Paranthropology Journal of Anthropologic PDF

ISSN 2044-9216
Vol. 2 No. 2 April 2011
1 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL
Psi and the Psychedelic Experience

Welcome to the April
2011 issue of
P a r a n t h r o p o l o g y,
which this month has
the general theme of
“Psi and the
P s y c h e d e l i c
Experience”. This
issue comes just a
Adventures in a Yorkshire couple of weeks after a
Landscape - Andy Roberts p.3 m o m e n t o u s
psychedelic event at
Connecting, Diverging and the University of Kent
Reconnecting: Putting the Psi - “Breaking Convention:
Back in Psychedelic Research - A Multidisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Consciousness” - which saw an epic
David Luke p.5 gathering of academics and psychedelically minded folk over the course of two gloriously
sunny days in Canterbury. There were over 600 people in attendance which, to my mind
Mushroom Dream Ceremony: A at least, testifies to the growing interest in the psychedelic experience and the expansion of
sorcerer’s apprentice guided to our understanding of consciousness. I hope that this issue can make at least a small
contribution to that search for understanding.
the unknown - Alysa Braceau p. 21
The main focus of this issue will be on the intersection of the psychedelic experience
and ostensible psi phenomena (as well as other highly peculiar experiences). There would
The Pineal Gland: Psychic and
appear to be a distinct correlation between the use of psychedelic substances and the
Psychedelic Powerhouse - Serena
experience of paranormal-like phenomena. In “Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape”
Roney-Dougal p. 24
Andy Roberts, author of “Albion Dreaming: A Popular History of LSD in Britain”, details a
peculiar LSD fueled adventure. In “Connecting, Diverging and Reconnecting: Putting
Psi and Psychedelics: One the Psi Back in Psychedelic Research”, Dr David Luke provides an overview of the long
Episode of Many - Jean Millay p.36 association of psychedelic drugs with paranormal experiences and points to the necessity
of a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of this intriguing cross-pollination. In
Out-of-Body Experience: The “Mushroom Dream Ceremony: A Sorcerer’s Apprentice Guided to the Unknown” Alysa
Dentist and Nitrous Oxide - Braceau tells the story of her apprenticeship to a Native American sorcerer’s tradition
Mark A. Schroll p.40 and details her experiences with psilocybin mushrooms. Serena Roney-Dougal has
contributed a chapter from her book “Where Science and Magic Meet” outlining her research
Psychedelics & Spirituality -Peter into the possibile link between the pineal gland, endogenously produced DMT and psi
Barrett p. 43 experiences. It makes for fascinating reading. In “Psi and Psychedelics: One Episode of
Many” Jean Millay, a pioneering researcher in the intersection of psi and psychedelics,
In Memory of Stan Gooch gives an interesting account of one of her experiences in which the two became
(1932-2010) - Robert M. Schoch & intertwined. Mark Schroll gives an account of an OBE while taking too much nitrous
Oana R. Ghiocel p. 49 oxide at the dentist as a child. “Psychedelics and Spirituality” by Peter Barrett gives an
overview and comparison of the literature on mystical and psychedelic experience, and in
Reviews - Rachael Hayward, Fiona “In Memory of Stan Gooch” Robert Schoch and Oana R. Ghiocel give an insight into
Bowie p. 53 the life work and theories of Stan Gooch, who passed away in September last year. Also
included is a complete catalogue of psychedelic titles from Deep Books for those of you
Deep Books Catalogue p. 60 who might want to read a little deeper into the subject.
Enjoy!
Jack Hunter

VOL. 2 NO. 2
Adventures in a Yorkshire card in all its stark, skeletal symbolism.

Subtleties and nuances of meaning in the
Landscape death card meant nothing to us. This was,
and meant, DEATH. In that moment, the
Andy Roberts trip hit us like a hammer. The walls
melted, logic and proportion fled the
The year was 1974, my big acid year. scene and my stomach turned to ice. The
There was a plentiful supply of expressions on the faces of my fellow
outstanding LSD available and I and trippers showed they were having exactly
small group of trusted psychonauts sallied the same experience.
weekly into the mystic to see what would Panic swelled and we needed to
happen. We thought we were adept change the vibe. Coats on, and the
trippers, able to handle any weirdness the traditional mid trip walk was embarked
drug could throw at us but, there were one upon earlier than expected. We sallied
or two events that we found baffling and forth from the bungalow into the thick
which shook us to our collective core pulsing dusk, walking quickly, trying to
My girlfriend Helen had been distract ourselves from the tsunami of
‘studying’ the Tarot, in the somewhat foreboding enveloping us. We scurried
lackadaisical way we dipped in and out of into the centre of the tiny village heading
the occult in those days and thought it for a friend’s house. A guy came out of
would be interesting to see what the phone box as a police car pulled up.
happened if we took acid at the same He was visibly distraught, screaming, ‘He
time. can’t be dead, he can’t be dead’ at the
Helen, I and Andy our friend took police driver. In the context of the tarot
some acid and Helen told us what she card and our growing panic, the word
intended. The pack (Rider-Waite tarot) ‘dead’ was not what we wanted to hear,
was shuffled by us all and Helen dealt the and any form of police activity the last
cards. Firstly she dealt us a card each, thing on our minds. What the fuck was
face down. This would be a going on?
representation of our general character. Gathering our rapidly
Then she dealt a fourth card which, when disintegrating resolve, we pressed on, to
turned, would denote the ‘quality’ of the see if Chris would be in with his open
trip. And she dealt a final card, face fire, chessboard, dope and Grateful Dead
down, to be turned over in the morning. albums. He wasn’t. Our salvation was
We turned the ‘character’ cards over. I gone. We daren’t go back so we went
can’t, now, recall what cards they were, forward, to the brow of a hill which
but in the ambiguity of the tarot, they overlooked Hartshead church and
were interesting and prompted some Hightown, an area of country lanes and
discussion. fields. About a mile away, at the cross
So far, the acid hadn’t hit. A tingle roads, we could see coloured lights. We
here and a perception shift there but had no idea what they were, but they
nothing major. We knew it would come. offered a goal to reach and a diversion
Then we turned our attention to the card from the panic, so we set off into the dip
that was to denote the ‘quality’ of the trip. toward them.
One of us turned it over. It was the Death

VOL. 2 NO. 2
When we came out of the dip, Of course, a more rational view

about 400 metres from the lights, we might be that the whole experience was a
could see what they were. It was a – then complete coincidence, chance and
state of the art - police Range Rover with interpretation that our trip appeared to
an extending coloured flashing light, an predict a death when in reality, we were
ambulance and two police cars. For fuck’s just stoned observers to a tragic event in
sake! We were driven on by morbid the real world, stupidly believing we were
curiosity, now utterly convinced that the in some way connected to it. I don’t know
trip was out of our control. Trying to look and my take on the events- still strong in
nonchalant (have you tried that recently my memory after 37 years varies
in an Afghan coat and purple loon pants?) depending on whom I’m talking to and
we walked past the lights; a motorbike what I allow myself to believe. One thing
had gone through the wire fence and at I remain certain of is that if you take LSD
that moment, a body was being lifted out and essentially start playing games with
of the field. As we watched, aghast, a car the multiverse you must accept that what
screeched to a halt and a woman got out, happens to you will not necessarily be
saw the body and let out a blood curdling what you expected or wanted.
animal howl of anguish that cut through
all time and everything ever and now and Caveat emptor!
froze us to the spot. It didn’t take a genius
to work out this was the dead biker’s ***
mother and we had witnessed her seeing
her dead son. Andy Roberts
has authored
We walked fast for a long time,
or co-authored
jabbering to each other. What had we 12 books on a
witnessed? What had we been part of? In wide variety
our deluded tripping minds, by mixing of subjects
acid with the tarot and drawing the death from the
fringes of
card as the emblem of our trip, we had in society. His
some way ‘caused’ the events to happen. interest in
It was a long night before we returned to psychedelic
the bungalow. Among the discarded tarot drugs,
specifically
cards, one still lay face down,, LSD, stems from a thorough experiential grounding in
shimmering in the end of trip dawn, the counterculture of the 1970s, which led him to write
freighted with unseen meaning. We Albion Dreaming, a social history of LSD in Britain
turned it. It was the Fool. What else could (Marshall Cavendish, 2008). Andy contributes to a
number of magazines including Fortean Times, for
it be? This further confirmed our belief
which he has written feature articles for many years
that the death card represented what was and co writes a sceptical monthly column about the
going to happen during the trip and the UFO scene. He believes the secret of the universe can
fool card showed us we had been taught a be found in the music of the Grateful Dead. In the real
lesson. We were absolved. Free in the world he works for a Housing Association.
new morning to start afresh unburdened

by the events of the previous evening. We
read into it what we needed to.

VOL. 2 NO. 2
CONNECTING, DIVERGING, AND

RECONNECTING: PUTTING THE PSI BACK
INTO PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH1
BY DAVID LUKE
It’s great to have so many wonderful characters here from the field.
Were the great scientist Isaac Newton in my place now, he would say how
he only got to this position by standing on the shoulders of giants. I rather
regret that Isaac Newton isn’t standing where I am now, because he would
probably do a better job of it. Nevertheless, I have taken a few tips from him
and read through many of the past presidential addresses.
In looking through them, I found a recurring suggestion that
parapsychology can both gain something and give something to other fields
of enquiry through its research activities. The fields highlighted to benefit
from this cross-fertilisation are usually physics, biology, and of course,
psychology. I would like to echo that sentiment but broaden the usual list
and assert, or in some cases reassert, our valued interaction with other
fields and branches of investigation such as anthropology, archaeology,
ethnobotany, phytochemistry, neurobiology, psychopharmacology, and
the closer branch of transpersonal psychology, along with its emerging
ecological neighbour, ecopsychology.
One particular point of contact where each of these disciplines or
subdisciplines connects with our own is in the study of consciousness and its
altered states, the specific point of interaction being with the “re-emerging”
area of psychedelic research. The relationship to parapsychology of this
relatively uncharted region of investigation has been my main academic
interest for several years and, if you will allow me to take you on a short
journey down the metaphoric rabbit hole, I hope to show you why, like
Alice, I grow forever curiouser and curiouser!
Some ancient origins of psi, as we all know, can be traced back in
the historical record in one direction to the oracles of Delphi in ancient
Greece. The seeresses would sit atop a stool and prophesise in delirious
altered states, which some researchers have identified as being caused by
psychoactive hydrocarbon gases issuing forth from the rock fissure (see,
e.g., Devereux, 2008). Another theory holds that the psychedelic plant
henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) was used in the temple, because the plant was
once called “pythonian” by the ancient Greeks in honour of Python: the
visionary serpent goddess venerated by the seeresses at the temple, who
were themselves called the pythia (e.g., see Rudgley, 1998). That was until
1This article is the Presidential Address delivered at the 53rd Annual Convention of the
Parapsychological Association, Paris, France, July 22–25, 2010.
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the mythical Apollo slew the goddess and took her place, after which time
henbane became sacred to Apollo as well (Hocking, 1947).
Spreading the net wider and further back, into prehistory even, we
find remnants of shamanism going back millennia in all directions across
the globe—though we cannot be certain that the magical practices we find
in the historical and anthropological record mimic what our ancestors
in prehistory did, but they certainly give us clues. What we do know of
shamanism in more recent times is that practitioners of this art utilise
techniques for altering consciousness apparently conducive to psychic
diagnosis, clairvoyance, telepathy, precognition and spirit communication,
which they do in the name of their community. The techniques they have
used for entering altered states can be crudely summarised by the five Ds
(though there are more techniques); drumming, dancing, dreaming, diet
and drugs. It is with the last category, drugs, that I found reports of the
intentional use of psychedelic plants for psychic experiences across all
five continents, from the use of nicotine-rich pituri (Duboisia hopwoodii) by
indigenous Australians (Australian Institute of Parapsychological Research,
2004) and datura (Datura metel) on the Indian subcontinent (Schultes &
Hofmann, 1992), to the use of iboga (Tabernanthe iboga) in central Africa
(Pinchbeck, 2002), Syrian rue (Peganum harmala) in north Africa and the
Middle East (Rudgley, 1998), mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) in Europe
(Müller-Ebeling, Rätsch, & Storl, 2003), and fly-agaric (Amanita muscaria)
mushrooms in Siberia (Rudgley, 1998) and north America (Wasson, 1979).
And then we have a whole medicine cabinet full of different “psi-chedelic”
plants and fungi in Mexico alone, ranging from the use of peyote cacti
(Lophophora Williamsii) by the Huichol Indians in the North (Slotkin, 1956),
to teonanacatl (mushrooms of the Psilocybe genus) and ska pastora (Salvia
divinorum) use by the Mazatecs in the South (Soutar, 2001; Wasson, 1962)—
not to mention South America, where we find an enormous pharmacopeia
of natural plant psychedelics that have been used traditionally for psychic
purposes for millennia.
For instance, we heard earlier today about the Amazonian jungle
decoction, ayahuasca (often a mixture of Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria
viridis), which is used by some healers to diagnose illness by apparently
enabling them to see inside the body of their patients in a manner like X-
ray vision (Dobkin de Rios & Rumrrill, 2008). About a hundred years ago,
early researchers investigating the alkaloids contained within the brew even
named one of them “telepathine” (harmine) because of the apparently
psychic experiences people typically had when taking it (Beyer, 2009).
Strictly speaking, of course, it would be a misnomer to call these
substances “drugs” in the medical sense because their context of use does
not fit well within the medical model. Imagine going to your doctor to find
out what is wrong with you and instead of her prescribing you drugs for
some physically defined illness she suspects you have, the doctor pops open
the pills and takes them herself. She then diagnoses your illness by staring

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into your organs without the aid of any mechanical devices and treats you
directly by singing and blowing tobacco smoke over your head. For this
reason, these substances have a number of different names depending
upon which intellectual territory they occupy for those describing them.
For law enforcement agencies they are narcotics or drugs; for
medics and traditional scientists they are hallucinogens, because they
cause hallucinations—a term which conveniently obscures more than it
explains—for therapists and those researching the potential benefits of
these substances, they use the more neutral “psychedelic,” simply meaning
“mind manifesting” (Osmond, 1961). Finally, for those viewing their use
through a spiritual lens, they are entheogens, meaning “making the divine
within” (Ruck, Bigwood, Staples, Wasson, & Ott, 1979), indicating their
capacity to induce mystical experiences and their propensity to be used as
a sacramental. This sort of use can be found in shamanism and in the few
organised religious movements that exist that use such plants, such as the
Native American Church in the U.S. and the Santo Daime in Brazil.
Perhaps more accurately, Stan Krippner (2006) terms them
“potential entheogens,” for they do not automatically induce mystical or
spiritual experiences, but may do so for some people when both the “set”
and the “setting” are conducive to it, that is, when the person is in the right
frame of mind and the right environment, as in the recent experiments with
psilocybin and mystical experience at Johns Hopkins University (Griffiths,
Richards, McCann, & Jesse, 2006). The rogue psychologist Timothy Leary’s
one unequivocally useful contribution to the study of psychedelics was the
notion that set, setting and substance are all important determinants in
the psychological outcome of a psychedelic trip (Leary, Litwin, & Metzner,
1963). But the “substance” could in fact be any state-altering technique, be
that LSD, holotropic breathwork or the ganzfeld. And these same principles
of set, setting, and substance can fruitfully be applied to a shamanic journey
or a psi experiment employing altered states.
In journeying into these shamanic realms of other cultures, it’s
clear that a richer connection needs to be forged between our discipline
and that of anthropology. Having recently conducted a review of the overlap
between these two fields, I found that there still remained a clear divide
between what anthropologists and parapsychologists did in their research
of the paranormal in other cultures (Luke, 2010a).
Anthropologists, particularly further back in the past, tended not
to consider the ontological basis of the apparently paranormal and so cared
little for proving or disproving the validity of the phenomena they observed
or, more often, the phenomena they were informed about. Commonly, until
the formation of the Society for the Anthropology of Consciousness and its earlier
incarnations in the 1970s, virtually all anthropologists were of the public
opinion that the paranormal was merely delusional “primitive” thinking
and that the only approach to the subject matter was to treat it merely as an
irrational belief.

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Fortunately, following the revolution started by the anthropologist

Joseph Long at the 1974 meeting of the American Anthropological Association
(Long, 1977), researchers in this field began taking a more open-minded
approach to the study of magic and the paranormal in other cultures,
although very few actually conducted controlled experiments. Some did, of
course, notably Patric Giesler (1985) and Michael Winkelman (1979, 1981)
in the late 1970s and early 1980s. However, this trend did not advance far
despite the continuing growth of the anthropology of consciousness and,
even now, very few anthropologists who study paranormal phenomena and
transpersonal experiences are concerned with their ontology.
On the flip side, in the past we had parapsychologists who conducted
cross-cultural research into the paranormal, but who generally attempted
to do field psi experiments without applying any of the cultural insights
that are only gained from years of ethnographic study and immersion in a
different culture. I could give numerous examples from the literature, such
as Robin Taylor (2000) honestly admitting his naïve assumption that rural
Fijians would understand the principle of random number generators—
but my own experience probably suffices. In attempting to persuade an
Ecuadorian shaman that I had just met to let me conduct a computerised
precognition experiment during his ceremony, I was promptly given a clear
but indirect answer. He pointed me in the four directions and blew a large
conch shell up my backside. Miles from civilization, this was the realm of
Nature and there was to be no use of computers during his ceremonies, and
that was that.
Back in the 1980s, Patric Giesler was well aware of this methodolog-
ical disparity between the two fields and proposed a multimethod approach
and a system of study he called “psi-in-process” (Giesler, 1984). The multiple
methods involved using ethnography to inform experimental design, and
the psi-in-process approach utilised naturally occurring variables so that no
artificial factors became forced across the cultural divide. In this manner,
Giesler began with a specific experimental design but gradually adapted
it in the process of learning more about the culture, so that in the end his
experiment resembled, in as many ways as possible, a client’s consultation
with a shaman to obtain knowledge about the location of a lost object
(Giesler, 1985).
Very little “anthropological parapsychology,” as Giesler (1984)
called it, is actually conducted these days, though I would say that one of the
few such attempts to adopt the in-depth Gieslerian method is that of Serena
Roney-Dougal and her immersive approach to studying yogis and Tibetan
Buddhist meditators (e.g., Roney-Dougal & Solfvin, 2006). One of the
drawbacks of Giesler’s enthographically informed experimental approach,
however, is that it requires a long-term commitment to live among the
people you study, often for several years. Roney-Dougal’s extensive work is
commendable in this regard in that she spent the best part of 6 years living
in ashrams and monasteries in India conducting her psi research.

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The psi-in-process approach can be usefully applied to our own

indigenous research too, by looking for everyday occurrences of psi. The
biologist Rupert Sheldrake has in recent years picked up this baton and has
run far with it, with research into ordinary, everyday psi experiences like
the sense of being stared at, and telephone, text message, and even e-mail
telepathy (e.g., Sheldrake & Smart, 2003).
But the kinds of everyday psi experiences we have here in Europe
often look rather pale compared to those bright and colourful ones
occurring under the influence of psychedelics. To give an example, one
year Stan Krippner was good enough to bring along the anthropologist
Jeremy Narby as the PA after-dinner speaker, and he was able to give us
some insight into his astonishing research with ayahuasca. Narby (1998)
had been impressed with the inordinate number of times that people
under the influence of ayahausca said that they saw two intertwined snakes,
and he took this as a symbolic interpretation of seeing one’s DNA, which
some people do indeed claim they can do on ayahuasca. Now, unlike most
anthropologists, certainly those of the past, Narby didn’t just leave his
speculation there but instead arranged to take three molecular biologists
out to the Amazon jungle for their first trip there, and indeed their first
ayahuasca trip too.
All three of the biologists beheld visions while on the psychedelic
brew which helped them gain some insight into their research and which,
ultimately, changed their worldview. Narby (2000, p. 302) writes: “The
American biologist, who normally worked on deciphering the human
genome, said she saw a chromosome from the perspective of a protein
flying above a long strand of DNA.”
Such phenomena also has its counterparts outside of anthropology.
The biochemist Kary Mullis, who received the Nobel Prize for inventing
the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), thereby significantly advancing DNA
research, said that taking LSD had been invaluable to his discovery because
it helped him to visualise sitting on a DNA molecule and watching the
polymerase go by (Mullis, 1998). It has also recently been announced, amid
some controversy (for this story may well be apocryphal), that the geneticist
Francis Crick was under the influence of LSD when he had a vision of the
double helix structure of DNA in 1953 (Rees, 2004), a discovery for which
he was also jointly awarded the Nobel Prize.
Clearly the psychedelic-DNA evidence isn’t conclusive, however,
as it teeters on the divide between the paranormal and the power of the
imagination stimulated by psychedelics. But, had Narby rejected the accounts
of the shamans out of hand, as his academic background had trained him
to do, he would never have attempted to even verify the shamans’ claims, let
alone defend them. As an aside, one case that would tend to support these
scientists’ visionary experiences of DNA is August Kekulé’s (1890) experience
while in a hypnogogic reverie, where he envisioned the undiscovered ring
shape of the benzene molecule as a snake eating its own tail.

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However, we suspect that there were no drugs involved this time

because this was back in 1862, when virtually the only psychedelic substance
available to scientists was nitrous oxide, of which William James made
good use, of course. James came up with a lot of good stuff, and is to be
respected for his psychical research and philosophy, but his experiences
with nitrous oxide were unable to produce more benzene rings, but rather
just a few circular attempts at bringing back the ineffable meaning of life
and the universe—Rumsfeldian phrases like: “There are no differences
but differences of degree between different degrees of difference and no
difference” (James, 1882, p. 202), which James considered to be his most
coherent and articulate sentence under the influence.
James aside, Kekulé wasn’t the only one to make chemical
discoveries in a reverie. The Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann had what he
called “a peculiar presentiment” (Hofmann, 1983) and broke his strict
laboratory protocol by going back to investigate an apparently medically
ineffective chemical he had created 5 years earlier. The chemical in
question, LSD-25, was just one of a number of ergot-derived compounds
that Hofmann had created over the years. In 1943 he resynthesised the
dormant chemical because, as he later confessed, he had heard it calling to
him (Luke, 2006b), and upon accidentally ingesting a small amount, Albert
found himself having the first-ever LSD trip, during which he also had the
first ever LSD-induced out-of-body experience. I can now report that many,
many people have had one since.
Incidentally, in an article published in the conservative English
broadsheet newspaper the Daily Telegraph (2007) a few years ago, Albert
Hofmann was voted the greatest living genius according to a random e-mail
survey of 4,000 British people. And I think the profound and ostensibly
paranormal effects of LSD may be why.
It’s here at the dawning of the field of psychedelic research that we
find that strong (one could say “covalent”) bonds were forming with the
study of parapsychology (Luke, 2006a). By 1950, just before LSD had found
its way out of the Swiss laboratories, a medical doctor at Guys Hospital in
London by the name of John Smythies had begun experimenting with
mescaline (Smythies, 1987). Although it had been isolated from peyote
in 1886, mescaline had remained under the radar for all but a handful
of psychonautically curious scientists. One of the few accounts of its use
until that time was reported in the La Revue Métapsychique here in Paris by
the French researcher Rouhier (1925), who gave an extract of peyote to
six participants, one of whom developed fairly compelling ESP for a brief
period and was able to identify several objects in a nearby room.
In 1950, Smythies—who was a member of the Society for Psychical
Research even then, and he still is now I believe—similarly conducted a
clairvoyance experiment with moderate success (Smythies, 1987). About
this time Smythies also gave mescaline to his medical colleague at Guys,
Humphry Osmond, and the pair of them headed off to Saskatchewan, where

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they could conduct their research more easily. By 1952, after some further
experimentation, Osmond and Smythies published an article in the Hibbert
Journal proposing that a new theory of mind was needed that could account
for the extraordinary experiences that occur with mescaline and what they
considered to be the scientifically proven fact of ESP. The English novelist
Aldous Huxley read the article and requested that Osmond should visit
Huxley in the United States and give him mescaline (see Stevens, 1988).
Osmond, wishing to oblige, did just that, and in the wake of Huxley’s now
classic mescaline experience, the two men corresponded concerning which
name they should give such substances, and settled on Osmond’s term
“psychedelic” (Osmond, 1961).
Leading from this experience, Huxley also catalysed the
popularisation of psychedelics with the publication of The Doors of Perception
in 1954. As well as describing his experiences of mescaline in this book, he
also put forward a very simple neurochemical model of ESP, by suggesting
that the French philosopher Henri Bergson was right to propose that the
brain’s primary function was to filter out all the excess sensory data that
we do not attend to, data which would otherwise overwhelm the conscious
mind with a mass of information—information, normally irrelevant for
the organism’s survival. Huxley (1954) also added to Bergson’s notion by
suggesting that substances such as mescaline serve to override the brain’s
“reducing valve” that inhibits this sensory data, thereby allowing the
human being access to the entire information available in the universe,
perhaps even forwards and backwards in time. Huxley thereby suggested
that psychedelics could induce psi, and to illustrate this point he took the
title of his book from a quote by the English mystic, William Blake—as also
quoted by Russell Targ earlier—“If the doors of perception were cleansed,
everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.”
In 1953, just prior to the publication of Huxley’s book, another
landmark event occurred in psychedelic history. The American banker and
amateur mycologist Gordon Wasson was fresh from his first trip to Mexico,
where he had discovered both an active mushroom cult and the identity
of Psilocybe mexicana as the sacramental. The Mazatec shaman Don Aurelio
held a mushroom ceremony for Wasson and told him two important
facts about his son in the U.S. that neither of them could otherwise have
known—both of which were true, although one of which was still yet to
happen, and later did so, thereby apparently demonstrating Don Aurelio’s
accurate clairvoyance and precognition under the influence of psilocybin
(Wasson & Wasson, 1957).
A few years later, in 1961, after giving a lecture to the Society for
Psychical Research in London, Arthur Koestler was advised to go and see both
Timothy Leary at Harvard and J. B. Rhine at Duke, which he promptly
did (Black, 2001). A year earlier, Leary had begun experimenting with
psilocybin, one of the active principles in the mushrooms discovered by
Wasson in Mexico, and with his colleague Richard Alpert, now known as

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Ram Dass, they flew down to Duke in Alpert’s private plane with Koestler
on board and a bottle full of psilocybin. No fruitful ESP research came out
of that visit, partially due to uncontrollable laughter during an attempted
experiment I am told (Steve Abrams, personal communication, 14th June,
2006). Nevertheless, while Koestler had a bad trip and “lived through WWIII,”
J. B. Rhine wrote to Leary that his own experience had been “extremely
illuminating.” Nevertheless, Leary’s “tune in, turn on, and drop out” antics
soon alienated Rhine and other scientists from getting involved in research
with him, although the two men maintained an ongoing correspondence.
The sixties continued, and a number of experimental psi research
programmes utilising psychedelics popped up over the years, such as those
by Karl Osis (1961), Walter Pahnke (1971), Ernesto Servadio (Cavanna &
Servadio, 1964), Robert Masters and Jean Housten (Masters & Housten,
1966). Nevertheless, with the growing tide of the hippie counter-culture,
the widespread public use of psychedelics, and the ensuing moral panic,
psychedelics were condemned as illegal in the late 1960s, and scientific
research giving such substances to human participants virtually ground to a
halt the world over. Up until the turn of the millennium, when Dick Bierman
conducted some interesting ganzfeld studies with cannabis and psilocybin—
in Amsterdam of course—there were only 17 separately published reports of
“psi-chedelic” experiments (for a review see Luke, 2008).
Apart from Bierman’s research, nearly all of them lacked adequate
controls and so are far from conclusive, or even evidential. Furthermore,
most of those studies seemingly used participants who were inexperienced
with psychedelics, and who often succumbed to the mystical rapture of
their first trip, or else frequently complained that the repeated ESP card-
guessing tasks were too boring whilst tripping (Luke, 2008). Nevertheless,
those experiments using “experienced” participants and utilising better
methodology generally gave better results, and on the whole, the findings
of that research were at least promising and warrant further study. This
assertion tends to be supported too when we look in the literature of
personal reports of such “pharma-psi.”
Such stories abound in the anthropological, ethnobotanical, and
historical literature, and are also extremely prevalent among the reports
of the many psychedelic psychotherapists operating during the 1950s
and 60s. A review of the surveys conducted likewise consistently shows a
positive relationship between the report of having had a paranormal
experience and the reported use of psychedelics, with heavier users having
more experiences. Overall, between 18% and a staggering 83% of those
reporting the use of cannabis and/or other psychedelics also reported ESP
experiences occurring whilst actually under the influence (Luke, 2008).
Unfortunately, since prohibition in the 1960s, survey research
has been all that most researchers could do to investigate this area. All
human research effectively ended in 1966 when LSD was criminalized
and psychedelics suddenly became a dirty word in scientific and medical

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research. It’s at this point that parapsychology and psychedelic research

parted company. Parapsychologists, long suffering the brunt of zealous
critics anyway, could no longer risk tarnishing their brush even more by
associating with the likes of Leary. The few tenacious psychedelic researchers
who kept the torch burning in their field also felt that what little credibility
they had left could not be risked further by “dabbling in psi.” Both fields of
research suddenly became too fringe for each other.
This situation remained throughout much of the following decades
and it wasn’t until the mid-1990s when a few brave researchers, such as
the medical doctor Rick Strassman (2001), risked their careers to ask
unaskable questions. Defying taboo, they persisted with ethics committees
and government agencies for several years until they were given permission
to once again conduct psychedelic research projects with humans. Initially,
this occurred in only in a few very isolated pockets, but by the turn of the
millennium there were a good number of psychedelic research projects
that were starting to hatch, almost entirely for therapeutic purposes.
This feat was helped in part by the formation of organisations like
the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (acronym MAPS),
based in the U.S., and the Beckley Foundation, based in Oxford in the
UK. These organisations fund-raised millions of euros from sympathetic
supporters and philanthropists and channelled it into conducting
respectable ethically approved institutional research with substances such
as psilocybin, MDMA, cannabis, and, for the first time in nearly 40 years, a
project initiated by the Beckley Foundation is investigating the beneficial
effects of LSD on creativity and brain activity in humans.
The current situation with human psychedelic research is such
that it is experiencing the start of a complete renaissance, and there are
currently projects running at several prestigious universities, including
Harvard and Johns Hopkins, with a constant expansion of new institutions
starting research (for a review, see Winkelman & Roberts, 2007). There’s
even a team now at Yale and research planned at Oxford. This is something
truly remarkable! Substances that were demonised and prohibited for study
for several decades are beginning to make a return to academia, and not
by changing their name or their effects. Although some researchers urged
adopting the name entheogens to gain respectability, the vanguard of
advocates continued to use the term psychedelic, even though for decades
it had been loaded with negative baggage. I perceive there were two major
factors that helped bring about this positive change. The first was the
passage of time and the gradual demise of the media hysteria generated in
the sixties. The second was the persistent affirmation by serious scientists,
academics, and therapists who worked with these substances directly that
they were essentially safe and had many potential benefits to be gained if
they were used in the right way.
The salient point here is that “at the length, truth will out!” Many
people who had come into contact with psychedelics recognised their

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beneficial aspects and were willing to risk their careers or donate money
to see them researched for therapeutic purposes despite the lack of
government approval or industry funding and the active resistance to them
within the establishment. Clearly there are parallels with our own field and
a valuable lesson can be learned here for parapsychology: We need not hide
our interests by changing the names of what we do, or what we research,
but rather “speak truth to power,” and continue to persevere in spite of the
opposition, and maintain our integrity as seekers of the truth—whatever
and wherever that may be.
News in just this week is the results of a study into the benefits of
MDMA for the treatment of long term PTSD (Mithoefer, Wagner, Mithoefer,
Jerome, & Doblin, 2010). The findings, published in the prestigious Journal
of Psychopharmacology, are highly positive, but this is the first paper to report
the beneficial effects of MDMA since it was criminalized exactly 25 years ago.
In that time there have been nearly 3,500 studies that have been published
about MDMA, but none of which investigated the beneficial effects. So
clearly, we are beginning to see the start of a renaissance, I believe, in the
study of psychedelics.
As an out-and-out optimist I also think we are starting to see the
beginnings of a renaissance in parapsychology too (Luke, 2010b). Certainly
in the UK we have more university departments researching and teaching
the psychology and sociology of the paranormal than there have ever
been, the number of which has pretty much doubled in the last 10 years
so that at last count there were 16 separate universities at it (Carr, 2008)!
Parapsychology, admittedly under the title of anomalistic psychology, has
also made it onto the preuniversity psychology syllabus in the UK too, and is
now available as an option to tens of thousands of 16–18 year-old psychology
students each year. I can only see that these trends are set to continue, not
just in the UK either, but here in France, in the U.S., and elsewhere across
the globe.
So if we are seeing the start of a new, more open-minded
approach to science, then is there room in that equation for a return to
a parapsychological investigation of psychedelics, shamanism, and other
anthropological subject matter? I think there is. When the Multidisciplinary
Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) was started up by Rick Doblin 24
years ago in response to the criminalisation of MDMA, the organisation put
in its mission statement that it believed that psychedelics could be beneficial
to psychic research, among other things, and MAPS, true to its objectives, has
since funded such research (Luke, 2004, 2005). This brings affairs full circle
from the time in the early 1960s when the Parapsychology Foundation was
funding Leary’s research at Harvard into the use of psilocybin to rehabilitate
prisoners. I believe our banquet speaker tomorrow, Paul Devereux, has
something equally gratifying to say concerning the Beckley Foundation.
Such reciprocity is timely, and I think it indicates that now is the time once
again to begin asking questions about the relationship between psychedelic

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substances and parapsychological phenomena as part of a broader

research approach encompassing neurobiology, psychopharmacology,
phytochemistry, ethnobotany, anthropology, archaeology, and eco- and
transpersonal psychology.
I think the time for this is right and that we can cautiously cast aside
old fears. I was recently asked to speak at a conference on psychedelics, which
will be the first in decades to be held in a university in the Netherlands. The
main organiser, however, was concerned that I would discuss parapsychology
because it was too taboo a topic to be bringing up at a conference where
psychedelic researchers were on show in the academic sphere of this country
for the first time. I wrote back pointing out the long history associating the
two areas of research and indicating that any conference wishing to bring
about an open and honest approach to scientific enquiry should not start
by hiding anything, and so the organiser changed his mind.
So what can be learned from such an enterprise, investigating what I
like to mischievously call “para-psychopharmacology”? Well, perhaps we can
learn something about the neurochemistry underlying parapsychological
processes (Luke & Friedman, 2010), given that people generally report
far more of them under the influence of psychedelics than when not
(Luke, 2008). Any discoveries forthcoming about the neurochemistry of
these processes equally applies whether these experiences are shown to be
genuine or not, because we can learn something about the neurobiology
of paranormal experiences at the very least. Nevertheless, the state of
neurochemistry is a complex affair, and a sophisticated approach is needed
to unravel the intricacies of human-chemical interaction. This includes an
investigation of situation/person variables, such as in Nicola Holt and Chris
Roe’s recent work looking into person lability and task lability (e.g., Holt &
Roe, 2006).
There are also a wealth of different psychedelic substances, which
have been increasing in number since 1900 by a factor of 10 every 50
years according to expert psychedelic chemist Alexander Shulgin (2004),
meaning that there will likely be a jump from 200 to 2,000 known psychedelic
substances between the years 2000 and 2050. It must also be considered that
there are a wealth of different exceptional experiences that people may have
whilst on these substances; in this regard there is a lot to be learned from
the lineage of shamans who have been using these substances for millennia
and who are well practiced in navigating the altered states they produce.
From direct research and from the literature, it seems that most every type
of transpersonal experience can be had under the influence of psychedelics
(e.g., Grof, 2001; Luke & Kittenis, 2005) and these may teach us something
about the phenomena that are ordinarily studied in psychical research. For
instance, the apparent contact with discarnate entities, particularly under
the influence of one of the body’s naturally occurring psychedelics, DMT,
can inform studies into mediumship, apparitions, sleep paralysis, and alien
abduction experiences (Luke, in press). However, the multitude of these

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complex experiences means that a taxonomic approach is also required

so that we can ultimately determine which substances, under which
environmental conditions and for which people, best activate a particular
sort of experience; that is, what experiences arise out of a combination of
set, setting, and substance?
That is a lot of factors and a lot of questions to ask, so you see that
this is a completely nascent field of study, and we are wise to admit that
currently we know virtually nothing. One insight we might begin with is
that Theophile de Gautier, the founder of the 19th century Le Club des
Hachichins in Paris, not far from here, once had an experience outside of
time in which 15 minutes passed by in what felt like just a couple of hundred
years (Devereux, 2008). Perhaps an experience like that can begin to help
us unravel some of the paradoxes of time that occur with precognition.
This seems as good a starting point as any, and so, I thank you for your
patience during the eons of this talk and hope that this short journey down
the rabbit hole did not feel like a few centuries.
“Down, down, down,” said Alice. “Would the fall never come to an
end!”
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Department of Psychology and Counselling

University of Greenwich
Avery Hill Road
Eltham
London
SE9 2UG
[email protected]
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
With thanks to Andreas Sommer for feedback on an earlier draft

of this manuscript.
David Luke, PhD, is currently President of the

Parapsychological Association, and Senior Lecturer in
Psychology at the University of Greenwich, UK, where
he teaches an undergraduate course on the Psychology
of Exceptional Human Experiences. He is also
Research Associate at the Beckley Foundation, Oxford,
UK, and he is a guest lecturer at the University of
Northampton, UK, for the MSc in Transpersonal
Psychology and Consciousness Studies. He is also
Director of the Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness
lecture series at the October Gallery in Bloomsbury,
London. As a writer and researcher he has a special
interest in altered states of consciousness and he has
studied ostensibly paranormal phenomena and techniques of consciousness
alteration from every continent of the globe, from the perspective of scientists,
shamans and Shivaites.

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Mushroom Dream Ceremony intellectual arrogance of mankind who

claims the door is over there.”
A sorcerer’s apprentice guided
However, you have to be ready to
meet the entity, to be guided into the
to the unknown unknown. It can be very dangerous if you
don’t have someone to teach and to guide
Alysa Braceau you because you are challenged and
confronted with your fears.
The Sorcerer’s Dream is a true story of

Traveling into the boundless
my initiation into the Native American
unknown, I was confronted with my
sorcerer’s tradition. In this book you read
fears. The experience taught me I had to
unique steps to master the art of lucid
get rid of my fears and heal myself from
dreaming being a road map for the
my traumas in order to live my life in
healing of yourself and reaching your
totality. During my initiation one of the harmony and freedom.
steps was to take magic mushrooms
In this article I share a part of my
(Psilocybin) in a dreaming ceremony to experience taking Magic Mushrooms in
be guided to the unknown. The entity the second (out of three) dreaming
teaches you that this reality is not the only ceremony. In my book I explain more
one. This path is in the tradition of Carlos about the identity and role of holy
Castaneda (and others), he described the mushrooms in the traditional dreaming
first line of knowledge, coming from the ceremonies.
Toltecs and Aztecs. In this book you can
learn more about the feature of the Native Excerpt The Sorcerer ’s Dream/
American second line tradition: Psychedelic Experiences
Monumental Beauty.

During my initiation one of the “Sit up straight and look ahead of you,”
steps was to take magic mushrooms Vi d a r s a y s a n d m a k e s h i m s e l f
(Psilocybin) in a dreaming ceremony. The comfortable on the couch as he starts
mushroom is the outward appearance of drumming.
the entity Mateeë.
With single drumbeats he greets the

My dreaming teacher Running ancestors of the four wind directions and
Deer aka Vidar told me somewhere in the starts hitting faster, the drumming adds a
beginning of my apprenticeship that I am festive start to the evening. It completely
a candidate for Mateeë, he announced absorbs me and I drift away in a relaxed
himself in my dreaming. He would guide state and connect myself to the subtly
me to the unknown; he teaches how to changing world around me.
shift your assemblage point. The
I am flung back in time several
characteristics of the entity are cosmic centuries. It feels as though we are sitting
love, humor and beauty, he teaches you near a crackling fire underneath the vast
that this reality is not the only one. starry-sky. Our love is eternal.

“The encounter with Mateeë will
The intervals between the
give you intellectual freedom,” Vidar drumbeats become longer. First one
once said “and that’s the opposite of the second, then two, then three seconds and

VOL. 2 NO. 2
after the last kettledrum Vidar places the the floor in a flowing movement. It is so
drum next to the couch. Silently we watch amazing; I am little more than a junk,
the medicine hoops. Slowly things because I only want more.
become lucid, crystal clear even, as if a
“Oh, it’s so beautiful,” I rave with a
heavy fog has lifted. I receive new hiccup and a laugh. Vidar looks and
insights, or are they an expansion of my watches me like a happy father taking his
swirling thoughts? The latest wisdom tells child to the movies for the first time.
me without blinking why I have the “I’m always in this mood and you are
necessary confrontations and why I have learning to do this on your own,” he says
been searching all my life. satisfied.

“You’re too big for this world,” a
I am not waiting for his comments,
voice says, giving me wings. My they disturb me, I just want to enjoy
impatience, my irritations, the recent myself carelessly. With great effort I force
feeling of flying up the walls are caused myself to look whether there is more
by living in a limited world. Vidar told me going on around me. Rapidly I first look
the other day and now I hear it from a to the left and then to the right beneath the
different angle. other medicine hoops. I look again. To my

This encounter is different from the utter amazement,
latter. It is in one word sen-sa-tio-nal, I
I discover there is nothing
feel mag-ni-fi-cent with long howls, happening around me and I yell, “It’s only
marvelous, delightful. Just plain heaven. happening here!” Embarrassed I start
Like a bee rolling in honey. This is laughing at the same time.
addictive, I conclude with a growing grin.
“Correct,” Vidar says dry. I laugh
The first time I blurted out everything that even harder. What does he know? With
came to mind, but today I am relaxed, no squinted eyes I look again to the left, and
one can touch me. to the right and then in front of me

I get up and something catches my beneath the red medicine hoop and
eye! My attention is drawn to a spot in wonder why it is only happening there.
front of me, beneath the red medicine Only when I question it aloud, I realize it
hoop. Drops of ink burst into pieces on is nonsense. Effortlessly, Vidar shifts to
the floor. I gasp in amazement, my perspective, which I found out later
bewilderment and magnificence – all at when he says that at that particular
once. I wet my lips. It is fantastic to see. moment I separated reality from my
Vidar sees it too. Intrigued I look at the totality. He saw that I saw the space
spectacle that is different after every drop. surrounding the red medicine hoop had
The drops burst into pieces and quickly been fixated. What a gift. I easily
run like small insect-like species forward separated reality without having to do
to end up somewhere in nothingness, anything in return.
where the spectacle starts all over again. I
“Have you tried closing your
could watch this for the rest of my life. I eyes?” Vidar asks, trying to excite me for
lean forward further and further, if I something new.
watch carefully, minute little worms crawl

Irritated, I ignore his suggestion,
up from the floor, they are taken by a
and at the same time, I am annoyed with
glue-ish transparent liquid gliding across
myself because I am unable to speak

VOL. 2 NO. 2
without that hiccupping giggle. Once glimpse into the very real world of lucid
more Mateeë is tickling me with a feather dreaming and astral projection. Her direct
somewhere down in my chest. experiences with a modern day mystic,

“There’s enough to see here,” I grin Running Deer, takes the work of
dutifully. Castaneda one step further. In The

Fascinated I balance in a lotus Sorcerer’s Dream, she reveals unique
position on the tip of the couch. The steps to mastering lucid dreaming and
insect-like-species lead by a current of traveling to the unknown.
glue. Where are they going? No show is a Bio
match for this spectacle. Do I dare leave
this beautiful world and close my eyes? If Alysa Braceau, Dreamshield lives in the
only I could put it on hold. Netherlands (Europe), she is mother of a
7-year old daughter. She studied social

Hesitating, I close my eyes.
legal studies and the passed ten years she
“Ooooh wow,” I sigh.
is a (freelance) journalist and publisher.

The beautiful three-dimensional Besides that she has a healing practice
image of a voluptuous dancer who is and gives workshops about the Art of
about to turn a pirouette, swirling her
Dreaming. Alysa Braceau is author of The
hands elegantly above her head is awe-
Sorcerer’s Dream. The theme of the
some. She has a round face, a tight page-
passed years have been the sorcerers
haircut and a short skirt wrapped around
tradition and mastering lucid dreaming.
her muscular thighs. The image consists
She carefully recorded her personal
of fine horizontal and vertical lines
experiences which has finally led to this
against a dark purple background. Tiny
first book.
orange diagonal squares shine through
like the lights of a Chinese lantern. It
Website:http://
reminds me of Fifties Art and the dancer
www.dreamshield.weebly.com
looks as if she has just walked out of one
Blog: http://dreamshield.wordpress.com
of Chagall’s paintings. Like a camera on a
moving tripod, I watch the image from
every angle.

“Incredibly pretty. What beauty,” I
keep saying.

“You’re looking at your own
beauty,” Vidar says, as the love oozes
from him like honey.
***
About the Sorcerer’s Dream
The Sorcerer's Dream, A true story of

initiation into the Native American
sorcerer’s tradition by Alysa Braceau,
Dreamshield. The author gives us a

VOL. 2 NO. 2
The Pineal Gland: Psychic

While there are doubts as to whether one
and Psychedelic Powerhouse can consider psi equivalent to a form of
'perception', there is a considerable body
Serena Roney-Dougal of folklore which does so: the idea of a
'third eye'; or the 'second sight' as it is
(excerpt from chapter 4 of “Where called in Scotland. In Eastern (Indian)
Science and Magic Meet”, 3rd revised terminology the 'third eye' is called the
edition, 2010, Green Magic Books: 'ajna chakra', about which there is a
Glastonbury, Britain) considerable body of information. Some
modern teachers of yoga, who also keep
We are slowly but surely becoming aware of Western research, equate the
increasingly clear that an altered state of 'ajna chakra' with the pineal gland, while
consciousness is conducive for psychic Descartes called the pineal gland 'the seat
(psi) experiences. The best examples of of the soul'. Let me quote, as a brief
this are the various relaxation, dream, introduction, from a booklet written by
hypnotic, Ganzfeld, and meditation one such teacher, Swami Satyananda
experiments.1 This corroborates Saraswati:
traditional teachings and practices both
All psychic systems have their
East and West, e.g. Patanjali's2 teachings physical aspects in the body ... With ajna
on yoga state that when you reach chakra the physical equivalent is the
Samadhi so psychic abilities manifest. pineal gland. . . [He then goes on to
Since this aspect of traditional lore is discuss recent scientific research on the
yielding to experimental research, it is pineal gland and notes] Yogis, who are
worth examining other items of scientists of the subtle mind, have always
traditional knowledge. spoken of telepathy as a 'siddhi', a psychic

I am very interested in the link power for thought communication and
between psychic phenomena and our clairaudience, etc. The medium of such
physical state. The mind and body are siddhis is ajna chakra, and its physical
inextricably linked while we are alive and terminus is the pineal gland, which is
living on this earth. Everything we do to connected to the brain. It has been stated
the body affects the mind, as anyone who by great yogis ... that the pineal gland is
needs a cup of coffee in the morning the receptor and sender of the subtle
knows. My research into the pineal vibrations which carry thoughts and
suggests that it produces natural psychic phenomena throughout the
ayahuasca which is psi-conducive; i.e. cosmos.3
take us into an altered state of
Thus, folklore and yogic teaching
consciousness in which we are more suggest that the 'third eye' (pineal gland)
likely to have psychic experiences. And plays some part in the process of
this understanding helps to explain so becoming aware of psi information, but
m u c h o f f o l k l o r e a n d p e o p l e ’s what evidence is there that this is actually
spontaneous experiences. the case? For this we have to turn to the
disciplines of neurochemistry and
Folklore: East and West anthropology.

VOL. 2 NO. 2
be assimilated into the blood stream and

The Anthropological Evidence hence produce its hallucinogenic effects.6

The anthropological evidence,
The folklore surrounding the pineal gains however, points to Ayahuasca being more
greater physical reality from certain than merely hallucinogenic. The original
specific divinatory practices among a name 'telepathine' was not inappropriate
large number of as the following anthropologist's reports
South America Indian tribes. These tribes suggest:
all use a vine of the genus Banisteriopsis
mixed with other plants, in order to Among the Jivaro, it is felt that part of the
induce visions specifically for a variety of soul may leave the body, with the subject
psychic purposes. The Amazonian Indians having the sensation of flying, returning
call this vine ‘the Sacred Vine.’ There are when the effects of the drug wear off ...
hundreds of psychoactive plants in the The Conibo-Shipibo Indians ... report that
Amazon basin, yet all the tribes scattered a common function of Ayahuasca taking
over this huge area use this vine.4 by shamans is to permit the shaman's soul

Early chemical investigations of to leave his body in the form of a bird ...
Banisteriopsis indicated the presence of Among the Amahuaca 'a man's soul may
an alkaloid which was actually given the leave his body when he drinks
name 'telepathine' in 1905 by Zerda Ayahuasca'.7
Barron5 because of its supposed telepathic
properties. This alkaloid was finally These experiences are also reported by
identified as harmine, which had been the Ziparo, the Tukano and the Siona, and
independently isolated from seeds of can be considered to be fairly typical
Syrian rue (Peganum harmala). Syrian reports of what are now called out-of-the-
rue is used in Morocco to counteract body experiences. (This use of a
harmful psychic influences. The harmala psychotropic plant for out-of-body
alkaloids are extracted by shamans from experiences matches that of the witches'
Banisteriopsis caapi in Colombia under flying ointment.) But experience of out-
the name of Yage, in Ecuador and Peru by of-body effects does not necessarily mean
the name of Ayahuasca, in Brazil by the that the vine is psi-conducive, although it
name of Caapi, by the Shuar people who is a good indication that psi may be close
call it Natema, and by the Cashinahua by.
who call it Nixipae. Banisteriopsis is
The Amahuaca report not only
usually mixed with other plants such as separation of the soul from the body, but
Prestonia amazonica and Psychotria that after the sorcerer has drunk
viridis (Cawa), which have Ayahuasca, his yoshi — a jaguar spirit —
hallucinogenic properties, the active will appear to him and tell him everything
ingredient being dimethyltryptamine he wants to know, including the
(DMT). (It seems that tryptamines can be whereabouts of the intended victim. The
rather trippy!) This mix of vine and herbs Conibo Indians believe that the taking of
is essential, since orally ingested DMT is Ayahuasca permits them to see the
inactivated in the gut and the harmala supernatural aspect of nature, and the
alkaloids from Banisteriopsis enable it to Jivaro shamans believe that they are

VOL. 2 NO. 2
seeing distant persons and what they are described their visits, under the influence
doing. Normally these are people and of Ayahuasca, to the town with sufficient
places that the shaman knows, but he detail for me to be able to recognise
frequently has the experience of travelling specific shops and sights. On the day
to distant and unfamiliar villages, towns following one Ayahuasca party, six of
and cities of the whites which he cannot nine men informed me of seeing the death
identify but whose reality can readily be of my chai, 'my mother's father'. This
ascertained. These experiences can best occurred two days before I was informed
be compared to clairvoyance and remote by radio of his death.9
viewing.
[More generally] the Cashinahua

Divination is, however, the most drink Ayahuasca in order to learn about
important aspect of the rite among those things, persons and events removed from
who use Ayahuasca for healing — or them by time and/or space which would
murder. To 'see' the shaman who has affect either the society as a whole or its
bewitched the patient the Ayahuasca drink individual members ... Although in most
is used, since it is considered to allow one cases little can be done to alter events
better vision while curing and to allow for foreseen in visions, some precautions can
better diagnosis. It is also used to identify be taken ... Rarely, however, would
personal enemies and to locate the resting decisions based on information gained
place of stolen or lost articles. Shamans through Ayahuasca affect an entire
also drink Ayahuasca: village, and never the whole society ... In
conclusion, the Cashinahua use
when called upon to adjudicate in a Banisteriopsis as a means of gaining
dispute or quarrel; to give the proper information not available through the
answer to an embassy; to discover plans normal channels of communication,
of an enemy; to tell if strangers are which, in addition to other information,
coming; to ascertain if wives are faithful; forms the basis for personal action.10
in the case of a sick man to tell who has
Of course, this anthropological
bewitched him.8 evidence needs testing within controlled
laboratory conditions before we can judge
Possibly the most revealing evidence the extent, if any, of the psi-conducive
comes from a footnote in an article properties of the harmala alkaloids
concerning the Cashinahua by the present in Banisteriopsis, with or without
anthropologist K. M. Kensinger: the DMT normally present in the drink.
So let us now look at the pineal gland, or
Hallucinations generally involve scenes 'third eye,' which produces a chemical
which are a part of the Cashinahuas' daily that is almost identical in structure to the
experience. However, informants have harmala alkaloids present in Ayahuasca.
described hallucinations far removed,
both geographically and from their own The Neurochemistry of Psi
experience.
The pineal gland
Several informants who have never been
to, or seen pictures of, Pucallpa ... have

VOL. 2 NO. 2
The pineal gland is found right in the implications, so now let us look at those
centre of our brain. It is tiny, about the chemicals themselves in a bit more detail.
size of the tip of the nail of our little
finger and is shaped like a pine cone, Serotonin and melatonin
which I think is where its name comes
from.11 In general the pineal is a very The concentration and rate of turnover of
active organ, having the second highest serotonin in the pineal is more than 50
blood flow after the kidneys and equal in times greater than in any other area of the
volume to the pituitary. brain. The pineal contains a pair of

No other part of the brain contains enzymes which are able to convert
so much serotonin, a neurotransmitter, (5- serotonin into hallucinogens.15 Normally,
hydroxytryptamine (5HT), another sort of when serotonin has done its job of
tryptamine closely related to the DMT transmitting across the synapse it is
found in ayahuasca. This works at the inactivated by the mitochondrial enzyme,
synapses, and is capable of making monoamine oxidase (MAO), which
melatonin (5-methoxy tryptamine) which converts it to an inactive metabolite.
is a neurohormone. (This means MAO is the major enzyme involved in the
melatonin works both as a hormone and breakdown and inactivation of the
as a neurochemical.)12 neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine,

Whilst the pineal is right in the epinephrine and noradrenaline. Thus any
centre of the brain, by the ventricles, it is enzyme which interferes with MAO will
actually outside the blood-brain barrier cause a build-up in serotonin levels,
and so is theoretically not part of the which has been found to lead to the
brain. The blood-brain barrier is a formation of various endogenous
membrane which goes right around the hallucinogens, for example, 5-methoxy-
brain and protects it from unwanted N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeDMT), a
chemicals in the blood stream. The pineal hallucinogen similar to the DMT found in
only has nerves from the autonomic Cawa (Psychotria viridis), which is an
nervous system (ANS) going to and from ingredient in Ayahuasca.16 The Harmala
it. 13 These autonomic nerves use alkaloids found in the Sacred Vine are
noradrenaline as their transmitter. The serotonin antagonists, CNS (central
pineal synthesises and releases melatonin nervous system) stimulants, and
and other neurochemicals in response to extremely potent, short-term MAO
noradrenaline. The rate at which inhibitors.
noradrenaline is released declines when
Comparison of the chemical
light activates retinal photoreceptors and structures of various hallucinogenic
increases when the sympathetic nervous agents and tranquillising drugs, such as
system is stimulated, for example by DMT, with the structures of noradrenaline
severe stress.14 Thus the amount of and serotonin show close similarities, so
chemicals the pineal gland releases is it is not surprising that hallucinogenic
determined by light and by stress – it is drugs have a profound influence on the
turned off by both, so a dark and relaxed transmission of nerve impulses and, as a
environment is maximally stimulating for consequence, on mental and emotional
the pineal. This has all sorts of states.17 When LSD level is measured in

VOL. 2 NO. 2
the brain, it turns out that it concentrates on neurones. At a neural level the single
mostly in the pineal and pituitary glands. clearest effect of melatonin is that it
It seems as if our brains are wired induces drowsiness during darkness. Peak
naturally for endogenous hallucinogens. production is three to six hours after

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter sunset; it is a creature of the night. This
which has been implicated in a wide could well shed light on other strange
range of mental phenomena from sleep folklores surrounding psi phenomena. For
cycles to psychosis and psychedelics. Of example, many spiritual groups such as
more importance here is the fact that it is Catholic monks, Buddhists and Yogis all
a chemical precursor of melatonin with recommend rising at 3 a.m. to meditate,
which it alternates on a day-night basis. or to chant matins, or some other practice
Serotonin is found in greatest which is primarily aimed at personal
concentrations in the pineal gland and development but which seems to bring
melatonin is synthesised in the pineal enhanced psi effects in its wake. And
gland. Both serotonin and melatonin what about our own saying that 'Midnight
exhibit a circadian rhythm, serotonin is the magic or witching hour, when
concentration being greatest during the witches ride abroad'? Not to be forgotten
day and melatonin at night. This rhythm in this context is the research by Ullman,
is free-running if one is in constant Krippner and Vaughan18 concerning the
darkness, but is severely disrupted if one psi-conducive nature of dreams, which of
stays in constant light. course was done at night. All of these

Melatonin also controls eye practices, however trivial, become more
pigmentation and thus regulates the meaningful when linked with our slowly
amount of light reaching the emerging knowledge concerning the
photoreceptors in the retina, where it is pineal gland, particularly the fact that it
also to be found. There are possibly very produces endogenous hallucinogens.
important implications here with regard to
colour and intensity of light in order to Beta-carbolines, harmaline and the
induce specific states of consciousness. pineal gland
For example, some mediums always used
to work either in the dark or in red light This section is the lynchpin of the whole
because they found that the strange of my hypothesis concerning the pineal
phenomena they produced, such as gland: namely that, together with
ectoplasm and phantom limbs, would serotonin and melatonin in the pineal
happen more readily in dim light. Many gland and retina, there is another class of
people consider that magical rituals need compounds called beta-carbolines, which
specific light colours for specific effect. are produced by the pineal gland, our
The Ganzfeld used by some third eye, and which are chemically very
parapsychologists to help induce a similar to the harmala alkaloids found in
psychic state of consciousness Ayahuasca. There is a suggestion that the
specifically uses a red light to induce the pineal effect on psi functions through the
hypnagogic state. action of serotonin, which is known to be

Melatonin is a neuroendocrine most active in the pineal gland where it is
transducer, a hormone which has an effect converted at night into melatonin and the

VOL. 2 NO. 2
beta-carboline called pinoline (6-methoxy action is inhibition of MAO-A

tetrahydro-β-carboline, 6-MeOTHBC). (monoamine oxidase), which breaks
Pinoline can be formed in the mammalian down serotonin and noradrenaline. That
body under physiological conditions from is, they prevent the breakdown of these
serotonin (5HT) or as a tricyclic neurotransmitters and so cause a build-up
metabolite of melatonin.20 Mclsaac21 was of them in the synapses. It is this action
one of the first to demonstrate that that is the chemical concomitant of
pinoline can be formed in the pineal hallucinogens.26
under certain specific conditions. This has
Strassman27 has suggested that
been confirmed by several researchers. MAO inhibiters, such as pinoline, could
For example, Langer et al.22 found that be involved in converting serotonin into
pinoline was present in the human pineal di-methyl-tryptamine (DMT). This is the
gland. They proposed that it might act to visionary hallucinogen found in certain
modulate the uptake of serotonin in the ingredients (e.g., Psychotria viridis) of
synapses — which links with Strassman’s Ayahuasca. Endogenous biosynthesis of
and Callaway’s ideas concerning DMT might also occur through the
serotonin and its possible conversion to conversion of the common amino acid
the hallucinogen DMT. They also found tryptophan.28 In other words our pineal
that the pineal contains as much pinoline gland makes our own endogenous
as it does melatonin and that, at least in Ayahuasca every night of our lives! The
cell culture, 6-methoxyharmalan can be pineal gland is therefore possibly
formed from serotonin.23 Neurochemical involved in altering our state of
terminology can be very confusing so it consciousness to a potentially psi-
must be understood clearly that harmaline conducive state.
and the harmala alkaloids are all beta-
When harmala alkaloids are taken
carbolines, of which there are many orally by humans, at the highest doses
varieties with very similar properties. See they cause visions, hallucinations,
the illustration above which shows three vomiting, tremor, buzzing in the ears,
alkaloids which all look very similar. The cold sweating, dysphoria, and a drop in
first is found in the pineal gland; the other the heart rate. At lower doses they cause
two are found in Ayahuasca. bradycardia (irregular heart beat),

Prozialeck et al24 have observed difficulty in focusing the eyes, tingling,
the apparent precursor for pinoline to be hypotension, cold extremities and light-
located to the greatest extent in the pineal. headedness. All of these are physiological
They have also shown that THBC and effects caused by MAO inhibition. The
pinoline are potent inhibitors of serotonin major psychological effect of 6-
neuronal uptake and so elevate plasma methoxyharmalan is said to be akin to a
and brain levels of serotonin.25 Thus, they state of inspiration and heightened
are suggesting that pinoline, which is introspection. There is less effect on the
found in our brains in the pineal gland, emotions and thought processes than with
works by preventing the breakdown of LSD, although there is a change in
serotonin. Beta-carbolines are perception of colours, increased
neuromodulators in the sense of playing sensitivity to sound and taste, passivity
an important role in the fine-tuning of the and withdrawal.29
actions of neurotransmitters. Their main

VOL. 2 NO. 2
cells of the reticular activating system

Light-dark cycles (RAS), which is considered by Norman
Dixon36 to be central to the processing of
So let us first investigate the role of subliminal perception, and so could also
melatonin, serotonin and pinoline in be linked with the awareness of psi
sleep, since it is during sleep and information.
dreaming that the majority of spontaneous
Most people who sleep will have
psychic experiences are reported.30 four dreams every night of their lives. The

There is a nocturnal increase in dreams occur every ninety minutes
electrical activity in the pineal. Pineal through the night. Callaway 37 has
activities are driven by the hypothalamic suggested that the periodicity of REM
suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), which are sleep is due to the interaction between
linked to the pineal via the sympathetic pinoline and serotonin; that pinoline is
nerves of the ANS. Reppert et al.31 have functional in inducing REM dreaming,
found that most of the melatonin is found lucid dreaming and other naturally
in the SCN which is located very close to occurring ASCs. He proposes that the
the optic nerves, at the front of the melatonin production beginning with the
hypothalamus near the base of the brain. onset of dark affects the RAS to cause
There are specific nerves from the retina sleep onset. Melatonin production
to the SCN, so that the pineal has its own continues to a point where it reaches
supply of nerves, separate from the optic sufficient concentration for production of
nerves, transmitting information about pinoline to begin. At a certain
whether or not it is night or day. When concentration this triggers dreaming
these nerves are activated by light, the because of its interaction with the
pineal becomes dormant, sleeping. When serotonin creating the hallucinogenic
it gets dark the pineal becomes active. In DMT. At first there are only small
other words when it gets dark the pineal amounts of DMT so the dreams are very
gland starts making melatonin and short. This cycle recurs through the
pinoline. Peak levels of melatonin occur night, the increasing concentrations of
at 2 a.m., when cortisol and serotonin pinoline acting to increase dream duration
concentrations are at their lowest. I have progressively until morning arrives.
found only one reference to a circadian Parapsychologists have found that most
rhythm of pinoline, which is not very spontaneous psychic experiences such as
specific, but I assume that it too has its precognition and bereavement
peak at night.32 hallucinations occur at night and
precognition is linked most commonly

Callaway33 and Whitehouse34 have
with dreams.
both connected this rise in melatonin with
REM (rapid eye movement) dreaming
sleep. Whitehouse notes that babies, Psychosis, psychedelics and the pineal
foetuses and small children dream and This is probably the most insubstantial
sleep a lot and have higher melatonin part of my hypothesis, and I include it
levels. They are also considered to be more for the sake of completeness than
more psychic.35 Whitehouse suggests that from satisfaction that I have researched it
melatonin influences the serotonergic sufficiently, since I like the way in which
it links with the rest. Anthropological
VOL. 2 NO. 2
studies suggest that some epileptics, and

And finally, several people have
certain very sensitive people, who in our suggested that the beta-carbolines may
society sometimes end up being labelled play some sort of role in psychosis since
psychotic, are often chosen for training as they have hallucinogenic effects because
shamans, since they are considered, as a of the interaction with serotonin creating
result of their spiritual emergence DMT. An acute psychotic episode is
experience, to be linked in some special remarkably like a psychedelic experience
way with the world of spirits and psi gone wild, out-of-control and unable to be
abilities. People in possession trance also stopped. A dream can be as
sometimes appear to be in a state very hallucinogenic as a psychedelic trip;
similar to certain phases of epilepsy or of, could it be that the endogenous
what is called in the West, psychosis. And psychedelic dream mechanism in our
folklore of psychosis links it with the brains has gone out-of-order for people in
psychic. psychosis?
Melatonin has been shown to have an For more detail about this topic please go
anti-epileptic effect, epileptics often being to my web site where there is an article
considered to be seers in olden times; called “Walking Between the Worlds”
and, together with thyrotropin, is involved which can be downloaded.38
in coping with persistent long-term stress.
It is well-known that many shamans and Conclusion
mystics will undergo a rigorous training
that puts them under persistent long-term As yet there is no clear brain functioning
stress, and during this time they tend to linked with psychological aspects of
have mystical visions, out-of-body and psychic functioning. However, the pieces
psychic experiences. of the puzzle are turning up and the

Another interesting snippet of picture is becoming clearer, and the
information is that the highest information I have presented here
concentrations of serotonin have been validates a lot of folk and magical lore
found in the pineal glands of concerning psychic functioning. Although
schizophrenics. A dysfunction of central it is at present unclear as to the exact
serotonin metabolism in schizophrenia mechanism within the brain of the pineal
has been repeatedly suggested as a trigger chemicals, and their exact effects on our
for the onset of psychosis; this would fit state of consciousness and behaviour, this
in with the cyclic seasonal nature of some thesis could lead to a greater
manic-depressives. Melatonin elevates understanding of the physiological
cerebral serotonin, particularly in the process underlying certain psi-
mid-brain. Schizophrenics often exhibit conducive states of consciousness.
sleep disturbances; insomnia may be the
first symptom of a psychotic episode,
Notes
while changes in REM sleep and in EEG
patterns during sleep have been observed.
Also arousal level, thus implicating the 1. e.g. Honorton (1977); Braud and Braud
RAS, is altered in psychotics. All of these (1974), Krippner, Honorton and Ullman
are connected with serotonin and (1972). The original version of this
melatonin. chapter was published in the Journal of

VOL. 2 NO. 2
the Society for Psychical Research another. In the brain these nerves connect
(Roney-Dougal, 1989). together to perform various functions as
2. Satyananda Saraswati, Swami follows: the medulla controls breathing,
(1976/2000). heart function, blood pressure and
3. Satyananda Saraswati, Swami (1972). digestive system. The cerebellum
4. Rivier and Lindgren (1971). coordinates muscle movement. The
5. Deulofeu (1967). thalamus and hypothalamus control the
6. Naranjo (1967). passage of sensory information, and
7. Harner (1973/1978, p. 158). regulate body temperature, appetite, sleep
8. Harner (1973/1978, p. 160). and similar functions as well as being the
9. Kensinger, in Harner (1973/1978, p. seat of emotions. And the cerebrum is the
12). seat of conscious sensation, voluntary
10. ibid. movements, memory and intelligence, the
11. Wurtman (1979). right and the left halves of the cerebrum
12. Wiener (1968); Quay (1974). (or cerebral hemispheres) are concerned
13. Electricity and the Nervous System: with slightly different though overlapping
A nerve impulse is an electrical impulse functions. Thus the left is concerned with
travelling at 100 feet per second. It is language, writing, logical analytical
formed by positive sodium ions and thought, whilst the right processes music,
negative ions moving across the nerve art, poetry and global holistic type
membrane. This creates an electric thought such as dreams. This was up to
potential across the membrane which date when I wrote it in 1991 – I am sure
gives the energy for the impulse to travel that it is basically still true, but so much
down the membrane which discharges the research has occurred in this area in the
potential. There is then a lag while work past twenty years that much more could
energy is expended by the cell to restore be said here!
the ion potential. Providing the stimulus 14. Wiener (1968).
has a certain threshold strength the nerve 15. Most (1986).
impulse will be triggered. At the end the 16. ibid.
axon secretes chemicals called hormones 17. Ott (1976).
or neurotransmitters like adrenalin or 18. Ullman, Krippner and Vaughan
acetylcholine. These pass the message on (1973).
to the next stage — e.g. muscle — or 19. Buckholtz (1980); Rollag (1982);
another nerve. Then they are destroyed by Naranjo (1967).
enzymes. If they were not destroyed the 20. Pähkla, Zilmer, Kullisaar and Rägo
neurotransmitter would continue to (1998).
trigger nerve impulses and the nerve 21. Mclsaac (1961).
system would run wild. There are three 22. Langer et al. (1984).
types of nerve: sensory with dendrites 23. Mclsaac, Khairallah and Page (1961).
connected to sense receptors, their axons 24. Prozialeck et al. (1978).
connecting to other nerve cells; motor 25. Barker et al. (1981).
nerves, whose dendrites connect to axons 26. Rimon et al. (1984).
of other nerves, but whose axons connect 27. Strassman (2001); Callaway (2006).
to muscles or glands; and association 28. Jacob & Presti (2005); Shulgin &
nerves which connect from one nerve to Shulgin (1997).

VOL. 2 NO. 2
29. Naranjo (1967). Metzner, R. (ed.), Sacred vine of the

30. Rhine (1981). spirits: Ayahuasca (pp. 94-116).
31. Reppert et al. (1988). Rochester, VT, USA: Park Street.
32. Reiter (1982).
33. Callaway (1988). D e u l o f e u , V. ( 1 9 6 7 ) . C h e m i c a l
34. Whitehouse (1985) personal compounds from Banisteriopsis and
communication. related species, in
35. e.g. Spinelli (1983).
36. Dixon (1979). Effron et al. (eds), Ethnopharmalogic
37. Callaway (1988). Search for Psychoactive Drugs, NIMH,
38. www.psi-researchcentre.co.uk/ US Dept. of Health, Education and
articles/Walking Between the Worlds. Welfare, pp. 393-401.
References D i x o n , N . F. ( 1 9 7 9 ) . S u b l i m i n a l
perception and parapsychology. In Coly,
Barker, S. et al. (1981). Identification and L. and Shapin, B. (eds), Brain/Mind and
quantification of 1, 2, 3, 4- Parapsychology, New York, USA:
Tetrahydrobetacarboline, 2-Methyl-1, 2, Parapsychology Foundation Inc., pp.
3, 4-Tetrahydrobetacarboline, and 6- 206-20.
Methoxy-l, 2, 3, 4-
Tetrahydrobetacarboline as in vivo Harner, M. J. (ed.) (1973/1978).
constituents of rat brain and adrenal Hallucinogens and Shamanism, Oxford,
gland, Biochemical Pharmacology, 30, Britain: Oxford Univ. Press.
9-17.
Honorton, C. (1977). Psi and internal
Braud, L. W. and Braud, W. G. (1974). attention states. In Wolman, B.B. (ed.),
Further studies of relaxation as a psi- Handbook of Parapsychology, New York,
conducive state, Journal of the American USA: Van Nostrand Rheinhold, pp.
Society for Psychical Research, 68, 435-72.
229-45.
Jacob, M. S. and Presti, D. E. (2005).
Buckholtz, N. S. (1980). Mini-review, Endogenous psychoactive tryptamines
neurobiology of beta-carbolines, Life reconsidered: An anxiolytic role for
Sciences, 27, 893-903. dimethyltryptamine. Medical Hypotheses,
64, 930-937.
Callaway J. C. (1988). A proposed
mechanism for the visions of dream sleep, Krippner, S., Honorton, C. and Ullman,
Medical Hypotheses, 26, M. (1972). A second precognitive dream
119-24. study with Malcolm Bessent, Journal of
the American Society for Psychical
Callaway, J. C. (2006). Phytochemistry Research, 66, 269-79.
and neuropharmacology of ayahuasca, in
Langer, S.Z. et al. (1984). Possible
endocrine role of the pineal gland

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for 6-Methoxy-tetrahydro-betacarboline, Quay, W.B. (1974). Pineal Chemistry,

a putative endogenous neuromodulator of Springfield, USA: C.C. Thomas.
the (3H) Imipramine recognition site,
European Journal of Pharmacoogy, 102, Reiter, R.J. (1982). The Pineal Gland, vol.
379-80. Ill: Extra-reproductive Effects, Florida,
USA: CRC Press Inc.
Mclsaac, W.M. (1961). Formation of l-
Methyl-6-Methoxy-l,2,3,4- Reppert, S. et al. (1988). Human clock
retrahydrobeta-carboline under pinpointed, New Scientist, 119 (1638), 33.
physiological conditions, Biochim.
Biophys. Acta, 54, 607-9. Rhine, L.E. (1981). The Invisible Picture,
Jefferson, USA: McFarland.
Mclsaac, W.M., Khairallah, P.A. and
Page, I.H. (1961). 10-methoxy harmalan, Rimon, R. et al. (1984). Pinoline, a beta-
a potent serotonin antagonist which carboline derivative in the serum and
affects conditioned behaviour, Science, cerebrospinal fluid of patients with
134, 674—5. schizophrenia, Annals of Clinical
Research, 16, 171—5.
Most, A. (1986). Peganum Harmala: The
Hallucinogenic Herb of the American Rivier, L. and Lindgren, J.E. (1972).
Southwest, Denton, USA: Venom Press, “Ayahuasca", the South American
hallucinogenic drink: an ethnobotanical
Naranjo, C. (1967). Psychotropic and chemical investigation, Journal of
properties of the harmala alkaloids, in Economic Botany, 29, 101-129.
Effron et al. (eds), Ethnopharmological
Search for Psychoactive Drugs, NIMH, Rollag, M.D. (1982). Ability of
US Dept. for Health, Education and tryptophan derivatives to mimic
Welfare, pp. 385-91. melatonin's action upon the Syrian
Ott, J. (1976). Hallucinogenic Plants of hamster reproductive system, Life
North America, Berkeley, USA: Wingbow Sciences, 31, 2699-2707.
Press.
Pähkla, R., Zilmer, M., Kullisaar, T. and
Roney-Dougal, S.M. (1989). Recent
Rägo, L. (1998). Comparison of the
findings relating to the possible role of
antioxidant activity of melatonin and
the pineal gland in affecting psychic
pinoline in vitro. Journal of Pineal
ability, Journal of the Society for
Research, 24, 96–101.
Psychical Research, 56, 313-28.
Prozialeck, W.C. et al. (1978). The
Satyananda Saraswati, Swami (1972).
fluorometric determination of 5-
Ajna chakra, The Pineal Gland, Bihar,
Methoxytryptamine in mammalian tissues India: Bihar School of Yoga
and fluids, Journal of Neurochemistry.,
30, 1471.

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Satyananda Saraswati, Swami between subliminal perception and

(1976/2000). Four Chapters on Freedom, psychic awareness. She has had over 30
Munger, India: Yoga Publications Trust. years of study and experience in
scientific, magical and spiritual aspects of
Shulgin, A. T. and Shulgin, A. (1997). the psychic.
TIHKAL: The Continuation. Berkeley,
USA: Transform Press.
Spinelli, E. (1983). Paranormal cognition:

its summary and implications,
Parapsychology Review, 14 (5), 5-8.
Strassman, R. (2001). DMT: The Spirit

Molecule, South Paris, USA: Park St.
Press.
Ullman, M., Krippner, S. and Vaughan, A.

(1973). Dream Telepathy, New York,
USA: Macmillan.
Wiener, H. (1968). External chemical

messengers: IV. Pineal gland, New York
State Journal of Medicine, 68 (7),
912-938.
Wurtman, R.J. (1979). Rhythms in

melatonin secretion: their possible role in
reproductive function, in Zichella, L. and
Pancheri, P. (eds),
Psychoneuroendocrinology in
Reproduction, Amsterdam, Holland:
Elsevier Biomedical Press.
***
Serena Roney -
Dougal is one of
the few people in
Britain to have
obtained a PhD
for a
parapsychological
thesis, exploring
the relationship

VOL. 2 NO. 2
Psi and Psychedelics: epiphenomena of the brain is no longer

acceptable.
One Episode of Many Materialists who still resort to
ridicule rather than careful examination of
Jean Millay the evidence of Psi phenomena have
earned a lower credibility rating. This
We have known for centuries that the behavior automatically drops them from
mind has power to learn about things at a the status of true scientists into the "cult
distance. Up until 1974, it was called of scientism." (2)
"telepathy" after the SRI studies, it was I am now 81 years old, and I have
called "remote viewing." Many centuries spent more than 50 years trying to
before that, it was called whatever the understand the many psychic insights that
shamans of different cultures called it. I have experienced over that long period
We have known for centuries about of time with and without Psychedelics
spiritual healing. When it was done in the (entheogens). Here is one story:
name of Jesus Christ, or some other saint, Because Tim Scully, PhD, and I had
it was called a miracle. In the middle developed the "First Brainwave
ages, if it were not done in His name, it Biofeedback Light Sculpture," by 1972
was called witchcraft. Even today, some and I had exhibited it at major art
fundamentalists will accuse a healer of Museums in NYC and SF, I was invited
working with the devil, when Christ’s to demonstrate it at the Congress of
name is not evoked. So the power of mind Sorcery in Bogota, Colombia in August,
over matter, space and time. is not just a 1975. Naturally I was thrilled to go, and
“new age” idea that is struggling to prove wanted to try an intercontinental remote
its existence to a scientific viewing experiment between four widely
“establishment.” We now know for sure separate places simultaneously while I
after more than 60 years of good solid was there.
experimentation that people can see, hear, When I first saw the mamu
smell, feel, other people, places and (medicine man) at the Congress of
events at distances that the physical sense Sorcery, he was exuding golden light in
organs cannot access directly. We know his aura, so I asked him to participate in
that a patient does "feel" more our intercontinental RV experiment. He
comfortable when a spiritual or agreed (through translations between
intentional healer surrounds them with English to Spanish to Indian and back
light, even from a distance. We know again), because he said he had visions of
from the placebo studies that the patient's establishing new channels of
mind is the best healer. The evidence of communication before coming to this
mind power, even after the death of the conference in Bogota. His name was
body, is also growing in awareness and in "Seucuicui," which means "bearer of the
the scientific evidence. (1) What is the light."
real explanation for these things? The old
explanation of the mind as just an
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
*1 Footnote: The Spanish called them the Arawakans, but they called themselves the
Abintiqua.
VOL. 2 NO. 2
We went to a hillside by Lake had boards across from side to side,

Guatavita to begin our meditation circle. where the people sat with their chickens
Some took LSD, some chewed their coca and iguanas (a food delicacy in that area).
leaves, and some smoked strong cannabis, The truck bounced over the dirt road until
some did not indulge. However, our we arrived at another small hill station (or
results were spectacular, and Dr. Andrew town). From here, the only way to the
Weil published the first part of the event native village was by mule or by jeep.
in Rolling Stone (3). I have published the We chose the jeep, which was large
whole story with illustrations in several enough for eight or more people (I don't
articles and again in my 1999 book remember for sure now).
" M U LT I D I M E N S I O N A L M I N D : This was near the equinox and also
Remote Viewing in Hyperspace," chapter near the equator, so the sun was almost
3. (4) After that event, the "mamu" of the directly overhead. I was often confused
Abintiqua tribe invited me to visit his about directions, because the shadows
village in the mountains. were different than they are at our home
The small plane that took us part latitude in San Francisco, CA. Finally we
way served some sort of meat pie, which arrived at the village that had mostly mud
caused me great stomach and intestinal huts with thatched roofs. The Catholics
pain when we arrived at the little town had built a couple of concrete block
where we were to catch a bus. buildings for the school and the teacher.
Fortunately, the bus would not leave for The people were short. I am only
two or more hours. The tourist guide and 5'3" and I was the tallest person in the
translator took me to a place where food village. The women giggled when they
was served (cooked over an open fire touched my thin blond hair, and all were
outdoors). The woman who offered to welcoming, curious and friendly. The
help me looked just like my grandmother. men wore homespun sheep's wool dresses
Her compassion was in the hot tea she and special hats. They walked barefoot
served me and in her eyes. I asked the over the earth. They all carried their bags
guide to find me some of the famous of coca leaves with a gourd full of
Colombian grass or hashish. I felt that crushed seashells to mix with the juice of
since Rolling Thunder had taken and the coca. (Women picked the leaves, but
processed the bite of a rattlesnake as part were not allowed to chew it.) My
of his initiation ceremony to become a experiences there comprise an amazing
shaman, I should be able to process a series of events, not included in this short
little meat poisoning. The sacred herb report, which is focused only on the
was supplied, and we went outside to psychic activity as we were leaving. The
smoke it. I came back into the bed near mamu had asked me to stay longer to
the bathroom that the compassionate soul meet others who were walking over the
had provided for me. There I went into hills from a different village. But I had
deep meditation while I breathed deeply already planned to fly back, and did not
into my intestines, and visualized them have the extra money to make any
moving quickly. The process was changes in flight plans whatsoever.
completed happily in time to catch the When all the people settled into the
"bus." This was a flatbed truck, with jeep, we started off, only to stop on the
loose sides for people to hang onto. It road a short time later because of car

VOL. 2 NO. 2
trouble. So the guide and I walked distance is often related to some of what
behind the nearest tall lump of is already known in the brain’s memory.
decomposed granite to smoke the last of When it doesn't relate to any memory, the
the sacred herb that earlier had saved me. image is more clear without any analytic
Fine smoke. When we went back to the or memory overlay. This is the discipline
road again, we found a dewey fresh bright of accurate remote viewing — the
orange flower in the middle of the dusty practice needed for staying clear and non-
road. We had not seen nor heard anyone. attached to incoming information.
Very strange. But this is a land where However, that does not explain how
magic happens, so I picked up the flower, a patient who is “out of the body” can still
put it on the dashboard of the jeep and felt see, hear and comprehend what the
to myself "this is for the jeep." doctors are doing in live time. Medical
Immediately Seucuicui's face appeared in reports indicate that a person is clinically
my closed-eyed vision. He said sternly, dead when the markers of life — the
"you put your magic in the machine. We electric and magnetic frequencies of
put our magic in the land. THE LAND brainwaves and heartbeat are absent.
WILL WIN." At that exact moment, the When the doctors try to re-start those
jeep stopped. It had water in the electrical frequencies to bring the patient
carbeurator. We all had to get out and back to life, the patient then feels him/
walk up the hill. Seucuicui psychically herself to be back in the body after being
came with me. He wanted me to stop out of it. The patient's presence or
along the way, so I would get a 'feel' of absence relative to the body is measured
the land. As a result, I was the last one up by the electric and/or magnetic
the hill. Others in the jeep made nasty frequencies.
comments about being slow because of Physicists have agreed that there are
being overweight. I ignored them four Fundamental Forces in the Universe
because the conversation I had been — the weak and the strong nuclear forces,
having was so much more important to gravity, and electromagnetism. I submit
me at the time. Now the only seat left that there is a 5th Fundamental Force in
was in back. I settled in, the jeep the Universe. I am not a physicist,
continued, and very soon Seucuicui's face however, my years of studies have
was in my vision again. I said to him, included the disciplines of human
"Please, your magic is greater than mine. science, psychology, anthropology,
I just need to catch a plane to go home." education, art, and psi phenomena. Life
At which point he laughed as the image comes from Life. Scientists can change
of his face in my vision seemed to POP cells, but they have to start with
like a balloon. He was gone. The jeep something that is alive. No one has yet
had no more car trouble, and we made all mixed the "right" chemicals together that
our connections in time. creates a living object. Tube worms live
Suppose we consider that the mind on Sulfer at the mid-Atlantic ridge.
that can “think” co-exists with the brain, Microbes live on arsenic in Mono Lake.
but is also independent of it. We can “see” Life may be ubiquitous throughout the
and know about things and events at a universe, and it may have its own agenda,
distance that the physical eyes in the brain and chooses its own combination of
cannot see. What is “seen” in the

VOL. 2 NO. 2
interacting chemicals as needed on publications on the subject of brain wave

different planets. synchronization, telepathy, and visionary
Whereas the Eternal Essence of experience. She has taught numerous
Cosmic Consciousness may be the college classes in biofeedback and
essence of everything in the whole parapsychology. In 1971, Dr. Millay co-
universe, the 5th Fundamental Force may invented (with Tim Scully) the stereo
very well be a specialized form of Cosmic brain wave biofeedback light sculpture, a
Consciousness that becomes the device that compares brain waves
Consciousness of Life. between two persons or between one's
own cerebral hemispheres and feeds that
REFERENCES: information back as aesthetic patterns of
light and sound. This was demonstrated at
1) Millay, J. (Ed. with 55 authors) the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New
Radiant Minds: Scientists Explore the York in May 1972. Dr. Millay is past
Dimensions of Consciousness. Doyle, president of the Parapsychology Research
CA: Millay. (2010) Group.
2) Grof, S. When the Impossible

Happens: Adventures in Non-Ordinary
Realities. (2006)
3) Weil, A. "A Bunch of the Brujos Were

Whopping it Up." In: The Rolling Stone.
(October 1975)
4) Millay, J. Multidimensional Mind:

Remote Viewing in Hyperspace.
Berkeley, CA: A Universal Dialogues
book with North Atlantic Books.
(1999)
***
J e a n M i l l a y,
Ph.D. (Human
S c i e n c e ,
S a y b r o o k
Institute) is the
art director for
the development
of interactive
educational
software at
DynEd International, Foster City,
California. She is the author of various

VOL. 2 NO. 2
OUT-OF-BODY-EXPERIENCE, lecture series was named, had an interest

THE DENTIST AND NITROUS OXIDE in studies that he referred to as natural
theology. In The Varieties James
Mark A. Schroll famously stated:
The out-of-the-body experience or OBE Our normal waking consciousness,

“is the experience where rational consciousness as we call it, is but
the subject perceives himself as one special type of consciousness, whilst
experientially located at some other all about it, parted from it by the filmiest
location than where he knows his of screens, there lie potential forms of
physical body to be. In addition, he consciousness entirely
generally feels that he's in his ordinary different” (1902/1929: 378).
state of consciousness, so that the
concepts of space, time, and location But enough now of this gilding of the lily,
make sense to him. Further, there is as we turn to a discussion of my
a feeling of no contact with the physical experience.
body, a feeling of being partially
or (more usually) totally disconnected Out of Body Experience, the Dentist
from it” (Tart: 196, 2009). and Nitrous Oxide
Introduction In 1970 (at age 12) I went to the dentist to

have some back wisdom teeth removed. I
Before I begin to describe my out-of- was afraid of the pain, and while the
body experience on nitrous oxide, and to dentist and his nurse were out of the
further legitimate or edify nitrous oxide room, I turned up the gain on the Nitrous
as a means to illuminate transpersonal Oxide, and had an experience of astral
experiences, it is for many of us old news projection or the projection of my
to point out that William James' views in consciousness into another room. It is
The Varieties of Religious Experience important to point out that unlike the
(1958, originally published in 1902) were experience many of us have had filling
influenced by his experimentation with balloons with nitrous oxide and holding it
nitrous oxide (James, 1882/1969); (a in a few seconds (which produces a slight
colorless gas known for its slightly sweet experience of light-headedness), the
odor and taste), resulting in the erasure of apparatus used by dentists mixes oxygen
the usual boundary of waking and nitrous oxide for prolonged exposure
consciousness separating us from to its anesthetizing effects. To prevent
transpersonal experience(s), and his any major shifts in consciousness (while
revelation: ”There are no differences, but maximizing the anesthesia) is why the
differences of degree between different gain of the gas is kept low. I knew none
degrees of difference and no of this at the time of my experience, nor
difference” (James, 1882/1969). “The was I at all familiar with the literature of
Varieties was written for his Gifford out-of-body experience's except for my
Lectures delivered in Edinburgh in reading of the Marvel Comics adventures
1901-1902” (Miller & Buckhout: 90, of Dr. Strange (the master of the mystic
1973). Adam Gifford, after which this arts). But none of this was on my mind

VOL. 2 NO. 2
that day; I just wanted to prevent myself enjoying this sensation, when the dentist
from feeling the pain of the dentist yelled “you're on drugs.” At this moment
extracting my wisdom teeth. my awareness returned to my body to
Sitting in the chair waiting for the discover that I was moving my head from
dentist and his nurse to return, I felt a side to side, and I replied back to the
progressive numbness spreading through dentist, “only the ones you gave me.” I
my body, producing at first a slight was at this moment greatly annoyed that
tingling sensation until eventually I was the dentist had returned my awareness to
no longer able at all to feel my body. The my body, as he said: “Nurse! Who turned
first thing I noticed was that sound and the gain up on this gas so high!” I just sat
light seemed to be greatly intensified. I there, trying to look innocent as he
decided to shut my eyes as the dentist immediately turned off the gas, and gave
proceeded with his extraction procedure. me several shots of Novocaine so that he
Closing my eyes intensified my could finish the extraction.
experience of not being able to feel my When my mother returned to pick
body, and yet in my mind I wanted to me up, the dentist informed her that not
distance myself from the sound of the only would he never give me nitrous
drill. Due to the fact this experience took oxide again, he no longer wanted me to
place 40 years ago, I am unable to recall be his patient. I cannot recall what my
if I reopened my eyes or I kept them mother said to me in the car on the way
closed, but I became amazed that I was home, as my thoughts had turned to
now experiencing my conscious remembering the tales I had read of Dr.
awareness to no longer be located in my Strange and his experiences of “astral
body; instead I experienced myself to be travel,” because I now knew that such
on the ceiling. experiences were actually possible.
I decided I wanted to get further Indeed this experience with nitrous oxide
away from the sound of the drill, as my served to deepen my already keen interest
awareness moved out the door, down a in psi research that I had had since an
hallway, and into the waiting room. By experience of dream telepathy in 1964, at
this time I no longer had any awareness age six, and a profound consciousness
that I was still in the dentist chair, and I altering experience with meditation in
had completely distanced myself from the 1962, at age four (Schroll, In Press). But
noise of the drill. I was looking down at as they say, this is another story.
several people in the waiting room
reading magazines, followed by an Bibliography
awareness of moving into the coat closet.
I then decided I was going to leave the James, W. (1929). The varieties of
lobby to go outside and explore. But then religious experience: A study in human
suddenly the room began to spin, like I nature. New York: The Modern Library,
was on some amusement park ride. Original edition, 1902, New York and
This spinning sensation continued London: Longmans Green and Company.
until I heard a loud voice saying to me, “I
need you to stop moving your head, I James, W. (1958). The varieties of
cannot work on you!” I continued religious experience. New York: New
moving my head back and forth as I was

VOL. 2 NO. 2
American Library. (Originally published 3(1), 2011, the

in 1902). special 2nd
anniversary issue
James, W. (1969). Subjective effects of “Sacred Sites,
nitrous oxide. In C. T. Tart (Ed.), Altered Consciousness, and
states of consciousness. Garden City, the Eco-Crisis.” To
N.Y.: Doubleday and Company, Inc., pp. access this issue,
367-370. Reprinted by permission from click on the Table of
Mind, 7, pp., 186-208, 1882. Tart points Contents or authors
out: “This account of James’ experiences names. http://
with nitrous oxide is taken form a lengthy w w w. r h i n e . o r g /
note to an article on his on the philosophy volume3issue1/cover.htm. He served as
of Hegel, concerning the resolution of Guest Managing Editor of the special
thesis and antithesis. Some of the Anthropology of Consciousness, 22 (1),
material pertinent to his discussions of 2011 issue “From Primordial
Hegelianism has been deleted—Editor.” Anthropology to a Transpersonal
Ecosophy,” and Anthropology of
Miller, G. A. & Buckhout, R. (1973). Consciousness, 16 (1), 2005 issue
Psychology: The science of mental life “Primordial Visions in an Age of
(2nd ed.). New York: Harper & Row, Technology.” He serves on the Editorial
Publishers, Inc. Board of Goddess Thealogy: An
International Journal for the Study of
Schroll, M. A. (In Press). Understanding Feminism and Religion and the Board of
several life-transforming experiences the Institute for Thealogy and Deasophy.
evoked by a variety of healing rituals. In He has been invited to serve as Co-Editor
D. Eulert (Ed.), Ritual and healing: of the 1st issue of Goddess Thealogy with
Ordinary and extraordinary Patricia 'Iolana (due out October 31,
transformation. (Publisher unknown). 2011). Schroll is a transpersonal cultural
theorist and conference organizer with
Ta r t , C . T. ( 2 0 0 9 ) . T h e e n d o f multi-disciplinary interests ranging from
materialism: How evidence of the philosophy of science to ecopsychology/
paranormal is bringing science and spirit transpersonal ecosophy.
together. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger
Publications, Inc.
***
Mark A. Schroll, Ph.D., Research Adjunct

Faculty, Institute of Transpersonl
Psychology, Palo Alto, California, and
Co-Editor-In-Chief, Restoration Earth:
An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Study
of Nature and Civilization. He is
Founding Editor of Rhine Online: Psi-
News Magazine; he Edited Rhine Online

VOL. 2 NO. 2
Psychedelics & Spirituality complex, but a simple dictionary

definition is “the experiential side of
Peter Barrett religion as opposed to outward beliefs,
practices and institutions, which deals
Over the decades since the discovery of d- with the inner spiritual depths of a
lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) as a person” (Goring, 1992:499). It can also
mind altering drug there has been a great refer to the experience of an ultimate or
deal written on the subject of psychedelics immaterial reality; and the awakening of
and spirituality. The main claim and topic an experience that transcends ordinary
of examination is that mystical consciousness.
experiences have been induced through In an essay entitled Drugs that
the use of psychotropic drugs that are Shape Men's Minds (1958), Aldous
similar to accounts gained from non-drug Huxley discussed the use of Lophophora
using mystics across most of the major williamsii or peyote within religious
religious traditions. Various research has ceremonies, and suggested its usage
been carried out into this claim and facilitated a form of self-transcendence in
numerous writers have expressed views two profound ways: (1) it introduces the
either supporting or rejecting the use of user into the 'Other World' of visionary
psychotropic drugs as a means to experience: and (2) gives the user a sense
awakening spiritual consciousness. The of solidarity with their fellow
following is a brief examination of the worshippers, human beings at large and
claim that psychedelic experiences might with the divine nature of things.
share some of the same phenomena as the According to Huxley, modern synthetic
spiritual. substances such as d-lysergic acid
When considering any relationship diethylamide (LSD) can duplicate the
between psychedelics and spirituality it is transcendent effects of peyote. (1999:154)
important to define what is meant by these Until its prohibition LSD was being used
terms. A definition of psychedelics is experimentally in small doses by
fairly straightforward, the term derives psychotherapists. The drug was
from the Greek ψυχή (psyche, "soul") and considered able to lower the barriers
δηλοῦν (deloun, "to manifest") and can be between the conscious and subconscious
translated as "soul-manifesting". thus allowing the patient to look more
However, a psychedelic experience can be deeply into the recesses of their mind.
induced through various techniques, Huxley however went further and
including sensory stimulation, sensory proposed this deepening of self-
deprivation as well as psychotropic knowledge took place against a
substances. These experiences have been background of visionary and even
described as hallucinations, changes of mystical-like experiences, suggesting that:
perception, synaesthesia, altered states of “when administered in the right kind of
awareness, mystical states, and sometimes psychological environment these chemical
as states resembling psychosis. changers made possible a genuine
Nevertheless, the commonality between religious experience”. (1999:154)
their properties is of an alternative state to In direct contrast, in Drugs,
normal everyday consciousness. An Mysticism and Make-Believe (1972), R C
explanation of spirituality is more Zaehner argued there was little

VOL. 2 NO. 2
significant religious value in psychological therapeutic application, yet

contemporaneous solutions such as despite evidence that such substances
psychotropic drug use, although he did might further the understanding of human
agree with Huxley somewhat by consciousness and sensory perception,
suggesting: serious scientific research into the use of
psychedelic compounds has been in
...by now it has become commonplace to decline. One reason for this is provided
observe that no beneficial effect can be by Professor Griffiths of the Hopkins'
expected from psychedelic drugs unless Department of Neuroscience and
the set and setting are right, the Psychiatry and Behavioural Biology:
atmosphere relaxed and friendly, and the
session directed by an experienced “...[the] gap is large because, as a reaction
'guide' (Zaehner,1972:99) to the excesses of the 1960s, human
research with hallucinogens has been
It was on this basis that Zaehner basically frozen in time these last forty
contended the essential criteria of drug years”. (Melville, 2006:1)
induced experiences were contrary to the
practice of religious contemplatives for However, before its criminalisation, the
whom the suppression of all sensory psychiatrist Oscar Janiger gave d-lysergic
impressions was the first step on the acid diethylamide (LSD) to an estimated
mystic path. He contrasted the 1,000 volunteers between 1954 and 1962.
consciousness-expanding claims of those He was particularly interested in its
he describes as “drug enthusiasts and possible enhancement of creativity and
assorted occultists” with the spiritual potential tool in psychological therapy. In
discipline and principles of "real mystical one study with 194 subjects Janiger
experiences" (1972:99). For Zaehner, reported 24% experienced phenomena
religious mysticism is the path leading that could be characterised as religious.
from this world to the eternal world – to At around the same time Keith Ditmam
God or an impersonal Absolute. Nature and Max Hayman carried out various
mystics and users of psychedelic drugs studies into the effects and benefits of the
relied for the most part, according to drug. In one study of 74 subjects 32%
Zaehner, on experiences of short duration, reported experiences with religious value,
on sudden flashes of illumination as and 42% reported feeling they were left
opposed to the stages towards mystic with a greater awareness of God, of a
union. According to Zaehner any higher power, or ultimate reality. (Smith,
comparison between drug-induced 1964:522)
mystical experiences and religious Perhaps the most famous study was
mystical experiences is bound to be: published as a doctoral thesis by Walter
“extremely hazardous...for just as there Norman Pahnke in 1963 entitled Drugs
are 'varieties of religious experiences' and and Mysticism: An Analysis of the
varieties of psychedelic experiences', so Relationship between Psychedelic Drugs
there are 'varieties of mystical and the Mystical Consciousness. The
experiences”. (Zaehner,1972:79) research was conducted in 1962 and often
Since the early 1950's referred to as 'The Miracle of Marsh
hallucinogens were thought to have some Chapel'. The study was designed to test
VOL. 2 NO. 2
the claims of the synthetic derivative of Pahnke maintained the psychedelic

peyote as a psycho-chemical-religious- experience could be divided into five
surrogate. Pahnke's intention had been to specific types: psychotic, psycho-
investigate the similarities and differences dynamic, cognitive, aesthetic and
between experiences described by mystics psychedelic ‘peak’ or mystical. Each
and those induced by psychedelics (mind- condition manifested different phenomena
manifesting) drugs such as LSD, ranging from intense, negative, dysphoric
psilocybin and mescaline. Working with (psychotic) to those of the religious/
subjects who had some prior religious mystical in form which were observed
predisposition Pahnke used scientific within the psychedelic peak,
methodology including a detailed transcendental or mystical experience.
questionnaire. The questionnaire was It is important to note during an
based upon the following well established address to a public symposium on LSD
typology of mysticism: and Religious Experience (1967), Pahnke
stated his findings clearly demonstrated
Unity - a sense of cosmic oneness the psychedelic drug was only a trigger; a
Transcendence of Time and Space catalyst or facilitating agent. He suggested
Deeply Felt Positive Mood the type of experiences facilitated were
Sense of Sacredness largely dependent upon extra-drug
Noetic Quality - a feeling of insight or variables such as preparation, setting and
illumination the individual. Pahnke proposed content
Paradoxicality - A person may realize that of the experience was impossible to
he/she is experiencing, for example, "an predict and psychotic reactions were
identity of opposites," yet it seems to easier to produce than mystical
make sense at the time. experiences, of which there was no
Alleged ineffability certainly even under the most optimal
Transiency - the experience passes conditions. (1967:2)
Persisting Positive Changes in Attitudes In a 2006 replication of Pahnke's
and Behaviour experiment using the same methodology
(including the Pahnke-Richards Mystical
The study was placebo controlled with Experience Questionnaire) a rigorous
one group taking the placebo while the study was carried out by Griffiths,
study group took the drug. On the basis of Richards, McCann & Jesse of the Johns
their reported experiences Pahnke Hopkins University School of Medicine.
determined those subjects receiving The results were published in a research
psilocybin experienced phenomenon paper entitled 'Psilocybin can occasion
indistinguishable from, if not identical m ys tical-type exper iences having
with, the categories defined by the substantial and sustained personal
typology of mysticism cited. From this meaning and spiritual significance' in
experiment Pahnke was able to postulate Psychopharmacology (2006).
"when subjected to a scientific The paper presented a double-blind
experiment, these characteristics proved study that involved administering
to be identical for spontaneous and psilocybin under comfortable, structured,
psychedelic mystical interpersonally supported conditions to
experiences" (Pahnke,1971). However, volunteers who had reported regular
VOL. 2 NO. 2
participation in religious or spiritual Is there a correlation between

activities. The researchers reported psychedelic and spiritual experiences? On
individual events that occasioned the basis of my own research and others,
experiences with marked similarities to and upon personal experiences, it would
classic mystical experiences. These appear there are several key components
experiences were rated by volunteers as within religious/mystical experiences that
having substantial personal meaning and show remarkable similarity to psychedelic
spiritual significance. In a longitudinal phenomena; although not all the
follow-up study the volunteers attributed phenomena are present in every case. In
their experience to sustained positive mystical experience these include:
changes in attitudes and behaviour which
were consistent with changes noted and Happiness and peace beyond words
rated by friends and family. (Griffiths et Detachment from the physical
Seeing light
al, 2006:279) Surrounded by light
Sounds, the Creative voice of God
In 2008 Griffiths et al published a Encounter with the inexpressible
follow-up research in a paper entitled An unshakable conviction
The world of the immortal
'Mystical-type experiences occasioned by Certainty of immortality
psilocybin mediate the attribution of
personal meaning and spiritual Fundamentally, psychotropic drugs are
significance 14 months later'. Striking seen as the trigger; a catalyst or
findings were noted from the evaluation facilitating agent, and the experiences
of the effects of psilocybin and facilitated are thought to be largely
methylphenidate (a psychostimulant drug) dependent upon various extra-drug
when administered to hallucinogen-naïve variables such as preparation, setting and
volunteers. A significant proportion of the individual. However, it is thought
volunteers rated their ‘psilocybin impossible to predict the outcome and
experience’ amongst the most personally psychotic reactions have been considered
meaningful and spiritually significant of easier to produce than mystical
their lives. Fifty-eight per cent rated the experiences - of which there was no
experience as being among the five most certainly, even under the most optimal
personally meaningful experiences of conditions.( Pahnke, 1967:2)
t h e i r l i v e s , w i t h 11 % a n d 1 7 % , Nevertheless, the religious/mystical-type
respectively, indicating that it was the experiences produced by mind altering
single most meaningful experience and substances seem to involve a number of
the single most spiritually significant common elements with those experienced
experience. (Griffiths et al 2008:9-10) The via other means. Although, individual
research concluded that when phenomena are not always present in
administered within a supportive every case, and the phenomena can be
environment, and evaluated by the subject experienced positively or negatively. The
to have substantial and sustained meaning positive elements of a psychedelic
and spiritual significance, psilocybin experience can include:
occasioned experiences similar to
spontaneously occurring mystical Peace and a sense of well-being
experiences. (Griffiths et al, 2006:282) Psychological disassociation

VOL. 2 NO. 2
Seeing light and colours 187:268–283 SAGE Publications Ltd, Los

A sense of a revelation Angeles, USA.
Transcendence of time and space
Sounds, noise or music Griffiths, R. R, Richards W. A, McCann
The ineffability of experience U. & Jesse, R. (2008). 'Mystical-type
Sincerity of conviction experiences occasioned by psilocybin
An other-worldliness mediate the attribution of personal
Awareness of ultimate reality meaning and spiritual significance 14
months later', Journal of
Psychopharmacology xxx(xx), 1–12
It would appear that psychedelics and SAGE Publications Ltd, Los Angeles,
spirituality seemingly share an USA.
extraordinary experience, and some might
even claim the same experience. There is Grof, Stanislav.(1973). 'LSD and the
no doubt that the use of mind altering Cosmic Game: Outline of Psychedelic
substances has in fact been evidenced Cosmology and Ontology', The Journal
since the dawn of human history (Grof for Study of Consciousness. http://
1973 : Masters,1966). However, the use of w w w. w f / ~ a a r d v a r k / e e / e s s a y / g r o f /
drugs to reveal to the individual religious/ grof01.htm. May 1st 2001.
mystical phenomena is still an uneasy Happold F C. (1973). Mysticism: A Study
subject. This is due in part to the excesses and an Anthology, Penguin Books,
of the 1960's (Melville, 2006:1), and the England.
subsequent criminalisation of
psychotropic drugs. Nevertheless, various
research has suggested synthetic Huxley, Aldous. (1999). Mosksha: Classic
psychotropic drugs together with naturally Writings on Psychedelics and the
occurring substances can aid the Visionary Experience, Park Street Press,
experience of religious/mystical Rochester, Vermont, USA.
phenomena under controlled
environmental criteria. Melville, Kate (2006). Quantifying A
Mystical Experience: Hallucinogenic
References: Research Gets To Grips With Spirituality,
w w w. s c i e n c e a g o g o . c o m / n e w s /
Goring, Rosemary, (eds). (1992). 20060611022408data_trunc_sys.shtml.
Dictionary of Beliefs and Religions, October 12th 2009.
Wo r d s w o r t h E d i t i o n s L i m i t e d ,
Herefordshire. Pahnke, Walter, N. (1967). LSD and
Religious Experience, in DeBold, Richard
Griffiths, R. R, Richards W. A, McCann C, Leaf, Russell C (eds), LSD, Man &
U. & Jesse, R. (2006). 'Psilocybin can Society, Wesleyan University Press,
occasion mystical-type experiences Middletown, Connecticut, USA.
having substantial and sustained personal
meaning and spiritual significance' Pahnke, Walter N, and Richards, William
J o u r n a l o f P s y c h o p h a r m a c o l o g y, A. (Jul., 1966). Implications of LSD and
Experimental Mysticism: Source: Journal
VOL. 2 NO. 2
of Religion and Health, Vol. 5, No. 3 , pp.

175-208 Published by: Springer.
P a h n k e , Wa l t e r, N . 1 9 6 9 ) . ( T h e
Psychedelic Mystical Experience in the
Human Encounter with Death, The
Harvard Theological Review, Vol 62,
No1, 1-21 Cambridge University Press.
Smith Huston. (1964). Do Drugs Have A

Religious Import?, Ferberg, Joel, 1973.
Reason & Responsibility: Readings In
Some Basic Problems Of Philosophy,
Third Edition, Dickenson Publishing Co
Inc, Encino,
Zaehner, R. C ( 1972). Drugs, Mysticism

and Make-Believe, Collins, London
***
Peter Barrett is a meditation practitioner

with over 35 years experience. His
knowledge and understanding of
psychedelic experiences is based upon
personal experiences (admittedly some
time ago now!) of psychotropic drug use
to facilitate transcendent experiences. He
has a degree in Interdisciplinary Human
Studies and recently completed an MA
with Trinity St David's, University of
Wales in Death & Immortality. His MA
dissertation topic was an examination of
the relationship between Near Death,
Mystical, Psychotropic and Psychotic
Experiences

VOL. 2 NO. 2
In Memory of Stan Gooch not easily and neatly fit into any of the accepted
academic disciplines. He was trained as a
(1932-2010)
psychologist; but he had a strong interest in the
paranormal, which he accepted as having a
Robert M. Schoch & Oana R. Ghiocel
genuine basis, a stance frowned upon by most of
his fellow psychologists. Yet Gooch was not a
Stan Gooch passed away on 13 September 2010
classical parapsychologist either, and he
in a Swansea (South Wales) hospital at the age of
disdained many of the, to his mind, boring and
seventy-eight. Born in London to working-class
unrealistic (divorced from a meaningful
parents, and spending most of his days in
emotional and cultural context) laboratory
England and Wales (although at one point he
experiments as espoused by the likes of J. B.
traveled to the Middle East for several months),
Rhine and the experimental parapsychologists
on the surface Gooch’s life may not seem
(see Schoch and Yonavjak, 2008). Gooch was an
particularly exciting. It was his remarkable
experienced trance medium in the classic séance
intellectual journeys that distinguished him as a
sense, and he had many personal paranormal
person and wherein lies his legacy. In relative
experiences to draw upon as he developed his
isolation Gooch studied the elements of human
theories. In some ways, Gooch was more of an
personality, the conscious and unconscious mind,
anthropologist and ethnographer than a
paranormal phenomena, the mental/psychical life
psychologist or parapsychologist, but rather than
of Neanderthals, and the impact of Neanderthal
study exotic or traditional societies deep in the
culture, beliefs, and biology on modern humans
heart of Africa, in the jungles of the Amazon, in
(Gooch firmly believed that modern human
Central Asia, or in the outer reaches of the Far
ancestors, Cro-Magnons, interbred with
East, he focused on two cultures: 1) that of his
Neanderthals). He authored many books,
contemporary British society, and 2) that of the
including Total Man (1972), Personality and
ancient Neanderthals.
Evolution (1973), The Neanderthal Question
The full range of paranormal experiences
(1977), The Paranormal (1978), Guardians of
—a partial list includes poltergeists hauntings,
the Ancient Wisdom (1979), The Double Helix of
visitations by incubi and succubi, demons,
the Mind (1980), Creatures from Inner Space
stigmata, telepathy, mediumship, spontaneous
(1984), and Cities of Dreams (1989). However,
human combustion and paranormal fire, psychic
Gooch never gained the popular audience,
healing, alleged past lives, hypnosis, and
critical acclaim, or monetary remuneration that
multiple personalities—constituted the material
he had hoped for. Indeed, Gooch became
Gooch explored. He had a keen and critical
convinced that the establishment was
mind; while he was meticulous and unrelenting
deliberately ignoring him and, as he stated in one
when it came to detecting and exposing fraud, he
interview, somehow the scriptwriter of life had
was always careful to follow the narrow path
not written into Gooch’s life either wide
between blanket skepticism and dismissal of real
recognition or financial success. By the late
phenomena on the one hand and naiveté and
1980s he had all but given up his studies and
gullibility on the other hand. He inveighed
writing, and went into seclusion, only to
against throwing out the baby with the bathwater,
reemerge with one last book, The Neanderthal
and he soundly criticized the academics and
Legacy, published just two years before his death
scientists who refuse to acknowledge the
(primarily a short summary of his earlier works).
overwhelming evidence for paranormal
In the end, Gooch did entertain the thought that,
phenomena. Although he trained as a medium,
just perhaps, after his death his contributions
Gooch rejected the concept of discarnate entities,
might be widely acknowledged. This may still
ghosts, spirits, elementals, and the like as
prove to be the case.
separate and distinct beings unto themselves. He
Gooch’s lifework defied the conventional
did not view paranormal phenomena as
categories of his time, and even ours today. It did

VOL. 2 NO. 2
supernatural phenomena, and he found no strong “The alternative universe – I

should really say universes – of
evidence for an afterlife. Rather, for Gooch, the paranormal do have their own
although paranormal phenomena are absolutely laws and their own coherent
real and genuine, they are aspects of the human existence. It is the case, however,
that these in no way resemble
mind. The medium, for instance, does not those of the objective universe.
channel deceased souls or non-corporal spirits, They simply bear no relation to
but telepathically taps into the minds of those the rules of every day. This, in
brief, is why the application of
attending a séance. A succubus, to give another science and the scientific method
example, can be a genuine psychic entity, but an to the paranormal not only
produces no results, but rather
entity emanating from the recipient’s own mind literally causes the phenomena to
(Gooch admitted to being visited by a succubus disappear.”
with whom he had quite satisfying sex).
Poltergeist hauntings are not actually caused by
ghosts or spirits, but are the psychokinetic Gooch searched for the location of the
emanations of the person at the center of such a “alternative universe”, the seat of the
haunting. unconscious, the anatomical origin of paranormal
Paranormal phenomena for Gooch were phenomena, the physiological basis or
incredibly powerful, an essential part of our mechanism that enables such manifestations.
being and our universe—or as he thought of it, Gooch (1978, p. 198, italics in the original)
the paranormal defines an “alternative universe” wrote,
which exists alongside of our “objective
universe”. As Gooch (1978, p. v, italics in the “I myself saw the search for the
physical location of the
original) described it, his primary interests lay in unconscious mind as the
absolutely central issue in all the
“ . . . the astonishments of the psychological and
‘alternative universe’ – that parapsychological questions with
breathtaking world which which I was preoccupied. I
somehow exists in complete realized, too, that for me it was
contradiction to the universe our but another form of the search for
normal senses discern around us. the magical lands, Aladdin’s cave,
The alternative universe is in fact fairyland, the Lost World, the
not part of this objective universe. lands under the sea, which
It is somewhere else. dominated my childhood even as
late as the age of thirteen.”
“The notion of ‘somewhere else’ is
very hard for us to grasp, let He found his answer in a poorly understood
alone to define. Still more difficult
is the fact that while we are very portion of the brain, stating (Gooch, 1978, p.
definitely in and part of this 199, italics in the original),
present objective universe, we
are also, fitfully, in touch with that
other universe. So in some sense, "The headquarters of the
apart from being here, we are unconscious mind, its seat of
also simultaneously there as well. government, must be the
cerebellum.”
“Nevertheless, it is not the case
that the alternative universe is The cerebellum, the “little brain” or “second
mysterious in itself. It is brain”, is housed in our skulls under and behind
mysterious only to us. For our
nervous system is poorly the cerebrum. Gooch developed a theory of
equipped to understand the personality involving a duality, a divided self, or
paranormal. As I sometimes two selves in every person. The two aspects of
remark, it is not that god is
inexpressible, it is only that we this inherent duality can be given different labels,
are incapable of expressing him. such as consciousness versus unconsciousness
(although these may reverse roles during sleep,

VOL. 2 NO. 2
dreaming, trances, and various other “altered” between consciousness and unconsciousness,
states), the logical and rational versus the dream waking and dreaming, the rational and the
world and magical, or simply Consciousness A paranormal, in modern humans is also an
and Consciousness B. Effectively the cerebrum inheritance from the two lineages that gave rise
dominates waking consciousness and the to us—Cro-Magnons and Neanderthals.
cerebellum dominates unconsciousness and Gooch generalized his theory of duality
dreaming. But there is much more to it than this. even further, writing (Gooch, 1978, p. 209),
The cerebellum is primarily responsible
for the phenomena that we refer to as “Cerebellum and cerebrum,
Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon,
paranormal, and these may burst forth, female and male are all aspects
manifesting themselves even as our waking of a still larger process. This is the
consciousness may try to suppress them. So the interaction of ‘libido’ and
‘aggression’. Libido is Freud’s
waking consciousness of a “normal and sane name for the energy of the
person”, stressing rationality and logic, may deny unconscious. Aggression requires
or suppress paranormal manifestations, while a no special definition. These two
forms of energy seem to run side
“psychologically or psychiatrically disturbed” by side through all life, even in a
person may break ties to a greater or lesser extent rudimentary sense in single-celled
organisms. Libido is always
with “reality” (as defined by conventional concerned with inward affairs
waking consciousness) and thus be open to, and (rather like the autonomic nervous
even create, paranormal phenomena. In some system) and aggression with
external affairs (like the central
cases (either through training or perhaps through nervous system).”
simple innate ability), however, an individual
may be able to juggle both the rational and the This brief description of Gooch’s theories and
paranormal phenomena simultaneously in a lifework certainly does not do it justice; we
productive matter (opening one’s self up to encourage the interested reader to pursue
telepathic exchanges, for instance), or quickly Gooch’s published works. Furthermore, like any
(perhaps seamlessly) switch back and forth good scientific theory, Gooch’s ideas are subject
between one and the other. Certain contexts, such to testing and further elaboration, something that
as during a séance, in a ritual setting, or the we are actively pursuing, including through first-
active pursuit of ceremonial, sexual, or natural hand study of paranormal phenomena (see for
magic, may enhance the development of instance, Schoch and Ghiocel, 2009) and through
paranormal manifestations. the reconstruction, based on the surviving
All of us have both a cerebrum and a physical remains, of the ancient ways of
cerebellum (according to Gooch, women have on Neanderthal life, ritual, and thought (Ghiocel and
average larger cerebellums than men). The Schoch, 2011).
cerebrum in modern humans, Cro-Magnons A final comment: Stan Gooch may never
(generally viewed as our direct ancestors), and have heard the term “paranthropologist”, but
ancient Neanderthals is the larger of the two when it came right down to it, that is exactly
brains, and dominates our waking consciousness. what he was—and a first-rate paranthropologist
However, compared to modern humans and Cro- at that. We conclude with a short quotation from
Magnons, the ancient Neanderthals had much Gooch (1978, p. vi) summarizing his outlook in a
larger cerebellums. By Gooch’s theory, the larger dozen words:
cerebellums of Neanderthals meant that they had
enhanced intuitive and psychic abilities relative “The paranormal is the most
to Cro-Magnons and us. Furthermore, according glorious gift that life has to offer.”
to Gooch, modern humans are the result of both
biological and cultural hybridization between
Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons. Thus the duality References

VOL. 2 NO. 2
and Psychical Research. New York: Tarcher/

Ghiocel, O., and R. Schoch (2011). “Stan Gooch Penguin.
and the Neanderthal Legacy”. New Dawn,
March-April 2011, pp. 19-22, 24. ***
Gooch, S. (1972). Total Man. London: Allen Robert M. Schoch,

Lane. Ph.D. in Geology and
G e o p h y s i c s ( Ya l e
Gooch, S. (1973). Personality and Evolution. University), is a full-
London: Wildwood House. time faculty member
at the College of
Gooch, S. (1977). The Neanderthal Question. General Studies of
London: Wildwood House. Boston University.
As an undergraduate he earned a B.A. in
Gooch, S. (1978). The Paranormal. New York: anthropology from George Washington
Harper and Row. University (Washington, D.C.). His late
grandmother, Adriana M. den Turk Goetz
Gooch, S. (1979). Guardians of the Ancient (herself a student of theosophy), introduced him
Wisdom. London: Wildwood House (republished to alternative ways of thinking at an early age.
in 2006 as The Dream Culture of the Personal Website: www.robertschoch.com
Neanderthals. Rochester, Vermont: Inner
Traditions). Oana R. Ghiocel,
M.A. in
Gooch, S. (1980). The Double Helix of the Mind. Documentary and
London: Wildwood House. Audio Production
( E m e r s o n
Gooch, S. (1984). Creatures from Inner Space. College), is Vice-
London: Rider (republished in 2007 as The President of
Origins of Psychic Phenomena: Poltergeists, Hyperion Media
Incubi, Succubi, and the Unconscious Mind. Inc. She has done
Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions). extensive research
on Neanderthals
Gooch, S. (1989). Cities of Dreams. London: and currently is
Rider (republished in 1995 and reprinted in 2001, producing a feature-length documentary on the
London: Aulis Books). Neanderthal legacy in the Bucegi Mountains of
Romania. The documentary includes a
Gooch, S. (2008). The Neanderthal Legacy. presentation and discussion of Stan Gooch’s
Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions. work on Neanderthals and features on-site
research by Dr. Robert Schoch in the Bucegi
Schoch, R., and O. Ghiocel (2009). “Instigating M o u n t a i n s . H y p e r i o n M e d i a We b s i t e :
Chaos in Romania: Was Psychotronic Warfare www.hyperion-media.com
Used During the December 1989 Revolution?”
Darklore 5, pp. 172-191, 282-284.
***
Schoch, R., and L. Yonavjak, compilers and
commentators (2008). The Parapsychology
Revolution: A Concise Anthology of Paranormal Illustrations:

VOL. 2 NO. 2
Reviews
Spooksfest reviewed by Rachael Hayward
Dark snickleways, cobbled
streets and an abundance
of beautiful, historic
buildings made York the
perfect setting for a new
festival celebrating the
paranormal and
supernatural. Spooksfest
2011 took place over the
weekend of March 11th,
12th and 13th, hosting a
range of events aimed to
celebrate York's recently
awarded accolade of “The
Most Haunted City in
Europe”.
" Of particular interest
Left to Right: Dr. Ciaran O’Keeffe, Jon Sales, Amanda Hayward, Dr. Sean O’Callaghan, Dr.
t o t h e a c a d e m i c David Luke, Jack Hunter, Callum E. Cooper, Rachael Hayward
community were a
schedule of fascinating talks
that took place on the Saturday 12th March at the exquisite 14C Bedern Hall. We were lucky
enough to be joined by some of the leading experts in paranormal and supernatural research
from across the UK, all of whom intrigued and entertained us with their particular areas of
interest.
" Starting off the day were paranormal research group, Torchlight Paranormal
Investigations, led by Kieran, Jess and Liam. Experienced in field-based research they
presented a balanced view on the theories surrounding Electronic Voice Phenomenon whilst
captivating us with some fascinating examples that they had captured during their research.
Presented with a range of different explanations from the paranormal to natural interference
and fraud, this first talk of the day led to a thought provoking discussion from the audience.
Leading nicely on from this, Cal Cooper, took us deeper into the world of spirit voices,
exploring the unique phenomenon of “Phone Calls from the Dead”. Drawing upon his own
fascinating research as well as that of others, Cal introduced us to some incredible case
studies, including examples of spirit text and answer machine messages. I believe the
audience were all secretly hoping for the humorous moment when someoneʼs mobile phone
rang, just in case it was a call from the other side!
" At midday we were joined by Dr Ciaran O'Keeffe who presented his talk called,
“Demonology and Vampirology: Be Afraid!”. Commencing with a short introduction to the
history of demons, it seemed at first that we would be exploring the fears surrounding the
world of demons and vampires. However, in a surprising twist Ciaran then took us on a
journey through the eyes of a demonologist, showing exactly what it takes to become an
expert in this field, a surprising and insightful experience! We were later taken further into the

VOL. 2 NO. 2
realms of Vampires by Dr Sean O'Callaghan, Lancaster University, who opened the door into
the amazingly complex culture of the 'real' vampire. Looking at the extraordinary personalities
and lifestyles of individuals who do not feel quite 'human', Sean investigated the realms of
otherkin exposing the fascinating beliefs that surround these unique members of modern
society. Both talks were a riveting introduction to topics that we often associate more with the
media than the 'real' world and set the foundations for many interesting discussions following
this.
" In the afternoon, Jack Hunter presented his work exploring “The Anthropology of Spirit
Mediumship”, providing an insightful look at the history of spirit mediumship alongside its
relevance to anthropology as a discipline. Addressing issues such as methodological
considerations and the nature of mediumship as practised in society, Jack's talk led on to a
lengthy discussion from the audience about his experience in the field and opinions
surrounding this area of research. Dr David Luke, University of Greenwich, followed this
presentation with his brilliantly unique insights into the cross-overs between parapsychological
experiences and psychoactive plants. Entertaining us with stories from his fascinating
encounters within the field and incredibly colourful powerpoint slides, David brought together
cross-disciplinary perspectives to account for psi-related experiences.
" Finally, the day was concluded by Jon Sales from Investigators of Paranormal
Phenomena who took on the daunting task of discussing the controversial topic of Orbs.
Presenting views from both perspectives and showing a range of orb photos from their
investigations, Jon tackled the subject from an open-minded perspective. As expected the
topic of orbs led to an interesting debate from contrasting perspectives within the audience,
and although no real conclusion was made regarding the source of these popular 'balls of
light', Jon has to be commended for choosing to discuss such a dividing subject!
" Overall, Talks on the Supernatural and Paranormal at Spooksfest 2011, brought
together a collection of brilliant, captivating and thought-provoking speakers in an truly
atmospheric location. We were all left with new insights into the mysterious world of the
unknown, having had many questions answered it can be assured that we all left with many
more new questions to explore!
Spooksfest 2012 will be taking place over March 15th, 16th and 17th if you would be interested
in speaking at the next festival please get in touch with Rachael Hayward, [email protected].
Six Feet Over by Mary Roach reviewed by Fiona Bowie

It is always disappointing and disturbing when oneʼs own evaluation of a book is completely at
odds with those of the plaudits. When I read the following reviews on Amazon for Mary
Roachʼs Six Feet Over: Adventures in the Afterlife (Canongate, 2007) (great title in an
overcrowded market) I ordered a copy and eagerly anticipated a good read:
Mary Roach spent a year investigating the outer fringes of psychic phenomena and has
written up her findings in Six Feet Over - a book full of healthy scepticism but also honest
investigation. She seems to be a generous and open-minded investigator who does not
belittle the enthusiasts she meets and writes entertainingly of what she finds.
"Dependably witty and populated by vividly evoked oddballs... thoroughly entertaining" New
York Times "Mary Roach is warm, deliciously witty and has the happy knack of unearthing
humour under the oddest tombstones... the ideal guide for a field trip into the otherworld."
Chicago Sun-Times"

VOL. 2 NO. 2
The book arrived promptly and I turned to a chapter entitled

ʻSoul in a Dunce Cap. The author enrolls in medium schoolʼ,
which described a weekend course on the ʻFundamentals of
Mediumshipʼ at the Arthur Findlay College at Stanstead in
Surrey. The exercises described by Roach seemed to
involve basic psychometry (trying to ʻreadʼ an objectʼs
energies or vibrations) and generally enhancing oneʼs ability
t o s e n s e o f e n e r g e t i c fi e l d s . T h e ` w o r d
ʻpsychometryʼ (measuring the soul), was coined by Joseph
Rodes Buchanan in 1842), and explained in detail in
his Manual of Psychometry: the Dawn of a New
Civilization (1885).
" Roach spent a fairly fruitless weekend trying to
imagine or make up what she was supposed to see or feel,
based on cues from peopleʼs appearance, background, the
rather unsubtle hints from the course leader, and reactions of
other participants. She felt isolated, sure that she was the
only one who thought the whole thing was bunkum, delusion,
a mix of cold-reading, wishful thinking and auto-suggestion – “Six Feet Over: Adventures in
not deliberate but nonetheless clearly wrong. She concluded the Afterlife”
that this is all there is to be said on the subject – not exactly Author: Mary Roach
what I could call an open-minded investigation. The chapter Pub: Canongate
struck me as crass, poorly researched and superficial, aiming ISBN: 9781847670809
at quick laughs, often at the expense of others. It depressed Price: £8.99
me and left a bad taste in the mouth – I tried to work out why.
" First of all, my own readings and investigations do not
point to a world in which dopy New Agers believe everything they see and hear. Many of
those who spend a lot of their time around mediums and psychics are the most skeptical and
critical of such phenomena – they are well aware that there is ample room for self-deception,
fraud, poor practice and inflated claims. Gordon Smith describing his own development circles
gives many examples of supposed mediumship which he regarded as nothing of the sort, and
advocates a good sense of humour as essential. Raymond Brown similarly has tales of
mediums who did not seem to be communicating anything more than their own egos, and
others who were clearly exploitative. For a newcomer to the field this level of skepticism can
be unsettling as one is warned that genuine, high quality mediumship and clairvoyance are
rather rare, and that even the best have their off days.
" Secondly, the extent to which we want to please, pick up cues and ʻlearn the languageʼ
of the environment we are in should be a factor in assessing the experience, not a reason for
rejecting it. Thomas Csordas, using the work of Merleau Ponty, has written most interestingly
of his experience of fieldwork among Roman Catholic charismatics, describing the ways in
which they unconsciously learn the appropriate body language when responding to the
workings of the Holy Spirit. Accomplished mediums and their discarnate interlocutors stress
that they work with and through the thought processes of the medium. Where the line lies
between unconscious conformity to expectations and any exterior spirit presence may be hard
to determine, but evidential information can sometimes give us a hint, or may indeed be
overwhelming. Brian Weiss was convinced that his patient ʻCatherineʼ was channeling a
genuine source of external knowledge when, under hypnosis, she revealed details of his sonʼs
illness and his father that was specific, detailed and unknown to anyone outside the
immediate family.
" The third factor in my disappointment at Roachʼs quick and easy dismissal of psi/
mediumship was that her experience was contrary to my own encounter with the world of

VOL. 2 NO. 2
psychometry and energetic communication. This took the form of two one day workshops at
the College of Psychic Studies in London and a one-day seminar with Brian Weiss. On all
three occasions there were some simple exercises in which we tried to pick up information
from a fellow participant using some sort of ESP and/or from an object. I consider myself to be
sensitive to places – long before these recent excursions, in fact for as long as I remember, I
have used the term ʻspirit of placeʼ when referring to my feelings about a physical location. I
have never, however, seen a ghost, or wanted to. The many examples I can think of telepathy,
déjà vu, lucid dreaming or dream encounters with loved ones – dead and alive, I do not
necessarily class as psychic, so commonplace and open to varied interpretation are they. The
first of the College of Psychic Studies workshops I attended on ʻContacting your Spirit Guideʼ
was preceded by an evening of clairvoyance with one of the Collegeʼs top psychics. I was
offered a reading which left me extremely unimpressed, in fact his hit rate that evening at
least seemed little better than 50/50, if that, in terms of people being able to ʻownʼ the
information offered. Most of it was very general and no proper names were given. I was, if
anything, in a more skeptical mood than I might otherwise have been when approaching the
first workshop. Nevertheless, my experience of all three workshops has convinced me that we
have and can use abilities beyond ordinary sensory perception, even if we donʼt develop them
consciously, or even block them out much of the time. I was taught to douse for water by a RC
priest in Cameroon, and the experience at these workshops was comparable. If one stops
trying to make something happen, and just relaxes and ʻtunes inʼ with an open mind (and
heart), the impressions begin to flow. For those who reply, as Roach did, that they have no
idea what this tuning in might entail, I would liken it to those visual exercises in which you
have to train your brain to see a flat picture in 3D and previously hidden objects appear. All
you can do is follow the instructions and at a certain point you step into that previously
invisible world, which for a while at least becomes quite solid and robust. Almost everyone
can achieve the required result with persistence, although some of us are much better at it
than others.
Fiona Bowie

VOL. 2 NO. 2
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VOL. 2 NO. 2
D&PC 110633 12/10
Daimonic Imagination:
Uncanny Intelligence
A two-day conference
es 10.30am Fri 6th May to 5.30pm Sat 7th May 2011
Grimond Building, University of Kent
The Centre for the Study of Myth
Visit
http://www.kent.ac.uk/secl/researchcentres/myth/events/daimonic/cfp.html
For more information

VOL. 2 NO. 2
Exploring the Extraordinary

3rd Conference
Friday 23rd - Sunday 25th September, 2011
Holiday Inn Hotel, York
Since its inception in 2007, members of Exploring the Extraordinary

have organised two very successful academic conferences that have
brought together researchers from a variety of different disciplines and
backgrounds. The purpose of these events has been to encourage a
wider dissemination of knowledge and research, and an
interdisciplinary discussion of extraordinary phenomena and
experience. By 'extraordinary' we refer to phenomena and
experiences that are considered to be beyond the mundane, referring
to those that have been called supernatural, paranormal,
mystical, transcendent, exceptional, spiritual, magical and/or religious,
as well as the relevance of such for human culture.
Keynote Speakers:
Prof Charles Emmons

Dr Serena Roney-Dougal
Visit:
www.etenetwork.weebly.com
for more information

VOL. 2 NO. 2
!"#$%&'(!
)%*+,-!-./+%
0112&34456
VOL. 2 NO. 2
!"# $%$&"'
THE ACID DIARIES
A Psychonaut's Guide to the History and Use of LSD
Christopher Gray £14.99 978 -5947-73839 Pb
November 2010
In THE ACID DIARIES, Gray details his experimentation with LSD over a period of three years
and shares the startling realisation that his visions were weaving an ongoing story from trip to
trip, revealing an underlying reality of personal and spiritual truths. Following the theories of
Stanislav Grof and offering quotes from others' experiences that parallel his own—including
those of Aldous Huxley, Albert Hofmann, and Gordon Wasson—he shows that trips progress
through three stages: the first dealing with personal issues and pre-birth consciousness; the
second with ego-loss, often with supernatural overtones; and the third with sacred, spiritual,
and even apocalyptic themes. Pairing his experiences with an exploration of psychedelic use throughout history, including
the ergot-spawned mass hallucinations that were common through the Middle Ages and the early use of LSD for therapeutic
purposes, Gray offers readers a greater understanding and appreciation for the potential value of LSD not merely for
THE POT BOOK

The Complete Guide to the Risks and Benefits of Cannabis
Julie Holland £16.99 978-15947-73686 Pb
November 2010
Encompassing the broad spectrum of marijuana knowledge from stoner customs to scientific
research, this book investigates the top ten myths of marijuana; its physiological and psycho-
logical effects; its risks; why joints are better than water pipes and other harm-reduction tips
for users; how humanity and cannabis have co-evolved for millennia; the brain's cannabis-
based neurochemistry; the complex politics of cannabis law; its potential medicinal uses for
cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, and other illnesses; its role in creativity, busi-
ness, and spirituality; and the complicated world of pot and parenting. As legalisation be-
comes a reality, this book candidly offers necessary facts and authoritative opinions in a
society full of marijuana myths, misconceptions, and stereotypes.
RELIGION OF AYAHUASCA
The Teachings of the Church of Santa Daime
Alex Polari de Alverga £14.99 978-15947-73983 Pb
November 2010
THE RELIGION OF AYAHUASCA is a story of a classic spiritual encounter comparable to the
Tibetan Saint Milarepa's search for his teacher Marpa. It is also an intimate account of the
genesis of an important religious tradition from its modest beginnings in Brazil to its growth
throughout the world, offering an inside look at the spiritually centred village of Mapiá—a
model for communities in the 21st century—and at the religious leader who helped create it.
Providing insight into the spiritual path the Daime offers, Alverga's tale reveals the new
depths of being made available through the sacred use of ayahuasca.
PSYCHEDELIC HEALING
The Promise of Entheogens for Psychotherapy and Spiritual Development
Neal M. Goldsmith £14.99 978-15947-72504 Pb
January 2011
THE RELIGION OF AYAHUASCA is a story of a classic spiritual encounter comparable to the
Tibetan Saint Milarepa's search for his teacher Marpa. It is also an intimate account of the
genesis of an important religious tradition from its modest beginnings in Brazil to its growth
throughout the world, offering an inside look at the spiritually centred village of Mapiá—a
model for communities in the 21st century—and at the religious leader who helped create it.
Providing insight into the spiritual path the Daime offers, Alverga's tale reveals the new
depths of being made available through the sacred use of ayahuasca.

VOL. 2 NO. 2
ANIMALS AND PSYCHEDELICS

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The Natural World and its Instinct to Alter Consciousness
Giorgio Samorini £10.99 ISBN 978 089281 986 7
From caffeine-dependent goats to nectar addicted ants, the animal kingdom offers amazing examples of wild animals and insects
seeking out and consuming the psychoactive substances in their environments. Author Giorgio Samorini explores this little-known
phenomenon and suggests that, far from being confined to humans, the desire to experience altered states of consciousness is a natural
drive shared by all living beings and that animals engage in these behaviours deliberately.
The author's fascinating accounts of mushroom-loving reindeer, intoxicated birds, and drunken elephants ensure that readers will nev-
er view the animal world in quite the same way again.
AYAHUASCA READER
Encounters with the Amazons Sacred
Luis Eduardo Luna and Steven F. White 978 090779 132 4 £26.00
Ayahuasca is a sacred drink used for millennia by numerous indigenous groups primarily in the Upper Amazon and Orinoco basins for
divination healing& other cosmogonic/shamanic purposes.The Ayahuasca Reader is a panorama of texts translated from nearly a dozen
languages on the ayahuasca experience. These include indigenous mythic narratives and testimonies religious hymns as well as
narratives related by western travelers scientists and writers who have had contact with ayahuasca in different contexts.
AYAHUASCA
The Visionary and Healing Powers of the Vine of the Soul
Joan Parisi Wilcox £14.99 ISBN 978 089281 131 1
AYAHUASCA is an autobiographical account of the author's work with ayahuasca, a potent and sacred plant brew of the Amazon re-
gion that is known for its extraordinary visionary and healing powers. As she learned from her experience, with the help of ayahuasca
we are able to grasp our paradoxical nature, the first step to acceptance of ourselves in both our glorious and dark aspects. Ayahuasca
teaches us how to release the illusions we hold about ourselves and makes it possible to integrate our many diverse aspects to acquire
our true power.
This book reveals the ritual protocols that must be followed prior to partaking of ayahuasca, including the traditional preparatory
"diet"--which requires enduring austere conditions, isolation and only small amounts of bland food before receiving the powers of the
plant spirit from an ayahuasquero, a healing master-and the sacred songs, icaros, that are sung when imbibing the substance.
BIRTH OF A PSYCHEDELIC CULTURE

Conversations about Leary, the Harvard Experiments, Millbrook and the Sixties
Ram Dass and Ralph Metzner - With Gary Bravo £26.00 ISBN 978-09077-91386
BIRTH OF A PSYCHEDELIC CULTURE shines a bright light on the exploratory culture of the time and experiments undertaken
by Professors Timothy Leary, Richard Alpert (Ram Dass) and, then-graduate student, Ralph Metzner. Based on a series of recent
(2003 to 2005) conversations between the survivors of that distinguished trio, Metzner and Alpert, facilitated by psychiatrist/writer
Gary Bravo, the book describes their initial experiments with mind-altering substances while at Harvard. It goes on to cover
experiments they conducted after being dismissed from Harvard, their trips to India and their reflections looking back through time
at all of the above. It is filled with intriguing photographs marking and illuminating the events brought to life through the text.
BRIEF HISTORY OF DRUGS

From the Stone Age to the Stoned Age
Antonio Escohotado £10.99 ISBN 978 089281 826 6
From remotest antiquity to the present era of designer drugs and interdiction, drugs have played a prominent role in the cultural, spirit-
ual and social development of civilisations. Antonio Escohotado demonstrates how the history of drugs illuminates the history of hu-
manity as he explores the long relationship between mankind and mind-altering substances. Hemp, for example, has been used in
India since time immemorial to stimulate mental agility and sexual prowess.
Professor Escohotado, also, looks at the present-day differences that exist between the more drug-tolerant societies like Holland and
Switzerland and countries advocating complete repression of these substances. The choice we face today is to teach people how to use
drugs correctly or to continue to indiscriminately demonise them. "Just say no" the author says, is not an option. Just say "know" is.
CELTIC PLANT MAGIC

A Workbook for Alchemical Sex Rituals
Jon Hughes £16.99 ISBN 978 089281 924 9
In this first-ever working guide to the principles, processes, and practical application of druidic plant magic, Jon G. Hughes shares the
combined wisdom of his ancestral lineage. CELTIC PLANT MAGIC includes basic alchemical theory, instructions for creating all
necessary tools, descriptions of magical compounds and their uses, and how to prepare oneself for working with plant essences. The
healing and magical properties of more than 70 plants and trees are provided. The author then applies this information to a Celtic sex
ritual, demonstrating how these compounds are used in specific magic and ritual practices.
CELTIC PLANT MAGIC is a valuable manual for anyone wishing to harness the magical potential of plant energy.

VOL. 2 NO. 2
DMT : THE SPIRIT MOLECULE

A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Out-of-Body, Near-Death and
Mystical Experiences
Rick Strassman £14.99 ISBN 978 089281 927 0
From 1990 to 1995 Dr. Rick Strassman conducted clinical research at the University of New Mexico in which he injected sixty
volunteers with DMT, one of the most powerful psychedelics known. His detailed account of those sessions is a riveting inquiry into
the nature of the human mind and the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. DMT, a plant-derived chemical that is, also, manufactured
by the human brain, consistently produced out-of-body, near-death and mystical experiences. Many volunteers reported convincing
encounters with intelligent nonhuman presences : angels, aliens and spirits. Nearly all felt that the sessions were among the most
profound experiences of their lives.
Strassman also believes that alien abduction experiences are brought on by accidental releases of DMT. If used wisely, DMT could
trigger a period of remarkable progress in the scientific exploration of the most mystical regions of the human mind and soul.
DRUGS OF THE DREAMING

Oneirogens: Salvia Divinorum and Other dream Enhancing Plants
Toro & Thomas £10.99 ISBN 978 159477 174 3
For centuries shamans have employed oneirogens in finding meaning and healing in their dreams. Includes extensive monographs on dream-
enhancing substances derived from plant animal and human sources. Presents the results of scientific experiments on the effects of using
oneirogens . Shows how studies in this area of ethnobotany can yield a scientific understanding of the mysterious mechanism of dreams .
DRUGS OF THE DREAMING details the properties and actions of these dream allies establishing ethnobotanical profiles for 35 oneirogens
including those extracted from organic sources - such as Calea zacatechichi (dream herb or leaf of the god) Salvia divinorum and a variety of
plants from North and South America and the Pacific used in shamanic practices - as well as synthetically derived oneirogens. They explain
the historical use of each oneirogen its method of action and what light it sheds on the scientific mechanism of dreaming. They conclude that
oneirogens enhance the comprehensibility and facility of the dream/dreamer relationship and hold a powerful key for discerning the
psychological needs and destinies of dreamers in the modern world.
ECSTASY : THE COMPLETE GUIDE

A Comprehensive Look at the Risks and Benefits of MDMA
Julie Holland £23.00 ISBN 978 089281 857 0
Use of the drug ecstasy, once confined to the teen rave scene and college campuses, is exploding across the World, from secondary
schools to nightclubs. Described by users as the most intense euphoria they know and by detractors as a cause of brain damage and
even death, ecstasy has generated unprecedented levels of interest--and misinformation.
ECSTASY: THE COMPLETE GUIDE takes the first unbiased look at the risks and the benefits of this unique drug, including the
science of how it works; its promise as a treatment for depression, post-traumatic stress disorders and other mental illnesses; and how
to minimize the risks of use. Whether you are a raver yourself, a concerned parent or a professional wanting the most recent reports
on ecstasy research, ECSTASY: THE COMPLETE GUIDE provides the answers you need.
The world's leading experts on Ecstasy assess its therapeutic potential, social implications, and the dangers of unsupervised use.
An ideal guide for parents and educators seeking a credible source of information.
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PSYCHOACTIVE PLANTS (HB)

Ethnopharmacology And Its Applications
Christian Rätsch £108.00 ISBN 978 089281 978 2
Christian Rätsch details the botany, history, distribution, cultivation and preparation of more than 400 hallucinogens. He discusses
their ritual and medicinal usage, cultural artefacts made from these plants and works of art that either represent or have been inspired
by them. The author begins with 168 of the most well-known psychoactives - such as cannabis, datura and papaver - then presents
133 lesser known substances as well as additional plants known as "legal highs"; plants known only from mythological contexts and
literature; and plant products that include substances such as ayahuasca, incense and soma. The text is lavishly illustrated with 800
colour photographs - many of which are from the author's extensive fieldwork around the world - showing the people, ceremonies and
art related to the ritual use of the world's sacred psychoactives.
FOREST OF VISIONS
Alex Polari de Alverga £14.99 ISBN 978 089281 716 0
Alex Polari de Alverga spent years as a political prisoner during the rule of the military junta in Brazil, enduring torture, brutality, and
deprivation. On his release from captivity and in search of something to restore his spiritual connection to life, he had a transformative
encounter with one of the two revered founders of Santo Daime, Padrinho Sebastiao Mota de Mela. Santo Daime--an Amazonian reli-
gion, born out of jungle entheogens, mediumship, and healing, that is a potent and unique synthesis of Christianity and indigenous
practices--provided Alverga with an alternative to his disillusionment with modern society. His quest for spiritual initiation eventually
led him deep into the heart of the rainforest to Mapia, one of the spiritual centers of Santo Daime, where he became a teacher and
leader of the Daime community.
FOREST OF VISIONS is a story of a classic spiritual encounter comparable to the Tibetan Saint Milarepa's search for his teacher
Marpa. It is also an intimate account of the genesis of an important religious tradition that from modest beginnings in Brazil has now
spread throughout the world and continues to grow.
GREAT BOOK OF HEMP

Rowan Robinson £16.99 ISBN 978 089281 541 8
Cannabis sativa has been called the world's most versatile plant. Materials made from hemp fiber have been discovered in tombs
dating back to before 7000 BC. During the Middle Ages hemp was used to treat fevers, insomnia, and malaria. Columbus's ships had
sails of hemp, and during colonial times it was universally grown because its strong fibers made superior ropes, sails, cloth, and
paper. In fact, hemp was used for money in most of the Americas from 1631 until the early 1800s, and the original drafts of the
Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written on hemp paper.
As a food, the oil from hemp seeds has the highest percentage of essential fatty acids and the lowest percentage of saturated fats. Brit-
ain and Canada have recently lifted bans on growing industrial hemp and today it is reappearing in the marketplace in an amazing ar-
ray of products: from lip-salve, jeans, salad oil, and cheese to paper products, composite fiberboard, and biomass fuel.

VOL. 2 NO. 2
HALLUCINOGENS
A Reader
Charles Grob £14.99 ISBN 978 158542 166 4
It's been forty years since Timothy Leary sat beside a swimming pool in Cuernavaca, Mexico, ingested several grams of the genus
'Stropharia cubensis', and experienced a dazzling display of visions that lead him to herald the dawning of a New Age. And yet, from
the counterculture movement of the 1960's, through the War on Drugs, to this very day, the world at large has viewed hallucinogens
not as a gift but as a threat to society.
In HALLUCINOGENS, Charles Grob surveys recent writings from such important thinkers as Terence McKenna, Huston Smith, and
Andrew Weil, illustrating that a re-evaluation of the social worth of hallucinogens - used intelligently – is greatly in order.
HEMP COOKBOOK
From Seed To Shining Seed
Todd Dalotto £12.99 ISBN 978 089281 787 0
In The Hemp Cookbook, Todd Dalotto serves up a tantalizing smorgasbord of recipes that combine the unique nutritional advantages of
hemp seed with other vitamin- and mineral-rich foods, creating one of the healthiest and most original cookbooks ever offered. With
chapters providing complete nutritional information on hemp seed, a culinary history of cannabis around the world, a listing of sources for
hemp foods, and instructions for creating your own hemp oils, flours, milks, and butters, The Hemp Cookbook is the first and last word on
cannabis cuisine.
HEMP FOR HEALTH

The Medicinal and Nutritional uses of Cannabis Sativa
Conrad £14.99 ISBN 978 089281 539 5
A guide to the numerous healing and nutritional benefits of hemp that have doctors throughout the world calling for its legalisation. Hemp
Cannabis sativa is one of the world's oldest sources of food and medicine with a history that dates back ten thousand years. It relieves
glaucoma epilepsy migraines insomnia asthma the nausea associated with AIDS and chemotherapy and a host of other illnesses. A
traditional homeopathic remedy it was once a staple in every medicine cabinet. Because hemp is a plant from which marijuana is derived it
has been unavailable to consumers until recently. It is the most perfect source of protein in the vegetable kingdom and it is being used in a
wide range of foods including biscuits vegetable burgers and even ice cream. HEMP FOR HEALTH reveals the developments that have
returned this ancient plant to the forefront of health and nutrition and that have doctors calling for its legalisation. The author provides
everything from recipes using hemp seed to an analysis of cannabis's therapeutic effect on the nervous system.
THE HEMP MANIFESTO

Rowan Robinson £7.99 ISBN 978 089281 728 3
All around the globe this miracle plant is creating industries for food fuel clothing housing and paper that are beneficial to both humanity
and the environment. Included in this book are all the most surprising facts written about the plant including how the Declaration of Inde-
pendence was written on hemp paper; how hemp seeds are the most complete source of protein and essential fatty acids known in the vegeta-
ble kingdom.
· Lists 108 ways that hemp is making a positive impact on society.
· Printed on hemp paper.
· By the author of THE GREAT BOOK OF HEMP.
· Gives people their most important weapon in the fight for a healthy future: the truth.
IBOGA
The Visionary Root of African Shamanism
Ravalec, Mallendi and Paicheler Pb £15.99 ISBN 978 159477 176 7 Publishing 25/01/2008
Iboga, spiritual ally of African shamans since antiquity, yields ibogaine, a powerful psychotropic substance. It is used mainly in Ga-
bon and Cameroon in a secret, initiatory tradition called bwiti-nganza, in which physical and psychological illnesses can be rooted out
and cured. Intense psychological conditioning that includes the rites of confession, contacting and honouring one's ancestors and con-
struction of an in-depth psychological inventory are all part of the initiate's encounter with this sacred root.
To the followers of the Bwiti religion, ibogaine is the indispensable means by which humans can truly communicate with the deepest
reaches of their soul and with the spirits of their ancestors. This book details the traditions and techniques of iboga's use by African
shamans and the essential role it occupies in that community in order both to preserve this knowledge and to show how ibogaine may
have an important role to play in our modern world.
INNER PATHS TO OUTER SPACE

Journeys to Alien Worlds through Psychedelics and Other Spiritual Technologies
Rick Strassman, Slawek Wojtowicz, Luis Eduardo Luna and Ede Frecska. £16.99 ISBN 978-159477-224-5
For thousands of years, voyagers of inner space - spiritual seekers, shamans and psychoactive drug users - have returned from their in-
ner imaginal travels reporting encounters with alien intelligences. INNER PATHS TO OUTER SPACE presents an innovative exami-
nation of how we can reach these other dimensions of existence and contact otherworldly beings. Based on their more than 60
combined years of research into the function of the brain, the authors reveal how psychoactive substances, such as DMT, allow the
brain to bypass our five basic senses to unlock a multidimensional realm of existence where otherworldly communication occurs. They
contend that our centuries-old search for alien life-forms has been misdirected and that the alien worlds reflected in visionary science
fiction actually mirror the inner space world of our minds. The authors show that these “alien” worlds encountered through altered
states of human awareness, either through the use of psychedelics or other methods, possess a sense of reality as great as, or greater
than, those of the ordinary awareness perceived by our five senses.

VOL. 2 NO. 2
INTOXICATION
The Universal Pursuit of Mind-Altering Substances
Ronald Siegel £15.99 ISBN 978 159477 069 2
In INTOXICATION Siegel draws upon his 20 years of groundbreaking research to provide countless examples of the intoxication urge
in humans, animals, and even insects. The detailed observations of his so-called psychonauts - study participants trained explicitly to
describe their drug experiences - as well as numerous studies with animals have helped him to identify the behaviour patterns induced
by different intoxicants. Presenting his conclusions on the biological as well as cultural reasons for the pursuit of intoxication and show-
ing that personality and guidance often define the outcome of a drug experience, Siegel offers a broad understanding of the intoxication
phenomenon as well as recommendations for curbing the negative aspects of drug use in Western culture by designing safe intoxicants.
JAGUAR THAT ROAMS THE MIND

An Amazonian Plant Spirit Odyssey
Robert Tindall Pb £15.99 ISBN 978-159477-254-2
THE JAGUAR THAT ROAMS THE MIND is a journey into the vanishing world of Amazonian shamanism - an adventure of
initiation and return - that explores the unique reality at the heart of the Amazonian healing system. Robert Tindall shares his journeys
through the inner and outer landscape of the churches of ayahuasca and with the Kaxinawa Indians in Brazil; his experiences at the
pioneering centre for the treatment of addiction, Takiwasi, in Peru; and his studies with an Ashaninca master shaman deep in the
rainforest jungle.
Through trials and revelations, the subtle inner logic of indigenous healing unfolds for him, including the “miraculous” healing of a
woman suffering from a brain tumour. Culminating in a ceremony fraught with terror yet ultimately enlightening, Tindall's journey
reveals the crucial component missing from the metaphysics of the West: the understanding and appreciation of the sentience of nature
itself.
KAVA - MEDICINE HUNTING IN PARADISE

The Pursuit of a Natural Alternative to Anti-Anxiety Drugs and Sleeping Pills
Chris Kilham £10.99 ISBN 978 089281 640 8
Kava, Piper methysticum, is the most effective relaxing and stress-relieving plant in all of nature. This book is the tale of plant re-
searcher Chris Kilham's investigations into this plant and his far-ranging explorations deep in the South Pacific in search of a source
of kava. Kilham takes the reader on an adventurous journey through the mystical native legends, outlandish history and exciting sci-
ence surrounding this potent plant. A story replete with pulpit-pounding missionaries, kava-drinking natives, sorcerers, a mysterious
Tahitian prince and the author's own humorous outlook amidst difficult and perilous circumstances.
Kava is poised to become an important - and now readily available - natural alternative to stress-relieving drugs.
KAVA THE PACIFIC ELIXIR

Lebot/Merlin/Li £16.99 ISBN 978 089281 726 9
The most comprehensive book ever written on nature's most effective stress-relieving plant.
This complete guide to kava summarizes the literature and research on a plant that is now considered comparable or superior to anti-
stress prescription drugs, and describes its use in the religious, political, and economic life of the Pacific islands for centuries. Beyond
its soporific qualities kava is also used throughout the the Pacific as an analgesic, a diuretic, and an anesthetic. There is even evidence
suggesting it is effective in the treatment of asthma, tuberculosis, and venereal disease. Exhaustively researched, KAVA: THE
PACIFIC ELIXIR offers an extensive survey of this amazing plant from the perspective of the horticulturist, the ethnobotanist, and
the pharmacologist.
First paperback edition of the classic comprehensive text originally published by Yale University Press.
Because of its many beneficial qualities that make it superior to other substances that serve to reduce stress and improve mood, inter-
est in kava is growing worldwide.
LSD : DOORWAY TO THE NUMINOUS

The Groundbreaking Psychedelic Research into the Realms of the Human Unconscious
Stanislav Grof, M.D. Pb £15.99 ISBN 978-159477-282-5
Stanislav Grof's first 17 years of research into the non-ordinary states of consciousness induced by LSD and other psychedelics led to a revo-
lutionary understanding of the human psyche. His research was the impetus behind a vastly expanded cartography of the unconscious, includ-
ing two new realms still unacknowledged by official academic circles – the perinatal domain, which holds memories of the various stages of
birth and the transpersonal domain which mediates experiential identification with other species and mythic figures, visits archetypal realms,
accesses past life memories and unites with the cosmic creative principle.
The research presented in this book provides a map of the psyche that is essential for understanding such phenomena as shamanism and near-
death experiences as well as other extraordinary states of consciousness. This map has led to the development of important new therapies in
psychiatry and psychology for treating mental conditions often seen as disease and, therefore, suppressed by medication. It, also, provides a
new threshold to understanding and entering the numinous realm of the spirit.
LSD, SPIRITUALITY, AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS

Based on the Groundbreaking Research of Oscar Janiger, M.D.
Marlene Dobkin de Rios and Oscar Janiger £14.99 ISBN 978 089281 973 7
In 1954 a Los Angeles psychiatrist began experimenting with a still new chemical discovery known as LSD-25. For a period of eight
years, Dr. Oscar Janiger gave LSD-25 to more than 90 men and women, ranging in age from 18-81 and coming from all walks in life.
The data collected by the author during those trials and from follow-up studies done 40 years later is now available here for the first
time, along with the authors' examination of its ramifications on creativity, imagination and spirituality.
With the help of co-author Marlene Dobkin de Rios, a medical anthropologist who has studied the use of hallucinogens in tribal and
third world societies, this book considers the spiritual implications of these finding in comparison with indigenous groups that employ
psychoactive substances in their religious ceremonies. The authors, also, examine the nature of the creative process influenced by
psychedelics and provide artwork and poetry from the original experiment sessions that allow the reader to personally witness LSD's
impact on creativity.

VOL. 2 NO. 2
MAGIC MUSHROOMS IN RELIGION AND ALCHEMY

Clark Heinrich £16.99 ISBN 978 089281 997 3
Rejecting arguments that the elusive philosophers' stone of alchemy and the Hindu elixir of life were mere legend, Clark Heinrich
provides a strong case that Amanita muscaria, the fly agaric mushroom, played this role in world religious history. Working under the
assumption that this "magic mushroom" was the mysterious food and drink of the gods, Heinrich traces its use in Vedic and Puranic
religion, illustrating how ancient cultures used the powerful psychedelic in esoteric rituals meant to bring them into direct contact with
the divine. He, then, shows how the same mushroom symbols found in Hindu scriptures correspond perfectly to the symbols of
ancient Judaism, Christianity, the Grail myths and alchemy, arguing that miraculous stories as disparate as the burning bush of Moses
and the raising of Lazarus from the dead can be easily explained by the use of this strange and powerful mushroom.
While acknowledging the speculative nature of his work, Heinrich concludes that in many religious cultures and traditions the fly
agaric mushroom, and in some cases ergot or psilocybin mushrooms, had a fundamental influence in teaching humans about the
nature of God. His insightful book truly brings new light to the religious history of humanity.
MARIJUANA MEDICINE
A World Tour of the Healing and Visionary Powers of Cannabis
Christian Rätsch £21.00 ISBN 978 089281 933 1
Cannabis has accompanied the development of human culture from its very beginnings and can be found in the healing traditions of
cultures throughout Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. Even today it is an important part of many Asian healing traditions: in
Ayurveda, cannabis is praised for its tonic and aphrodisiac qualities and in traditional Chinese medicine it is cited as a superb
antidepressant. It, also, remains a significant part of the healing and visionary traditions of Latin American curanderos and Brazilian,
Nepalese and Indian folk medicine. Modern research has confirmed the effectiveness of marijuana's application in treating such
diseases as asthma and glaucoma.
Christian Ratsch profiles the medicinal, historical and cultural uses of cannabis in each of these societies and medical systems,
providing remedies and recipes for those interested in how cannabis can be used to treat specific conditions.
¨The most complete visual record of cannabis culture ever published.
MOKSHA: HUXLEY'S CLASSIC

Aldous Huxley £14.99 ISBN 978 089281 758 0
In May 1953, Aldous Huxley took four-tenths of a gramme of mescaline. The mystical and transcendent experience that followed set
him off on an exploration that was to produce a revolutionary body of work about the inner reaches of the human mind. Huxley was
decades ahead of his time in his anticipation of the dangers modern culture was creating through explosive population increase,
headlong technological advance and militant nationalism. He saw psychedelics as the greatest means at our disposal to 'remind adults
that the real is very different from the misshapen universe they have created for themselves by means of their culture-conditioned
prejudices'.
MOKSHA is a collection of the prophetic and visionary writings of Aldous Huxley. It includes selections from his acclaimed novels,
BRAVE NEW WORLD and ISLAND, both of which envision societies centred around the use of psychedelics as stabilising forces,
as well as pieces from THE DOORS OF PERCEPTION and HEAVEN AND HELL, his famous works on consciousness expansion.
MYSTERY OF MANNA, THE PSYCHEDELIC SACRAMENT OF THE BIBLE

Dan Merkur £14.99 ISBN 978 089281 772 6
When Moses fed manna to the Israelites, he told them that after eating the miraculous bread they would see the glory of God. And
indeed they did - 'They looked towards the wilderness, and behold, the glory Yahveh appeared in a cloud' In THE MYSTERY OF
MANNA religious historian Dan Merkur provides compelling evidence that this was the Israelites initiation into a psychedelic
mystery cult that induced spiritual visions through bread containing ergot - a psychoactive fungus containing the same chemicals
from which LSD is made.
Citing biblical material, as well as later Jewish and Christian writings, Merkur reveals the existence of an unbroken tradition of West-
ern psychedelic sacraments, from Moses and manna to Jesus and the Eucharist. Most importantly, Merkur shows that this was not a
heretical tradition, but instead part of a normal, Bible-based spirituality, a continuation of the ancient tradition of visionary mysticism.
Even when this practice became unacceptable to the religious orthodoxy, it was perpetuated in secret by gnostics, masons and kabbal-
ists, as well as through the legends of the Holy Grail. THE MYSTERY OF MANNA is the strongest contribution yet to our growing
realization that, contrary to popular belief, psychedelics and religion have always gone hand in hand.
OPIUM CULTURE
The Art and Ritual of the Chinese Tradition
Peter Lee £14.99 ISBN 978 159477 075 3
Peter Lee presents a fascinating narrative that covers every aspect of the art and craft of opium use. Starting with a concise account of
opium's long and colourful history and the story of how it came to be smoked for pleasure in China, Lee offers detailed descriptions
of the growing and harvesting process; the exotic inventory of tools and paraphernalia required to smoke opium as the Chinese did; its
transitions from a major herb to a narcotic that has been suppressed by the modern; and art, culture, philosophy, pharmacology and
psychology of this longstanding Asian custom. Highlighted throughout with interesting quotes from literary and artistic figures who
were opium smokers, such as Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso, Herman Melville and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the text is studded with
gems of long forgotten opium arcane and dispels many of the persistent myths and opium and its users.
PHANTASTICA
A Classic Survey on the Use and Abuse of Mind-Altering Plants
Louis Lewin £14.99 ISBN 978 089281 783 2
Long out of print, this book is a landmark study of narcotic and psychedelic substances by a world-renowned pharmacologist and
toxicologist.
PHANTASTICA, originally published in 1924, was the first to bring scientific insights to a survey of the use of drugs around the
world.
Lewin travelled extensively to acquire his outstanding variety of knowledge on all the major drugs of the time, including opium,
cannabis, coffee and tobacco and his book is credited with sparking an era of ethnobotany that is still flowering today.

VOL. 2 NO. 2
PLANT INTOXICANTS
Baron Von Bibra £14.99 ISBN 978 089281 498 5
This pioneering study of psychoactive plants and their role in society, initially published in 1855, is one of the first books to examine
the cultivation, preparation, and consumption of the world’s major stimulants and inebriants. It presents a fascinating panorama of
the world-wide use of psychoactive plants in the nineteenth century.
He devotes a full chapter to each of 17 plants, ranging from coffee and tea, through tobacco and hashish, to powerful narcotics and
hallucinogens such as opium and fly agaric. Witty, engaging, and intellectually open.
PLANTS OF THE GODS

Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers
Revised and Expanded Second Edition
Richard Schultes, Albert Hoffman & Christian Rätsch £26.00 ISBN 978 089281 979 9
Three scientific titans join forces to completely revise the classic text on the ritual uses of psychoactive plants. They provide a
fascinating testimony of these "plants of the gods," tracing their uses throughout the world and their significance in shaping culture
and history. The most powerful of those plants, which are known to transport the human mind into other dimensions of
consciousness, have always been regarded as sacred. The authors detail the uses of hallucinogens in sacred shamanic rites while
providing lucid explanations of the biochemistry of these plants and the cultural prayers, songs, and dances associated with them. The
text is lavishly illustrated with 400 rare photographs of plants, people, ceremonies, and art related to the ritual use of the world's
sacred psychoactive flora.
PLANT SPIRIT SHAMANISM

Traditional Techniques for Healing the Soul
Ross Heaven and Howard G Charing £14.99 ISBN 978-159477-118-7
Ross Heaven and Howard G. Charing explore the use of one of the major allies of shamans for healing seeing dreaming and
empowerment - plant spirits. After observing great similarities in the use of plants among shamans throughout the world they
discovered the reason behind these similarities: Rather than dealing with the medical properties of the plants or specific healing
techniques shamans commune with the spirits of the plants themselves.
From their years of in-depth shamanic work in the Amazon Haiti and Europe including extensive field interviews with master shamans
Heaven and Charing present the core methods of plant shamanism used in healing rituals the world over: soul retrieval spirit extraction
sin eating and the Amazonian tradition of pusanga (love medicine). They explain the techniques shamans use to establish connections
to plant spirits and provide practical exercises as well as a directory of traditional Amazonian and Caribbean healing plants and their
common North American equivalents so readers can explore the world of plant spirits and make allies of their own.
PSYCHEDELIC JOURNEY OF MARLENE DOBKIN DE RIOS

45 Years with Shamans, Ayahuasqueros, and Ethnobotanists
Marlene Dobkin de Rios £14.99 ISBN 978-15947-73136
Ayahuasca is an alkaloid-rich, psychoactive concoction indigenous to South America that has been employed by shamans for millennia
as a spirit drug for divinatory and healing purposes. Although the late Harvard ethnobotanist, Richard Evans Schultes, was credited in
the early 1950s as being the first to document the use of ayahuasca, other researchers, such as the distinguished anthropologist Marlene
Dobkin de Rios, were responsible for furthering his findings and uncovering the curative capabilities of this amazing compound.
PSYCHEDELIC SACRAMENT
Manna, Meditation, and Mystical Experience
Dan Merkur £10.99 ISBN 978 089281 862 4
In THE MYSTERY OF MANNA, religious historian Dan Merkur provided compelling evidence that the miraculous bread that God
fed the Israelites in the wilderness was psychedelic, made from bread containing ergot - the psychoactive fungus containing the same
chemicals from which LSD is made. Many religious authorities over the centuries have secretly known the identity and experience of
manna and have left a rich record of their involvement with this sacred substance.
He discusses the specific teachings of Philo of Alexandria, Rabbi Moses Maimonides and St. Bernard of Clairvaux that refer to
special meditations designed to be performed while partaking of the "psychedelic sacrament." These meditations combine the
revelatory power of psychedelics with the rational exercise of the mind, enabling the seeker to achieve a qualitatively enhanced state
of religious transcendence. THE PSYCHEDELIC SACRAMENT sheds new light on the use of psychedelics in the Western mystery
tradition and deepens our understanding of the human desire for divine union.
PSYCHONAUTS GUIDE TO THE INVISIBLE LANDSCAPE

The Topography of the Psychedelic Experience
Carpenter £10.99 ISBN 978 159477 090 6
Journeying into the invisible world revealed by his use of the dissociative psychedelic DXM (dextromethorphan) Dan Carpenter found that
what he experienced was not simply subjective sensations and psychological states but an objective world of familiar if inordinately odd land-
marks and characters. The running diary he kept of these voyages recounts impressions of a landscape charted by other travellers into this In-
ner Space and includes descriptions of many of the same phenomena recorded by such mind travellers as Terence and Dennis McKenna
Alexander and Ann Shulgin and others who have experienced the hive mind - the pool of all consciousness. Into this territory where expres-
sion is like chaos theory where oddly symmetrical order manifests out of the seemingly anarchic swirl of images and events the author ven-
tures with the mind-set of a naturalist accepting whatever might be rather than what he hopes he might find. What emerges is not a location
crafted by subjective experience but a landscape that embodies the Other and that represents a conscious state in which the barriers between
the self and the not-self dissolve.

VOL. 2 NO. 2
PSYCHOTROPIC MIND
The World according to Ayahuasca, Iboga, and Shamanism
Jeremy Narby, Jan Kounen and Vincent Ravalec £14.99 ISBN 978-15947-73129
In the Amazon, shamans do not talk in terms of hallucinogens but of tools for communicating with other life-forms. Ayahuasca, for example,
is first and foremost a means of breaking down the barrier that separates humans from other species, allowing us to communicate with them.
The introduction of plant-centred shamanism into the Western world in the 1970s was literally the meeting of two entirely different para-
digms. In The PSYCHOTROPIC MIND, three of the individuals who have been at the forefront of embracing other ways of knowing look at
the ramifications of the introduction into our Western culture of these shamanic practices and the psychotropic substances that support them.
SACRED MIRRORS: THE VISIONARY ART OF ALEX GREY

Alex Grey/Wilber/McCormick £26.00 ISBN 978 089281 314 8
This unique series of paintings takes the viewer on a graphic, visionary journey through the physical, metaphysical, and spiritual anatomy of
the self. From anatomically correct rendering of the body systems, Grey moves to the spiritual/energetic systems with such images as
"Universal Mind Lattice," envisioning the sacred and esoteric symbolism of the body and the forces that define its living field of
energy.Includes essays on the significance of Grey's work by Ken Wilber, the eminent transpersonal psychologist, and by the noted New York
art critic, Carlo McCormick.
SACRED MIRRORS CARDS

Alex Grey £19.99 ISBN 978 159477 162 0
The Sacred Mirrors are a journey through our physical socio-political and spiritual anatomy. The SACRED MIRRORS CARDS contains
twenty-three meditation cards featuring reproductions of all twenty-one of Alex Grey's Sacred Mirrors paintings plus two additional
transformative images: Oversoul and The Angel. Grey's visionary poetry on the back of each card leads the meditator through contemplation
of the image on the front of the card culminating in a one-word theme for reflection. The twenty-three cards in this boxed set are intended to
lead the viewer through the process of theosis - that is coming closer to God - through contemplation of iconic archetypes and seeing oneself
each other and the world as a reflection of the divine.
SACRED MUSHROOM OF VISIONS: TEONANACATL

A Sourcebook on the Psilocybin Mushroom
Ralph Metzner £14.99 ISBN 978 159477 044 9
Teonanácatl was the name given to the visionary mushrooms used in ancient Mesoamerican shamanic ceremonies, mushrooms that contain
psilocybin, the psychoactive agent identified by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann, the discoverer of LSD. The rediscovery of these visionary
mushrooms by the Mazatec healer Maria Sabina and mycologist R. Gordon Wasson ignited a worldwide mushroom culture that inspired the
consciousness revolution of the 1960s.
This book describes in vivid detail the consciousness-expanding experiences of psychoactive mushroom users - from artists to psychologists
- and the healing visionary inspiration they received. It provides firsthand accounts of studies performed in the controversial Harvard
Psilocybin Project, including the Concord Prison study and the Good Friday study. It also details how psilocybin has been used since the
1960s in psychotherapy, prisoner rehabilitation, the enhancement of creativity, and the induction of mystical experiences and is being studied
as a treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
SACRED MUSHROOM SEEKER

Thomas Riedlinger £21.00 ISBN 978 089281 338 4
A celebration of the life and pioneering work of the eminent mycologist and scholar R. Gordon Wasson. A legendary figure in ethno-
botany, R. Gordon Wasson's trail-blazing work on hallucinogenic mushrooms with the Mexican curandera Maria Sabina in the 1950s
brought increased scholarly attention to the importance of psychoactive plants in the spiritual life of indigenous peoples and had a pro-
found influence well beyond the academic world. His accessible writings helped popularize these discoveries, forming the ground for
the social revolution of the following decade. With the growing interest in the role of psychoactive plants in society today, the work of
R. Gordon Wasson and the example set by the man himself, so well illustrated here, takes on increasing importance.
SACRED VINE OF SPIRITS: AYAHUASCA

Edited by Ralph Metzner £14.99 ISBN 978 159477 053 1
Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic Amazonian plant mixture that has been for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years by native Indian and
mestizo shamans in Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador for healing and divination. Many Western trained physicians and psychologists
have acknowledged that this substance can allow access to spiritual dimensions of consciousness, even mystical experiences
indistinguishable from classic religious mysticism.
In SACRED VINE OF SPIRITS: AYAHUASCA, Ralph Metzner, a pioneer in the study of consciousness, has assembled a group of
authoritative contributors who provide an exploration of the chemical, biological, psychological and chemistry of Ayahuasca from
leading scholars in the field of psychoactive research. He concludes with his own findings on Ayahuasca, including its applications in
medicine and psychology, and compares the worldview revealed by Ayahuasca visions to that of Western cultures.

VOL. 2 NO. 2
SALVIA DIVINORUM
Doorway to Thought-Free Awareness
J. D. Arthur £12.99 ISBN 978-15947-73471
With repeated sessions using salvia over the course of several years, J. D. Arthur began returning each time to the same inner
landscape where he found himself entering a unique state of thought-free, or “thoughtless,” awareness. There he accessed a
mode of “dream language” that communicated an exquisite constellation of detailed meanings swiftly and flawlessly. His re-
peated immersion in these states of trance, as well as his analysis of their approach and withdrawal, led to a profound reas-
sessment of the nature of normal perception and a re-evaluation of what we refer to as the real world. With true-life
descriptions of salvia-induced visionary states, this book offers a detailed experiential analysis for those interested in explor-
ing salvia in their quest for higher knowledge.
SAYING YES
In Defence of Drug Use
Jacob Sullum £22.00 ISBN 978 158542 227 2 Hardback
Jacob Sullum goes beyond debate on legalisation or the proper way to win the "war on drugs," to the heart of a social and individual
defence of using drugs. Drug use, as it is described by propagandists, is dramatically different from drug use as it is experienced by
the silent majority of users: the decent, respectable people who, despite their politically incorrect choice of intoxicants, earn a living
and meet their responsibilities.
SAYING YES argues that the all-or-nothing thinking that has long dominated discussions of illegal drug use should give way to a
wiser, subtler approach. Exemplified by the tradition of moderate drinking, such an approach rejects the idea that there is something
inherently wrong with using chemicals to alter one's mood or mind.
SEVEN SISTERS OF SLEEP

Mordecai Cooke £14.99 ISBN 978 089281 748 1
This groundbreaking survey, written in the 19th century, is a radically open-minded look at the use of drugs across the world and
throughout the ages. Early users of tobacco in Russia would have their noses cut off and, repeat offenders, their heads. Pope Innocent
X11 excommunicated any who used it in St. Peters. Marijuana users in 14th century Egypt would have their teeth extracted for their
crime. Yet use of these and other forbidden substances continued to grow. If only as a record of the perennial failure of harsh punish-
ments to deter drug use, Victorian naturalist Mordecai Cooke's work THE SEVEN SISTERS OF SLEEP would remain significant.
However, the author's broad knowledge of the subject has ensured this work's reputation as possibly the best early book from what has
grown into an enormous body of literature on mind and mood altering substances. Written in 1860, a time similar to our own in that
drug use was a growing concern, THE SEVEN SISTERS OF SLEEP is a thought-provoking and open-minded look at the use of
drugs across the world and throughout the ages.
SHAMANIC WAY OF THE BEE

Ancient Wisdom and Healing Practices of the Bee Masters
Simon Buxton £12.99 ISBN 978 159477 119 4
Bee shamanism may well be the most enigmatic and obscure branch of shamanism, yet it exists throughout the world - wherever in
fact the honeybee exists. Its medicinal tools are now in common usage - such as honey, pollen, propolis and royal jelly - and even the
origins of Chinese acupuncture can be traced back to the ancient practice of applying bee stings to the body's meridians.
In this authoritative ethnography and spiritual memoir, Simon Buxton - an elder of the Path of Pollen - reveals for the first time the
richness of this tradition: its subtle intelligence; its sights, sounds and smells; and its unique ceremonies, which until now have been
known only to initiates. Buxton's footsteps were first put on the Path of Pollen at age nine when an Austrian bee shaman cured him of
a near fatal bout of encephalitis. This early contact prepared him for his later meeting with an elder of the tradition who took him on
as an apprentice. Following an intense initiation that opened him to the mysteries of the hive mind, the author learned over the next 13
years the practices, rituals and tools of bee shamanism.
SISTERS OF THE EXTREME

Michael Horowitz and Cynthia Palmer £17.99 ISBN 978 089281 757 3
Women have been experimenting with drugs since prehistoric times, and yet published accounts of their views on the drug experience
have been relegated to either antiseptic sociological studies of sensationalized stories splashed across the tabloids. The media has giv-
en us an ensuring, but inaccurate, stereotype of a female drug user: passive, addicted, exploited, degraded, promiscuous. But the selec-
tions in this anthology - penned by such famous names as Billie Holiday, Anais Nin, Maya Angelou and Carrie Fisher - show us that
the real experiences of women are anything but stereotypical.
SOMA
The Divine Hallucinogen
David Spess £26.00 ISBN 978 089281 731 3 Hardback
Soma has been shrouded in mystery for centuries. It is, simultaneously, a sacred hallucinogenic plant used in secret rituals, a
personified God and an important cosmological principle. Summarising all previous research on the subject, David Spess goes far
beyond his predecessors and shows that soma provides an important key to the understanding of the earliest systemised methods of
medicine, psychology, magic, rejuvenation, longevity and alchemy. Most significant is that his intensive research provides the most
compelling case yet for actual identification of the plants that served as the basis for the divine hallucinogen: Nelumbo nucifera, the
sacred lotus of India as well as some members of the nymphaea genus.
SPAGYRICS New Edition of The Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy

The Alchemical Preparation of Medicinal Essences Tinctures and Elixirs
Manfred M. Junius £15.99 ISBN 9781594771798
This classic source text preserves the nearly forgotten but highly valuable methods of this true hermetic art for preparing natural reme-
dies. · Shows how spagyric methods open medicinal plants completely to release powerful healing properties · Provides a history and
philosophy of spagyrics that reveal why Western medicine fails to recognise the full benefit to health offered by plants · Connects
spagyrics to classical alchemical hermetic and ayurvedic traditions This is a new Edition of The Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy

VOL. 2 NO. 2
TIMOTHY LEARY: OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

Robert Forte £14.99 ISBN 978 089281 786 3
One of the most influential and controversial people of the 20th century, Timothy Leary inspired profound feelings--both pro and con-
-from everyone with whom he came into contact. He was extravagant, grandiose, enthusiastic, erratic, and an unrelenting proponent of
expanding consciousness and challenging authority. His experiments with psilocybin and LSD at Harvard University and Millbrook,
New York, were instrumental in propelling the nation into the psychedelic era of the 1960s. From the 1980s until his death in 1996 he
fully embraced the possibilities of freedom offered by the developments in computer technology and the instant communication made
possible by the Internet. The essence of Leary's life has often been reduced to the celebrated formula of "Turn On, Tune In, and Drop
Out." The wider implications of this esoteric call to communion have been lost, just as the multifaceted nature of Leary's personality
was obscured by the superficial spin put on his life and ideas. In this book a wide array of individuals from all stages of Leary's life,
friends and foes alike, provides a more complete view of the man and his impact on American culture.is still too early to know how
posterity will judge the man and his ideas, but TIMOTHY LEARY: OUTSIDE LOOKING IN shows that Leary was often so far
ahead of his time that few could follow the extensive range of his thought.
TRANSFIGURATIONS
Alex Grey £34.00 ISBN 978 159477 017 3 Paperback
Every once in a great while an artist emerges who does more than simply reflect the social trends of the time. These artists are able to
transcend established thinking and help us redefine ourselves and our world. Today, a growing number of art critics, philosophers and
spiritual seekers believe they have found that vision in the art of Alex Grey.
TRANSFIGURATIONS is the eagerly awaited follow-up to Sacred Mirrors, one of the most successful art books of the 1990s. It in-
cludes all of Grey's major works completed in the past decade, including the masterful seven-panelled altarpiece Nature of Mind,
called "the grand climax of Grey's art" by Donald Kuspit. Grey's portrayals of human beings blend scientific exactitude with visionary
depictions of universal life energy, leading us on the soul's journey from material world encasement to recovery of our divinely illu-
minated core.
TRYPTAMINE PALACE
5-MeO-DMT and the Bufo alvarius Toad
James Oroc £16.99 ISBN 978-159477-299-3
The venom from Bufo alvarius, an unusual toad found in the Sonoran desert, contains 5-MeO-DMT, a potent natural chemical similar in ef-
fect to the more common entheogen DMT. The venom can be dried into a powder, which some researchers speculate was used ceremonially
by Amerindian shamans. When smoked it prompts an instantaneous break with the physical world that causes out-of-body experiences com-
pletely removed from the conventional dimensions of reality.
In TRYPTAMINE PALACE, James Oroc shares his personal experiences with 5-MeO-DMT, which led to a complete transformation of his
understanding of himself and of the very fabric of reality. Driven to comprehend the transformational properties of this substance, Oroc
combined extensive studies of physics and philosophy with the epiphanies he gained from his time at Burning Man. He discovered that
ingesting tryptamines unlocked a fundamental human capacity for higher knowledge through direct contact with the zero-point field of
modern physics, known to the ancients as the Akashic Field. In the quantum world of nonlocal interactions, the line between the physical
and the mental dissolves. 5-MeO-DMT, Oroc argues, can act as a means to awaken the remarkable capacities of the human soul as well as
restore experiential mystical spirituality to Western civilization.
VARIETIES OF PSYCHEDLIC EXPERIENCE

The Classic Guide to the Effects of LSD on the Human Psyche
Robert Masters and Jean Houston £16.99 ISBN 978 089281 897 6
THE VARIETIES OF PSYCHEDELIC EXPERIENCE was published in 1966, just as the first legal restrictions on the use of psyche-
delic substances were being enacted. Unfortunately, the authors pioneering work on the effects of LSD on the human psyche, which
was viewed by its participants as possibly heralding a revolution in the study of the mind, was among the casualties of this interdic-
tion. As a result, the promising results to which their studies attested were never fully explored. Nevertheless, their 15 years of re-
search represents a sober and authoritative appraisal of what remains one of the most controversial developments in the study of the
human psyche.
Avoiding the wild excesses taken by both sides in this issue, this book is unique for the light it sheds on the possibilities and the limi-
tations of psychedelic drugs, as well as on the techniques for working with them. With drug legislation an increasingly important is-
sue, THE VARIETIES OF PSYCHEDELIC EXPERIENCE provides a welcome and much needed contrast to the current hysteria that
surrounds this topic.
VISIONARY PLANT CONSCIOUSNESS

The Shamanic Teachings of the Plant World
Harpignies £14.99 ISBN 978 159477 147 7
Visionary plants have long served indigenous peoples and their shamans as enhancers of perception thinking and healing. These
plants can also be important guides to the reality of the natural world and how we can live harmoniously in it. Presents the specific
human-plant interconnection revealed by visionary plants. Explores the relevance of plant-induced visions and shamanic teachings to
humanity's environmental crisis J. P. Harpignies has gathered presentations from the Bioneers annual conference of environmental and
social visionaries that explore how plant consciousness affects the human condition. Twenty-three leading ethnobotanists
anthropologists medical researchers and cultural and religious figures such as Terence McKenna Andrew Weil Wade Davis Michael
Pollan Alex Grey Jeremy Narby Katsi Cook John Mohawk and Kat Harrison among others present their understandings of the nature
of psychoactive plants and their significant connection to humans. What they reveal is that these plants may help us access the
profound intelligence in nature - the mind of nature - that we must learn to understand in order to survive our ecologically destructive
way of life.
VISIONS
A Limited Cased Edition containing SACRED MIRRORS & TRANSFIGURATIONS
Alex Grey £107.00 ISBN 978 089281 139 7
Alex Grey's work has been exhibited around the world including the New Museum and Stux Gallery in New York City the Grand Pal-
ais in Paris the Sao Paulo Biennial and ARK exhibition space in Tokyo. His art has also been featured in venues as diverse as album
covers for the Beastie Boys Nirvana and Tool; Newsweek magazine; and the Discovery Channel. He lives in New York with his wife
artist Allyson Grey and their daughter actress Zena Grey. SACRED MIRRORS has sold 75000 copies.
The case itself acts as an altar

Portfolio of six new paintings suitable for framing
One hardcover copy of SACRED MIRRORS
One hardcover copy of TRANSFIGURATIONS
Contains over 250 colour paintings

VOL. 2 NO. 2
VODOU SHAMAN
The Haitian Way of Healing and Power
Ross Heaven £14.99 ISBN 978 089281 134 2
Written by an initiate of Haitian Vodou, this book goes beyond the stereotypes and misunderstandings to reveal Vodou as one of the most power-
ful shamanic traditions. The author explains why these ancient healing practices are important for the modern world and how secret Vodou tech-
niques can be used by anyone as safe and effective means of spiritual healing and personal development.
Providing practical exercises drawn from all aspects and stages of the Vodou tradition, VODOU SHAMAN shows readers how to contact the
spirit world and communicate with the loa (the angel-like inhabitants of the Other World), the ghede (the spirits of the ancestors), and djabs
(nature spirits for healing purposes). The author examines soul journeying and warrior-path work in the Vodou tradition and looks at the psycho-
logical principles that make them effective. The book, also, includes exercises to protect the spiritual self by empowering the soul, with tech-
niques of soul retrieval, removing evil spirits and negative energies, overcoming curses, and using the powers of herbs and magical baths.
WITCHCRAFT MEDICINE
Healing Arts, Shamanic Practices and Forbidden Plants
Muller-Ebeling, Rätsch & Storl £21.00 ISBN 978 089281 971 3
The authors take the reader on a journey that examines the women who mix the potions and become the healers; the legacy of Hecate; the
demonization of nature's healing powers and sensuousness; the sorceress as shaman; and the plants associated with witches and devils. They also
look at the history of forbidden medicine from the Inquisition to current drug laws, with an eye toward how the sacred plants of our forebears can
be used once again. Explores the "alternative" medicine of witches suppressed by the state and the Church and how these plants can be used
today. Reveals that female shamanic medicine can be found in cultures all over the world. Illustrated with colour and black-and-white art
reproductions dating back to the 16th century
ORDER BOOK TITLE ISBN PRICE ORDER BOOK TITLE ISBN PRICE
ACID DIARIES 978-15947-73839 £14.99 PLANT INTOXICANTS 978-08928-14985 £14.99
ANIMALS AND PSYCHEDELICS 978-08928-19867 £10.99 PLANTS OF THE GODS 978-08928-19799 £26.00
AYAHUASCA 978-08928-11311 £14.99 PLANT SPIRIT SHAMANISM 978-15947-71187 £14.99
AYAHUASCA READER 978-09077-91324 £26.00 POT BOOK 978-15947-73686 £16.99
BIRTH OF A PSYCHEDELIC CULTURE 978-09077-91386 £26.00 PSYCHEDELIC HEALING 978-15947-72504 £14.99
BRIEF HISTORY OF DRUGS 978-08928-18266 £10.99 PSYCHEDELIC JOURNEY OF MARLENE DOBKIN 978-15947-73136 £14.99
DE RIOS
CELTIC PLANT MAGIC 978-08928-19249 £16.99
PSYCHEDELIC SACRAMENT 978-08928-18624 £10.99
DMT : THE SPIRIT MOLECULE 978-08928-19270 £14.99
PSYCHONAUTS GUIDE TO THE INVISIBLE 978-15947-70906 £10.99
DRUGS OF THE DREAMING 978-15947-71743 £10.99 LANDSCAPE
ECSTASY: THE COMPLETE GUIDE 978-08928-18570 £16.99 PSYCHOTROPIC MIND 978-15947-73129 £14.99
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PSYCHOACTIVE PLANTS HB 978-08928-19782 £108.00 RELIGION OF THE AYAHUASCA 978-15947-73983 $14.99
FOREST OF VISIONS 978 -0892817160 £12.99 SACRED MIRRORS: VISIONARY ART OF ALEX GREY 978-08928-13148 £26.00
GREAT BOOK OF HEMP 978-08928-15418 £16.99 SACRED MIRRORS CARDS 978-15947-71620 £19.99
HALLUCINOGENS 978-15854-21664 £14.99 SACRED MUSHROOM OF VISIONS: TEONANACATL 978-15947-70449 £14.99
HEMP COOKBOOK 978-08928-17870 £12.99 SACRED MUSHROOM SEEKER 978-08928-13384 £21.00
HEMP FOR HEALTH 978-08928-15395 £14.99 SACRED VINE OF SPIRITS: AYAHUASCA 978-15947-70531 £14.99
HEMP MANIFESTO 978-08928-17283 £7.99 SAYING YES HB 978-15854-22272 £22.00
IBOGA 978-15947-71767 £15.99 SALVIA DIVINORUM 978-15947-73471 £12.99
INNER PATHS TO OUTER SPACE 978-15947-72245 £16.99 SEVEN SISTERS OF SLEEP 978-08928-17481 £14.99
INTOXICATION 978-15947-70692 £15.99 SHAMANIC WAY OF THE BEE 978-15947-71194 £12.99
JAGUAR THAT ROAMS THE MIND 978-15947-72542 £15.99 SISTERS OF THE EXTREME 978-08928-17573 £17.99
KAVA - MEDICINE HUNTING IN PARADISE 978-08928-16408 £10.99 SOMA 978-08928-17313 £26.99
KAVA THE PACIFIC ELIXIR 978-08928-17269 £16.99 SPAGRICS (N/E OF PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF PLANT ALCHEMY) 978-15947-71798 15.99
LSD : DOORWAY TO THE NUMINOUS 978-15947-72825 £15.99 TIMOTHY LEARY: OUTSIDE LOOKING IN 978-08928-17863 £14.99
LSD, SPIRITUALITY, AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS 978-08928-19737 £14.99 TRANSFIGURATIONS 978-15947-70173 £34.00
MAGIC MUSHROOMS IN RELIGION AND ALCHEMY 978-08928-19973 £16.99 TRYPTAMINE PALACE 978-15947-72993 £15.99
MARIJUANA MEDICINE 978-08928-19331 £21.00 VARIETIES OF PSYCHEDELIC EXPERIENCE 978-08928-18976 £15.99
MOKSHA - HUXLEY'S CLASSIC 978-08928-17580 £14.99 VISIONARY PLANT CONSCIOUSNESS 978-15947-71477 £14.99
MYSTERY OF MANNA 978-08928-17726 £14.99 VISIONS (Limited cased edition) 978-08928-11397 £107.00
OPIUM CULTURE 978-15947-70753 £14.99 VODOU SHAMAN 978-089281-134 2 £14.99
PHANTASTICA 978-08928-17832 £14.99 WITCHCRAFT MEDICINE 978-08928-19713 £21.00
Name Date:
Address
Postcode Order ref:
ORDERS TO : deep books ltd, unit 3, goose green trading estate, 47 east dulwich road, london se22 9bn
tel: 020 8693 0234 fax: 020 8693 1400 email: [email protected]

Journal of Anthropological Approaches to the Paranormal
"Paranthropology: Journal of Anthropological Approaches to the Paranormal" is a

new journal aimed at exploring the paranormal from social-scientific
perspectives. While the main emphasis of the journal is on anthropological
approaches, it will also branch out into other disciplines - psychology,
parapsychology, sociology, folklore, history - as a means to explore the way in
which these theoretical methodologies interact and shed light on the paranormal.
Download the complete issue on “Psi and Psychedelics” and other

previous issues for free from:
www.paranthropology.weebly.com/newsletter.html
If you would like to contribute an article (usually between 500-2,000
words) on anything you feel would be relevant to a
Paranthropologically minded audience, a book review (up to 1,000
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What is the general theme of this issue?

What is the general theme of this issue?

What event is mentioned that testifies to the growing interest in psychedelic experience?

What event is mentioned that testifies to the growing interest in psychedelic experience?

ISSN 2044-9216

Vol. 2 No. 2 April 2011

1 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

Psi and the Psychedelic Experience

2 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

Adventures in a Yorkshire card in all its stark, skeletal symbolism.

3 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

When we came out of the dip, Of course, a more rational view

new morning to start afresh unburdened

4 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

CONNECTING, DIVERGING, AND

6 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

7 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

Fortunately, following the revolution started by the anthropologist

8 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

The psi-in-process approach can be usefully applied to our own

9 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

However, we suspect that there were no drugs involved this time

10 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

11 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

12 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

research. It’s at this point that parapsychology and psychedelic research

13 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

14 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

substances and parapsychological phenomena as part of a broader

15 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

complex experiences means that a taxonomic approach is also required

Australian Institute of Parapsychological Research (2004). AIPR

16 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

consultation. Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, 79,

17 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

science, spirit and society (pp. 137–144). Edinburgh, Scotland: Floris

18 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

RONEY-DOUGAL, S., & SOLFVIN, J. (2006). Yogic attainment in relation to awareness

19 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

Department of Psychology and Counselling

With thanks to Andreas Sommer for feedback on an earlier draft

David Luke, PhD, is currently President of the

20 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

Mushroom Dream Ceremony intellectual arrogance of mankind who

21 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

22 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

About the Sorcerer’s Dream

The Sorcerer's Dream, A true story of

23 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

The Pineal Gland: Psychic

24 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

be assimilated into the blood stream and

25 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

26 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

27 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

28 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

beta-carboline called pinoline (6-methoxy action is inhibition of MAO-A

29 PARANTHROPOLOGY: JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE PARANORMAL

cells of the reticular activating system