The Book of Psychedelics: A Rational Guide to the Science, Use, History, and Future of Mind-Revealing Compounds

The Book of Psychedelics explores the science, use, history, and future of psychedelic compounds through the lens of modern science and rationality. It begins by establishing a fundamental knowledge of how psychedelics are used in a safe and effective manner. The Book of Psychedelics then embarks on an in-depth examination of DMT, psilocybin, ibogaine, and LSD -the psychedelics with the most medical potential and historical relevance. Each chapter breaks down the history of its compound before reviewing the most current information on its therapeutic potential, and speculates as to how each drug could be used optimally as a medication. It then enlightens the reader on the unique safety considerations of each compound, including identification methods, potential dangers, and how they are believed to act in combination with other drugs. The Book of Psychedelics includes unreleased data collected in an original study with over 1,000 participants. This data is organized into graphs to illustrate the effect that dose, set, and setting have on the psychedelic experience at a previously unseen level of detail. This information is further illuminated by a thorough analysis of the data, explaining trends and correlations in the data in an easy-to-understand manner. Each chapter ends with real, first-person accounts of psychedelic experiences induced by the primary compound it covers. The reports highlight the effects of and differences between each compound in even greater detail than the raw data. Every report contains a piece of original artwork to transport the reader into the story, and many of these can be viewed as animations using augmented reality. Experiences such as those incorporated in the book often bring forth profound and complex questions, including: Could endogenous production of DMT be the cause of hallucinatory mental illnesses? What is the difference between a naturally-sourced psychedelic and its synthetic counterpart? How might psychedelics produce their visionary effects and experiences? Can psilocybin cure depression? By taking an unbiased and analytical approach to answer these questions and more, The Book of Psychedelics aims to introduce the reader to the vast and fascinating universe of psychedelics. It illuminates the true nature and power of mind-revealing compounds, paving the road for the upcoming debates surrounding legalization, and inspiring further research into the use of psychedelics as potent psychiatric medications.