Sacred Vine of Spirits Ayahuasca

VISIONARY PLANTS / ENTHEOGENS"Ralph Metzner, world famous pioneer of psychedelic research and consciousness explorer, brings together a masterful collection of writings exploring the nature of this extraordinary sacred potion, from its chemical and biological properties and psychological effects to its enormous healing and spiritual potential. This book will be an inspiration for lay audiences and a treasure trove of information for scholars studying consciousneess and the human psyche."Stanislav Grof, M.D., author of LSD Psychotherapy, Psychology of the Future, and The Cosmic Game"Thought-provoking, wide-ranging, and well-reasoned, Metzner's collection of essays and self-reports contains the widest representation of subjective effects and scientific information on ayahuasca in the modern West. It provides ideas for future research and is essential for beginners and veterans of the field."Rick Strassman, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, and author of DMT: The Spirit MoleculeAyahuasca is a hallucinogenic Amazonian plant mixture that has been used for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years by native Indian and mestizo shamans in Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador for healing and divination. Many Western-trained physicians and psychologists have acknowledged that this substance can allow access to spiritual dimensions of consciousness, even mystical experiences indistinguishable from classic religious mysticism.In Sacred Vine of Spirits: Ayahuasca Ralph Metzner, a pioneer in the study of consciousness, has assembled a group of authoritative contributors who provide an exploration of the chemical, biological, psychological, and experiential dimensions ofayahuasca. He begins with the history, psychology, and chemistry of ayahuasca from leading scholars in the field of psychoactive research and then presents more than twenty firsthand accounts from Westerners who have used ayahuasca. He concludes with his own findings on ayahuasca's applications in medicine and psychology, and compares the worldview revealed by ayahuasca visions to that of Western cultures.Ralph Metzner, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist and professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. He studied psychology and psychopharmacology at Harvard University and was part of the Psilocybin Research Project with Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (later Ram Dass). He is the author of Green Psychology, coauthor of The Psychedelic Experience, and editor of Sacred Mushroom of Visions: Teonan'catl. He lives in Sonoma, California.Metzner, Ralph is the author of 'Sacred Vine of Spirits Ayahuasca' with ISBN 9781594770531 and ISBN 1594770530.