Publication Date:March 27, 2008 Shipping:Eligible for Super Saver Shipping Availability:Usually ships in 24 hours
Editorial Reviews:
Product Description An investigation into experiences of other realms of existence and contact with otherworldly beings
• Examines how contact with alien life-forms can be obtained through the “inner space” dimensions of our minds
• Presents evidence that other worlds experienced through consciousness-altering technologies are often as real as those perceived with our five senses
• Correlates science fiction’s imaginal realms with psychedelic research
For thousands of years, voyagers of inner space--spiritual seekers, shamans, and psychoactive drug users--have returned from their inner imaginal travels reporting encounters with alien intelligences. Inner Paths to Outer Space presents an innovative examination of how we can reach these other dimensions of existence and contact otherworldly beings. Based on their more than 60 combined years of research into the function of the brain, the authors reveal how psychoactive substances such as DMT allow the brain to bypass our five basic senses to unlock a multidimensional realm of existence where otherworldly communication occurs. They contend that our centuries-old search for alien life-forms has been misdirected and that the alien worlds reflected in visionary science fiction actually mirror the inner space world of our minds. The authors show that these “alien” worlds encountered through altered states of human awareness, either through the use of psychedelics or other methods, possess a sense of reality as great as, or greater than, those of the ordinary awareness perceived by our five senses.
But is it true?November 28, 2008 Arthur Schopenhauer used to say that thoughts die the moment they are embodied by words ...This is even more true when we try to describe the experiences brought on by magic mushrooms and ayahuasca . Unless you possess the writing ability of Plato; coupled with a Shakespearean power of imagery, then the experiences you want to describe can turn into gobbledygook!!
So psychedelic experiences are easily ridiculed when downloaded into language. And downloaded into tasteless language they should be ridiculed. In this age of gurus and seers you run the risk of your ideas being bracketed in the new-age supermarket alongside UFOs, shape-shifting lizards and Scientology!
Fortunately the authors avoid this pitfall.
They claim the psychedelic experience is not another weird cult. Its real! The authors are suggesting that ayahuasca is a doorway to another modality that exists independent of our thoughts and feelings about it. More like shifting fantasy land than good old positivist rock n roll.
But how can we get to the meat of the mystery? How can we demonstrate the validity of these phenomena to those who will never step outside the culturally sanctioned playpen?
How about modern technology? The bench test will be to design software that can model virtual worlds. A multifaceted simulation of a DMT flash! Computer generated vistas of psychedelic space-time. The pictures that come with the book give a glimpse of what can be done with a mouse and little imagination.
I was impressed by the glossy artwork of weird reptilian humanoids with fractal geometry and planets etc. The artwork is indeed beautiful. Painted by psychedelic heads, they should have an other-worldliness about them that 'normal' artists cannot match.
Sadly, to my mind, the artwork doesn't come close to say a Hieronymus Bosch or a Salvador Dali in weirdness. Bosch and Dali had something boundary dissolving about their creations. They resembled mad men trying to communicate something only they saw.
I doubt whether Hieronymus Bosch or Salvador Dali had access to magic mushrooms of ayahuasca. So whats going on? This is just my personal bias though. What do others think?
P.S. Try downloading audio lectures by Terence Mckenna or 'YouTube' the man instead. Mckenna was famous for his oratory skills so he's a good place to start if you want clues to the experiences described in this book.
Great thougts!November 28, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I found the book great! I focused especially on dr.Frecska's chapters, where he reveals not only the incredibble aspects of DMT release, but also draws amazing connections between spiritual experiences and facts of different mystical figures and cultures of the past.
inner paths to outerspaceOctober 17, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
this is a perfect follow-up to an already in depth dmt study. if you ever thought about or questioned events around you and really want to learn about yourself this book is a must. this just proves that we need to keep questioning everything because we will one day be able to unlock our true potential
Pioneering into the new age!October 12, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book pioneers into the new age of Pyschedelic travel. Whether your interested in ASCs (altered states of consciousness), shamanism, psychdelic chemistry, or just quantum physics and quantum multiverse theories this book is chock full of fun.
I couldn't put it down. Highly recommend to anyone who believes there is an entire world out there the average person currently cannot even fathom!
Nothing new hereSeptember 22, 2008 6 out of 9 found this review helpful
After reading Strassman's DMT The Spirit Molecule I was very excited for this book to come out. I expected him to go deeper into his theories about what it means for humans to naturally produce DMT in our brains, among phenomenons possibly related to the chemical, but instead he only reiterated what was in his previous publication. It seemed like the entire book was a sophmoric introduction to the psychedelic experience rather than a progression of new ideas in reference to the experience. The one chapter that had anything to say about psilocybe mushrooms simply copy and pasted reports from the popular drug information site Erowid. I was looking for insight and new possibilities, not trip reports and introductions to already well known entheogens. I felt led on by this book and was incredibly disappointed at the entire lack of any new material whatsoever. Unfortunately, the only positive comment I can give about this book is that it contained some fascinating artwork, but it seems necessary to note that was not the main purpose of this book at all. All in all, if you're new to the psychedelic scene entirely, this is a good introduction, but for most this volume will provide no more than a sense of regret at wasting your money on it. If you really feel the need to get this, I suggest flipping through it in a bookstore first before commiting to it because otherwise you will almost surely be disappointed.
