Surprisingly one of the best books I've ever read. The author deftly brings together philosophy, literary prose, history, and personal travelogue. I'll admit the last 10 pages are just too irrational and bizarre, hell incoherent even, to be swallowed, but the preceding 290 are consistently fascinating.

Pinchbeck’s Breaking Open the Head is my first exposure to the long term effects of the psychotropic drugs on the human brain. I’m not saying Pinchbeck is a pot-head, but in my opinion he is a connoisseur of selected mind altering drugs that have the power to diminish prefrontal cortex functioning (although it did inspire me to seek Terrance McKenna’s counter culture’s lectures, that are quite thought provoking). And the returns of this prolong investment has the potential to produce abstract works such as this that unfortunately gain a following over time. I’m tempted to admit that Breaking Open the Head almost made me fall for a brake of my own as it introduce me to a new concept – the field of shamanism. In my debut novel ‘The Basenji Revelation’ I introduced a shamanic character that held answers to some of the protagonist’s questions, but I never imagined that my subconscious creative juices could so exactly match the reality of modern day shamanistic practices.

Pinchbeck is a mastermind at his craft. Over the course of several hundred pages he took me on a ride to the deep savannah of Gabon (interestingly enough The Basenji Revelation’s shaman was also located in Gabon) where exists one of the most powerful psychotropic drugs known to mankind (you’ll have to read to book to find out what it does to the human psyche). Next, I was transported to the murky underground of New York City where amidst questionable social characters Pinchbeck samples other drugs such as LSD and DMT. I also found myself in the jungles on South America where other potent hallucinogens further diminish ones own capacity for self realization.

The book is well constructed, carefully planned yet somewhat unrealistic in its central message – embrace the shaman within you. Despite the plea and my utter desire to find myself, I’m not interested in self-medication to determine my own calling.

This is much more than a cultural history of psychedelics. It is an argument for 21st century spirituality, which Pinchbeck claims is necessary to regain different levels of consciousness lost to the Western world. Towards the end, the book takes a rather bizarre turn but until then it's a good read. As a person who had previously only taken psychedelics for fun, Pinchbeck's book really made me reconsider the possibilities of these drugs and what other realities could be out there. It could have done with some information on acquiring some of these drugs, particuarly ibogaine which sounds potentially lifesaving. Pinchbeck was lucky enough to be able to go to shamanic retreats and that sort of thing through his work but the majority of people don't have that luxury.

[Non-fiction but not tagging as such because it is so lacking in well-based arguments and supporting facts that it's really just someone spouting opinions for too many pages.]

I wanted to like this so badly. But my God, the man is just writing to hear himself speak most of the time, and his arguments are absolutely paper fucking thin, not to mention completely hypocritical. "This intellectual doesn't make their point completely!" he argues while creating such flimsy arguments as, "The way you describe that ritual doesn't sound like it's too close to your culture to me so I think it can't have been influenced by your culture" or "This guy did a ritual and was told he would die young and then happened to die young, these plants must impart the ability to see the future." Sorry, who's not making their point completely?

I was really ready to read a book about shamanism and the value it brings and how we're lacking in religious values like those represented in shamanism in our culture. I was ready to read an argument in favor of shamanic rituals, and to consider an argument from someone who genuinely believed in their spiritual power. But my god, the whole thing is essentially 'While I was high I was showed this evidence which I am now using as proof that the things I was shown while high are true' and it's so ridiculous I can't believe it got published. Do not recommend.

This book was a lot of fun despite a persistent degree of amateurism.
I do have to say though, I was a little surprised someone so seemingly open-minded would be able to so ignorantly suggest that
"Gabon remains the only peaceful country in a region of inescapable hostility, tribal conflicts, mindless genocide."
Come on bro.

This book, written in 2002, has so much to say about what is happening in the world today. No it did not make me want to go into a psychedelic binge (for lack of a better word).
It did make me think of my actions and how they relate to the world as a whole. We are so wrapped up in ourselves with out actually knowing ourselves and what our lives mean. Reflect? Hmm I wonder if there really is such a state.

I have read other excellent books on this subject. This is one of the best. A flawed but fucking superb read. Excellent source for gathering some of the Most Interesting anecdotal information regarding heroic dose Tripping encounters. Excellent quotes and summations of important thinkers add to the speculations of what the reality of it all may mean. Terrible at analyzing The Sixties experiences,(Cherry picking quotes to confirm a personal negative bias ?) and weak at dealing with 'modern Shamanism'. The last 40 pages about 'after death' possibilities also fall short, and have little to no critical analysis, but are still a blow-away to contemplate. Why would he rush through this ending...maybe it was too disturbing for him to keep living with it ? That said, I could easily re-read most of the book with pleasure. Despite its flaws and careless ending, I would highly recommend it for its intriguing story and how successfully Pinchbeck shines light on the fucking Wonder of it all.

This book took well known and cultish drugs and took them through their cultural roots, and how they have impacted the author's life. I found this book eye opening (one could even say head-opening). I was really fascinated to learn about the traditions of the native people who used these substances for different purposes than we use them in modern society for escapism. Regardless, I have a greater respect for natural substances and how they should be treated with respect because you don't know what's on the other side of your mind.

Interesting and easy becomes difficult and cluttered with difficult to understand phrases and ideas. Then becomes interesting and easy and then ends with the author disconnected from normal ways of thinkong and talking about magic and levels of realities, which is difficult to grasp because of no personal experience and difficult words that make complex ideas even more hard to understand. probably to do with copious amounts of chemicals indulged by the author. I do recommend

almost done, dont want to be tho, becz this book raises so many interesting opinions of the flat rational world we westerners live in as compared to the world where everything is alive and the plants can show us many other worlds or at least understanding. dont want to drop acid now but do want to hold still in a forest and listen...the dalai lama says that when all the paved roads meet, the world will end, as we ashphalt ourselves away from any touch of nature...

pinchbeck has made a name for himself
every group has a pinchbeck
its the cool guy of the group
the one who knows how to talk to people
the one who knows how to get people to listen by tweaking into their interests
pinchbeck is the hipster of the modern entheogenic shamanic movement
by far, he isnt the next leary (thank god)
in fact he devotes time in this book to express the fanatical flaws of leary

breaking open the head is an account along the lines of narby's cosmic serpent
in this case it isnt a revelation of understanding science, but more so a revelation of the self
pinchbeck seems eager and youthful, which may come off as an adolescent approach
even if so, it is an alternative viewpoint of an area for the most part unmapped in modern culture

could not finish. some interesting information but do we really need to hear it coming from another self-important white man