Book Review

BREAKING OPEN THE HEAD (2002)

EW's GRADE
A-

Details Release Date: Sep 17, 2002; Writer: Daniel Pinchbeck; Genre: Nonfiction; Publisher: Broadway Books

The author of this ''journey into the heart of contemporary shamanism'' is not some hippy-dippy hedonist staggering down the road of excess but rather a skeptical philosopher of consciousness seeking the enlightened path. In the late '90s, a spiritually exhausted Pinchbeck took a magazine assignment to gobble the African psychedelic iboga, launching an earnest exploration of himself, his self, and this world. Acid in Manhattan, mushrooms in Mexico, yage in Ecuador.... He reports on his trips, travels, and travails in an unfailingly strong voice and analyzes a broad range of theorists with a light touch. Pinchbeck ought to have done a bit more homework on neuroscience, but his book nonetheless blows the mind.

Originally posted Sep 27, 2002 Published in issue #674 Sep 27, 2002 Order article reprints

Add your comment

The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. An asterisk * indicates a required field.

500 characters remaining
Advertisement