Psychedelic Press UK
Literary Reviews: 1971-2000
Literary Review: ‘Psychedelia Britannica’ by Antonio Melechi [ed.]
Originally published in 1997 ‘Psychedelia Britannica’ is a collection of essays dealing with the cultural history of psychedelics in Britain, edited by Antonio Melechi. The book looks at psychedelic drugs through the context of literature, music, psychiatry and the counterculture and includes a number of prominent individuals like Ronald Sandison and Alexander Trocchi, with a … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘Drugtakers in an English Town’ by Martin A. Plant
Originally published in 1975 ‘Drugtakers in an English Town’ by Martin A. Plant is the result of the author’s PhD thesis, prepared for what was the Department of Social Administration and Social Work, at the University of Bristol. Martin Plant (1946-2010), 29 at the time of publication, went on to become a leading expert in … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘On Drugs’ by David Lenson
Originally published in 1995 ‘On Drugs’ by David Lenson is a fascinating and enlightening pharmacography on the cultural reception of drugs from the point-of-view of the user. The author had previously published works that included ‘Achilles’ Choice’ (1975) and ‘The Birth of Tragedy: A Commentary’ (1987) and was Professor of Comparative Literature at the University … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘Psychedelic Shamanism’ by Jim DeKorne
Originally published in 1994 ‘Psychedelic Shamanism’ by Jim DeKorne grew into something of an ‘underground classic’. The updated edition, from which this review has been written, was published in 2011 and follows the publication of the book’s sequel ‘The Cracking Tower’ in 2009. DeKorne was the editor of ‘The Entheogen Review’ between 1992 – 1997. … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘The Man who Turned on the World’ by Michael Hollingshead
Originally published in 1973 ‘The Man who Turned on the World’ by Michael Hollingshead recounts the author’s involvement in the psychedelic movement of the 1960s. Having been told by Aldous Huxley to talk with Timothy Leary, and having subsequently given Leary his first LSD trip, Hollingshead’s notoriety was assured. The book is a fascinating landscape … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘Pharmako/Poeia’ by Dale Pendell
Dale Pendell’s ‘Pharmako/Poeia – Power Plants, Poisons & Herbcraft’ was originally published in 1995. This review is written from the updated 2010 North Atlantic edition. Pendell is an author and poet whose written works include ‘Inspired Madness: The Gifts of Burning Man’ (2006) and ‘Living with Barbarians: A few Plant Poems’ (1999), as well as … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘Realms of the Human Unconscious’ by Stanislav Grof
‘Realms of the Human Unconscious – Observations from LSD Research’ by Stanislav Grof has recently (2010) been republished by Souvenir Press, having originally been published in 1975. Stanislav Grof spent 17 years researching LSD and other hallucinogenic drugs between 1955 and 1972 in a psychotherapy context. He began his research in Czechoslovakia but later moved … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘The Religion of Ayahuasca’ by Alex Polari De Alverga
Originally published in 1999 under the title ‘Forest of Visions: Ayahuasca, Amazonian spirituality, and the Santo Daime Tradition’; this edition, published under the new title ‘The Religion of Ayahuasca – The Teachings of the Church of Santo Daime’, came out in 2010. The author, Alex Polari De Alverga, tells the story of his own experiences … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘Blue Tide’ by Mike Jay
Originally published in 1999 ‘Blue Tide – The Search for Soma’ by Mike Jay is the story of the author’s search for the potentially psychedelic plant soma. In attempting to unravel its mysteries, Jay is tackling, what is felt by many, as one of the most important, unanswered historical questions in psychedelic studies. A blend … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘Emperors of Dreams’ by Mike Jay
Originally published in 2000 ‘Emperors of Dreams – Drugs in the Nineteenth Century’ by Mike Jay is an extraordinary examination of the proliferation of various drugs during an enlightenment fuelled Victorian age. Drawing on meticulous research, the book manages to combine elements of scientific, medical, literary and social history, in a manner befitting such a … Continue reading
