Inner Paths to Outer Space: Journeys to Alien Worlds through Psychedelics and Other Spiritual Technologies
Autor Rick Strassman M.D., Slawek Wojtowicz M.D., Luis Eduardo Luna Ph.D., Ede Frecska M.D.en Limba Engleză Paperback – 27 mar 2008
Considerăm că Inner Paths to Outer Space reprezintă un punct de cotitură pentru cititorul avizat, dar și pentru cel curios, oferind o perspectivă academică riguroasă asupra unor subiecte adesea marginalizate. Lucrarea nu necesită cunoștințe medicale avansate, deși este scrisă de experți, fiind accesibilă oricui dorește să înțeleagă legătura dintre biochimia creierului și experiențele mistice. Autorii propun o teză fascinantă: căutarea noastră seculară pentru viață extraterestră ar putea fi greșit direcționată către spațiul exterior, când, de fapt, „lumile străine” sunt accesibile prin tehnologii spirituale și substanțe psihoactive care deblochează dimensiuni interne ale minții.
Structura cărții este una progresivă și multidisciplinară. Rick Strassman M.D. deschide volumul cu o analiză a DMT-ului, „molecula spiritului”, continuând temele explorate în lucrările sale anterioare, precum DMT: The Spirit Molecule sau DMT and the Soul of Prophecy. Dacă în acele volume se concentra pe cercetarea clinică și implicațiile profetice, aici colaborează cu specialiști precum Luis Eduardo Luna Ph.D. pentru a integra dimensiunea antropologică a Ayahusacăi și cu Ede Frecska M.D. pentru a oferi o interpretare neuro-ontologică a șamanismului. Credem că această abordare colectivă reușește să valideze realitatea acestor experiențe, tratându-le nu ca simple halucinații, ci ca interacțiuni cu un domeniu multidimensional.
Complementar lui DMT Dialogues, unde accentul este pus pe dezbaterea fenomenologică și dialogul între cercetători, volumul de față explorează mecanismele biologice și istorice care fac aceste întâlniri posibile. De asemenea, față de The Illustrated Field Guide to DMT Entities, care se concentrează pe catalogarea vizuală a entităților întâlnite, Inner Paths to Outer Space oferă contextul teoretic și pregătirea necesară pentru a înțelege semnificația acestor călătorii dincolo de granițele simțurilor noastre obișnuite.
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Specificații
ISBN-13: 9781594772245
ISBN-10: 159477224X
Pagini: 376
Ilustrații: Includes three 8-page color inserts and 11 b&w illustrations
Dimensiuni: 152 x 229 x 25 mm
Greutate: 0.73 kg
Editura: Inner Traditions/Bear & Company
Colecția Park Street Press
ISBN-10: 159477224X
Pagini: 376
Ilustrații: Includes three 8-page color inserts and 11 b&w illustrations
Dimensiuni: 152 x 229 x 25 mm
Greutate: 0.73 kg
Editura: Inner Traditions/Bear & Company
Colecția Park Street Press
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De ce să citești această carte
Această carte este ideală pentru cei pasionați de intersecția dintre știință, spiritualitate și antropologie. Veți câștiga o înțelegere profundă a modului în care creierul uman poate accesa realități alternative fără a părăsi cadrul rigorii științifice. Este o lectură esențială pentru a înțelege de ce experiențele vizionare au fost fundamentale pentru cultura umană, de la șamanii antici la exploratorii moderni ai conștiinței, oferind o nouă paradigmă despre ceea ce numim „alien”.
Despre autor
Echipa de autori reunește autorități de talie mondială în studiul conștiinței. Rick Strassman M.D. este profesor de psihiatrie la Universitatea din New Mexico și pionierul cercetării clinice cu DMT aprobate de guvernul SUA. Luis Eduardo Luna Ph.D. este un antropolog renumit, specialist în șamanismul amazonian și director al centrului Wasiwaska. Slawek Wojtowicz M.D. contribuie cu expertiza sa medicală și pasiunea pentru science-fiction ca oglindă a spațiului interior, iar Ede Frecska M.D. este șeful catedrei de psihiatrie la Universitatea din Debrecen, expert în neurobiologia stărilor modificate de conștiință.
Descriere scurtă
For thousands of years, voyagers of inner space--spiritual seekers, shamans, and psychoactive drug users--have returned from their inner imaginal travels reporting encounters with alien intelligences. Inner Paths to Outer Spacepresents an innovative examination of how we can reach these other dimensions of existence and contact otherworldly beings. Based on their more than 60 combined years of research into the function of the brain, the authors reveal how psychoactive substances such as DMT allow the brain to bypass our five basic senses to unlock a multidimensional realm of existence where otherworldly communication occurs. They contend that our centuries-old search for alien life-forms has been misdirected and that the alien worlds reflected in visionary science fiction actually mirror the inner space world of our minds. The authors show that these “alien” worlds encountered through altered states of human awareness, either through the use of psychedelics or other methods, possess a sense of reality as great as, or greater than, those of the ordinary awareness perceived by our five senses.
Notă biografică
Rick Strassman, M.D., is clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and the author of DMT: The Spirit Molecule. Slawek Wojtowicz, M.D., is a medical oncologist working in the pharmaceutical industry in Edison, New Jersey, a science-fiction illustrator, and the author of Daydreaming. Luis Eduardo Luna, Ph.D., is coauthor (with Pablo Amaringo) of Ayahuasca Visions and director of Wasiwas--Research Centre for the Study of Psychointegrator Plants, Visionary Art and Consciousness in Florianópolis, Brazil. Ede Frecska, M.D., is chief of psychiatry at the National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology in Budapest, Hungary, and a contributing author to Psychedelic Medicine.
Extras
From Chapter 12
The Sacred Voyage
Beyond Science Fiction?
Slawek Wojtowicz
DO WE LIVE IN A DREAM WORLD?
How many of us realize that a wide spectrum of uniquely human activities has its roots in altered states of consciousness? Origins of all religions, art (going all the way back to cave paintings created thirty thousand to forty thousand years ago), spiritual and shamanic healing, and even the creation of civilization itself can be traced back to altered-state-of-consciousness experiences. Even the history of science gives us plenty of examples of inspiration that come from beyond consensus reality.
One well-known instance is the story of the organic molecule known as benzene. The formula of benzene (C6H6) mystified scientists who could not figure out its structure. German chemist Friedrich August von Kekulé, who laid the groundwork for the modern structural theory in organic chemistry, came up with a solution that provided a satisfactory explanation. In 1861, after years of studying carbon bonding, benzene, and related organic molecules, he had a dream of whirling snakes in which he saw one of the snakes seizing its own tail. He woke up with a start. He’d experienced the “Eureka!” moment that gave him the structure of benzene--which is made up of a ring of carbon atoms. In 1929 the ringlike nature of benzene was confirmed by the eminent crystallographer Kathleen Lonsdale. Another more recent story is that of Francis Crick, who reportedly came up with the double-helix structure of DNA--the most significant biological discovery of the twentieth century--while under the influence of LSD. That discovery won him the Nobel Prize (shared with James Watson).
By now it should be clear that psychedelics can produce an astounding variety of experiences--from meetings with aliens and time travel to journeys into the spirit world and mystical revelation. Yet is there an internally consistent explanation that can make sense of these experiences? Interestingly, both mystical religions and modern quantum physics seem to agree concerning the true nature of reality: Time and space are just constructs of human consciousness created by our minds. The reality we perceive as solid and independent doesn’t really exist on its own; it is simply a projection emanating from our minds. Some call it Maya, a dream, an illusion, and others describe it as a full-immersion movie that’s better than the one that could be experienced on a holodeck in Star Trek.
Is it possible that we live in a dream world or, to use more modern terminology, in a very sophisticated virtual reality simulation? As Rick Strassman has hypothesized here, DMT may be the molecule that is responsible for maintaining the illusion in which we live. Those who are science-fiction fans won’t be shocked by this supposition. Similar concepts have been explored thoroughly in science-fiction novels and in movies such as The Matrix, Waking Life, and eXistenZ.2 Since we are the source of the dream, it appears so real and familiar to us that we cannot even tell that it’s just a dream.
This is an idea that many of us may have a great deal of difficulty accepting. It is the strange dynamic between the relative and the absolute that is perhaps one of the ways DMT and similar endogenous molecules play a role in our lives. At the deepest, spiritual level of awareness, this reality is some sort of weird projection. Yet where most of us are most of the time--even the most enlightened among us--is the relative everyday level that we need to learn to negotiate as skillfully as possible.
The biggest illusion of all is that we appear to be separate, individual beings. Mystics across all religions agree that there is only one actor playing all the parts in this virtual reality movie. That actor is God, the same one who is responsible for the creation of our universe. He is you and me as well as all other sentient beings. The mind of the Divine forms the essence of our own mind. Therefore, when we learn how to unite with the Source, we will know how to reach across time and space--anywhere in the universe--simply by looking deep within.
Each of us being able to open the doors in our mind that lead to the entire universe is a much more incredible and exciting notion than any science-fiction story! So how do we do this? Most of those who use psychedelics sporadically don’t learn how to control access to these gateways: lacking the training and proper preparation, they stumble through their psychedelic experiences and don’t know how to return to a particular location they visited once before. Notable exceptions include shamans and yogis. Their specialty is exploration of other realities. They learn how to access and travel in these regions safely; they make maps of alien realms and pass this knowledge to apprentices, from generation to generation.
Becoming a shaman requires first awakening from the dream in which we all are immersed. But what exactly does it mean to be awake? Do we really have to take the red pill, like Neo in The Matrix, to awaken and learn what’s real and what’s not?
Mystical religions tell us that the root of all unhappiness and suffering is our ignorance concerning the nature of reality. We suffer because we chase after certain illusions (such as sex, money, fame, and power), and we are afraid of others (death is a good example!) because we think they are real. The prerequisite for awakening is a personal experience of the true nature of reality--it is not enough to hear or read about it or believe that we live in a dream. Psychedelics can provide exactly that: firsthand experience of other otherwise unseen realities. It is essential to experience these firsthand, but, to awaken truly, we must transcend ourselves--to become more than our sense of a separate self. In fact, we all are on a spiritual path, even if some of us don’t yet realize it.
The Sacred Voyage
Beyond Science Fiction?
Slawek Wojtowicz
DO WE LIVE IN A DREAM WORLD?
How many of us realize that a wide spectrum of uniquely human activities has its roots in altered states of consciousness? Origins of all religions, art (going all the way back to cave paintings created thirty thousand to forty thousand years ago), spiritual and shamanic healing, and even the creation of civilization itself can be traced back to altered-state-of-consciousness experiences. Even the history of science gives us plenty of examples of inspiration that come from beyond consensus reality.
One well-known instance is the story of the organic molecule known as benzene. The formula of benzene (C6H6) mystified scientists who could not figure out its structure. German chemist Friedrich August von Kekulé, who laid the groundwork for the modern structural theory in organic chemistry, came up with a solution that provided a satisfactory explanation. In 1861, after years of studying carbon bonding, benzene, and related organic molecules, he had a dream of whirling snakes in which he saw one of the snakes seizing its own tail. He woke up with a start. He’d experienced the “Eureka!” moment that gave him the structure of benzene--which is made up of a ring of carbon atoms. In 1929 the ringlike nature of benzene was confirmed by the eminent crystallographer Kathleen Lonsdale. Another more recent story is that of Francis Crick, who reportedly came up with the double-helix structure of DNA--the most significant biological discovery of the twentieth century--while under the influence of LSD. That discovery won him the Nobel Prize (shared with James Watson).
By now it should be clear that psychedelics can produce an astounding variety of experiences--from meetings with aliens and time travel to journeys into the spirit world and mystical revelation. Yet is there an internally consistent explanation that can make sense of these experiences? Interestingly, both mystical religions and modern quantum physics seem to agree concerning the true nature of reality: Time and space are just constructs of human consciousness created by our minds. The reality we perceive as solid and independent doesn’t really exist on its own; it is simply a projection emanating from our minds. Some call it Maya, a dream, an illusion, and others describe it as a full-immersion movie that’s better than the one that could be experienced on a holodeck in Star Trek.
Is it possible that we live in a dream world or, to use more modern terminology, in a very sophisticated virtual reality simulation? As Rick Strassman has hypothesized here, DMT may be the molecule that is responsible for maintaining the illusion in which we live. Those who are science-fiction fans won’t be shocked by this supposition. Similar concepts have been explored thoroughly in science-fiction novels and in movies such as The Matrix, Waking Life, and eXistenZ.2 Since we are the source of the dream, it appears so real and familiar to us that we cannot even tell that it’s just a dream.
This is an idea that many of us may have a great deal of difficulty accepting. It is the strange dynamic between the relative and the absolute that is perhaps one of the ways DMT and similar endogenous molecules play a role in our lives. At the deepest, spiritual level of awareness, this reality is some sort of weird projection. Yet where most of us are most of the time--even the most enlightened among us--is the relative everyday level that we need to learn to negotiate as skillfully as possible.
The biggest illusion of all is that we appear to be separate, individual beings. Mystics across all religions agree that there is only one actor playing all the parts in this virtual reality movie. That actor is God, the same one who is responsible for the creation of our universe. He is you and me as well as all other sentient beings. The mind of the Divine forms the essence of our own mind. Therefore, when we learn how to unite with the Source, we will know how to reach across time and space--anywhere in the universe--simply by looking deep within.
Each of us being able to open the doors in our mind that lead to the entire universe is a much more incredible and exciting notion than any science-fiction story! So how do we do this? Most of those who use psychedelics sporadically don’t learn how to control access to these gateways: lacking the training and proper preparation, they stumble through their psychedelic experiences and don’t know how to return to a particular location they visited once before. Notable exceptions include shamans and yogis. Their specialty is exploration of other realities. They learn how to access and travel in these regions safely; they make maps of alien realms and pass this knowledge to apprentices, from generation to generation.
Becoming a shaman requires first awakening from the dream in which we all are immersed. But what exactly does it mean to be awake? Do we really have to take the red pill, like Neo in The Matrix, to awaken and learn what’s real and what’s not?
Mystical religions tell us that the root of all unhappiness and suffering is our ignorance concerning the nature of reality. We suffer because we chase after certain illusions (such as sex, money, fame, and power), and we are afraid of others (death is a good example!) because we think they are real. The prerequisite for awakening is a personal experience of the true nature of reality--it is not enough to hear or read about it or believe that we live in a dream. Psychedelics can provide exactly that: firsthand experience of other otherwise unseen realities. It is essential to experience these firsthand, but, to awaken truly, we must transcend ourselves--to become more than our sense of a separate self. In fact, we all are on a spiritual path, even if some of us don’t yet realize it.
Cuprins
Foreword by Stephen Hickman
Introduction
1 The Psychedelics: Overview of a Controversial Drug Type
Rick Strassman , M.D.
2 DMT: The Brain’s Own Psychedelic
Rick Strassman , M.D.
3 The Varieties of the DMT Experience
Rick Strassman , M.D.
4 Ayahuasca: The Sacred Vine of the Amazon
Luis Eduardo Luna , Ph.D.
5 The Varieties of the Ayahuasca Experience
Luis Eduardo Luna , Ph.D.
6 Magic Mushrooms
Slawek Wojtowicz , M.D.
7 The Shaman’s Journey: Supernatural or Natural? A Neuro-Ontological Interpretation of Spiritual Experiences
Ede Frecska , M.D.
8 How Can Shamans Talk with Plants and Animals? The Topological Roots of Plant Consciousness and Interspecies Communication
Ede Frecska , M.D.
9 Close Encounters of the Ancient Kind and Spontaneous DMT Release
Ede Frecska , M.D.
10 Hypnosis, Past Life Regression, Meditation, and More
Slawek Wojtowicz , M.D.
11 Preparation for the Journey
Rick Strassma n , M.D.
12 The Sacred Voyage: Beyond Science Fiction?
Slawek Wojtowicz , M.D.
Notes
Recommended Reading
About the Authors
Index
Introduction
1 The Psychedelics: Overview of a Controversial Drug Type
Rick Strassman , M.D.
2 DMT: The Brain’s Own Psychedelic
Rick Strassman , M.D.
3 The Varieties of the DMT Experience
Rick Strassman , M.D.
4 Ayahuasca: The Sacred Vine of the Amazon
Luis Eduardo Luna , Ph.D.
5 The Varieties of the Ayahuasca Experience
Luis Eduardo Luna , Ph.D.
6 Magic Mushrooms
Slawek Wojtowicz , M.D.
7 The Shaman’s Journey: Supernatural or Natural? A Neuro-Ontological Interpretation of Spiritual Experiences
Ede Frecska , M.D.
8 How Can Shamans Talk with Plants and Animals? The Topological Roots of Plant Consciousness and Interspecies Communication
Ede Frecska , M.D.
9 Close Encounters of the Ancient Kind and Spontaneous DMT Release
Ede Frecska , M.D.
10 Hypnosis, Past Life Regression, Meditation, and More
Slawek Wojtowicz , M.D.
11 Preparation for the Journey
Rick Strassma n , M.D.
12 The Sacred Voyage: Beyond Science Fiction?
Slawek Wojtowicz , M.D.
Notes
Recommended Reading
About the Authors
Index
Recenzii
“Those who regularly navigate the hyperspatial landscape that some have called the ‘tryptamine dimension’ have long suspected that the portals to inner and outer space may be one and the same. This book, a collaboration of the most cutting-edge shaman/neuroscientists working in this field, boldly explores this concept in a stunning tour de force.”
“The profoundest inquiries into the nature of reality and the mystery of consciousness are made possible by the psychedelics and other spiritual technologies explored in this astonishing, groundbreaking, and utterly revolutionary book. Written by the maestros of the field, it is exactly the right book at exactly the right time. I found it gripping, thought-provoking, incredibly informative, and--on top of all that--a hugely enjoyable read.”
"This highly unusual book, Inner Paths to Outer Space, takes readers on a journey through the world of psychedelic drugs and other obscure paths to reach into our consciousness and then out of ourselves to journey to places unknown."
"This book is a stellar overview of the latest in psychedelic theory. . . . Having this book is like getting your hands on the hottest underground philosophy book. It dares to link science and religion directly--not some wishy washy pseudo-theory, but hard evidence linking science and religion via psychedelics. . . . High recommended!"
" . . . this book raises many fundamental questions about the nature of reality that have barely been asked in the scientific community, let alone answered, and I strongly urge all researchers of consciousness to read it."
"This book is an eye and mind opening exploration into a field that has been forced underground. The four writers give unique insights into the traditions of shamanism and psychedelic drug use. Taking a scholarly approach without being dry or in any way biased, Inner Paths to Outer Space succeeds on many levels."
"Medical clinicians to literary scholars should read this book. . . . This work is so interesting that it is difficult to stop experiencing it. It leaves the perceiver wanting more as the subjects of this text are of quintessential importance to the human psyche. This book should be the paradigm for texts concerned with mystical themes; as it is not delimiting, and all of its authors do not pejoratively misrepresent transcendent human themes."
"A remarkably interesting work, Inner Paths to Outer Space has pulled together a collection of threads into a theoretically grounded framework and although many of the ideas are, admittedly, speculative, the authors field an extremely well-structured argument. An important read for anyone with an interest in sci-fi, shamanism, and psychedelic consciousness and a great addition to the literature."
“Outside of its more fantastic claims, Inner Paths to Outer Space is valuable for explaining the human propensity for spirituality on basic, cellular level. The drive to experience the mysterious springs at the heart of all great religious traditions, and delight in the mystery is revealed in the passion the authors have for their subject and in the beautiful visionary art the book also showcases. Highly recommended.”
“The profoundest inquiries into the nature of reality and the mystery of consciousness are made possible by the psychedelics and other spiritual technologies explored in this astonishing, groundbreaking, and utterly revolutionary book. Written by the maestros of the field, it is exactly the right book at exactly the right time. I found it gripping, thought-provoking, incredibly informative, and--on top of all that--a hugely enjoyable read.”
"This highly unusual book, Inner Paths to Outer Space, takes readers on a journey through the world of psychedelic drugs and other obscure paths to reach into our consciousness and then out of ourselves to journey to places unknown."
"This book is a stellar overview of the latest in psychedelic theory. . . . Having this book is like getting your hands on the hottest underground philosophy book. It dares to link science and religion directly--not some wishy washy pseudo-theory, but hard evidence linking science and religion via psychedelics. . . . High recommended!"
" . . . this book raises many fundamental questions about the nature of reality that have barely been asked in the scientific community, let alone answered, and I strongly urge all researchers of consciousness to read it."
"This book is an eye and mind opening exploration into a field that has been forced underground. The four writers give unique insights into the traditions of shamanism and psychedelic drug use. Taking a scholarly approach without being dry or in any way biased, Inner Paths to Outer Space succeeds on many levels."
"Medical clinicians to literary scholars should read this book. . . . This work is so interesting that it is difficult to stop experiencing it. It leaves the perceiver wanting more as the subjects of this text are of quintessential importance to the human psyche. This book should be the paradigm for texts concerned with mystical themes; as it is not delimiting, and all of its authors do not pejoratively misrepresent transcendent human themes."
"A remarkably interesting work, Inner Paths to Outer Space has pulled together a collection of threads into a theoretically grounded framework and although many of the ideas are, admittedly, speculative, the authors field an extremely well-structured argument. An important read for anyone with an interest in sci-fi, shamanism, and psychedelic consciousness and a great addition to the literature."
“Outside of its more fantastic claims, Inner Paths to Outer Space is valuable for explaining the human propensity for spirituality on basic, cellular level. The drive to experience the mysterious springs at the heart of all great religious traditions, and delight in the mystery is revealed in the passion the authors have for their subject and in the beautiful visionary art the book also showcases. Highly recommended.”
Descriere
An investigation into experiences of other realms of existence and contact with otherworldly beings.