''Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism'' is a book written by author and journalist
Daniel Pinchbeck
Daniel Pinchbeck is an American author. His books include '' Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism'', ''2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl'' , and ''Notes from the Edge Times''. He is a co-founder ...
, founding editor of the literary journal ''Open City''. Published in 2002, ''Breaking Open the Head'' covers, in Pinchbeck's words, the cultural history of
psychedelic
Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...
use, philosophical and critical perspectives on
shamanism
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a Spirit world (Spiritualism), spirit world through Altered state of consciousness, altered states of consciousness, such as tranc ...
, and his personal transformation from a cynical New York
litterateur
An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the reality of society, and who proposes solutions for the normative problems of society. Coming from the world of culture, either as a creator or as ...
to psychedelic acolyte.
Pinchbeck details his initiation with the
Bwiti
Bwiti is a spiritual discipline of the forest-dwelling Punu people and Mitsogo peoples of Gabon (where it is recognized as one of three official religions) and by the Fang people of Gabon and Cameroon. Modern Bwiti incorporates animism, ancestor w ...
and their use of
iboga
''Tabernanthe iboga'' (iboga) is an evergreen rainforest shrub native to Central Africa. A member of the Apocynaceae family indigenous to Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic of Congo, it is cultivated across Central Africa ...
. The account remains personal with Pinchbeck crediting the experience with an insight into his reliance on alcohol.
See also
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Dimethyltryptamine
''N'',''N''-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT or ''N'',''N''-DMT, SPL026) is a substituted tryptamine that occurs in many plants and animals, including human beings, and which is both a derivative and a structural analog of tryptamine. It is used as a ...
*
Ibogaine
Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychoactive substance found in plants in the family Apocynaceae such as ''Tabernanthe iboga'', ''Voacanga africana'', and ''Tabernaemontana undulata''. It is a psychedelic with dissociative properties.
Prel ...
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Psilocybin
Psilocybin ( , ) is a naturally occurring psychedelic prodrug compound produced by more than 200 species of fungi. The most potent are members of the genus ''Psilocybe'', such as '' P. azurescens'', '' P. semilanceata'', and '' P.&nbs ...
References
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External links
Official site- complements book and offers public discussion forums.
2002 non-fiction books
Ayahuasca
Books about spirituality
Entheogens
Iboga
Psychedelic literature
Shamanism
Broadway Books books
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