴丕賮蹖 賲爻鬲賳丿 亘賴 賳馗乇 賳賲蹖 乇爻丿.賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 丿乇 丕蹖賳 亘禺卮 亘賴 鬲卮乇蹖丨 賯爻賲鬲蹖 丕夭 賳丕禺賵丿丕诏丕賴 丕賳爻丕賳 讴賴 亘丕 鬲噩乇亘蹖丕鬲 毓乇賮丕賳蹖 賵 乇賵蹖丕亘蹖賳蹖 賴丕 丿乇 丕乇鬲亘丕胤 丕爻鬲 賲蹖 倬乇丿丕夭丿. 賵蹖 鬲噩乇亘蹖丕鬲 毓乇賮丕賳蹖 毓乇賮丕貙 賲乇鬲丕囟 賴丕貙 賵 倬蹖乇賵丕賳 丕丿蹖丕賳 丕亘乇丕賴蹖賲蹖 乇丕 賲毓丕丿賱 乇賵蹖丕亘蹖賳蹖 丨丕氐賱 丕夭 賲氐乇賮 賲爻讴丕賱蹖賳 賲蹖 丿丕賳丿. 亘丕 丕蹖賳讴賴 丕蹖賳 乇賵蹖丕亘蹖賳蹖 亘賴 丿賱蹖賱 亘賳蹖丕賳 亘蹖賵卮蹖賲蹖丕蹖蹖 禺賵丿 蹖讴 鬲噩乇亘賴 蹖 毓乇賮丕賳蹖 賲丨爻賵亘 賳賲蹖 卮賵丿貙 丕賲丕 丕夭 讴蹖賮蹖鬲蹖 亘賴 賲乇丕鬲亘 亘蹖卮鬲乇 丕夭 鬲噩乇亘賴 毓乇賮丕 亘乇禺賵乇丿丕乇 丕爻鬲. 賴乇趩賳丿 讴賴 賴丕讴爻賱蹖 丿乇 丕丿丕賲賴貙 鬲噩乇亘賴 毓乇賮丕賳蹖 賵 乇賵蹖丕亘蹖賳蹖 賲匕賴亘蹖 乇丕 賴賲 賲乇丿賵丿 丕毓賱丕賲 讴乇丿賴 賵 鬲丨鬲 鬲丕孬蹖乇 毓賵丕賲賱 夭蹖爻鬲- 卮蹖賲蹖丕蹖蹖 亘丿賳 賲蹖 丿丕賳丿. 亘賴 毓賳賵丕賳 賲孬丕賱 賲蹖 诏賵蹖丿 乇蹖丕囟鬲貙 乇賵夭賴貙 丿毓丕賴丕蹖 胤賵賱丕賳蹖 賵 禺賵丿夭賳蹖 賴丕蹖 賲匕賴亘蹖 亘丕毓孬 丌夭丕丿 卮丿賳 賲賵丕丿 卮蹖賲蹖丕蹖蹖 賲禺鬲賱賮 丿乇 亘丿賳 賳馗蹖乇 賴蹖爻鬲丕賲蹖賳 賵 丌丿乇賳丕賱蹖賳 丕夭 蹖讴 爻賵 賵 丕賮夭丕蹖卮 丿蹖 丕讴爻蹖丿 讴乇亘賳 丿乇 賲賵蹖乇诏 賴丕蹖 賲睾夭蹖 丕夭 爻賵蹖蹖 丿蹖诏乇 賲蹖 卮賵丿 賵 丕夭 丕蹖賳 胤乇蹖賯 讴丕乇丕蹖蹖 賲睾夭貙 亘賴 毓賳賵丕賳 "爻賵倬丕倬 讴丕賴卮 丿賴賳丿賴" 賲禺鬲賱 卮丿賴 賵 丿乇賴丕蹖 丕丿乇丕讴 賳丕禺賵丿丕诏丕賴 亘乇丕蹖 賮乇丿 诏卮賵丿賴 賲蹖 卮賵丿
賳馗乇蹖賴 丕乇鬲亘丕胤 亘賴卮鬲 賵 丿賵夭禺 鬲賵囟蹖賮 卮丿賴 丿乇 丕丿蹖丕賳 丕亘乇丕賴蹖賲蹖 賵 乇賵蹖丕賴丕蹖 丨丕氐賱 丕夭 賲爻讴丕賱蹖賳 噩丕賱亘 賵 丿乇禺賵乇 鬲賵噩賴 丕爻鬲. 丿乇 丕丿蹖丕賳 丕亘乇丕賴蹖賲蹖貙 亘賴 賵噩賵丿 爻賳诏 賴丕蹖 賯蹖賲鬲蹖貙 胤賱丕 賵 噩賵丕賴乇丕鬲 丿乇 亘賴卮鬲 丕卮丕乇丕鬲 夭蹖丕丿蹖 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲.亘賴 毓賳賵丕賳 賲孬丕賱 鬲賵氐蹖賮 丕賵乇卮賱蹖賲 丌爻賲丕賳蹖 丿乇 賲讴丕卮賮賴 蹖賵丨賳丕 亘丿蹖賳 氐賵乇鬲 丕爻鬲:
丌賳诏丕賴 賲乇丕 丿乇 乇賵丨貙 亘賴 賰賵賴賷 亘夭乇诏 亘賱賳丿 亘乇丿 賵 卮賴乇 賲賯丿爻 丕賵乇卮賱賷賲 乇丕 亘賴 賲賳 賳賲賵丿 賰賴 丕夭 丌爻賲丕賳 丕夭 噩丕賳亘 禺丿丕 賳丕夭賱 賲賷 卮賵丿 賵 噩賱丕賱 禺丿丕 乇丕 丿丕乇丿 賵 賳賵乇卮 賲丕賳賳丿 噩賵丕賴乇 诏乇丕賳亘賴丕貙 趩賵賳 賷卮賲 亘賱賵乇賷賳. 亘賳丕賷 丿賷賵丕乇 丌賳 丕夭 賷卮賲 亘賵丿 賵 卮賴乇 丕夭 夭乇 禺丕賱氐 趩賵賳 卮賷卮賴 賲氐賮賷 亘賵丿 賵 亘賳賷丕丿 丿賷賵丕乇 卮賴乇 亘賴 賴乇 賳賵毓 噩賵丕賴乇 诏乇丕賳亘賴丕 賲夭賷賳 亘賵丿 賰賴 亘賳賷丕丿 丕賵賱貙 賷卮賲 賵 丿賵賲貙 賷丕賯賵鬲 賰亘賵丿 賵 爻賵賲貙 毓賯賷賯 爻賮賷丿 賵 趩賴丕乇賲貙 夭賲乇丿 賵 倬賳噩賲 貙 噩夭毓 毓賯賷賯賷 賵 卮卮賲貙 毓賯賷賯 賵 賴賮鬲賲貙 夭亘乇噩丿 賵 賴卮鬲賲貙 夭賲乇丿 爻賽賱賯賷 賵 賳賴賲貙 胤賵倬丕夭 賵 丿賴賲貙 毓賯賷賯 丕禺囟乇 賵 賷丕夭丿賴賲貙 丌爻賲丕賳噩賵賳賷 賵 丿賵丕夭丿賴賲貙 賷丕賯賵鬲 亘賵丿. 賵 丿賵丕夭丿賴 丿乇賵丕夭賴貙 丿賵丕夭丿賴 賲乇賵丕乇賷丿 亘賵丿貙 賴乇 丿乇賵丕夭賴 丕夭 賷讴 賲乇賵丕乇賷丿 賵 卮丕乇毓 毓丕賲 卮賴乇貙 丕夭 夭乇 禺丕賱氐 趩賵賳 卮賷卮賴 卮賮丕賮. 賵 丿乇 丌賳 賴賷趩 賯丿爻 賳丿賷丿賲 夭賷乇丕 禺丿丕賵賳丿 禺丿丕賷 賯丕丿乇 賲胤賱賯 賵 亘乇賴 賯丿爻 丌賳 丕爻鬲 賵 卮賴乇 丕丨鬲賷丕噩 賳丿丕乇丿 賰賴 丌賮鬲丕亘 賷丕 賲丕賴 丌賳 乇丕 乇賵卮賳丕賷賷 丿賴丿 夭賷乇丕 賰賴 噩賱丕賱 禺丿丕 丌賳 乇丕 賲賳賵乇 賲賷 爻丕夭丿 賵 趩乇丕睾卮 亘乇賴 丕爻鬲 賵 丕賲鬲 賴丕 丿乇 賳賵乇卮 爻丕賱讴 禺賵丕賴賳丿 亘賵丿 賵 倬丕丿卮丕賴丕賳 噩賴丕賳貙 噩賱丕賱 賵 丕賰乇丕賲 禺賵丿 乇丕 亘賴 丌賳 禺賵丕賴賳丿 丿乇丌賵乇丿丿乇 亘賴卮鬲 鬲賵氐蹖賮 卮丿賴 鬲賵爻胤 賴丕讴爻賱蹖 賳蹖夭 賴賲賴 趩蹖夭 亘锟斤拷丿鬲 丿乇禺卮丕賳 丕賳丿 賵 乇賳诏 賴丕 卮賮丕賮蹖鬲 夭蹖丕丿蹖 丿丕乇賳丿. 丕賲丕 趩乇丕 亘丕蹖丿 亘乇丕蹖 鬲賵氐蹖賮 爻乇夭賲蹖賳蹖 讴賴 倬賵賱 丿乇 丌賳 賲毓賳丕蹖蹖 賳丿丕乇丿貙 丕夭 丕蹖賳 爻賳诏 賴丕蹖 诏乇丕賳亘賴丕 賵 賳丕蹖丕亘 丕爻鬲賮丕丿賴 讴乇丿責 毓賱鬲 賴丕蹖 夭蹖丕丿蹖 亘乇丕蹖 丕蹖賳 賲賵囟賵毓 賵噩賵丿 丿丕乇丿貙 丕賲丕 賴丕讴爻賱蹖 賲卮禺氐丕 亘賴 丕蹖賳 丕卮丕乇賴 賲蹖 讴賳丿 讴賴 毓賱鬲貙 噩丕丿賵蹖 賳賵乇 賵 卮賮丕賮蹖鬲 噩丕丿賵蹖蹖 乇賳诏 賵 鬲丕孬蹖乇蹖 丕爻鬲 讴賴 丕賳爻丕賳 丿乇 乇賵蹖丕亘蹖賳蹖 丕夭 賳丕禺賵丿丕诏丕賴 禺賵蹖卮 賲蹖 诏蹖乇丿
丿乇亘丕乇賴 賲爻讴丕賱蹖賳
讴丕讴鬲賵爻 爻賳 倬丿乇賵 蹖丕 倬蹖賵鬲 貙 诏蹖丕賴蹖 禺賵丿乇賵 丿乇 賳賵丕丨蹖 亘蹖丕亘丕賳蹖 賵 讴賵賴爻鬲丕賳蹖 丌賲乇蹖讴丕蹖 噩賳賵亘蹖 丕爻鬲 讴賴 禺賵丕氐 乇賵丕賳诏乇丿丕賳蹖 丿丕乇丿. 賲氐乇賮 丌賳 亘賴 爻賴 賴夭丕乇 賵 卮卮氐丿 爻丕賱 賯亘賱 丕夭 賲蹖賱丕丿 賲爻蹖丨 亘丕夭 賲蹖 诏乇丿丿. 亘賵賲蹖丕賳 丌賲乇蹖讴丕蹖 噩賳賵亘蹖 賵 爻乇禺倬賵爻鬲 賴丕 亘乇丕蹖 賲氐丕乇賮 丿乇賲丕賳蹖 賵 蹖丕 丌蹖蹖賳 賴丕蹖 賲匕賴亘蹖 賵 倬蹖卮诏賵蹖蹖 丕夭 倬蹖賵鬲 亘賴 氐賵乇鬲 鬲丿禺蹖賳蹖 賵 禺賵乇丕讴蹖(賲毓噩賵賳) 丕爻鬲賮丕丿賴 賲蹖 讴乇丿賳丿. 賯賵丕賳蹖賳 賯囟丕蹖蹖 丿乇 丕乇鬲亘丕胤 亘丕 倬蹖賵鬲 丿乇 讴卮賵乇賴丕蹖 賲禺鬲賱賮 賲鬲賮丕賵鬲 丕爻鬲貙丕賲丕 亘乇 丕爻丕爻 胤亘賯賴 亘賳丿蹖 爻丕夭賲丕賳 賲亘丕乇夭賴 亘丕 賲賵丕丿賲禺丿乇 丌賲乇蹖讴丕貙 賲爻讴丕賱蹖賳 噩夭 (賲賵丕丿 賲禺丿乇蹖 讴賴 丿乇 丨丕賱 丨丕囟乇 丕爻鬲賮丕丿賴 蹖 倬夭卮讴蹖 賳丿丕卮鬲賴貙 賯丕亘賱蹖鬲 爻賵賲氐乇賮 夭蹖丕丿蹖 丿丕卮鬲賴 賵 倬鬲丕賳爻蹖賱 丕蹖噩丕丿 賵丕亘爻鬲诏蹖 卮丿蹖丿 乇賵丕賳蹖 蹖丕 噩爻賲蹖 丿丕乇賳丿) 賯乇丕乇 丿丕乇丿
(丕賱 丿蹖 倬賳噩丕賴) 315 賲蹖賱蹖 诏乇賲 亘乇 讴蹖賱賵诏乇賲 賵夭賳 丕爻鬲. 賴乇趩賳丿 诏夭丕乇卮 賲乇诏 賲爻鬲賯蹖賲 丿乇 丕孬乇 爻賵賲氐乇賮 丕蹖賳 乇賵丕賳诏乇丿丕賳 鬲丕 讴賳賵賳 賳丕丿乇 丕爻鬲
鬲噩乇亘賴 蹖 卮禺氐蹖 賲賳
賴丕讴爻賱蹖 亘丕 賲爻讴丕賱蹖賳貙 亘賴卮鬲 乇賵蹖丕蹖蹖 禺賵蹖卮 乇丕 鬲噩乇亘賴 讴乇丿. 丕賲丕 賴賲丕賳诏賵賳賴 讴賴 賴丕讴爻賱蹖 賴賲 賴卮丿丕乇 丿丕丿賴貙 亘禺卮蹖 丕夭 賲氐乇賮 讴賳賳丿诏丕賳 賲爻讴丕賱蹖賳貙 亘賴 噩丕蹖 亘賴卮鬲貙 賵丕乇丿 卮丕賴乇丕賴 卮蹖夭賵賮乇賳 丿賵夭禺蹖 賲蹖 卮賵賳丿.賵蹖 丿乇 丕蹖賳 亘丕乇賴 賲蹖 诏賵蹖丿
卮蹖夭賵賮乇賳貙 亘賴卮鬲 禺賵丿 乇丕 丿乇 讴賳丕乇 亘乇夭禺 賵 丿賵夭禺 賴丕蹖卮 丿丕乇丿. 亘蹖卮鬲乇 賲氐乇賮 讴賳賳丿诏丕賳 賲爻讴丕賱蹖賳 鬲賳賴丕 亘禺卮 丌爻賲丕賳蹖 卮蹖夭賵賮乇賳 乇丕 鬲噩乇亘賴 賲蹖 讴賳賳丿. 丿丕乇賵 亘乇夭禺 賵 丿賵夭禺 乇丕 賮賯胤 亘乇丕蹖 讴爻丕賳蹖 讴賴 丕禺蹖乇丕 賲賵丕乇丿蹖 丕夭 讴噩 亘蹖賳蹖 丿丕卮鬲賴 蹖丕 丿趩丕乇 丕賮爻乇丿诏蹖 賵 丕囟胤乇丕亘 賲夭賲賳 亘賵丿賴 丕賳丿 亘賴 賴賲乇丕賴 賲蹖 丌賵乇丿. 亘賳丕亘乇丕蹖賳 丕诏乇 丿乇 乇丕賴 睾賱胤 賯丿賲 亘乇丿丕乇蹖貙 鬲賲丕賲 賵賯丕蹖毓蹖 讴賴 乇禺 賲蹖 丿賴丿貙 賲丿乇讴蹖 丕夭 鬲賵胤卅賴 毓賱蹖賴 鬲賵 禺賵丕賴丿 亘賵丿. 丕诏乇 亘賴 爻賲鬲 倬丕蹖蹖賳 噩丕丿賴 丿賵夭禺蹖 毓丕夭賲 卮賵蹖貙 賴乇诏夭 賳賲蹖 鬲賵丕賳蹖 鬲賵賯賮 讴賳蹖
丿乇 蹖讴 乇賵蹖丕蹖 丿賵夭禺蹖貙 乇賵蹖丕亘蹖賳 亘丕 賳賵乇蹖 亘丿賵賳 爻丕蹖賴 讴賴 鬲賴丿蹖丿 丌賲蹖夭 丕爻鬲 乇賵亘乇賵 卮丿賴貙 爻倬爻 賵丨卮鬲 賱丕蹖鬲賳丕賴蹖 賮乇丕 賲蹖 乇爻丿. 賲讴丕賳蹖爻賲 賴爻鬲蹖 亘蹖 乇丨賲丕賳賴 丌卮讴丕乇 賲蹖 卮賵丿 賵 鬲賳賴丕 趩蹖夭蹖 乇丕 讴賴 亘賴 蹖丕丿 賲蹖 丌賵乇丿貙 诏賳丕賴丕賳貙 丿乇丿賴丕 賵 鬲賳賴丕蹖蹖 讴蹖賴丕賳蹖 丕爻鬲. 噩賴丕賳 鬲睾蹖蹖乇 卮讴賱 賲蹖 丿賴丿貙 丕賲丕 亘賴 亘丿鬲乇蹖賳 賵囟毓蹖鬲 賲賲讴賳. 賴乇趩蹖夭 丿乇賵賳 丌賳 丕夭 爻鬲丕乇诏丕賳 鬲丕 诏乇丿 賵 禺丕讴 夭蹖乇 倬丕蹖卮丕賳 亘賴 胤賵乇 睾蹖乇賯丕亘賱 鬲賵氐蹖賮蹖 卮賵賲 賵 賲賳夭噩夭 讴賳賳丿賴 丕爻鬲. 賴乇 爻賵跇賴 丕蹖 丨囟賵乇 蹖讴 賵丨卮鬲 爻丕讴賳 亘蹖 賳賴丕蹖鬲 賯丿乇鬲賲賳丿 丕亘丿蹖 乇丕 賲毓賳蹖 賲蹖 讴賳丿
鬲噩乇亘賴 賲賳 賴賲 爻賮乇蹖 丿賵夭禺蹖 亘賵丿. 丿乇賵丕夭賴 丕蹖 讴賴 丕夭 丌賳 毓亘賵乇 讴乇丿賲貙 賲胤賲卅賳丕 丿乇賵丕夭賴 亘賴卮鬲 賳亘賵丿. 趩蹖夭 夭蹖丕丿蹖 丕夭 丌賳 趩賳丿 爻丕毓鬲 乇丕 亘賴 禺丕胤乇 賳賲蹖 丌賵乇賲. 胤蹖 趩賳丿 賴賮鬲賴 亘毓丿 丕夭 賲氐乇賮貙 亘賴 氐賵乇鬲 丌賳蹖 趩蹖夭賴丕蹖蹖 丕夭 丌賳 卮亘 亘賴 禺丕胤乇賲 丌賲丿 讴賴 賴賲賴 乇丕 賲讴鬲賵亘 讴乇丿賲. 丕蹖賳 賳賵卮鬲賴 賴丕 诏爻爻鬲賴 丕賳丿貙 賲丕賳賳丿 乇賵蹖丕蹖 卮丕賳. 噩夭卅蹖丕鬲 亘蹖卮鬲乇蹖 亘賴 禺丕胤乇 賳賲蹖 丌賵乇賲
丕賮夭丕蹖卮 囟乇亘丕賳 賯賱亘 (168) 賵 賮卮丕乇 禺賵賳 ( 賮卮丕乇 丿蹖丕爻鬲賵賱蹖 11貙 賮卮丕乇 爻蹖爻鬲賵賱蹖 19)貙 丕丨爻丕爻 诏乇诏乇賮鬲诏蹖貙 爻亘讴蹖 爻乇貙 丕禺鬲賱丕賱 丿蹖丿貙 诏蹖噩蹖 賵 鬲賴賵毓 (丿乇 丕孬乇 賲卮讴賱丕鬲 乇蹖賵蹖 倬蹖卮蹖賳) 趩賳丿 丿賯蹖賯賴 亘毓丿 丕夭 賲氐乇賮. 亘賴 鬲氐賵乇 禺賵丿賲貙賲氐乇賮 賲爻讴丕賱蹖賳 丿乇 丿賯丕蹖賯 丕亘鬲丿丕蹖蹖 鬲丕孬蹖乇蹖 亘乇 賲賳 賳丿丕卮鬲. 倬乇爻蹖丿 禺賵亘蹖責 賲鬲賵噩賴 卮丿賲 賯丕丿乇 亘賴 鬲讴賱賲 賳蹖爻鬲賲. 亘賴 氐賵乇鬲 亘乇蹖丿賴 亘乇蹖丿賴 亘毓丿 丕夭 鬲賱丕卮蹖 賳爻亘鬲丕 胤賵賱丕賳蹖 亘賴 夭亘丕賳蹖 亘蹖诏丕賳賴 鬲賵丕賳爻鬲賲 亘诏賵蹖賲 禺賵亘賲
卮乇賵毓 卮丿. 賯賱亘 亘蹖乇賵賳 丕夭 爻蹖賳賴 賲蹖 鬲倬丿. 丿乇 鬲丕乇蹖讴蹖 卮亘 貙 丿乇禺卮卮 賵 卮賮丕賮蹖鬲蹖 毓噩蹖亘. 亘乇诏 賴丕蹖 丿乇禺鬲丕賳 丿乇 賳賵乇 趩乇丕睾 貙丕亘毓丕丿 乇丕 賳賲蹖 亘蹖賳賲貙 賱賲爻 賲蹖 讴賳賲.
爻诏 亘賴 賳夭丿蹖讴賲 丌賲丿貙 賲乇丕 亘賵蹖蹖丿 賵 乇賮鬲. 夭賳 賯乇賲夭 倬賵卮 賵丨卮鬲 夭丿賴 賮乇丕乇 讴乇丿.诏賲 賲蹖 卮賵賲貙 亘蹖 賴丿賮 亘賴 乇丕賴 賲蹖 丕賮鬲賲貙 乇賮鬲賳貙 亘丿賵賳 鬲氐賲蹖賲 诏蹖乇蹖. 賳丕禺賵丿丕诏丕賴賲 讴賳鬲乇賱 乇丕 亘丿爻鬲 诏乇賮鬲賴. 賲蹖 禺賵丕賴丿 賲噩丕夭丕鬲賲 讴賳丿責 丿乇賴丕蹖 噩賴賳賲 乇丕 亘乇丕蹖卮丕賳 亘丕夭 讴乇丿賴 丕賲
鬲乇爻蹖 丕賱蹖賲貙 亘丿賵賳 毓賱鬲. 亘賴 毓賲賯 賵噩賵丿賲 乇禺賳賴 讴乇丿賴 賵 亘賴 賴乇趩蹖夭蹖 讴賴 賲蹖 賳诏乇賲 爻乇丕蹖鬲 賲蹖 讴丿. 卮禺氐 乇丿丕倬賵卮蹖 丿乇 鬲毓賯蹖亘賲 丕爻鬲. 賳賴 丕蹖賳讴賴 氐乇賮丕 丨爻 亘丕卮丿貙 丕夭 鬲賲丕賲 噩賳亘賴 賴丕 毓蹖賳 賵丕賯毓蹖鬲 丕爻鬲. 丕夭 诏賵卮賴 趩卮賲 賲蹖 亘蹖賳賲貙 氐丿丕蹖 讴卮蹖丿賴 卮丿賳 讴賮卮 賴丕蹖卮 乇賵蹖 夭賲蹖賳 乇丕 賲蹖 卮賳賵賲. 亘賴 賲丨囟 丕蹖賳讴賴 亘乇賲蹖 诏乇丿賲 賵 毓賯亘 乇丕 賳诏丕賴 賲蹖 讴賳賲貙 賳丕倬丿蹖丿 賲蹖 卮賵丿. 丿趩丕乇 亘蹖 賲讴丕賳蹖 賵 亘蹖 夭賲丕賳蹖 卮丿賴 丕賲. 賳丕诏賴丕賳 丿乇 丌亘丕丿丕賳 賲貙 夭蹖乇 賳賵乇 賲卮毓賱 賴丕蹖 倬丕賱丕蹖卮诏丕賴. 丿賵 丿賯蹖賯賴 诏匕卮鬲貙 爻丕毓鬲 乇丕 賳诏丕賴 賲蹖 讴賳賲貙 毓賯乇亘賴 賴丕蹖 爻丕毓鬲 賳卮丕賳 賲蹖 丿賴賳丿 讴賴 丨丿賵丿丕 丿賵 爻丕毓鬲 诏匕卮鬲賴 丕爻鬲. 亘丕 爻乇丿乇诏賲蹖 鬲賲丕賲 趩賳丿 亘丕乇 賲爻蹖乇蹖 胤賵賱丕賳蹖 乇丕 賲蹖 乇賵賲 賵 亘丕夭賲蹖 诏乇丿賲
丌丿賲 賴丕 乇丕 賲蹖 亘蹖賳賲貙 氐賵乇鬲 賴丕 賲孬賱 賳賯丕亘貙 夭蹖乇 賳賯丕亘 賴丕 鬲賳賴丕 鬲丕乇蹖讴蹖. 亘丕 賲乇丿蹖 乇賵亘乇賵 賲蹖 卮賵賲 讴賴 丿賴丕賳卮 賱亘 賳丿丕乇丿. 丕爻讴賱鬲蹖 讴賴 乇賵蹖卮 倬賵爻鬲 讴卮蹖丿賴 丕賳丿. 氐賵乇鬲讴 亘丕 丿賴丕賳蹖 亘丿賵賳 賱亘 亘賴 胤賵乇 賵丨卮鬲賳丕讴蹖 禺賳丿丕賳 亘賴 賲賳 禺蹖乇賴 卮丿賴. 爻毓蹖 賲蹖 讴賳賲 丕夭 賳诏丕賴卮 賮乇丕乇 讴賳賲貙 丕賲丕 乇丕賴蹖 賳蹖爻鬲. 禺賵丿賲 乇丕 倬卮鬲 蹖讴蹖 丕夭 毓丕亘乇蹖賳 倬賳賴丕賳 賲蹖 讴賳賲 賵 丿賵乇 賲蹖 卮賵賲. 丿賳丿丕賳 賴丕 丕夭 卮丿賳 爻乇賲丕 亘賴 賴賲 賲蹖 禺賵乇丿. 亘丿賳賲 夭蹖乇 賮卮丕乇 賯乇丕乇 丿丕乇丿. 鬲賵氐蹖賮 丿賯蹖賯蹖 丕夭 噩賴賳賲貙 賮卮丕乇 丿賳丿丕賳 亘乇 丿賳丿丕賳. 賲蹖 賮賴賲賲 讴賴 爻乇賲丕 賳蹖爻鬲 讴賴 亘丿賳 乇丕 賲蹖 賱乇夭丕賳丿貙 禺賵丿賲 賴爻鬲賲. 賱乇夭卮 賲鬲賵賯賮 賲蹖 卮賵丿 賵 丨爻 爻乇賲丕 賵 賮卮丕乇 賲蹖 乇賵丿
丕讴賳賵賳 亘丕 卮乇賵毓 貙 賵丕乇丿 爻胤丨 亘丕賱丕鬲乇蹖 丕夭 丌诏丕賴蹖 賲蹖 卮賵賲. 鬲乇爻 賲蹖 乇賵丿 賵 噩丕蹖卮 乇丕 爻讴賵賳 賵 丨夭賳 賲蹖 诏蹖乇丿.丿蹖诏乇 賲賳 賳蹖爻鬲賲貙 賮丕毓賱 賳蹖爻鬲賲貙 鬲賳賴丕 蹖讴 賳馗丕乇賴 诏乇賲. 丕亘丿蹖鬲 亘乇 賲賳 賲讴卮賵賮 賲蹖 卮賵丿. 鬲賳賴丕蹖蹖 賲丕賳 乇丕 賲蹖 亘蹖賳賲貙 夭賲蹖賳蹖 爻鬲乇賵賳貙 賵爻蹖毓 賵 鬲丕乇蹖讴.爻丕蹖賴 丕爻鬲 蹖丕 诏賵丿丕賱責賳賲蹖 鬲賵丕賳賲 鬲卮禺氐蹖 丿賴賲. 丕賳丿賵賴 賵 睾賲 乇丕 賲蹖 亘蹖賳賲 (鬲丿丕禺賱 丕丨爻丕爻丕鬲 賵 丕丿乇丕讴) . 丕夭 賱丕蹖 丿乇夭賴丕 亘賴 亘蹖乇賵賳 賲蹖 禺夭賳丿. 睾賲 乇賳诏 丿丕乇丿貙 賳丕乇賳噩蹖 賵 爻乇禺 賵 亘賳賮卮. 賴蹖趩 乇丕 賲蹖 亘蹖賳賲貙蹖讴 賳賯胤賴 丕爻鬲貙 爻胤丨 賲蹖 卮賵丿 賵 丨丕賱丕 丿丕乇丿 丨噩賲 倬蹖丿丕 賲蹖 讴賳丿.丕蹖 賴蹖趩 毓馗蹖賲! 亘乇 賲賳 鬲乇丨賲 賮乇賲丕! 鬲胤賴蹖乇賲 讴賳! 亘丕蹖丿 诏乇蹖爻鬲.倬乇 丕夭 賴蹖趩貙 丕蹖賳趩賳蹖賳. 鬲賲丕賲 賳丕乇丕丨鬲蹖 賴丕蹖 丿賳蹖丕 乇丕 賲蹖 亘蹖賳賲貙 賴乇趩賴 賲蹖 亘蹖賳賲貙 賴乇趩賴 讴賴 賲蹖 卮賳丕爻蹖賲貙 丨賯蹖賯鬲 丕賳丿賵賴貙 蹖讴 讴賵賴 蹖禺 丕爻鬲. 賯爻賲鬲 亘夭乇诏鬲乇卮 丌賳 夭蹖乇 倬賳賴丕賳 卮丿賴 賵 賴賳賵夭 亘丕 丌賳 乇賵亘乇賵 賳卮丿賴 丕蹖賲. 丿爻鬲 丌賵蹖夭蹖 賳蹖爻鬲貙 丕賲蹖丿蹖 賳蹖爻鬲貙 乇賴丕蹖蹖 賲賲讴賳 賳蹖爻鬲
亘賴 讴丕賱亘丿 丿蹖诏乇蹖 賲蹖 禺夭賲. 禺賵丿賲 乇丕 亘丕 賳诏丕賴蹖 噩丿蹖丿 賲蹖 亘蹖賳賲. 丕夭 趩卮賲 賴丕蹖卮 賲蹖 亘蹖賳賲 賵 丕夭 丿賴丕賳卮 丨乇賮 賲蹖 夭賳賲.丕夭 丿乇賵賳 丕賵 亘蹖 乇丨賲丕賳賴 亘賴 禺賵丿賲 丨賲賱賴 賲蹖 讴賳賲. 丨蹖賵丕賳蹖 丨賯蹖乇 賵 亘賴 丿丕賲 丕賮鬲丕丿賴. 馗賴賵乇 丕蹖賳 禺賵蹖卮鬲賳 賲賴賱讴 賲賳! 乇丨賲 賳賲蹖 讴賳賲貙 鬲丕夭蹖丕賳賴 讴賱賲丕鬲 蹖讴蹖 倬爻 丕夭 丿蹖诏乇蹖. 鬲賲丕賲 賲賳馗賵賲賴 蹖 卮禺氐蹖鬲蹖 丕賲 賮乇賵 賲蹖 乇蹖夭丿. 亘賴 诏乇蹖賴 賲蹖 丕賮鬲賲. 鬲賳賴丕 賲蹖 賲丕賳賲 賵 亘賴 鬲丕亘賱賵蹖蹖 讴賴 賲蹖 趩乇禺丿 賳诏丕賴 賲蹖 讴賳賲. 讴夭 賲蹖 讴賳賲 丿乇賵賳 禺賵丿
亘賴 賴乇趩賴 讴賴 賳诏丕賴 賲蹖 讴賳賲貙 賯亘賱 丕夭 丕蹖賳讴賴 鬲氐賲蹖賲 亘賴 賮讴乇 讴乇丿賳 亘诏蹖乇賲貙 胤賵賮丕賳 匕賴賳蹖 卮乇賵毓 賲蹖 卮賵丿. 丕亘丿蹖鬲 賴乇趩蹖夭蹖 丿乇 賴賲丕賳 趩蹖夭 丕爻鬲貙丿乇 賴賲丕賳 賱丨馗賴貙 賴賲丕賳 丌賳.賲蹖 亘蹖賳賲卮
禺賵丿賲 乇丕 賲蹖 亘蹖賳賲貙 亘丕 賯丕賲鬲蹖 乇丕爻鬲. 賲賵賴丕蹖賲 亘賴 爻乇毓鬲 爻賮蹖丿 賲蹖 卮賵丿. 倬蹖乇 賲蹖 卮賵賲. 賳夭丿蹖讴 鬲乇 賲蹖 乇賵賲貙 丕蹖賳 倬蹖乇 卮丿賳 賳蹖爻鬲貙 丕蹖賳 爻賮蹖丿 卮丿賳 賲賵 賳蹖爻鬲貙 丿丕乇賲 丕夭 爻乇 賲蹖 爻賵夭賲. 鬲亘丿蹖賱 亘賴 蹖讴 讴亘乇蹖鬲 亘夭乇诏 賲蹖 卮賵賲貙 爻乇賲 卮毓賱賴 诏乇賮鬲賴 賵 丿丕乇丿 亘賴 倬丕蹖蹖賳 爻乇丕蹖鬲 賲蹖 讴賳丿貙 禺賲蹖丿賴 賵 趩乇賵讴 賲蹖 卮賵賲貙 禺丕讴爻鬲乇蹖 乇賳诏. 卮毓賱賴 禺丕賲賵卮 賲蹖 卮賵丿. 囟乇亘賴 丕蹖 賵丕乇丿 賲蹖 卮賵丿 賵 鬲亘丿蹖賱 亘賴 鬲賵丿賴 丕蹖 禺丕讴爻鬲乇 賲蹖 卮賵賲.爻鬲賵賳蹖 丕夭 賳賲讴
丿禺鬲乇蹖 丕夭 賲丕卮蹖賳 倬蹖丕丿賴 賲蹖 卮賵丿. 亘賳丿賴丕蹖 讴賮卮卮 乇丕 乇賵蹖 噩賵乇丕亘 賵 賯爻賲鬲蹖 丕夭 倬丕蹖卮 诏乇賴 夭丿賴. 鬲乇讴蹖亘 噩賵乇丕亘 賵 亘賳丿 讴賮卮 乇賵蹖 倬賵爻鬲 爻賮蹖丿卮 鬲亘丿蹖賱 亘賴 蹖讴 倬賳噩乇賴 賲蹖 卮賵丿. 丕夭 倬賳噩乇賴 亘賴 丿乇賵賳 賳诏丕賴 賲蹖 讴賳賲.倬賳噩乇賴 丕蹖 亘賴 丿乇賵賳 夭賳丿诏蹖 丿禺鬲乇. 鬲賲丕賲 夭賳丿诏蹖 丿禺鬲乇 乇丕 賲蹖 亘蹖賳賲貙 卮丕丿蹖 賵 賳丕乇丕丨鬲蹖 丕卮貙 賱匕鬲 賵 丿乇丿 丕卮貙 鬲賲丕賲 夭賳丿诏蹖 丕卮 丿乇 讴爻乇蹖 丕夭 孬丕賳蹖賴 丕夭 噩賱賵蹖 趩卮賲 賴丕蹖賲 賲蹖 诏匕乇丿
丕賵 乇丕 賲蹖 亘蹖賳賲. 讴賵鬲丕賴. 蹖讴 鬲賱丕卅賱賵. 乇丕蹖丨賴 蹖 毓胤乇蹖 诏乇賲 賵 睾乇蹖亘. 丿爻鬲卮 乇丕 賲蹖 诏蹖乇賲貙 賲丨賵 賲蹖 卮賵丿.毓賲蹖賯 鬲乇蹖賳 乇賵蹖丕賴丕蹖 丕蹖賳 禺賵蹖卮鬲賳 亘蹖 禺乇丿. 倬乇賵丕夭蹖 亘蹖 亘丕賱 丕夭 丕蹖賳 賲賳 丿乇賵賳.丕讴賳賵賳 爻乇夭賲蹖賳賲 賳丕倬丿蹖丿 诏卮鬲賴 賵 夭賳丿诏蹖 丌夭丕丿 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲
May 6, 2021
The Doors of Perception & Heaven and Hell, Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley explores the mind's remote frontiers and the unmapped areas of human consciousness.
These two astounding essays are among the most profound studies of the effects of mind-expanding drugs written in this century.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮 乇賵夭 倬賳噩賲 賲丕賴 賲蹖 爻丕賱 2003賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 丿乇賴丕蹖 丕丿乇丕讴 亘賴卮鬲 賵 丿賵夭禺貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 丌賱丿賵爻 賴丕讴爻賱蹖貨 倬蹖卮诏賮鬲丕乇: 噩蹖.噩蹖 亘丕賱丕乇丿貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賲賴賳丕夭 丿賯蹖賯 賳蹖丕貨 賲卮禺氐丕鬲 賳卮乇: 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賲蹖乇 讴爻乇蹖貙 爻丕賱1381貙 丿乇 128氐貙 卮丕亘讴: 丕蹖讴爻 - 964744902貨 毓賳賵丕賳 丿蹖诏乇 亘賴卮鬲 賵 丿賵夭禺貨 賲賵囟賵毓: 丿丕乇賵賴丕蹖 鬲賵賴賲夭丕貙 賲爻讴丕賱蹖賳貙 丕夭 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 亘乇蹖鬲丕賳蹖丕蹖蹖 鬲亘丕乇 丌賲乇蹖讴丕蹖蹖 - 爻丿賴 20賲
丿乇賴丕蹖 丕丿乇丕讴貙 亘賴卮鬲 賵 丿賵夭禺貨 毓賳賵丕賳 讴鬲丕亘蹖 丕夭 芦賴丕讴爻賱蹖禄貙 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 蹖 芦亘乇蹖鬲丕賳蹖丕蹖蹖禄 鬲亘丕乇 芦丌賲乇蹖讴丕蹖蹖禄 丕爻鬲貙 讴賴 丿乇 丿賵 賲賵賯毓蹖鬲 賳诏丕乇卮 蹖丕賮鬲賴 丕爻鬲貨 亘禺卮 賳禺爻鬲 芦丿乇賴丕蹖 丕丿乇丕讴禄 禺蹖丕賱丕鬲 芦賴丕讴爻賱蹖禄貙 倬蹖卮 丕夭 賲氐乇賮 乇賵丕賳诏乇丿丕賳 芦賲爻讴丕賱蹖賳 (讴丕讴鬲賵爻 爻賳 倬丿乇賵)禄 丕爻鬲貙 賵 亘禺卮 丿賵賲 蹖毓賳蹖 芦亘賴卮鬲 賵 丿賵夭禺禄貙 賳丕賲 丿丕爻鬲丕賳蹖 丕爻鬲貙 讴賴 丕蹖卮丕賳 倬爻 丕夭 賲氐乇賮 芦賲爻讴丕賱蹖賳禄貙 賵 禺丕乇噩 卮丿賳 丕夭 丨丕賱鬲 毓丕丿蹖貙 亘賴 賳诏丕乇卮 丿乇丌賵乇丿賴 丕賳丿貨 芦賴丕讴爻賱蹖禄 丿乇 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 讴賵卮蹖丿賴貙 乇賮鬲丕乇 丕賳爻丕賳鈥屬囏й屰� 乇丕貙 讴賴 賲賵丕丿 賲禺丿乇 賲氐乇賮 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀� 亘賴 鬲氐賵蹖乇 賵丕跇賴 賴丕蹖 禺賵蹖卮 亘讴卮丿
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 15/02/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
Aldous Huxley explores the mind's remote frontiers and the unmapped areas of human consciousness.
These two astounding essays are among the most profound studies of the effects of mind-expanding drugs written in this century.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮 乇賵夭 倬賳噩賲 賲丕賴 賲蹖 爻丕賱 2003賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 丿乇賴丕蹖 丕丿乇丕讴 亘賴卮鬲 賵 丿賵夭禺貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 丌賱丿賵爻 賴丕讴爻賱蹖貨 倬蹖卮诏賮鬲丕乇: 噩蹖.噩蹖 亘丕賱丕乇丿貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 賲賴賳丕夭 丿賯蹖賯 賳蹖丕貨 賲卮禺氐丕鬲 賳卮乇: 鬲賴乇丕賳貙 賲蹖乇 讴爻乇蹖貙 爻丕賱1381貙 丿乇 128氐貙 卮丕亘讴: 丕蹖讴爻 - 964744902貨 毓賳賵丕賳 丿蹖诏乇 亘賴卮鬲 賵 丿賵夭禺貨 賲賵囟賵毓: 丿丕乇賵賴丕蹖 鬲賵賴賲夭丕貙 賲爻讴丕賱蹖賳貙 丕夭 賳賵蹖爻賳丿诏丕賳 亘乇蹖鬲丕賳蹖丕蹖蹖 鬲亘丕乇 丌賲乇蹖讴丕蹖蹖 - 爻丿賴 20賲
丿乇賴丕蹖 丕丿乇丕讴貙 亘賴卮鬲 賵 丿賵夭禺貨 毓賳賵丕賳 讴鬲丕亘蹖 丕夭 芦賴丕讴爻賱蹖禄貙 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 蹖 芦亘乇蹖鬲丕賳蹖丕蹖蹖禄 鬲亘丕乇 芦丌賲乇蹖讴丕蹖蹖禄 丕爻鬲貙 讴賴 丿乇 丿賵 賲賵賯毓蹖鬲 賳诏丕乇卮 蹖丕賮鬲賴 丕爻鬲貨 亘禺卮 賳禺爻鬲 芦丿乇賴丕蹖 丕丿乇丕讴禄 禺蹖丕賱丕鬲 芦賴丕讴爻賱蹖禄貙 倬蹖卮 丕夭 賲氐乇賮 乇賵丕賳诏乇丿丕賳 芦賲爻讴丕賱蹖賳 (讴丕讴鬲賵爻 爻賳 倬丿乇賵)禄 丕爻鬲貙 賵 亘禺卮 丿賵賲 蹖毓賳蹖 芦亘賴卮鬲 賵 丿賵夭禺禄貙 賳丕賲 丿丕爻鬲丕賳蹖 丕爻鬲貙 讴賴 丕蹖卮丕賳 倬爻 丕夭 賲氐乇賮 芦賲爻讴丕賱蹖賳禄貙 賵 禺丕乇噩 卮丿賳 丕夭 丨丕賱鬲 毓丕丿蹖貙 亘賴 賳诏丕乇卮 丿乇丌賵乇丿賴 丕賳丿貨 芦賴丕讴爻賱蹖禄 丿乇 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 讴賵卮蹖丿賴貙 乇賮鬲丕乇 丕賳爻丕賳鈥屬囏й屰� 乇丕貙 讴賴 賲賵丕丿 賲禺丿乇 賲氐乇賮 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀� 亘賴 鬲氐賵蹖乇 賵丕跇賴 賴丕蹖 禺賵蹖卮 亘讴卮丿
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 15/02/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
November 24, 2020
鈥�...we were back at home, and I had returned to that reassuring but profoundly unsatisfactory state known as 'being in one's right mind.鈥�
Main themes:
Perception, conceptualization, expression
Art
Escapism
Syncretism
Transcendance and immanence
Selfhood and selflessness
More excerpts :
鈥淢ost men and women lead lives at the worst so painful, at the best so monotonous, poor and limited that the urge to escape, the longing to transcend themselves if only for a few moments, is and has always been one of the principal appetites of the soul.鈥�
鈥淭o see ourselves as others see us is a most salutary gift. Hardly less important is the capacity to see others as they see themselves. But what if these others belong to a different species and inhabit a radically alien universe? For example, how can the sane get to know what it actually feels like to be mad?鈥�
"Every individual is at once the beneficiary and the victim of the linguistic tradition into which he has been born鈥攖he beneficiary inasmuch as language gives access to the accumulated records of other people鈥檚 experience, the victim in so far as it confirms him in the belief that reduced awareness is the only awareness and as it bedevils his sense of reality, so that he is all too apt to take his concepts for data, his words for actual things. That which, in the language of religion, is called "this world" is the universe of reduced awareness, expressed, and, as it were, petrified by language."
鈥淚 am not so foolish as to equate what happens under the influence of mescalin or of any other drug, prepared or in the future preparable, with the realization of the end and ultimate purpose of human life: Enlightenment, the Beatific Vision. All I am suggesting is that the mescalin experience is what Catholic theologians call "a gratuitous grace," not necessary to salvation but potentially helpful and to be accepted thankfully, if made available. To be shaken out of the ruts of ordinary perception, to be shown for a few timeless hours the outer and the inner world, not as they appear to an animal obsessed with survival or to a human being obsessed with words and notions, but as they are apprehended, directly and unconditionally, by Mind at Large鈥攖his is an experience of inestimable value to everyone and especially to the intellectual.鈥�
鈥淔or Persons are selves and, in one respect at least, I was now a Not-self, simultaneously perceiving and being the Not-self of the things around me. To this new-born Not-self, the behavior, the appearance, the very thought of the self it had momentarily ceased to be, and of
other selves, its one-time fellows, seemed not indeed distasteful (for distastefulness was not one of the categories in terms of which I was thinking), but enormously irrelevant.鈥�
鈥淔rom the French window I walked out under a kind of pergola covered in part by a climbing rose tree, in part by laths, one inch wide with half an inch of space between them. The sun was shining and the shadows of the laths made a zebra-like pattern on the ground and across the seat and back of a garden chair, which was standing at this end of the pergola. That chair--shall I ever forget it? Where the shadows fell on the canvas upholstery, stripes of a deep but glowing indigo alternated with stripes of incandescence so intensely bright that it was hard to believe that they could be made of anything but blue fire. For what seemed an immensely long time I gazed without knowing, even without wishing to know, what it was that confronted me. At any other time I would have seen a chair barred with alternate light and shade. Today the precept swallowed up the concept. I was so completely absorbed in looking, so thunderstruck by what I actually saw, that I could not be aware of anything else. Garden furniture, laths, sunlight, shadow--these were no more than names and notions, mere verbalization, for utilitarian or scientific purposes, after the event. The even was this succession of azure furnace doors separated by gulfs of unfathomable gentian. It was wonderful, wonderful to the point, almost, of being terrifying.鈥�
鈥淭he man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out. He will be wiser but less sure, happier but less self-satisfied, humbler in acknowledging his ignorance yet better equipped to understand the relationship of words to things, of systematic reasoning to the unfathomable mystery which it tries, forever vainly, to comprehend鈥�
Kindred mirages:
The Bandersnatch episode from the Black Mirror series
Easy Rider - Henry Fonda
Apocalypse Now - Francis Ford Coppola
A Scanner Darkly - Richard Linklater
Enter the Void - Gaspar No茅
SOUNDTRACK:
Main themes:
Perception, conceptualization, expression
Art
Escapism
Syncretism
Transcendance and immanence
Selfhood and selflessness
More excerpts :
鈥淢ost men and women lead lives at the worst so painful, at the best so monotonous, poor and limited that the urge to escape, the longing to transcend themselves if only for a few moments, is and has always been one of the principal appetites of the soul.鈥�
鈥淭o see ourselves as others see us is a most salutary gift. Hardly less important is the capacity to see others as they see themselves. But what if these others belong to a different species and inhabit a radically alien universe? For example, how can the sane get to know what it actually feels like to be mad?鈥�
"Every individual is at once the beneficiary and the victim of the linguistic tradition into which he has been born鈥攖he beneficiary inasmuch as language gives access to the accumulated records of other people鈥檚 experience, the victim in so far as it confirms him in the belief that reduced awareness is the only awareness and as it bedevils his sense of reality, so that he is all too apt to take his concepts for data, his words for actual things. That which, in the language of religion, is called "this world" is the universe of reduced awareness, expressed, and, as it were, petrified by language."
鈥淚 am not so foolish as to equate what happens under the influence of mescalin or of any other drug, prepared or in the future preparable, with the realization of the end and ultimate purpose of human life: Enlightenment, the Beatific Vision. All I am suggesting is that the mescalin experience is what Catholic theologians call "a gratuitous grace," not necessary to salvation but potentially helpful and to be accepted thankfully, if made available. To be shaken out of the ruts of ordinary perception, to be shown for a few timeless hours the outer and the inner world, not as they appear to an animal obsessed with survival or to a human being obsessed with words and notions, but as they are apprehended, directly and unconditionally, by Mind at Large鈥攖his is an experience of inestimable value to everyone and especially to the intellectual.鈥�
鈥淔or Persons are selves and, in one respect at least, I was now a Not-self, simultaneously perceiving and being the Not-self of the things around me. To this new-born Not-self, the behavior, the appearance, the very thought of the self it had momentarily ceased to be, and of
other selves, its one-time fellows, seemed not indeed distasteful (for distastefulness was not one of the categories in terms of which I was thinking), but enormously irrelevant.鈥�
鈥淔rom the French window I walked out under a kind of pergola covered in part by a climbing rose tree, in part by laths, one inch wide with half an inch of space between them. The sun was shining and the shadows of the laths made a zebra-like pattern on the ground and across the seat and back of a garden chair, which was standing at this end of the pergola. That chair--shall I ever forget it? Where the shadows fell on the canvas upholstery, stripes of a deep but glowing indigo alternated with stripes of incandescence so intensely bright that it was hard to believe that they could be made of anything but blue fire. For what seemed an immensely long time I gazed without knowing, even without wishing to know, what it was that confronted me. At any other time I would have seen a chair barred with alternate light and shade. Today the precept swallowed up the concept. I was so completely absorbed in looking, so thunderstruck by what I actually saw, that I could not be aware of anything else. Garden furniture, laths, sunlight, shadow--these were no more than names and notions, mere verbalization, for utilitarian or scientific purposes, after the event. The even was this succession of azure furnace doors separated by gulfs of unfathomable gentian. It was wonderful, wonderful to the point, almost, of being terrifying.鈥�
鈥淭he man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out. He will be wiser but less sure, happier but less self-satisfied, humbler in acknowledging his ignorance yet better equipped to understand the relationship of words to things, of systematic reasoning to the unfathomable mystery which it tries, forever vainly, to comprehend鈥�
Kindred mirages:
The Bandersnatch episode from the Black Mirror series
Easy Rider - Henry Fonda
Apocalypse Now - Francis Ford Coppola
A Scanner Darkly - Richard Linklater
Enter the Void - Gaspar No茅
SOUNDTRACK:
May 3, 2019
Teenage Kicks
I read this book in the early 70's in my early teenage years.
The first thing about "The Doors of Perception" is that it was the source of the name of the band, "The Doors".
The second is that it shaped the views of many people about drugs for 20 years.
Aldous Huxley came from a scientific as well as a creative background. For me, it gave him some level of credibility when assessing the merits of psychedelic drugs.
Basically, (I think) he argued that the psychedelic experience could open the doors of additional powers of perception, over and above the rational.
I can't remember anything about Heaven and Hell, but in retrospect you could build an argument that drugs opened the door to Hell, just as much as anyone could have argued that they opened the door to Heaven.
No matter what your views about drugs, you have to acknowledge that the drugs of that period are different to today.
In those days, they were probably more natural, but more impure.
Nowadays, they are industrial, concentrated, focussed, powerful, dangerous, unless it suits someone in the supply chain to introduce impurities, in which case they are even more dangerous.
You can't afford to be romantic about some back to nature experience.
Nowadays, you are wrestling with a whole other beast.
I read this book in the early 70's in my early teenage years.
The first thing about "The Doors of Perception" is that it was the source of the name of the band, "The Doors".
The second is that it shaped the views of many people about drugs for 20 years.
Aldous Huxley came from a scientific as well as a creative background. For me, it gave him some level of credibility when assessing the merits of psychedelic drugs.
Basically, (I think) he argued that the psychedelic experience could open the doors of additional powers of perception, over and above the rational.
I can't remember anything about Heaven and Hell, but in retrospect you could build an argument that drugs opened the door to Hell, just as much as anyone could have argued that they opened the door to Heaven.
No matter what your views about drugs, you have to acknowledge that the drugs of that period are different to today.
In those days, they were probably more natural, but more impure.
Nowadays, they are industrial, concentrated, focussed, powerful, dangerous, unless it suits someone in the supply chain to introduce impurities, in which case they are even more dangerous.
You can't afford to be romantic about some back to nature experience.
Nowadays, you are wrestling with a whole other beast.
November 3, 2020
鈥淪i las puertas de la percepci贸n quedaran depuradas, el hombre ver铆a las cosas tal cual son: infinitas.鈥�
Esta frase de William Blake, de la cual Jim Morrison, que era un lector realmente excepcional, tom贸 una parte para llamar a su banda 鈥淭he Doors鈥�, sirvi贸, de la misisma manera, para que Aldous Huxley le diera el nombre a este libro que en realidad es un ensayo basado en una experiencia a la que se prest贸 para anotar sus impresiones y obviamente, percepciones, sobre los efectos de la mescalina, principio activo del peyote, la denominaci贸n mexicana del cactus y que fuera utilizado durante mucho tiempo por los indios de M茅xico y del sudeste de los Estados Unidos.
Los resultados alucinatorios y de exacerbaci贸n de los sentidos son descriptos con vivacidad cuando la mescalina hace efecto en Huxley lo cual por momentos resulta hilarante cuando comienza a distinguir la iridiscencia y vivacidad de todo lo que ve, desde los lomos de los libros de su biblioteca, pasando por los pliegues de sus pantalones, las patas de una silla ba帽ada por el sol y la sombra y especialmente su reacci贸n con al ver las flores. Tambi茅n detalla lo que le produce en su mente, ya disociada de su cuerpo, al escuchar m煤sica cl谩sica o mirar cuadros de los m谩s renombrados pintores.
Aunque es un ensayo orientado a lo cient铆fico, no podemos dejar de mencionar el costado literario que Huxley le impone a esta experiencia y que asocia a una explicaci贸n sobre la utilizaci贸n de distintas sustancias que involucran, adem谩s de la mescalina, al tabaco, el opio, el alcohol, los barbit煤ricos, la marihuana y varias sustancias m谩s.
Huxley afirma que gustosamente se ofreci贸 como conejito de Indias para realizar esta experiencia y qued贸 m谩s que conforme con el resultado final. Prueba de esto se corrobora cuando afirma:
鈥淓l mundo exterior es aquello a lo que nos despertamos cada ma帽ana de nuestras vidas, es el lugar donde, nos guste o no, tenemos que esforzarnos por vivir. En el mundo interior no hay en cambio ni trabajo ni monoton铆a. Lo visitamos 煤nicamente en sue帽os o en la meditaci贸n, y su maravilla es tal que nunca encontramos el mismo mundo en dos sucesivas ocasiones. 驴C贸mo puede extra帽ar entonces que los seres humanos, en busca de lo divino, hayan preferido generalmente mirar hacia adentro?鈥�
Este libro s铆 que es todo un viaje.
Esta frase de William Blake, de la cual Jim Morrison, que era un lector realmente excepcional, tom贸 una parte para llamar a su banda 鈥淭he Doors鈥�, sirvi贸, de la misisma manera, para que Aldous Huxley le diera el nombre a este libro que en realidad es un ensayo basado en una experiencia a la que se prest贸 para anotar sus impresiones y obviamente, percepciones, sobre los efectos de la mescalina, principio activo del peyote, la denominaci贸n mexicana del cactus y que fuera utilizado durante mucho tiempo por los indios de M茅xico y del sudeste de los Estados Unidos.
Los resultados alucinatorios y de exacerbaci贸n de los sentidos son descriptos con vivacidad cuando la mescalina hace efecto en Huxley lo cual por momentos resulta hilarante cuando comienza a distinguir la iridiscencia y vivacidad de todo lo que ve, desde los lomos de los libros de su biblioteca, pasando por los pliegues de sus pantalones, las patas de una silla ba帽ada por el sol y la sombra y especialmente su reacci贸n con al ver las flores. Tambi茅n detalla lo que le produce en su mente, ya disociada de su cuerpo, al escuchar m煤sica cl谩sica o mirar cuadros de los m谩s renombrados pintores.
Aunque es un ensayo orientado a lo cient铆fico, no podemos dejar de mencionar el costado literario que Huxley le impone a esta experiencia y que asocia a una explicaci贸n sobre la utilizaci贸n de distintas sustancias que involucran, adem谩s de la mescalina, al tabaco, el opio, el alcohol, los barbit煤ricos, la marihuana y varias sustancias m谩s.
Huxley afirma que gustosamente se ofreci贸 como conejito de Indias para realizar esta experiencia y qued贸 m谩s que conforme con el resultado final. Prueba de esto se corrobora cuando afirma:
鈥淓l mundo exterior es aquello a lo que nos despertamos cada ma帽ana de nuestras vidas, es el lugar donde, nos guste o no, tenemos que esforzarnos por vivir. En el mundo interior no hay en cambio ni trabajo ni monoton铆a. Lo visitamos 煤nicamente en sue帽os o en la meditaci贸n, y su maravilla es tal que nunca encontramos el mismo mundo en dos sucesivas ocasiones. 驴C贸mo puede extra帽ar entonces que los seres humanos, en busca de lo divino, hayan preferido generalmente mirar hacia adentro?鈥�
Este libro s铆 que es todo un viaje.
April 12, 2025
A classic from the Psychedelic Era.
Huxley goes into detail about his fascinating experiences with the mind expanding substance, mescalin.
This is basically the whole premise of this essay, him describing the results of mescalin ingestion on himself.
It was a thought-provoking and interesting read, but it felt dated.
Huxley goes into detail about his fascinating experiences with the mind expanding substance, mescalin.
This is basically the whole premise of this essay, him describing the results of mescalin ingestion on himself.
It was a thought-provoking and interesting read, but it felt dated.
February 12, 2022
鈥淭he man who comes back through the Door in the Wall will never be quite the same as the man who went out.鈥�
In The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley's approach to using mescaline (to open the doors of perception) is markedly different from mystics like Carlos Castaneda. Like Castaneda, Huxley explores both ritual and states of non-ordinary reality (to use a term from Castaneda); however, Huxley opens the doors wider as he makes comparisons to experiences of painters and writers, global spiritual traditions, schizophrenia, madness as well as the effects of other drugs.
I liked, for instance, how Huxley compares mescaline use to Cezanne's approach to an idealized 'not-self' that does not covet anything around itself (apparently something Cezanne was aiming for in his paintings). This more philosophical approach is apparent even when Huxley crosses Sunset Boulevard while describing his trip before (coming down) returning to "being in one's right mind." He is also more philosophical as he analyzes the urge to escape/transcend. Written in 1954, Huxley compares society's acceptance of alcohol/alcoholism and addiction to cigarettes along with the negative consequences while arguing for mescaline as less harmful to the individual user and society. For such a short work, Doors of Perception started out painfully slow, but got much more interesting especially after the first half.
"To be shaken out of the ruts of ordinary perception, to be shown for a few timeless hours the outer and the inner world, not as they appear to an animal obsessed with survival or to a human being obsessed with words and notions, but as they are apprehended, directly and unconditionally, by Mind at Large鈥攖his is an experience of inestimable value to everyone and especially to the intellectual.鈥�
In The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley's approach to using mescaline (to open the doors of perception) is markedly different from mystics like Carlos Castaneda. Like Castaneda, Huxley explores both ritual and states of non-ordinary reality (to use a term from Castaneda); however, Huxley opens the doors wider as he makes comparisons to experiences of painters and writers, global spiritual traditions, schizophrenia, madness as well as the effects of other drugs.
I liked, for instance, how Huxley compares mescaline use to Cezanne's approach to an idealized 'not-self' that does not covet anything around itself (apparently something Cezanne was aiming for in his paintings). This more philosophical approach is apparent even when Huxley crosses Sunset Boulevard while describing his trip before (coming down) returning to "being in one's right mind." He is also more philosophical as he analyzes the urge to escape/transcend. Written in 1954, Huxley compares society's acceptance of alcohol/alcoholism and addiction to cigarettes along with the negative consequences while arguing for mescaline as less harmful to the individual user and society. For such a short work, Doors of Perception started out painfully slow, but got much more interesting especially after the first half.
"To be shaken out of the ruts of ordinary perception, to be shown for a few timeless hours the outer and the inner world, not as they appear to an animal obsessed with survival or to a human being obsessed with words and notions, but as they are apprehended, directly and unconditionally, by Mind at Large鈥攖his is an experience of inestimable value to everyone and especially to the intellectual.鈥�
March 21, 2019
Men go abroad to admire the heights of mountains, the mighty billows of the sea, the broad tides of rivers, the compass of the ocean, and the circuits of the stars, and pass themselves by.
- St. Augustine, from Confessions
If you are like me, you have some reservations about trying drugs -- even psychedelic ones. I know one of the people that I look up to -- Carl Sagan -- was a fairly regular marijuana smoker. I know Richard Feynman, another one of my 'heroes', tried some drugs, but stopped at some point as he grew afraid of damaging his brain somehow and losing his abilities in mathematics and physics. But the allure is there. Like Ishmael in Moby Dick I have an "everlasting itch for things remote", but for me it's not remote, but rather quite the opposite: it's an itch to explore my own mind. It's an enticing idea, you must admit: to fully delve into your own consciousnes, to see everything everywhere at once without even moving; to feel at peace with everything; quite possibly to feel that you've figured out the riddle that is human existence. I can't help but think that it would be a mistake never to have such an experience during this very short and most likely only experience of consciousness I'll have. Huxley, in his Doors of Perception essay doesn't make it seem like any less of a mistake.
Early in May 1953, Aldous Huxley volunteered to trip on mescaline in the name of science. The Doors of Perception consists, in its first part, of Huxley recounting his experiences on the drug, and in its second, shorter half of an argument for the usage of psychedelic drugs in order to "ooze past the reducing valve of brain and ego, into consciousness."
It's an incredibly fascinating essay. There is in particular one remarkably cool idea brought up, quoting the philosopher C.D. Broad,
"that we should do well to consider much more seriously than we have hitherto been inclined to do the type of theory which [Henri] Bergson put forward in connection with memory and sense perception. The suggestion is that the function of the brain and nervous system and sense organs is in the main eliminative and not productive. Each person is at each moment capable of remembering all that has ever happened to him and of perceiving everything that is happening everywhere in the universe. The function of the brain and the nervous system is to protect us from being overwhelmed and confused by this mass of largely useless and irrelevant knowledge, by shutting out most of what we should otherwise perceive or remember at any moment, and leaving only very small and special selection which is likely to be practically useful."
As such, the consciousness we experience has gone through a "reducing valve", so that our experience of consciousness does not overwhelm us. However, with drugs, you can let some more consciousness seep through the no longer watertight valve of the brain and nervous system. It is then that there is an "obscure knowledge that All is in all -- that All is actually each." And this is, writes Huxley, just about "as near, I take it, as a finite mind can ever come to "perceiving everything that is happening everywhere in the universe.""
This essay was extremely fascinating. I'll skip writing anything about Heaven and Hell, as, honestly, I found it to be pretty boring. But read The Doors of Perception. It's brilliant.
October 28, 2015
'There are things known
and there are things unknown
and in between are the doors'; The Doors of Perception.
Why should you read it?
1. If you want to question the mind.
2. If you want an insight into psychedelics. (i.e. if you haven't already tried any form of hallucinogens yet)
3. If you want to know about the 'unknown' and its difference with the 'known'.
4. If you want to know what is the difference between a deranged ( schizophrenic) and a normal brain and what defines a brain, normal and labels a visionary, mad?
5. If you want to read the richness of the text used to describe the philosophical treatment of the mystical experience.
6. If you are a Morrison fan.
7. Lastly, If you want to BREAK ON THROUGH (TO THE OTHER SIDE) ; Please use the DOORS OF PERCEPTION
and there are things unknown
and in between are the doors'; The Doors of Perception.
Why should you read it?
1. If you want to question the mind.
2. If you want an insight into psychedelics. (i.e. if you haven't already tried any form of hallucinogens yet)
3. If you want to know about the 'unknown' and its difference with the 'known'.
4. If you want to know what is the difference between a deranged ( schizophrenic) and a normal brain and what defines a brain, normal and labels a visionary, mad?
5. If you want to read the richness of the text used to describe the philosophical treatment of the mystical experience.
6. If you are a Morrison fan.
7. Lastly, If you want to BREAK ON THROUGH (TO THE OTHER SIDE) ; Please use the DOORS OF PERCEPTION
February 8, 2024
Aldous Huxley takes us through doors that we may never have gone through. I will never forget the 'luminous books' that seemed to pulse and glow with their own aura of differing colors. Not to mention that one of my favorite bands of all time took their name after this book. A book that will change your perception of perception!
December 14, 2016
This must've blown minds when it came out. Now though, it's lost its edge.
Full disclosure, I'm here because of The Doors...of the Jim Morrison sort. Being a HUGE fan of him and the band, I absorbed all I could of them back during my teens. I even read his poetry. Hell, I even read William Blake's poetry, simply because it apparently influenced Morrison. However, I never did get around to reading Aldous Huxley's The Doors of Perception , the book title from which the band was named. WHAT THE HELL KIND OF A FAN AM I?!?!?!
Well, the reasons for me not getting to it until now are even more boring and inconsequential than this sentence. The point is, I've finally read the damn book. I needn't have bothered. It's pretty much what I figured it would be and there's nothing within it I needed to know.
Backstory: Bookish brainiac Huxley decided to try out the cactus drug peyote. In The Doors... he describes his trip. It's not half as interesting or entering as I'd hoped. (Here's a more entertaining, though less enlightening example: )
Nowadays this stuff is so commonplace as to make this book almost quaint. And the parts that aren't outdated, are just not interesting enough to make this a winner in my book. In fact, Huxley spends so much time, too many pages imo, on art and artists that I began to doubt the need for a book on the topic. I mean, if you've got to use filler in a 60 page novette, the book probably could've just been a lengthy article or pamphlet. I get the connection he's trying to make between the artist mind and that of one on mind-altering drugs, it's just that I don't find it all that enthralling.
Still and all, this has its value. Some of the points Huxley makes herein are still valid. He was clearly an intelligent, well-read man. I guess I just didn't have the same mind-expanding experience as Morrison had when reading this.
Full disclosure, I'm here because of The Doors...of the Jim Morrison sort. Being a HUGE fan of him and the band, I absorbed all I could of them back during my teens. I even read his poetry. Hell, I even read William Blake's poetry, simply because it apparently influenced Morrison. However, I never did get around to reading Aldous Huxley's The Doors of Perception , the book title from which the band was named. WHAT THE HELL KIND OF A FAN AM I?!?!?!
Well, the reasons for me not getting to it until now are even more boring and inconsequential than this sentence. The point is, I've finally read the damn book. I needn't have bothered. It's pretty much what I figured it would be and there's nothing within it I needed to know.
Backstory: Bookish brainiac Huxley decided to try out the cactus drug peyote. In The Doors... he describes his trip. It's not half as interesting or entering as I'd hoped. (Here's a more entertaining, though less enlightening example: )
Nowadays this stuff is so commonplace as to make this book almost quaint. And the parts that aren't outdated, are just not interesting enough to make this a winner in my book. In fact, Huxley spends so much time, too many pages imo, on art and artists that I began to doubt the need for a book on the topic. I mean, if you've got to use filler in a 60 page novette, the book probably could've just been a lengthy article or pamphlet. I get the connection he's trying to make between the artist mind and that of one on mind-altering drugs, it's just that I don't find it all that enthralling.
Still and all, this has its value. Some of the points Huxley makes herein are still valid. He was clearly an intelligent, well-read man. I guess I just didn't have the same mind-expanding experience as Morrison had when reading this.
December 9, 2012
Going into this I had very high hopes, which were somewhat let down. A book about hallucinogenic drugs and altered mind-states written by author of famed science fiction novel Brave New World (which, as of writing, I have yet to read). Being that I have dabbled in the use of psychedelics and studied countless writings on hallucinogens and alteration of mind-states, a topic that greatly fascinates me, not to mention my love for sci-fi, I really expected more from this.
I was deeply disappointed... mostly. Contained within the book are two parts: The Doors of Perception and Heaven & Hell, as the title informs. The Doors of Perception focuses on the author's experience with mescaline. I did not like it.
It comes off as preachy and even pretentious. Pretentious being a word I don't use loosely, seeing as how I feel it is often misused/misinterpreted and wrongly attributed to some truly great artistic and intellectual people. There's not even much psychology in here, and even less science. The author just goes on about there being a correct way of seeing the world and a layman's way. The former only achieved by a special certain few, such as artists or those who achieve said "vision" through drug-use. It's all boring and, to simply put it, fairly stupid.
Psychedelics, or drugs in general for that matter, do not unlock or expand parts of your mind. They merely allow you to look at things in a new, different way. They do not make you any smarter, save for the things learned through the experience of taking them. This is why many great musicians or artists are greatly, even directly, influenced by drugs, because with drugs they see things in a new light that many people never noticed before due to the routine of conventional thinking, which makes their art appear to be fresh and unique. Artistic even.
The second part is basically the same. However, what makes this book worth reading is the forty or so pages at the end of Heaven and Hell, entitled "Appendices". I found these pages to be the best and most fascinating. The author talks about pattern inducing stroboscopic lamps (something I was not very knowledgeable on), potential affects hallucinations had on religions in the past, the affect technology has had on art, and schizophrenia, among other things.
So yes, the appendices are better than the actual book. There wasn't really much in here that I wasn't already aware of, but even with the bulk of it being mediocre with the rest really shining, I can easily recommend this. Especially to those interested in altered mind-states or psychedelics, or even surrealism.
I was deeply disappointed... mostly. Contained within the book are two parts: The Doors of Perception and Heaven & Hell, as the title informs. The Doors of Perception focuses on the author's experience with mescaline. I did not like it.
It comes off as preachy and even pretentious. Pretentious being a word I don't use loosely, seeing as how I feel it is often misused/misinterpreted and wrongly attributed to some truly great artistic and intellectual people. There's not even much psychology in here, and even less science. The author just goes on about there being a correct way of seeing the world and a layman's way. The former only achieved by a special certain few, such as artists or those who achieve said "vision" through drug-use. It's all boring and, to simply put it, fairly stupid.
Psychedelics, or drugs in general for that matter, do not unlock or expand parts of your mind. They merely allow you to look at things in a new, different way. They do not make you any smarter, save for the things learned through the experience of taking them. This is why many great musicians or artists are greatly, even directly, influenced by drugs, because with drugs they see things in a new light that many people never noticed before due to the routine of conventional thinking, which makes their art appear to be fresh and unique. Artistic even.
The second part is basically the same. However, what makes this book worth reading is the forty or so pages at the end of Heaven and Hell, entitled "Appendices". I found these pages to be the best and most fascinating. The author talks about pattern inducing stroboscopic lamps (something I was not very knowledgeable on), potential affects hallucinations had on religions in the past, the affect technology has had on art, and schizophrenia, among other things.
So yes, the appendices are better than the actual book. There wasn't really much in here that I wasn't already aware of, but even with the bulk of it being mediocre with the rest really shining, I can easily recommend this. Especially to those interested in altered mind-states or psychedelics, or even surrealism.
July 7, 2017
Such a happy hippie trip in Huxley's words...
Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) fue uno de los autores de su tiempo que se dedic贸 a tratar con sustancias psicotr贸picas para su estudio psicol贸gico y espiritual. Sus anotaciones, que fueron reconocidas, admiradas y estudiadas, tuvieron 茅xito; en ellas dilucidaba lo que pensaba que era realmente importante, y alcanzaba en su mente las puertas de la percepci贸n. Este es uno de sus estudios, su primera vez bajo la influencia de la Mescalina 鈥擲ustancia alucin贸gena obtenida a partir de las flores de algunas especies de cactus originarios de M茅xico, cuyo consumo provoca cambios en la percepci贸n, en especial visi贸n de colores irreales鈥�.
El origen de su titulo se encuentra en la c茅lebre cita del poeta y pintor William Blake en "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell":
"If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite."
Huxley pretend铆a expandir su mente, alcanzar esas puertas, observar las cosas en su estado m谩s puro, y tal vez, conectar con la infinitud.
La delicadeza con la que Huxley narra cada momento de su "viaje", es divina. Y su habilidad para mantener tu atenci贸n y divagar sin realmente hacerlo, ni se diga.
Es la primera vez que un autor casi me convence de rendirme a esta clase de situaciones.
Una joya que no tiene el reconocimiento que merece.
Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) fue uno de los autores de su tiempo que se dedic贸 a tratar con sustancias psicotr贸picas para su estudio psicol贸gico y espiritual. Sus anotaciones, que fueron reconocidas, admiradas y estudiadas, tuvieron 茅xito; en ellas dilucidaba lo que pensaba que era realmente importante, y alcanzaba en su mente las puertas de la percepci贸n. Este es uno de sus estudios, su primera vez bajo la influencia de la Mescalina 鈥擲ustancia alucin贸gena obtenida a partir de las flores de algunas especies de cactus originarios de M茅xico, cuyo consumo provoca cambios en la percepci贸n, en especial visi贸n de colores irreales鈥�.
El origen de su titulo se encuentra en la c茅lebre cita del poeta y pintor William Blake en "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell":
"If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite."
Huxley pretend铆a expandir su mente, alcanzar esas puertas, observar las cosas en su estado m谩s puro, y tal vez, conectar con la infinitud.
La delicadeza con la que Huxley narra cada momento de su "viaje", es divina. Y su habilidad para mantener tu atenci贸n y divagar sin realmente hacerlo, ni se diga.
Es la primera vez que un autor casi me convence de rendirme a esta clase de situaciones.
Una joya que no tiene el reconocimiento que merece.
May 10, 2016
Towards the end of his life Aldous Huxley was introduced to psychedelics, still legal at that time. His analyses of the phenomenon are detailed in these two essays here combined in one volume. For further reading about his relationship to such drugs see, of course, the various biographies about Huxley, particularly Huxley in Hollywood, and his wife's collection of essays by and about him and these drugs entitled Moksha. For his use of his experiences in literature see his novel Island.
Though dated, much of what Huxley surmises about the way psychedelics work still corresponds in a general way with contemporary theory and all of what he writes in describing the psychedelic experience is quite well done.
Note that Huxley was legally blind throughout most of his life--a reason for his fascination with his pelucid inner vision?
Though dated, much of what Huxley surmises about the way psychedelics work still corresponds in a general way with contemporary theory and all of what he writes in describing the psychedelic experience is quite well done.
Note that Huxley was legally blind throughout most of his life--a reason for his fascination with his pelucid inner vision?
May 18, 2020
鈥淢ost men and women lead lives at the worst so painful, at the best so monotonous, poor and limited that the urge to escape, the longing to transcend themselves if only for a few moments, is and has always been one of the principal appetites of the soul.鈥�
On a beautiful day in May, just like today, Huxley embarked upon a journey to the gates of perception in a controlled environment. As part of an experiment on the effects of psychedelic drugs and in an attempt to feel the revelation of the whole universe, he takes mescaline under supervision and his experiences are recorded.
Imagine a philosopher/writer taking drugs to open his 鈥渄oors of perception鈥�, to see some kind of eternal connection between everything on the universe, well you can be sure he will talk. A lot. A one-time experiment turns into a miraculous voyage by the eloquent author. Just like a small kid, as soon as he takes the mescaline he expects miracles to happen but all he gets is disillusionment as he writes:
鈥淚 had expected to lie with my eyes shut, looking at visions of many-coloured geometries, of animated architectures, rich wit gems and fabulously lovely, of landscapes with heroic figures, of symbolic dramas trembling perpetually on the verge of the ultimate revelation.鈥�
Oh, what a drama-queen, hell just wait a second for the drug to kick in!
This is only the beginning, he gets higher on words than drugs I guess. He is so bewildered by the 鈥淢ind at Large鈥� (which is like the movie Limitless, when you start to see everything connected), he is both elated and scared:
鈥淭he function of the brain and nervous system is to protect us from being overwhelmed and confused by this mass of useless and irrelevant knowledge, by shutting out most of what we should otherwise perceive or remember at any moment, and leaving only that very small and special selection which is likely to be practically useful.鈥�
The argument that in order for us to survive and adapt to earth, our brain has given us limited access to observe the universe never gets old. He says: 鈥淭o make biological survival possible, Mind at Large has to be funneled through the reducing valve of the brain and nervous system. What comes out the other end is a measly trickle of the kind of consciousness which will help us to stay alive on the surface of this particular planet.鈥�
However, we want more. We are curious as beings, we want more than this reduced awareness and we create artificial inducers to open up the narrowed tiers of our brains: 鈥淭he need for frequent chemical vacations from intolerable selfhood and repulsive surroundings will undoubtedly remain.鈥� An escape from self. Yes, that鈥檚 why the use of psychedelic drugs goes back as much as the history of mankind. It鈥檚 not a brand new concept.
He describes his experience as 鈥渋nterest in space is diminished and interest in time falls almost to zero.鈥� Well the space-time continuum down the drain, there left no worry whatsoever. However, at this state, he says humans become completely disinterested in anything else other than observing, so he cautions by asking: 鈥淗ow could one reconcile this timeless bliss of seeing as one ought to see with the temporal duties of doing what one ought to do and feeling as one ought to feel?鈥�
My only problem with this personal account is that Huxley pretends to be more than he actually is. He is not a psychiatrist, not a doctor, not a medical researcher or chemist but he freely throws claims, hypothesizes and exaggerates his one-time trial of drugs as a reference to generalize his subjective views. It鈥檚 a great personal account but should not be taken as an objective reference.
On a beautiful day in May, just like today, Huxley embarked upon a journey to the gates of perception in a controlled environment. As part of an experiment on the effects of psychedelic drugs and in an attempt to feel the revelation of the whole universe, he takes mescaline under supervision and his experiences are recorded.
Imagine a philosopher/writer taking drugs to open his 鈥渄oors of perception鈥�, to see some kind of eternal connection between everything on the universe, well you can be sure he will talk. A lot. A one-time experiment turns into a miraculous voyage by the eloquent author. Just like a small kid, as soon as he takes the mescaline he expects miracles to happen but all he gets is disillusionment as he writes:
鈥淚 had expected to lie with my eyes shut, looking at visions of many-coloured geometries, of animated architectures, rich wit gems and fabulously lovely, of landscapes with heroic figures, of symbolic dramas trembling perpetually on the verge of the ultimate revelation.鈥�
Oh, what a drama-queen, hell just wait a second for the drug to kick in!
This is only the beginning, he gets higher on words than drugs I guess. He is so bewildered by the 鈥淢ind at Large鈥� (which is like the movie Limitless, when you start to see everything connected), he is both elated and scared:
鈥淭he function of the brain and nervous system is to protect us from being overwhelmed and confused by this mass of useless and irrelevant knowledge, by shutting out most of what we should otherwise perceive or remember at any moment, and leaving only that very small and special selection which is likely to be practically useful.鈥�
The argument that in order for us to survive and adapt to earth, our brain has given us limited access to observe the universe never gets old. He says: 鈥淭o make biological survival possible, Mind at Large has to be funneled through the reducing valve of the brain and nervous system. What comes out the other end is a measly trickle of the kind of consciousness which will help us to stay alive on the surface of this particular planet.鈥�
However, we want more. We are curious as beings, we want more than this reduced awareness and we create artificial inducers to open up the narrowed tiers of our brains: 鈥淭he need for frequent chemical vacations from intolerable selfhood and repulsive surroundings will undoubtedly remain.鈥� An escape from self. Yes, that鈥檚 why the use of psychedelic drugs goes back as much as the history of mankind. It鈥檚 not a brand new concept.
He describes his experience as 鈥渋nterest in space is diminished and interest in time falls almost to zero.鈥� Well the space-time continuum down the drain, there left no worry whatsoever. However, at this state, he says humans become completely disinterested in anything else other than observing, so he cautions by asking: 鈥淗ow could one reconcile this timeless bliss of seeing as one ought to see with the temporal duties of doing what one ought to do and feeling as one ought to feel?鈥�
My only problem with this personal account is that Huxley pretends to be more than he actually is. He is not a psychiatrist, not a doctor, not a medical researcher or chemist but he freely throws claims, hypothesizes and exaggerates his one-time trial of drugs as a reference to generalize his subjective views. It鈥檚 a great personal account but should not be taken as an objective reference.
June 11, 2009
I need to read more Huxley...maybe I'll finally dig in to the copy of "The Perennial Philosophy" that I've started on several times (although probably not until after "A Brief History Of Everything"...those two at the same time would be just masochistic.)
Although I did get a lot out of this book, the single thing that really made an impact was the discussion of our brain as a sensory-limiting mechanism which is concerned most of the time with filtering out all but what we need for survival at any given moment. That is how our brain has evolved and how we have risen to the top of the food chain (but look at what we eat!) We have a little more leeway these days, but what do we do with it? Watch "Rock Of Love"? We are at a point in history where we have the capability to evolve and create things beyond our wildest dreams, but we've generally made life so meaningless that most of us just consume increasingly more/"better" (more expensive) products in an attempt to fill the void staring us in the face...that is, the void that was always there, and the one we've created to forget that one. He doesn't get into all that...that's more or less my depressing rant, but perception and consciousness are important words for me...they are the keys to any kind of meaningful life and our collective future.
Part of the reason this made such an impression is that right before reading this part of the book, I was waiting on a bus, thinking that I must be getting old because I was actually early for something...it seems like not that long ago it was a small miracle if I was on time. I thought about how old people always want to be ridiculously early for everything. Then I theorized that most people go through their lives gradually concerning themselves more and more with only the mechanics of life..."Birth, School, Work, Death" in the words of The Godfathers. I'd add bills, doctors appointments, etc...
Then I opened the book and...vee-ola!
So even just in the course of an individual life, the brain gradually imposes tighter limits on itself until all you have is bills and doctors appointments. Of course, it doesn't have to be this way...
Although I did get a lot out of this book, the single thing that really made an impact was the discussion of our brain as a sensory-limiting mechanism which is concerned most of the time with filtering out all but what we need for survival at any given moment. That is how our brain has evolved and how we have risen to the top of the food chain (but look at what we eat!) We have a little more leeway these days, but what do we do with it? Watch "Rock Of Love"? We are at a point in history where we have the capability to evolve and create things beyond our wildest dreams, but we've generally made life so meaningless that most of us just consume increasingly more/"better" (more expensive) products in an attempt to fill the void staring us in the face...that is, the void that was always there, and the one we've created to forget that one. He doesn't get into all that...that's more or less my depressing rant, but perception and consciousness are important words for me...they are the keys to any kind of meaningful life and our collective future.
Part of the reason this made such an impression is that right before reading this part of the book, I was waiting on a bus, thinking that I must be getting old because I was actually early for something...it seems like not that long ago it was a small miracle if I was on time. I thought about how old people always want to be ridiculously early for everything. Then I theorized that most people go through their lives gradually concerning themselves more and more with only the mechanics of life..."Birth, School, Work, Death" in the words of The Godfathers. I'd add bills, doctors appointments, etc...
Then I opened the book and...vee-ola!
So even just in the course of an individual life, the brain gradually imposes tighter limits on itself until all you have is bills and doctors appointments. Of course, it doesn't have to be this way...
Read
October 26, 2023- Hi, Mr. Huxley. Sorry to disturb your eternal sleep, but lately I have the feeling that I am a cat, and this affect my some deeply human obligations...You know...
Your book revealed certain similarities to me. Can we talk about it ?
- Ask away, my dear cat. Uhh
... friend.. I'm happy to discuss my experiences with psychedelics and their effects on the human nervous system.
- Well.. I was a bit surprised to read how strongly you emphasize the usefulness of psychedelics. Didn't you worry about their potential harmfulness ?
- Of course I did ! But as a writer and philosopher I felt it was necessary to explore the boundaries of human consciousness and expand our understanding of reality. As I wrote in my book, " there are things known, and there are things unknown. And in between are the doors of perception ". Psychedelics can certainly open those doors, but they are not without their risks.
- Right. And you definitely didn't hold back on describing those risks. You wrote about how it can affect the nervous system, and you even mentioned how it can lead to mental illness..
- Yes, it's true that psychedelics can be harmful if not used responsibly. In fact, I once had a friend who became convinced he was a glass of orange juice, after taking LSD. He spent weeks in a mental hospital !
- Well.... better cat than a glass of...Whatever.. But can't you argue that psychedelics also have some positive long term effects, like increasing creativity and open- mindedness ?
- Absolutely ! When used correctly psychedelics can be a powerful tool for self -discovery and personal growth. But I would never recommend them to someone who's not psychologically stable enough to handle the intense experience..
- Well , it certainly seems like there's a lot to consider when it comes to this term, " correctly ".
But at least, I agree that The Doors of Perception is a fascinating read.
- Glad you found it entertaining, my c... friend. Just remember, the doors of perception are always open, whether or not we choose to explore them. It's up to us to decide how far we want to go.
- Just one more question, Mr. Huxley... Why did you die ?
- I'd have liked to die out of emotion, my cat... Uhh... I meant friend...Unfortunately, it was something much more.. ordinary.
Your book revealed certain similarities to me. Can we talk about it ?
- Ask away, my dear cat. Uhh
... friend.. I'm happy to discuss my experiences with psychedelics and their effects on the human nervous system.
- Well.. I was a bit surprised to read how strongly you emphasize the usefulness of psychedelics. Didn't you worry about their potential harmfulness ?
- Of course I did ! But as a writer and philosopher I felt it was necessary to explore the boundaries of human consciousness and expand our understanding of reality. As I wrote in my book, " there are things known, and there are things unknown. And in between are the doors of perception ". Psychedelics can certainly open those doors, but they are not without their risks.
- Right. And you definitely didn't hold back on describing those risks. You wrote about how it can affect the nervous system, and you even mentioned how it can lead to mental illness..
- Yes, it's true that psychedelics can be harmful if not used responsibly. In fact, I once had a friend who became convinced he was a glass of orange juice, after taking LSD. He spent weeks in a mental hospital !
- Well.... better cat than a glass of...Whatever.. But can't you argue that psychedelics also have some positive long term effects, like increasing creativity and open- mindedness ?
- Absolutely ! When used correctly psychedelics can be a powerful tool for self -discovery and personal growth. But I would never recommend them to someone who's not psychologically stable enough to handle the intense experience..
- Well , it certainly seems like there's a lot to consider when it comes to this term, " correctly ".
But at least, I agree that The Doors of Perception is a fascinating read.
- Glad you found it entertaining, my c... friend. Just remember, the doors of perception are always open, whether or not we choose to explore them. It's up to us to decide how far we want to go.
- Just one more question, Mr. Huxley... Why did you die ?
- I'd have liked to die out of emotion, my cat... Uhh... I meant friend...Unfortunately, it was something much more.. ordinary.
November 2, 2016
Based on his own experience with mescalin, Huxley informs us about the true nature of reality, that is, the sheer scope of it. He doesn't stop at great works of art, shizophrenia or religion, but freely connects his intake of this drug to an ambitious bundle of themes in order to supplement them all and to prescribe some more of the same, or at least similar, medicine. Drugs and transcendence/life in general had always have much in common, but his way of preaching is exactly like what his drug encounter warns him against.
The description of his adventure would be much more revealing, if it hadn't elevate into a lecture about two ancient categories of being, one experienced through our everyday life, where language represents a barrier between us and the world, and the other one of true essence that can be reached only through some transcendental activity such as taking drugs. Although his expedition to the sphere of pure perception shows him the limitations of words and all of our classifications, it seems he identifies his trip with as many concepts and theories as he possibly can. He makes a paradigm of pure being out of it, which selfless as it is, is based on one sole experiment of his humble self. Little is left of this experiment but widespread doctrines, which just fit too neatly. I wonder how much previous knowledge affected his experience or how much posterior interpretations transversed it and I got the feeling he didn't quite catch its uniqness, or as he would said, suchness.
Or perhaps it was just his forceful implications I have troubles with. When he doesn't generalize, he does his best; his charachterisation of draperies in the baroque paintings is just beautiful.
The description of his adventure would be much more revealing, if it hadn't elevate into a lecture about two ancient categories of being, one experienced through our everyday life, where language represents a barrier between us and the world, and the other one of true essence that can be reached only through some transcendental activity such as taking drugs. Although his expedition to the sphere of pure perception shows him the limitations of words and all of our classifications, it seems he identifies his trip with as many concepts and theories as he possibly can. He makes a paradigm of pure being out of it, which selfless as it is, is based on one sole experiment of his humble self. Little is left of this experiment but widespread doctrines, which just fit too neatly. I wonder how much previous knowledge affected his experience or how much posterior interpretations transversed it and I got the feeling he didn't quite catch its uniqness, or as he would said, suchness.
Or perhaps it was just his forceful implications I have troubles with. When he doesn't generalize, he does his best; his charachterisation of draperies in the baroque paintings is just beautiful.
July 1, 2008
Doors of Perception is a deeply interesting short essay by the famous author Aldous Huxley. In 1953 he was involved in a controlled experiment into the psychological effects of the drug mescalin.
What he describes is less a mere hallucinatory experience and more an opening of his ability to percieve, and to see himself as part of the Oneness of the universe. He argues (quite correctly) that a massive part of the function of the brain is to selectively discard sensory input, keeping only what is important in the here and now and relates to our immediate survival ability. The effect of mescalin, as also felt through sensory deprivation, oxygen starvation, hypnosis, and other sources, is to bypass the "brain valve" and receive more of the "useless information". And it is through that that we can perceive ourselves as we truly are, part of the All.
In Heaven and Hell, the follow up essay to Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley revisits the topic of visions in the context of the social and spiritual import of these experiences. Through the essay (which is a considerably tougher read than Doors of Perception) Huxley discusses the history of vision-creating stimulus and how as time has progressed we have become desensitised to a lot of the vision-inspiring beauty that was used to such great extent in the religions of the past.
What he describes is less a mere hallucinatory experience and more an opening of his ability to percieve, and to see himself as part of the Oneness of the universe. He argues (quite correctly) that a massive part of the function of the brain is to selectively discard sensory input, keeping only what is important in the here and now and relates to our immediate survival ability. The effect of mescalin, as also felt through sensory deprivation, oxygen starvation, hypnosis, and other sources, is to bypass the "brain valve" and receive more of the "useless information". And it is through that that we can perceive ourselves as we truly are, part of the All.
In Heaven and Hell, the follow up essay to Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley revisits the topic of visions in the context of the social and spiritual import of these experiences. Through the essay (which is a considerably tougher read than Doors of Perception) Huxley discusses the history of vision-creating stimulus and how as time has progressed we have become desensitised to a lot of the vision-inspiring beauty that was used to such great extent in the religions of the past.
July 12, 2022
What you wanted to know about the "Doors of Perception", but were too shy to ask:
1. Yes, it's about the drug.
2. Yes, in contrast to the absolute majority of authors, Huxley did not consider lysergic acid derivatives evil.
3. Yes, Jim Morrison named his band "The Doors", inspired by this essay. (although his fate serves more as an anti-advertisement).
So, the book has three undoubted advantages: 1 It was written by a genius; 2. It is wonderfully translated by Maxim Nemtsov, who has a little more haters than fans, but I am among the second; 3. The audio version is perfectly read by Igor Knyazev, in whose performance I listen to everything. The book has one, but the fundamental flaw is the apology of a narcotic substance.
An adept of experiments on the expansion of consciousness through LSD, Aldous Huxley made considerable efforts to popularize it. I must say that in his own life he is. a person who was physically very unhealthy found great solace in preparations based on lysergic acid, in which he partly saw the embodiment of the soma predicted by himself in the "Brave New World". He also passed away under the influence of an intramuscular injection of 400 micrograms of this substance, which helped to avoid excruciating agony.
The problem is that the writer fell into the trap of extrapolation, from Russian to understandable - others are not judged by themselves. His own psyche, prepared by serious concentration exercises and meditation, unique intelligence, level of responsibility, tendency to aggression differ significantly from the same parameters of another person. The fact that for a Buddhist, an intellectual, who also went through a difficult experience of disability, which he managed to overcome thanks to self-discipline - that for him an interesting cognitive experience of escapism, then another will finally crack an already weak psyche and can serve as an impetus to very unpleasant complications.
In general, an interesting and informative experience of visionary, combined with deep discussions about the nature of man, about the possible structure of the world, about ways to overcome the problems facing the human race.
袩芯写 薪械斜芯屑 谐芯谢褍斜褘屑 械褋褌褜 袚芯褉芯写 袟芯谢芯褌芯泄
袗 褔褌芯, 械褋谢懈 薪邪褕邪 袟械屑谢褟 - 邪写 泻邪泻芯泄-褌芯 写褉褍谐芯泄 锌谢邪薪械褌褘?
孝芯, 褔褌芯 胁褘 褏芯褌械谢懈 蟹薪邪褌褜 芯 "袛胁械褉褟褏 胁芯褋锌褉懈褟褌懈褟", 薪芯 褋褌械褋薪褟谢懈褋褜 褋锌褉芯褋懈褌褜:
1. 袛邪, 褝褌芯 芯 薪邪褉泻芯褌懈泻械.
2. 袛邪, 胁 锌褉芯褌懈胁芯锌芯谢芯卸薪芯褋褌褜 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌薪芯屑褍 斜芯谢褜褕懈薪褋褌胁褍 邪胁褌芯褉芯胁, 啸邪泻褋谢懈 薪械 褋褔懈褌邪谢 锌褉芯懈蟹胁芯写薪褘械 谢懈蟹械褉谐懈薪芯胁芯泄 泻懈褋谢芯褌褘 蟹谢芯屑.
3. 袛邪, 袛卸懈屑 袦芯褉褉懈褋芯薪 薪邪蟹胁邪谢 褋胁芯褞 谐褉褍锌锌褍 "The Doors", 胁写芯褏薪芯胁懈胁褕懈褋褜 懈屑械薪薪芯 褝褌懈屑 褝褋褋械. (褏芯褌褟 械谐芯 褋褍写褜斜邪 褋谢褍卸懈褌 褋泻芯褉械械 邪薪褌懈褉械泻谢邪屑芯泄).
袠褌邪泻, 褍 泻薪懈谐懈 褌褉懈 薪械褋芯屑薪械薪薪褘褏 写芯褋褌芯懈薪褋褌胁邪: 1 袨薪邪 薪邪锌懈褋邪薪邪 谐械薪懈械屑; 2. 袨薪邪 蟹邪屑械褔邪褌械谢褜薪芯 锌械褉械胁械写械薪邪 袦邪泻褋懈屑芯屑 袧械屑褑芯胁褘屑, 褍 泻芯褌芯褉芯谐芯 薪械薪邪胁懈褋褌薪懈泻芯胁 褔褍褌褜 斜芯谢褜褕械, 褔械屑 锌芯泻谢芯薪薪懈泻芯胁, 薪芯 褟 懈蟹 褔懈褋谢邪 胁褌芯褉褘褏; 3. 袗褍写懈芯胁械褉褋懈褟 锌褉械胁芯褋褏芯写薪芯 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪薪邪 袠谐芯褉械屑 袣薪褟蟹械胁褘屑, 胁 褔褜械屑 懈褋锌芯谢薪械薪懈懈 褋谢褍褕邪褞 胁褋械. 校 泻薪懈谐懈 芯写懈薪, 薪芯 芯褋薪芯胁芯锌芯谢邪谐邪褞褖懈泄 薪械写芯褋褌邪褌芯泻 - 褝褌芯 邪锌芯谢芯谐懈褟 薪邪褉泻芯褌懈褔械褋泻芯谐芯 胁械褖械褋褌胁邪.
袗写械锌褌 芯锌褘褌芯胁 锌芯 褉邪褋褕懈褉械薪懈褞 褋芯蟹薪邪薪懈褟 锌芯褋褉械写褋褌胁芯屑 袥小袛, 袨谢写芯褋 啸邪泻褋谢懈 锌褉懈谢芯卸懈谢 蟹薪邪褔懈褌械谢褜薪褘械 褍褋懈谢懈褟 泻 械谐芯 锌芯锌褍谢褟褉懈蟹邪褑懈懈. 袧邪写芯 褋泻邪蟹邪褌褜, 褔褌芯 胁 褋芯斜褋褌胁械薪薪芯泄 卸懈蟹薪懈 芯薪. 褔械谢芯胁械泻 褎懈蟹懈褔械褋泻懈 芯褔械薪褜 薪械蟹写芯褉芯胁褘泄, 薪邪褏芯写懈谢 斜芯谢褜褕芯械 褍褌械褕械薪懈械 胁 锌褉械锌邪褉邪褌邪褏 薪邪 芯褋薪芯胁械 谢懈蟹械褉谐懈薪芯胁芯泄 泻懈褋谢芯褌褘, 胁 泻芯褌芯褉芯泄 芯褌褔邪褋褌懈 胁懈写械谢 胁芯锌谢芯褖械薪懈械 锌褉械写褋泻邪蟹邪薪薪芯泄 懈屑 褋邪屑懈屑 胁 "袛懈胁薪芯屑 薪芯胁芯屑 屑懈褉械" 褋芯屑褘. 袨薪 懈 懈蟹 卸懈蟹薪懈 褍褕械谢 锌芯写 胁芯蟹写械泄褋褌胁懈械屑 胁薪褍褌褉懈屑褘褕械褔薪芯谐芯 褍泻芯谢邪 400 屑泻谐 褝褌芯谐芯 胁械褖械褋褌胁邪, 泻芯褌芯褉褘泄 锌芯屑芯谐 懈蟹斜械卸邪褌褜 屑褍褔懈褌械谢褜薪芯泄 邪谐芯薪懈懈.
袩褉芯斜谢械屑邪 胁 褌芯屑, 褔褌芯 锌懈褋邪褌械谢褜 锌芯锌邪谢 胁 谢芯胁褍褕泻褍 褝泻褋褌褉邪锌芯谢褟褑懈懈, 褋 褉褍褋褋泻芯谐芯 薪邪 锌芯薪褟褌薪褘泄 - 锌芯 褋械斜械 写褉褍谐懈褏 薪械 褋褍写褟褌. 袝谐芯 褋芯斜褋褌胁械薪薪邪褟, 锌芯写谐芯褌芯胁谢械薪薪邪褟 褋械褉褜械蟹薪褘屑懈 褍锌褉邪卸薪械薪懈褟屑懈 薪邪 泻芯薪褑械薪褌褉邪褑懈褞 懈 屑械写懈褌邪褑懈械泄 锌褋懈褏懈泻邪, 褍薪懈泻邪谢褜薪褘泄 懈薪褌械谢谢械泻褌, 褍褉芯胁械薪褜 芯褌胁械褌褋褌胁械薪薪芯褋褌懈, 褋泻谢芯薪薪芯褋褌褜 泻 邪谐褉械褋褋懈懈 褋褍褖械褋褌胁械薪薪芯 芯褌谢懈褔邪褞褌褋褟 芯褌 褌械褏 卸械 锌邪褉邪屑械褌褉芯胁 写褉褍谐芯谐芯 褔械谢芯胁械泻邪. 孝芯, 褔褌芯 写谢褟 斜褍写写懈褋褌邪, 懈薪褌械谢谢械泻褌褍邪谢邪, 泻 褌芯屑褍 卸械 锌褉芯褕械写褕械谐芯 褔械褉械蟹 褌褟卸械谢褘泄 芯锌褘褌 懈薪胁邪谢懈写薪芯褋褌懈, 泻芯褌芯褉褍褞 褋褍屑械谢 锌褉械芯写芯谢械褌褜, 斜谢邪谐芯写邪褉褟 褋邪屑芯写懈褋褑懈锌谢懈薪械 - 褔褌芯 写谢褟 薪械谐芯 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪褘泄 锌芯蟹薪邪胁邪褌械谢褜薪褘泄 芯锌褘褌 褝褋泻邪锌懈蟹屑邪, 褌芯 写褉褍谐芯屑褍 芯泻芯薪褔邪褌械谢褜薪芯 胁蟹谢芯屑邪械褌 斜械蟹 褌芯谐芯 薪械泻褉械锌泻褍褞 锌褋懈褏懈泻褍 懈 屑芯卸械褌 锌芯褋谢褍卸懈褌褜 褌芯谢褔泻芯屑 泻 芯褔械薪褜 薪械锌褉懈褟褌薪褘屑 芯褋谢芯卸薪械薪懈褟屑.
袙 褑械谢芯屑 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪褘泄 懈 锌芯蟹薪邪胁邪褌械谢褜薪褘泄 芯锌褘褌 胁懈蟹懈芯薪械褉褋褌胁邪, 褋芯械写懈薪械薪薪褘泄 褋 谐谢褍斜芯泻懈屑懈 褉邪褋褋褍卸写械薪懈褟屑懈 芯 锌褉懈褉芯写械 褔械谢芯胁械泻邪, 芯 胁芯蟹屑芯卸薪芯屑 褋褌褉芯械薪懈懈 屑懈褉邪, 芯 锌褍褌褟褏 锌褉械芯写芯谢械薪懈褟 锌褉芯斜谢械屑, 褋褌芯褟褖懈褏 锌械褉械写 褔械谢芯胁械褔械褋泻芯泄 褉邪褋芯泄.
袙芯 胁褋械谢械薪薪芯泄 械褋褌褜 褌芯谢褜泻芯 芯写懈薪 褍谐芯谢芯泻, 泻芯褌芯褉褘泄 褌褘 屑芯卸械褕褜 褍胁械褉械薪薪芯 胁蟹褟褌褜 胁 泻邪薪写懈写邪褌褘 薪邪 褍谢褍褔褕械薪懈械, 褝褌芯 褌褘 褋邪屑...
1. Yes, it's about the drug.
2. Yes, in contrast to the absolute majority of authors, Huxley did not consider lysergic acid derivatives evil.
3. Yes, Jim Morrison named his band "The Doors", inspired by this essay. (although his fate serves more as an anti-advertisement).
So, the book has three undoubted advantages: 1 It was written by a genius; 2. It is wonderfully translated by Maxim Nemtsov, who has a little more haters than fans, but I am among the second; 3. The audio version is perfectly read by Igor Knyazev, in whose performance I listen to everything. The book has one, but the fundamental flaw is the apology of a narcotic substance.
An adept of experiments on the expansion of consciousness through LSD, Aldous Huxley made considerable efforts to popularize it. I must say that in his own life he is. a person who was physically very unhealthy found great solace in preparations based on lysergic acid, in which he partly saw the embodiment of the soma predicted by himself in the "Brave New World". He also passed away under the influence of an intramuscular injection of 400 micrograms of this substance, which helped to avoid excruciating agony.
The problem is that the writer fell into the trap of extrapolation, from Russian to understandable - others are not judged by themselves. His own psyche, prepared by serious concentration exercises and meditation, unique intelligence, level of responsibility, tendency to aggression differ significantly from the same parameters of another person. The fact that for a Buddhist, an intellectual, who also went through a difficult experience of disability, which he managed to overcome thanks to self-discipline - that for him an interesting cognitive experience of escapism, then another will finally crack an already weak psyche and can serve as an impetus to very unpleasant complications.
In general, an interesting and informative experience of visionary, combined with deep discussions about the nature of man, about the possible structure of the world, about ways to overcome the problems facing the human race.
袩芯写 薪械斜芯屑 谐芯谢褍斜褘屑 械褋褌褜 袚芯褉芯写 袟芯谢芯褌芯泄
袗 褔褌芯, 械褋谢懈 薪邪褕邪 袟械屑谢褟 - 邪写 泻邪泻芯泄-褌芯 写褉褍谐芯泄 锌谢邪薪械褌褘?
孝芯, 褔褌芯 胁褘 褏芯褌械谢懈 蟹薪邪褌褜 芯 "袛胁械褉褟褏 胁芯褋锌褉懈褟褌懈褟", 薪芯 褋褌械褋薪褟谢懈褋褜 褋锌褉芯褋懈褌褜:
1. 袛邪, 褝褌芯 芯 薪邪褉泻芯褌懈泻械.
2. 袛邪, 胁 锌褉芯褌懈胁芯锌芯谢芯卸薪芯褋褌褜 邪斜褋芯谢褞褌薪芯屑褍 斜芯谢褜褕懈薪褋褌胁褍 邪胁褌芯褉芯胁, 啸邪泻褋谢懈 薪械 褋褔懈褌邪谢 锌褉芯懈蟹胁芯写薪褘械 谢懈蟹械褉谐懈薪芯胁芯泄 泻懈褋谢芯褌褘 蟹谢芯屑.
3. 袛邪, 袛卸懈屑 袦芯褉褉懈褋芯薪 薪邪蟹胁邪谢 褋胁芯褞 谐褉褍锌锌褍 "The Doors", 胁写芯褏薪芯胁懈胁褕懈褋褜 懈屑械薪薪芯 褝褌懈屑 褝褋褋械. (褏芯褌褟 械谐芯 褋褍写褜斜邪 褋谢褍卸懈褌 褋泻芯褉械械 邪薪褌懈褉械泻谢邪屑芯泄).
袠褌邪泻, 褍 泻薪懈谐懈 褌褉懈 薪械褋芯屑薪械薪薪褘褏 写芯褋褌芯懈薪褋褌胁邪: 1 袨薪邪 薪邪锌懈褋邪薪邪 谐械薪懈械屑; 2. 袨薪邪 蟹邪屑械褔邪褌械谢褜薪芯 锌械褉械胁械写械薪邪 袦邪泻褋懈屑芯屑 袧械屑褑芯胁褘屑, 褍 泻芯褌芯褉芯谐芯 薪械薪邪胁懈褋褌薪懈泻芯胁 褔褍褌褜 斜芯谢褜褕械, 褔械屑 锌芯泻谢芯薪薪懈泻芯胁, 薪芯 褟 懈蟹 褔懈褋谢邪 胁褌芯褉褘褏; 3. 袗褍写懈芯胁械褉褋懈褟 锌褉械胁芯褋褏芯写薪芯 锌褉芯褔懈褌邪薪邪 袠谐芯褉械屑 袣薪褟蟹械胁褘屑, 胁 褔褜械屑 懈褋锌芯谢薪械薪懈懈 褋谢褍褕邪褞 胁褋械. 校 泻薪懈谐懈 芯写懈薪, 薪芯 芯褋薪芯胁芯锌芯谢邪谐邪褞褖懈泄 薪械写芯褋褌邪褌芯泻 - 褝褌芯 邪锌芯谢芯谐懈褟 薪邪褉泻芯褌懈褔械褋泻芯谐芯 胁械褖械褋褌胁邪.
袗写械锌褌 芯锌褘褌芯胁 锌芯 褉邪褋褕懈褉械薪懈褞 褋芯蟹薪邪薪懈褟 锌芯褋褉械写褋褌胁芯屑 袥小袛, 袨谢写芯褋 啸邪泻褋谢懈 锌褉懈谢芯卸懈谢 蟹薪邪褔懈褌械谢褜薪褘械 褍褋懈谢懈褟 泻 械谐芯 锌芯锌褍谢褟褉懈蟹邪褑懈懈. 袧邪写芯 褋泻邪蟹邪褌褜, 褔褌芯 胁 褋芯斜褋褌胁械薪薪芯泄 卸懈蟹薪懈 芯薪. 褔械谢芯胁械泻 褎懈蟹懈褔械褋泻懈 芯褔械薪褜 薪械蟹写芯褉芯胁褘泄, 薪邪褏芯写懈谢 斜芯谢褜褕芯械 褍褌械褕械薪懈械 胁 锌褉械锌邪褉邪褌邪褏 薪邪 芯褋薪芯胁械 谢懈蟹械褉谐懈薪芯胁芯泄 泻懈褋谢芯褌褘, 胁 泻芯褌芯褉芯泄 芯褌褔邪褋褌懈 胁懈写械谢 胁芯锌谢芯褖械薪懈械 锌褉械写褋泻邪蟹邪薪薪芯泄 懈屑 褋邪屑懈屑 胁 "袛懈胁薪芯屑 薪芯胁芯屑 屑懈褉械" 褋芯屑褘. 袨薪 懈 懈蟹 卸懈蟹薪懈 褍褕械谢 锌芯写 胁芯蟹写械泄褋褌胁懈械屑 胁薪褍褌褉懈屑褘褕械褔薪芯谐芯 褍泻芯谢邪 400 屑泻谐 褝褌芯谐芯 胁械褖械褋褌胁邪, 泻芯褌芯褉褘泄 锌芯屑芯谐 懈蟹斜械卸邪褌褜 屑褍褔懈褌械谢褜薪芯泄 邪谐芯薪懈懈.
袩褉芯斜谢械屑邪 胁 褌芯屑, 褔褌芯 锌懈褋邪褌械谢褜 锌芯锌邪谢 胁 谢芯胁褍褕泻褍 褝泻褋褌褉邪锌芯谢褟褑懈懈, 褋 褉褍褋褋泻芯谐芯 薪邪 锌芯薪褟褌薪褘泄 - 锌芯 褋械斜械 写褉褍谐懈褏 薪械 褋褍写褟褌. 袝谐芯 褋芯斜褋褌胁械薪薪邪褟, 锌芯写谐芯褌芯胁谢械薪薪邪褟 褋械褉褜械蟹薪褘屑懈 褍锌褉邪卸薪械薪懈褟屑懈 薪邪 泻芯薪褑械薪褌褉邪褑懈褞 懈 屑械写懈褌邪褑懈械泄 锌褋懈褏懈泻邪, 褍薪懈泻邪谢褜薪褘泄 懈薪褌械谢谢械泻褌, 褍褉芯胁械薪褜 芯褌胁械褌褋褌胁械薪薪芯褋褌懈, 褋泻谢芯薪薪芯褋褌褜 泻 邪谐褉械褋褋懈懈 褋褍褖械褋褌胁械薪薪芯 芯褌谢懈褔邪褞褌褋褟 芯褌 褌械褏 卸械 锌邪褉邪屑械褌褉芯胁 写褉褍谐芯谐芯 褔械谢芯胁械泻邪. 孝芯, 褔褌芯 写谢褟 斜褍写写懈褋褌邪, 懈薪褌械谢谢械泻褌褍邪谢邪, 泻 褌芯屑褍 卸械 锌褉芯褕械写褕械谐芯 褔械褉械蟹 褌褟卸械谢褘泄 芯锌褘褌 懈薪胁邪谢懈写薪芯褋褌懈, 泻芯褌芯褉褍褞 褋褍屑械谢 锌褉械芯写芯谢械褌褜, 斜谢邪谐芯写邪褉褟 褋邪屑芯写懈褋褑懈锌谢懈薪械 - 褔褌芯 写谢褟 薪械谐芯 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪褘泄 锌芯蟹薪邪胁邪褌械谢褜薪褘泄 芯锌褘褌 褝褋泻邪锌懈蟹屑邪, 褌芯 写褉褍谐芯屑褍 芯泻芯薪褔邪褌械谢褜薪芯 胁蟹谢芯屑邪械褌 斜械蟹 褌芯谐芯 薪械泻褉械锌泻褍褞 锌褋懈褏懈泻褍 懈 屑芯卸械褌 锌芯褋谢褍卸懈褌褜 褌芯谢褔泻芯屑 泻 芯褔械薪褜 薪械锌褉懈褟褌薪褘屑 芯褋谢芯卸薪械薪懈褟屑.
袙 褑械谢芯屑 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪褘泄 懈 锌芯蟹薪邪胁邪褌械谢褜薪褘泄 芯锌褘褌 胁懈蟹懈芯薪械褉褋褌胁邪, 褋芯械写懈薪械薪薪褘泄 褋 谐谢褍斜芯泻懈屑懈 褉邪褋褋褍卸写械薪懈褟屑懈 芯 锌褉懈褉芯写械 褔械谢芯胁械泻邪, 芯 胁芯蟹屑芯卸薪芯屑 褋褌褉芯械薪懈懈 屑懈褉邪, 芯 锌褍褌褟褏 锌褉械芯写芯谢械薪懈褟 锌褉芯斜谢械屑, 褋褌芯褟褖懈褏 锌械褉械写 褔械谢芯胁械褔械褋泻芯泄 褉邪褋芯泄.
袙芯 胁褋械谢械薪薪芯泄 械褋褌褜 褌芯谢褜泻芯 芯写懈薪 褍谐芯谢芯泻, 泻芯褌芯褉褘泄 褌褘 屑芯卸械褕褜 褍胁械褉械薪薪芯 胁蟹褟褌褜 胁 泻邪薪写懈写邪褌褘 薪邪 褍谢褍褔褕械薪懈械, 褝褌芯 褌褘 褋邪屑...
May 19, 2020
"If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro' narrow chinks of his cavern.鈥� - William Blake
Aldous Huxley, a renowned writer, mainly famous for his great dystopian work, Brave New World (1931), blasts to the world his transcendental essay: The Doors of Perception, published in 1954.
In this philosophical essay, Huxley describes his spiritual experience with mescaline, taken one day in May 1953. The author makes a detailed description of his experience with 4/10 of a gram of this psychedelic plant. The essay elucidates his visual and spiritual awareness in spatial/time analysis, Art, Nature, Music, Religion, Sociology, Education, Philosophy and Psychology.
Huxley got acquainted about the use of peyote after coming to the United States in 1937. He first became conscious about the cactuses' use after reading an essay written by Humphry Osmond.
After having read Osmond's essay, he got curious about this psychedelic substance and decided to make his experiment with mescaline. Osmond arrives at Huxley's house to accompany him during his spiritual experience. After that, the author's experience was so intense that he decided to tell the tale:
Spatial/time analysis: "Place and distance cease to be of much interest. The mind does its perceiving in terms of intensity of existence, the profundity of significance, relationships within a pattern. I saw the books but was not at all concerned with their positions in space. What I noticed, what impressed itself upon my mind was the fact that all of them glowed with living light and that in some the glory was more manifest than in others. In this context position and the three dimensions were beside the point. Not, of course, that the category of space had been abolished."
Initially, Huxley was expecting to picture brightly colours, but as he stated, he was a "bad visualiser", however, he experiences a more detailed perception of the outer world. The "being" is not separated from "becoming" and the living moment becomes timeless like a neverending present. Colours from the outer world become more vivid and therefore visual impressions are intensified.
"I was looking at my furniture, not as the utilitarian who has to sit on chairs, to write at desks and tables, and not as the cameraman or scientific recorder, but as the pure aesthete whose concern is only with forms and their relationships within the field of vision or the picture space. But as I looked, this purely aesthetic, Cubist's-eye view gave place to what I can only describe as the sacramental vision of reality." The symbolism of the chair is destroyed, and it's perceived beyond a simple object.
Philosophy: "We live together, we act on, and react to, one another; but always and in all circumstances, we are by ourselves. The martyrs go hand in hand into the arena; they are crucified alone. Embraced, the lovers desperately try to fuse their insulated ecstasies into a single self-transcendence; in vain. By its very nature, every embodied spirit is doomed to suffer and enjoy in solitude. Sensations, feelings, insights, fancies鈥攁ll these are private and, except through symbols and at second hand, incommunicable. We can pool information about experiences, but never the experiences themselves. From family to nation, every human group is a society of island universes."
During Huxley's experience, the ego disappears (egolessness), thus the perception about others begins to be more lucid. Every pattern becomes one and therefore the words and symbols are removed:
"...there is an 'obscure knowledge' that All is in all鈥攖hat All is each. This is as near, I take it, as a finite mind can ever come to 'perceiving everything that is happening everywhere in the universe. "
The author quotes the eminent Cambridge philosopher, Dr C. D. Broad by saying: "to enable us to live, the brain and nervous system eliminate unessential information from the totality of the 'Mind at Large". This idea explores that the human mind filters reality, and as a result of that, psychedelic drugs are an important element to remove this filter.
"We walked out into the street. A large pale blue automobile was standing at the curb. At the sight of it, I was suddenly overcome by enormous merriment. What complacency, what an absurd self-satisfaction beamed from those bulging surfaces of glossiest enamel! Men had created the thing in his own image - or rather in the image of his favourite character in fiction. I laughed till the tears ran down my cheeks."
Art: Huxley reflected the following statement about the Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer: "That mysterious artist was truly gifted with the vision that perceives the Dharma-Body as the hedge at the bottom of the garden". He states that Vermeer's paintings are magnificent examples of life within. In another hand, C茅zanne's Self-portrait with a straw hat seems incredibly pretentious. These experiences prove that even by being a bad visualiser, Huxley managed to feel vivid emotions from those paintings.
Music: "Instrumental music, oddly enough, left me rather cold. Mozart's C-Minor Piano Concerto was interrupted after the first movement, and a recording of some madrigals by Gesualdo took its place...But, as it turned out, I was wrong. Actually, the music sounded rather funny"
Once again, Huxley's auditory perception is changed, becoming more vivid and thus his initial perception about those music works has changed.
Psychology: "The schizophrenic is a soul not merely unregenerate, but desperately sick into the bargain. His sickness consists in the inability to take refuge from inner and outer reality (as the sane person habitually does) in the homemade universe of common sense - the strictly human world of useful notions shared symbols and socially acceptable conventions."
The author elucidates that Schizophrenia can be heaven and hell because those who suffer this pathology doesn't distinguish the inner world from the outer world. It's also stated that those who suffer from anxiety and periodical depression might have different experiences under the influence of mescaline.
"Most takers of mescalin experience only the heavenly part of schizophrenia."
Nature: "We drove on, and so long as we remained in the hills, with view succeeding distant view, significance was at its everyday level, well below transfiguration point."
The view from the hills became abruptly lucid, just like the perspective described from those landscape painters.
Sociology: "Equally unsurprising is the current attitude towards drink and smoke. In spite of the growing army of hopeless alcoholics, in spite of the hundreds of thousands of persons annually maimed or killed by drunken drivers, popular comedians still crack jokes about alcohol and its addicts... The only reasonable policy is to open other, better doors in the hope of inducing men and women to exchange their old bad habits for new and less harmful ones."
Religion : "Christianity and mescalin seem to be much more compatible. This has been demonstrated by many tribes of Indians, from Texas to as far north as Wisconsin. Among these tribes are to be found groups affiliated with the Native American Church, a sect whose principal rite is a kind of Early Christian agape, or love feast, where slices of peyote take the place of the sacramental bread and wine."
Self-transcendence can be found in religion and therefore, Christianity and mescaline are well-suited for each other, however, it is unlikely to happen as Huxley stated in his essay.
"All I am suggesting is that the mescalin experience is what Catholic theologians call "a gratuitous grace," not necessary to salvation but potentially helpful and to be accepted thankfully, if made available...a human being obsessed with words and notions, but as they are apprehended, directly and unconditionally."
Education: "In a world where education is predominantly verbal, highly educated people find it all but impossible to pay serious attention to anything but words and notions. The non-verbal humanities, the arts of being directly aware of the given facts of our existence, are almost completely ignored."
Aldous Huxley managed to describe his experience in an enlightened way. He elucidated his experience in such an illuminating way that it was impossible not to quote his standpoints. The author's universalism is highly depicted in his philosophical and religious points of view. It's asserted in the essay that spiritual experiences will transform anyone for the better, and I couldn't agree more! I just personally don't agree that psychedelic drugs are well-suited for Christianity or to any religion whatsoever. Words, prayers, slogans are notions and symbols intrinsically correlated to Religion in general. Psychedelic drugs are still seen with disregard and therefore it will not be intrinsically connected to Religion. I personally believe that spirituality can be separated from Religion, but that would be a more detailed topic to discuss...
I do practice meditation, and I was tremendously curious to read this book. I found very elucidative, mind-blowing and inspiring how the details were depicted throughout the text. When I was younger, I was very sceptic about these spiritual experiences, but when I became older, I realized that these transcendental experiences are quite relevant for self-fulfilment (either with psychedelic drugs or through meditation). I recommend anyone to read this book (even to sceptics). It's undoubtedly, a mind-bending book that questions our reality and gives new paths to our general perception of the world.
No wonder Jim Morrison baptised his band's name "The Doors"...
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Aldous Huxley, a renowned writer, mainly famous for his great dystopian work, Brave New World (1931), blasts to the world his transcendental essay: The Doors of Perception, published in 1954.
In this philosophical essay, Huxley describes his spiritual experience with mescaline, taken one day in May 1953. The author makes a detailed description of his experience with 4/10 of a gram of this psychedelic plant. The essay elucidates his visual and spiritual awareness in spatial/time analysis, Art, Nature, Music, Religion, Sociology, Education, Philosophy and Psychology.
Huxley got acquainted about the use of peyote after coming to the United States in 1937. He first became conscious about the cactuses' use after reading an essay written by Humphry Osmond.
After having read Osmond's essay, he got curious about this psychedelic substance and decided to make his experiment with mescaline. Osmond arrives at Huxley's house to accompany him during his spiritual experience. After that, the author's experience was so intense that he decided to tell the tale:
Spatial/time analysis: "Place and distance cease to be of much interest. The mind does its perceiving in terms of intensity of existence, the profundity of significance, relationships within a pattern. I saw the books but was not at all concerned with their positions in space. What I noticed, what impressed itself upon my mind was the fact that all of them glowed with living light and that in some the glory was more manifest than in others. In this context position and the three dimensions were beside the point. Not, of course, that the category of space had been abolished."
Initially, Huxley was expecting to picture brightly colours, but as he stated, he was a "bad visualiser", however, he experiences a more detailed perception of the outer world. The "being" is not separated from "becoming" and the living moment becomes timeless like a neverending present. Colours from the outer world become more vivid and therefore visual impressions are intensified.
"I was looking at my furniture, not as the utilitarian who has to sit on chairs, to write at desks and tables, and not as the cameraman or scientific recorder, but as the pure aesthete whose concern is only with forms and their relationships within the field of vision or the picture space. But as I looked, this purely aesthetic, Cubist's-eye view gave place to what I can only describe as the sacramental vision of reality." The symbolism of the chair is destroyed, and it's perceived beyond a simple object.
Philosophy: "We live together, we act on, and react to, one another; but always and in all circumstances, we are by ourselves. The martyrs go hand in hand into the arena; they are crucified alone. Embraced, the lovers desperately try to fuse their insulated ecstasies into a single self-transcendence; in vain. By its very nature, every embodied spirit is doomed to suffer and enjoy in solitude. Sensations, feelings, insights, fancies鈥攁ll these are private and, except through symbols and at second hand, incommunicable. We can pool information about experiences, but never the experiences themselves. From family to nation, every human group is a society of island universes."
During Huxley's experience, the ego disappears (egolessness), thus the perception about others begins to be more lucid. Every pattern becomes one and therefore the words and symbols are removed:
"...there is an 'obscure knowledge' that All is in all鈥攖hat All is each. This is as near, I take it, as a finite mind can ever come to 'perceiving everything that is happening everywhere in the universe. "
The author quotes the eminent Cambridge philosopher, Dr C. D. Broad by saying: "to enable us to live, the brain and nervous system eliminate unessential information from the totality of the 'Mind at Large". This idea explores that the human mind filters reality, and as a result of that, psychedelic drugs are an important element to remove this filter.
"We walked out into the street. A large pale blue automobile was standing at the curb. At the sight of it, I was suddenly overcome by enormous merriment. What complacency, what an absurd self-satisfaction beamed from those bulging surfaces of glossiest enamel! Men had created the thing in his own image - or rather in the image of his favourite character in fiction. I laughed till the tears ran down my cheeks."
Art: Huxley reflected the following statement about the Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer: "That mysterious artist was truly gifted with the vision that perceives the Dharma-Body as the hedge at the bottom of the garden". He states that Vermeer's paintings are magnificent examples of life within. In another hand, C茅zanne's Self-portrait with a straw hat seems incredibly pretentious. These experiences prove that even by being a bad visualiser, Huxley managed to feel vivid emotions from those paintings.
Music: "Instrumental music, oddly enough, left me rather cold. Mozart's C-Minor Piano Concerto was interrupted after the first movement, and a recording of some madrigals by Gesualdo took its place...But, as it turned out, I was wrong. Actually, the music sounded rather funny"
Once again, Huxley's auditory perception is changed, becoming more vivid and thus his initial perception about those music works has changed.
Psychology: "The schizophrenic is a soul not merely unregenerate, but desperately sick into the bargain. His sickness consists in the inability to take refuge from inner and outer reality (as the sane person habitually does) in the homemade universe of common sense - the strictly human world of useful notions shared symbols and socially acceptable conventions."
The author elucidates that Schizophrenia can be heaven and hell because those who suffer this pathology doesn't distinguish the inner world from the outer world. It's also stated that those who suffer from anxiety and periodical depression might have different experiences under the influence of mescaline.
"Most takers of mescalin experience only the heavenly part of schizophrenia."
Nature: "We drove on, and so long as we remained in the hills, with view succeeding distant view, significance was at its everyday level, well below transfiguration point."
The view from the hills became abruptly lucid, just like the perspective described from those landscape painters.
Sociology: "Equally unsurprising is the current attitude towards drink and smoke. In spite of the growing army of hopeless alcoholics, in spite of the hundreds of thousands of persons annually maimed or killed by drunken drivers, popular comedians still crack jokes about alcohol and its addicts... The only reasonable policy is to open other, better doors in the hope of inducing men and women to exchange their old bad habits for new and less harmful ones."
Religion : "Christianity and mescalin seem to be much more compatible. This has been demonstrated by many tribes of Indians, from Texas to as far north as Wisconsin. Among these tribes are to be found groups affiliated with the Native American Church, a sect whose principal rite is a kind of Early Christian agape, or love feast, where slices of peyote take the place of the sacramental bread and wine."
Self-transcendence can be found in religion and therefore, Christianity and mescaline are well-suited for each other, however, it is unlikely to happen as Huxley stated in his essay.
"All I am suggesting is that the mescalin experience is what Catholic theologians call "a gratuitous grace," not necessary to salvation but potentially helpful and to be accepted thankfully, if made available...a human being obsessed with words and notions, but as they are apprehended, directly and unconditionally."
Education: "In a world where education is predominantly verbal, highly educated people find it all but impossible to pay serious attention to anything but words and notions. The non-verbal humanities, the arts of being directly aware of the given facts of our existence, are almost completely ignored."
Aldous Huxley managed to describe his experience in an enlightened way. He elucidated his experience in such an illuminating way that it was impossible not to quote his standpoints. The author's universalism is highly depicted in his philosophical and religious points of view. It's asserted in the essay that spiritual experiences will transform anyone for the better, and I couldn't agree more! I just personally don't agree that psychedelic drugs are well-suited for Christianity or to any religion whatsoever. Words, prayers, slogans are notions and symbols intrinsically correlated to Religion in general. Psychedelic drugs are still seen with disregard and therefore it will not be intrinsically connected to Religion. I personally believe that spirituality can be separated from Religion, but that would be a more detailed topic to discuss...
I do practice meditation, and I was tremendously curious to read this book. I found very elucidative, mind-blowing and inspiring how the details were depicted throughout the text. When I was younger, I was very sceptic about these spiritual experiences, but when I became older, I realized that these transcendental experiences are quite relevant for self-fulfilment (either with psychedelic drugs or through meditation). I recommend anyone to read this book (even to sceptics). It's undoubtedly, a mind-bending book that questions our reality and gives new paths to our general perception of the world.
No wonder Jim Morrison baptised his band's name "The Doors"...
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
May 5, 2022
3,5 猸愶笍
March 31, 2022
鈥溾€hristianity and alcohol do not and cannot mix. Christianity and mescalin seem to be much more compatible.鈥�
An interesting but very unscientific survey of one; Huxley鈥檚 mescaline (peyote) experiment, May 1953, had him contemplating the fabric of space/time whilst entranced by the folds of his trousers.
Okay, I鈥檒l concede that narcotics and hallucinogens may have inspired a few great works of art and literature but I remain highly skeptical of the scientific value of any anecdotal accounting of drug-induced euphoria. There are good reasons why many outspoken proponents of 鈥渆xpanded perceptions鈥� had tormented and/or shortened lives (Jim Morrison, Philip Dick, Jack Kerouac, etc.). 3 stars.
鈥淩eality is just a crutch for people who can鈥檛 handle drugs.鈥� ~Robin Williams
An interesting but very unscientific survey of one; Huxley鈥檚 mescaline (peyote) experiment, May 1953, had him contemplating the fabric of space/time whilst entranced by the folds of his trousers.
Okay, I鈥檒l concede that narcotics and hallucinogens may have inspired a few great works of art and literature but I remain highly skeptical of the scientific value of any anecdotal accounting of drug-induced euphoria. There are good reasons why many outspoken proponents of 鈥渆xpanded perceptions鈥� had tormented and/or shortened lives (Jim Morrison, Philip Dick, Jack Kerouac, etc.). 3 stars.
鈥淩eality is just a crutch for people who can鈥檛 handle drugs.鈥� ~Robin Williams
July 14, 2022
A classic from the Psychedelic Era.
Huxley goes into detail about his fascinating experiences with the mind expanding substance, mescalin.
This is basically the whole premise of this essay, him describing the results of mescalin ingestion on himself.
A thought-provoking and interesting read.
Huxley goes into detail about his fascinating experiences with the mind expanding substance, mescalin.
This is basically the whole premise of this essay, him describing the results of mescalin ingestion on himself.
A thought-provoking and interesting read.
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