Incredibly descriptive and unique writing style. Really enjoyed reading!

This is an excellent book about altered consciousness. I particularly like the fact that it instills a need for respect and integrity when working with the invisible realms. Too many people approach drug use, getting drunk and getting "high," casually. This is dangerous. Daniel Pinchbeck's writing and stories illustrate and emphasize this reality very clearly. I also like how the book is broken down into paired chapters. A first chapter on a particular substance will be historical, anthropological and reference information. The following chapter will be anecdotal information based on personal and direct experiential work. the balance of both sides is elegant and complete. I have recommended and loaned this book to many people.

I went there.

Reading through Pinchbeck's incredibly well-documented experiences with various plant substances such as iboga and ayahuasca, along with his quest for knowledge in understanding the dwindling shamanic culture of the rainforests was a thrilling way to live vicariously through someone's most intimate and trippiest moments. He's just that good at getting it all down on paper. But the best part of this book is the message that really gets driven home to the heart of who we are, the potential of what we have yet to learn about ourselves, something humankind has barely scratched the surface of-- which he saves for the few chapters toward the end.

I won't spoil it for you, but Pinchbeck definitely has a lot to say about where we sit in this particular branch of "time" and the how much these ancient plant worlds play a huge part. Without getting too cheesy here, I have to say if there ever was a perfect role model of a modern-day shaman, he is it.

Daniel Pinchbeck is a complete fucking idiot. And a tool. However, this book *does* contain some very interesting material on psychedelics in contemporary society. Too bad it's filtered through the POV of a complete and utter idiot.

Actually, the Hebraic-Babylonian concept of God is very premature. They imagine God as an object, a person, and not as a quality. And that's why Jews claim God's official name is Yahuha and Muslims claim God's official name is Allah. They describe God as a mighty emperor.

Whereas in the Eastern religious traditions, God is a quality, not an object. They believe God is within the universe and the universe is within God. God is not God but godliness - and godliness has to be found first within ourselves. Unless we have a taste of it in our own being we will not be able to see it anywhere else. Once we have tasted it, once we have become drunk on the divine, then we will see it in the trees — in the green of the trees, in the red of the trees, in the gold of the trees. We will see it in the sun, in the moon, in the stars. We will be able to see it in the animals, birds, people, rivers, mountains. The whole existence will reflect our understanding, will become a mirror to us. We will be able to see our own face everywhere. We can see only that which we are, we cannot see that which we are not.

Now, remember why ancient Eastern Shamanic religious traditions (such as Mithraism, Vedic religion, Tengrism, Shamanism, Taoism, Shintoism etc.) consider the sky, the moon, the fire, the sun, the stars, trees, animals, rocks, rivers, etc as divine, as God?! :)

One of the most fascinating books I’ve ever read, I wish I had read it ten years ago when I first heard of it. This book was so ahead of its time. It will deepen your knowledge of psychedelic journeys and expand your mind to places you didn’t know were possible. Full of both mesmerizing encounters and cautionary tales, Pinchbeck draws you in with his writing style reminiscent of the beat generation. I appreciate his brutal honesty about himself and the world around him, it feels so incredibly refreshing and authentic. He never tries to portray himself as some kind of hero or outstanding citizen, or even to appear likable. Chronicling his experiences with psychedelics, he is a completely different person at the beginning of the book than he is at the end. Breaking Open The Head does exactly what the title suggests.

I enjoyed this perspective on modern/ancient psychedelic experiences. The author has a frank honesty about the rationale for his drug use and seeks out spiritual experiences throughout this novel for his own personal fulfillment. I enjoy books that suggest other authors for me to check out and point back to an author's reading experience and journey as a learner and this book was not short on those suggestions. This book seemed to me to be the evolution of perspective that one might have on drugs if a student followed their passion for the psychedelic experience into their adult life after college. The blending of other culture's spiritual perspectives within the world of mind altering substances is an interesting study in the strange stance that our society takes on drug use as well as other perspectives that are possible to hold. An enjoyable, entertaining personal journey novel that asks the reader to come along an interesting path that other cultural perspectives offer the modern adventurer.

This book, nonetheless, from what I can recall, is a pleasant read, and a good introductory text to the psychedelics, or "contemporary shamanism". Shamans, in the jungles and Amazon, use the same psychoactive substances hippies get stoned or high off of, namely, DMT and psilocybin/hallucinogenic mushrooms, not to mention LSA, an LSD like compound found in nature, that can elicit similar spiritual experiences. They use them to communicate with spirits/ancestors, travel to astral planes or other dimensions, healing or curing during ritualistic ceremonies, or divination for things like predicting the weather or locating lost items/people. There's even some rumor that love potions exist and are effective, too.

The title refers to Pinchbeck's initiation with the Bwiti people, using iboga, or ibogaine, to break open his head, so he could be initiated. That's sort of what it can feel like, as the drugs affect your brain and bind to its receptors, it can make your head throb or feel some kind of sensation. It's symbolic and metaphorical, but also reflects a process in reality.

It is said Daniel had an LSD experience in college that changed his life, and also one at Burning Man 2005 that, as a journalist, caused him to want to be more conscious of ecology and the environment, suddenly caring about our generation and their children, and our children's children. However, it was a bit naive, like Leary, and no one basically took him that serious. It required a different, more methodological approach.

Pinchbeck's mother dated Jack Kerouac, and is something of a writer herself. Daniel himself started out in the art and literature world, taking on the family responsibility, before focusing more on writing and non-fiction.

I think, then, that the point is, from these discoveries, is that shamanism is basically real, or at least their potions are what you'd sort of expect them to be. They aren't for everyone, not everyone might see the appeal, or even need the healing they offer. Another consequence or side effect of using these sacred plant medicine healers/teachers, is that they affect the multiverse, and could cause odd things to happen occasionally. LSD is not the visionary compound most think it is, rather, that title belongs to ayahuasca (the vine of souls).

The book just acknowledges the way people tend to think. I'm not really out to offend anyone by writing this, and it may or may not be about "waking up", but it's a matter of being able to use your effort, to produce results that other people can see and share, as art, to make their life better or more comfortable. There's no reason to believe the future will be Star Trek like.

Some psychedelics, like LSD (which is only really psychedelic at higher doses; psilocybin is psychedelic, as well as DMT, which is "just psychedelic", and forces the experience over you so you have no to little control over what is happening) have a weird computer programming aspect to them, which can just point you towards the right way to live a happy life. There's also the idea of an "archaic revival", which doesn't really mean you can't use computers or machines as you live out in nature, just that there'll probably be less capitalism. Communism isn't seen as fair either, where each person is given the same thing, so innovation is harder as everything is provided by the state, giving you what they think you need or what's best for yourself.

It's best to do any kind of thing in a more shamanic context, silent darkness, more meditative like, to enter a trance state. It'll make you more environmentally conscious.

p. 291 When modern civilization finishes draining the world's resources, when this house of cards collapses, we will see ourselves stripped down to our essence and whimper for forgiveness like third-grade bullies caught by our teachers, unable to comprehend what went wrong. Against the floods, genetic pollution, bacterial onslaughts, radioactive infernos unleashed by human stupidity or aggrieved nature, our technologies will pop like toy guns. Watch the fun as the stock markets continue to seek profit, down to the last seconds of recorded history, betting on the margin-calls of disaster relief and reinsurance agencies.

Strange, possibly totally batshit, but also fascinating, thought-provoking, and absorbing.

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.