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    Mescaline: A Global History of the First Psychedelic
    Mescaline: A Global History of the First Psychedelic
    Mescaline: A Global History of the First Psychedelic
    Audiobook8 hours

    Mescaline: A Global History of the First Psychedelic

    Written by Mike Jay

    Narrated by Paul Brion

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A definitive history of mescaline that explores its mind-altering effects across cultures, from ancient America to Western modernity

    Mescaline became a popular sensation in the mid-twentieth century through Aldous Huxley's The Doors of Perception, after which the word "psychedelic" was coined to describe it. Its story, however, extends deep into prehistory: the earliest Andean cultures depicted mescaline-containing cacti in their temples.

    Mescaline was isolated in 1897 from the peyote cactus, first encountered by Europeans during the Spanish conquest of Mexico. During the twentieth century it was used by psychologists investigating the secrets of consciousness, spiritual seekers from Aleister Crowley to the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, artists exploring the creative process, and psychiatrists looking to cure schizophrenia. Meanwhile peyote played a vital role in preserving and shaping Native American identity. Drawing on botany, pharmacology, ethnography, and the mind sciences and examining the mescaline experiences of figures from William James to Walter Benjamin to Hunter S. Thompson, this is an enthralling narrative of mescaline's many lives.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateAug 20, 2019
    ISBN9781515944232
    Mescaline: A Global History of the First Psychedelic
    Author

    Mike Jay

    Mike Jay is a leading specialist in the study of drugs across history and cultures. The author of Artificial Paradises, Emperors of Dreams, and The Atmosphere of Heaven, his critical writing on drugs has appeared in many publications, including The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The International Journal of Drug Policy. He sits on the editorial board of the addiction journal Drugs and Alcohol Today and on the board of the Transform Drug Policy Foundation. He lives in England.

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    4.5/5

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    • 4/5
      Best book about the history of psychedelics I have read. No bullshit.