Psychedelic Press UK
drugs
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: ‘The Peyote Dance’ by Antonin Artaud
Originally published in France under the title ‘Les Tarahumaras’ (1947), ‘The Peyote Dance’ by Antonin Artaud describes the author’s experiences with Peyote and the Tarahumara in Mexico, in 1936. Written over twelve years and covering Artaud’s stay at a psychiatric hospital in Rodez, the book is an important work of drug literature, so far as … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘To Live Outside the Law’ by Leaf Fielding
Originally published in 2011 ‘To Live Outside the Law’ by Leaf Fielding is an autobiographical account of his life leading up to, and his involvement with, the distribution of Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in Britain during the 1970s. One of a number of people involved who were caught and sentenced by the infamous Operation Julie, … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘Pharmako/Dynamis’ by Dale Pendell
Originally published in 2002 ‘Pharmako/Dynamis – Stimulating Plants, Potions & Herbcrafts’ is Dale Pendell’s follow up to his excellent ‘Pharmako/Poeia’, and deals with the Excitantia and Empathogenica classes of psychoactive plants. This review is written from the 2010 updated edition, which continues the author’s stroll through the ‘poison path’, in poetic, scientific and historical fashion. … Continue reading
Breaking Convention 2011: Notes from a Psychedelic Conference
The sprawling campus of the University of Kent, in Canterbury, became host to the UK’s first psychedelic consciousness conference on the second and third of April, 2011. The campus’ Wolfe building was a thronging hive, as all the psychedelic bees gathered to share their research, their experiences and their ideas in a sweet-honey-melting-pot. At the … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘Aya – A Shamanic Odyssey’ by Rak Razam
Originally published in 2009 ‘Aya: A Shamanic Odyssey’ by Rak Razam is a fine addition to the burgeoning genre of ayahuasca literature. Rak Razam is a journalist and editor of ‘The Journeybook: Travels on the Frontiers of Consciousness’. This book charts the author’s own journey in South America and the Amazon, as he has a … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘Freud on Coke’ by David Cohen
The hardback edition of ‘Freud on Coke’ by David Cohen is due to be published on the 31 March 2011. Writer and filmmaker David Cohen has previously published works such as Home Alone (2010) and The Escape of Sigmund Freud (2009), and while the latter dealt with one of Freud’s so-called ‘secret histories’, this offering deals … Continue reading
Literary Review: ‘Phantastica’ by Louis Lewin
Originally published in Germany in 1924 ‘Phantastica’ by Louis Lewin was first published in English in 1931. This review is written from the Park Street Press edition, 1998. The text is an early attempt at a categorisation of psychoactive drugs and while, in many respects, it is dated, especially pharmacologically, it still remains an important … Continue reading
Events Review: Drugs in Victorian Britain
The ‘Drugs in Victorian Britain’ symposium was held at the Wellcome Collection, London, on the 11th and 12th of February, 2011 as part of their High Society exhibition. Friday evening was a showing of the Magic Lantern, a Victorian visual entertainment with musical accompaniment and on the Saturday it played host to an eclectic selection … Continue reading
