The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience

This book presents a comprehensive study of the phenomena of the psychedelic experience, written from the psychotherapist's point of view. The book is structured to cover a variety of aspects of the experience, generally with two or more examples of actual experiences exemplifying a particular point made by the authors. To this end, of the order of fifty accounts written either by the guide, another person present, or the psychonaut ("subject") hirself are given, which prove very interesting.

Specifically, the book begins with an introduction and a taste of what we are dealing with. It then covers the history of psychedelic drug use, before plunging into discussion of particular common aspects of the psychedelic experience. The first of these chapters disucusses the perception by the subject of hir body and body image. Following this are chapters on the experience of other people while tripping, a chapter on the desirable and necessary qualities and actions of the guide, the world of inanimate objects, the "voyage inward" -- the experience of "instant psychotherapy", "psyche and symbol" -- animal transformation rites and so on, and finally a chapter about religious and mystical experience. The epilogue pleads for less restrictive laws for psychedelic research by the psychology scientific community, which is interesting given the fact that LSD was made illegal shortly after this book was published.

All in all I found this book extremely interesting. It had a lot of very interesting things to say. It was quite different to anything else I have read about the psychedelic experience. I feel more prepared.