The Psychedelic Experience: Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead

This 'manual' was initially published back in the early mid sixties- i.e. before the hallucinogens were made illegal. My vague historical understanding of the period has Leary and Huxley arguing for the use of L.S.D. but while Huxley supported usage by an elite of creatives, Leary slowly shifted position from limited use in academic research by the therapeutic community to a much broader use by the community at large and a 'revolution in general cultural consciousness'. The book seems to have been written/published midway by Leary and purports to be an invaluable manual for the safe and serious use of psychedelics (to be read and re-read prior usage and remembered during sessions) for spiritual growth. It contains history, theory, detailed description and explanation, positive suggestions for use in terms of dose, set and setting and also includes 'excerpts' of The Tibetan Book of The Dead to help guide those attempting to experience hallucinogens. The general tone of the book is very positive and reassuring. The darker side of hallucinogenic experience is also discussed on several occasions throughout the text with explanation and remedies for them too.I found the second section, where the detailed descriptions of the Bardos and the experiences which may be expected such as hallucinations, of particular interest but also greatly compromised in terms of clarity by the adaptation/setting for Kindle which is poor. This leads to the text being interrupted mid-paragraph on pretty much every page by page headers. Spacing also seems to have gone out the window so that this section of the book in particular can seem dense and turgid. I also found some of the other benefits of using Kindle, such as instant access from text to online dictionary and other cultural/historical information, were lacking in this instance but given market forces maybe understandable... Hence my three star rating.Historically as a document of countercultural aspiration for spiritual experience this is of great interest. For anyone who has, is, or may use psychedelics and experience hallucinations it will be of perhaps greater use in helping them understand and bring meaning to those experiences in a broader spiritual/historical context.

A great and historical book. I remember getting a hardback copy from the local library and studying it closely when I should have been concentrating on my GGCSEs.If psychedelics interest you this book is well worth reading.

It was worth a read, and Leary was a cool guy who knew how to enjoy himself. He was most certainly a capitalist of the moment, to put it mildly, that's for sure. I can say, to summaries the whole book, if you're going to trip or take an entheogen, just relax and go with the flow, never let your ego run away with the show. Taking any mind-altering substance, if you do decide to go down this path, it's always best to take great care and do some research before-hand. I wish I had read this book as a youngster, for obvious reasons.

A truly fantastic read. I'm not an avid reader but I loved every minute of reading this. Honestly if you plan on tripping I can't reccomend this enough. It can really help you out in a bad spot, or instruct you on how to guide your trips.

Wow no wonder nothing changed the world if you tripped and read this, although I can relate to mystical experiences with magic mushrooms, I suppose people coming out of the 50s conservatism would flip on this

Maybe you need to have had a little smoke or something in the few days prior to reading this ?Guidance to what to expect immediately after death, and how not to be scared.Basically, so long as you realise that whatever appears is only, in fact, you yourself, nothing can harm you.Everything is just different aspects of you. Sorry.

even though in a vague language the book gives usefull insights which are of great value for the actual experience. i would recommend reading the tibetan book of the dead first

A must-read for psychonauts and the curious.