About the Book
What does the future hold for humanity, and can psychedelics help take us there?
• Shares insights from the author’s discussions with Terence McKenna, Edgar Mitchell, Rupert Sheldrake, Deepak Chopra, Candace Pert, and others
• Investigates the role of psychedelics in lucid dreaming, sex and pleasure enhancement, morphic field theory, the survival of consciousness, encounters with nonhuman beings, and the interface between science and spirituality
For as long as humanity has existed, we have used psychedelics to raise our levels of consciousness and seek healing--first in the form of visionary plants such as cannabis and now with the addition of human-created psychedelics such as LSD and MDMA. These substances have inspired spiritual awakenings, artistic and literary works, technological and scientific innovation, and even political revolutions. But what does the future hold for humanity--and can psychedelics help take us there?
Sharing insights from his discussions with luminaries such as Terence McKenna, Edgar Mitchell, Candace Pert, Deepak Chopra, Andrew Weil, Jerry Garcia, Albert Hofmann, Annie Sprinkle, and Rupert Sheldrake, author David Jay Brown explores the revelations brought about through his psychedelic experiences and his work with visionaries of the psychedelic and scientific communities. He investigates the role of psychedelics in lucid dreaming, time travel, sex and pleasure enhancement, morphic field theory, the survival of consciousness after death, encounters with nonhuman beings, and the interface between science and spirituality. Examining the ability of psychedelic drugs to incite creativity, neurogenesis, and the evolution of consciousness, he explains that they are messengers from the plant world designed to help elevate our awareness and sense of interconnectedness.
Revealing not only what psychedelics can teach us about ourselves and the world around us, Brown also shows how they are preparing humanity for a future of enlightened minds and worlds beyond our solar system.
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments
Introduction Awakening from My Slumber and Recognizing My Preprogrammed Robotic Nature
1 Head West and Get High, Young Man
2 Confronting the Mysteries of Science
3 The Future Evolution of the Human Species
4 Approaching the Singularity
5 Models of the Mind and Interpreting Psychedelic Experiences
6 The Psychobiology of Gods and Goddesses
7 Exploring the Synergistic World of Sex on Drugs
8 What Happens to Consciousness after Death?
9 How Have Psychedelics Affected Human Culture?
Appendix 1 Transcending the Medical Frontiers: Exploring the Future of Psychedelic Drug Research
Appendix 2 The Man Behind Mavericks of the Mind: An Interview with David Jay Brown by Ian Koslow from Time-Peace
Appendix 3 Altered Statesman: An Interview with David Jay Brown by Damon Orion from Good Times
Recommended Reading
About the Author
Index
About the Author :
David Jay Brown holds a master’s degree in psychobiology from New York University. A former neuroscience researcher at the University of Southern California, he has written for Wired, Discover, and Scientific American, and his news stories have appeared on The Huffington Post and CBS News. A frequent guest editor of the MAPS Bulletin, he is the author of several books including Mavericks of the Mind and Conversations on the Edge of the Apocalypse. He lives in Ben Lomond, California.
Review :
“This is a simply splendid book! David Brown is a leading-edge activist, explorer, and philosopher who has blended an astounding number of personal experiences as well as commentaries from amazing people into a narrative that goes well beyond other books about psychedelics. He reevaluates not only the well-known areas of healing, psychotherapy, creativity, and spirituality but also extends his wise deliberations and deep explorations into areas that most of us still shy away from--freely discussing alien encounters, psychedelic sex, mixing and matching various substances, parapsychology, consciousness after death, and more--drawing on his own extensive voyages and exploration for telling examples. He is unafraid to explore the dark sides of his own personality as well as his joys as needed to illuminate challenging aspects of the multifaceted psychedelic universe.”
“If your taste is for paradigm busting, you’ll find lots of food for thought in The New Science of Psychedelics. On the menu are parapsychology, unexplained phenomena, strange powers, scientific mysteries, confounding conventional science, odd animal behavior, morphic fields, the Gaia hypothesis, alien beings, entities, forbidden knowledge, kundalini, survival after death, and more.”
“Dave’s particular mixture of youthful curiosity, honest skepticism, and appetite for adventure remind me of Tom Sawyer. Reading this book is like riding a raft with Tom down the psychedelic Mississippi. You meet anew all the famous natives who live along its shores--Tim Leary, Robert Anton Wilson, John Lilly, and many others. This book captures both the peculiar terrors and the deep delights these mind-altering substances can induce. A nononsense personal exploration of a controversial area of scientific research recounted in a light and engaging manner.”
“If you have yet to experiment with your consciousness by taking ‘drugs’ this is a very helpful read and more cerebral psychedelic enthusiasts will find this a very pleasant sharing. Readers can easily tell that David has talked to the latest and greatest of psychonauts and researchers. ”
“New age collections will find this an inspiring survey of what psychedelics can teach us about the world and systems beyond our world.”
“David Jay Brown’s book is a persuasive and necessary argument as we collectively move toward the mainstreaming of psychedelics and face the unique survival challenges of the twenty-first century. This is an outstanding book to read and share widely.”
“The New Science of Psychedelics is a knockout! David Jay Brown tackles the touchy topic of ‘sex on drugs’ with the wisdom of hands-on experience, an expanded mind, and the ability to get into deep places. This book reads like an honest, intimate love letter!”
“A provocative journey into the realms of psychedelics, consciousness, creativity, science, and culture. Buy this book and feed your brain!”
“David Jay Brown writes it all up in a sure hand with a flare appropriate to the subject matter so that the reader is as much entertained as informed.”
