Books — hermiene.net

In this very personal book, Daniel Pinchbeck takes us on a trip around the world of psychedelic flora starting with his initiation into the Bwiti cult of Gabon. The Bwiti cult is a syncretic religion with elements of animism, ancestor worship, and Christianity, and their adherents use the root bark of the Tabernanthe iboga shrub to induce visions in a rite which they believe "breaks open the head" (hence the title). The book continues from there to chronicle his further adventures with hallucinogenic flora, from ayahuasca in the Amazon to mushrooms in New York.

In addition to his personal accounts and musings, Pinchbeck also gives a fairly comprehensive overview of the lives and works of psychedelic luminaries, from scholars (Jonathan Ott, Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin) to prophets (Terence McKenna, Timothy Leary, Richard Alpert) to various of his friends that he's met along the way, offering quotations and insights from them.

Review:

Reading this book almost feels like a trip in itself. I had an immensely enjoyable time reading about Pinchbeck's adventures around the world; his initiation with the Bwiti cult; his trek to the Sierra Mazateca in Mexico in search of the mushroom rituals; his forays into the Amazon basin and ayahuasca; his fun times at Burning Man. He explains his ideas and insights in these matters well, which as I understand isn't such an easy task, given the subject matter.

Almost every chapter title is a reference to something, usually a quote from somewhere, which is revealed somewhere in the chapter itself. I found this really helped make this book a page-turner.

If you're looking for a light-hearted romp through the history and geography of psychedelic flora, this is the book for you. Personal, engaging, and witty, you'll have a hard time putting it down once you pick it up.

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