Higher Wisdom: Eminent Elders Explore the Continuing Impact of Psychedelics (Suny Series in Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology) [Hardcover]

If I were to teach a course about psychedelics, the first book I would have my students read is Higher Wisdom. Edited by Roger Walsh and Charles Grob, this gem of a book provides in-depth interviews with 14 psychedelic luminaries. Collectively, their published books, papers, lectures, and research reports would take up a significant amount of shelf space.

Fortunately for those of us who don't have the time to read through such a treasure trove of information, Grob and Walsh have distilled the pure essence of the work of these elders into a series of remarkable interviews. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to be carried away by this book, because I thought I already knew a lot about almost everyone the editors interviewed. I was wrong. Before I knew it, I lost track of time and was transported back to the days when incredible breakthroughs were being made by these pioneers of consciousness exploration.

Although the interviews are arranged under the general categories of research, psychotherapy, culture & consciousness, and religious implications, I didn't read it front to back. Instead, I began by first reading the interviews of people I knew the best. As I read, I quickly became aware of what a valuable resource I was holding in my hands. Here in a single volume were the "headlines" and best stories of some people whose work will one day be seen as the bedrock of all future psychedelic studies.

Higher Wisdom works on several levels. Psychedelic researchers and explorers may find in it clues to puzzles they have yet to solve. Additionally, it is a work of history that pulls together the stories of a small group of people, largely unknown to most of the world, who made breakthroughs in consciousness research that are for the most part unparalleled today. In addition to the interviews, the editors, along with Gary Bravo, have written several short essays that pull these disparate stories together, placing the work of these eminent elders into a focused historical context. Another useful feature the editors included is an index split in two parts, a Name Index and a Subject Index. While this may seem like a trivial matter, it is a nice touch that many will appreciate.

The split index reveals the interconnections among this small band of researchers, as well as illuminates the influence of a few pioneers who had died before these interviews took place. I like to think of them as ghosts who continue to look over the shoulders of these early explorers. Interestingly, some of the ghosts have more index entries than the subjects of the interviews, and they don't all come across in the most positive light, as these very candid conversations reveal.

As to the appropriateness of the title, Higher Wisdom, consider this thought from Myron Stolaroff: "Ultimately, true liberation in the Buddhist sense is reaching wholeness, where you are totally at peace and intimate with everything that exists. If you leave out EVEN ONE person, you've left out part of yourself; you can't be really whole until you've absolutely accepted EVERY living creature."

The emphasis in that quote was added by me . . . and for me. It is something I am still struggling to put into practice. My bet is that you will also find a great deal of wisdom in this fine little book. I highly recommend it.

Roger Walsh and Charles Grob have edited a fine text concerning the impact of psychedelics. It is a very important and interesting book in this field. It is a book detailing how psychedelics became an intensely studied topic in psychiatry and psychology. Beginning with the synthesis of LSD by Albert Hofmann, its intial use was to enable psychiatrists to experience a temporary psychosis first hand. This would let them have greater understanding of the phenomenological experience of their patients. Yet LSD and other psychedelics were soon discovered to be valuable treatment modalities in psychotherapy by themselves, particularly in deconstructing certain defense mechanisms. The elders who participated in this book, were very sincere and responsible in their use of psychedelics. They did their work under controlled conditions that would be therapeutic to those ingesting the drug. This is not a book about the recreational use fo psychedelics but their therapeutic, even spiritual use.

This is a must read book for all individuals interested in learning about the value of these drugs beyond recreational use. I had no idea concerning this topic other than a dislike for 'hippies' who used the drugs and termed me and my friends baby killers for going to Vietnam. The book greatly expanded my understanding of the time and the real benefits surrounding psychedelics. The editors do a fine job of condensing the interviews to make the book extremely readable. I give it 5 stars.

This thoughtprovoking and beautiful book presents interviews with some of the people who were pioneers in the (at that time legal) research into psychedelics. Most of them holding academic degrees and the finest credentials. And almost all of them having experienced a profound and lasting change in their outlook on the world, towards an appreciation of our basic spiritual nature.

Amongst the interviewed are giants like Stanislav Grof,Ram Dass and Albert Hofman, and as always it's a great treat to read their words of wisdom. But there is certainly also very fine entries by perhaps lesser known figures like the fine Gary Fisher, who talks at lenght about the importance of sustaining your druginspired insights with regular spiritual practice.

Interestingly enough the two with the greatest mainstream credentials: the anthropologist Peter Furst and the scholar of Religion Huston Smith seem two be the ones with least to contribute. Smith obviously not realizing that he didn't have the courage (and grace) to take the final jump when he came close to the abyss of the Beyond. A jump most of the others seem to have taken.

All 14 come across as healthy, strong, integrated individuals, in themselves good arguments for the lasting benefit of controlled and sincere use of mindexpanding substances.

The great villain is of course the notorious Timothy Leary, the 'hero' of my youth, but today it's easy to see how much damage his immature messianic attitude caused. Not least to a lot of unprepared young people.
But he also gave the authorities the perfect excuse to treat psychedelics like any other drug, an attitude the medias unfortunately has adopted ever since, making it very hard to hope that the religious/spiritual possibilities of these drugs will be recognized and utilized in a positive way. Although they could actually make the world a whole lot better and point people towards true and spiritual values.

All in all a well produced and presented book and a joyous, uplifting read , sad though that ignorance prevales the way it does concerning this subject.

This book certainly lives up to it's title as a source of "Higher Wisdom".