The Antipodes of the Mind: Charting the Phenomenology of the Ayahuasca Experience Summary and Reviews

The Antipodes of the Mind: Charting the Phenomenology of the Ayahuasca Experience
by Benny Shanon

The Antipodes of the Mind: Charting the Phenomenology of the Ayahuasca Experience
List Price: $65.00
Our Price: $50.98
You Save: $14.02 (22%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $49.50 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


or

Book Summary Information

Author: Benny Shanon
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-01-23
ISBN: 0199252939
Number of pages: 496
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Book Reviews of The Antipodes of the Mind: Charting the Phenomenology of the Ayahuasca Experience

Book Review: A Clear View of Inner Space
Summary: 5 Stars

This is a very detailed, academic and disciplined analysis of some of the most extreme and astounding subjective experiences that human beings can have, and their philosophical and existential implications. I was impressed with the way the author tries to plumb the depths of the Ayahuasca experience using the tools of cognitive science, without taking away the mystery and other-worldliness that he and others encounter in their interaction with this ancient shamanic medicine. I was envious of what he had experienced and discovered, while also being somewhat frightened that such extreme states of mind were so close to all of us. The book gives a real feeling of the life-changing consequences that can result from the simple act of accepting a drink of Ayahuasca, and the astounding beauty and richness of the universe that it reveals. It also puts the whole process into a rational and understandable context that those of us with a scientific/rational bent can accept. In no way did I feel that this was something that I would want to do without careful thought. I also came away with the conviction that this medicine has a potential for healing and spiritual growth that is probably without parallel. The fact that it is being used so extensively, and legally, throughout South America and some European countries, shows that it can be incorporated safely into society. As for the book itself - as an academic treatise aiming to cover all the implications of the Ayahuasca experience for cognitive science, it naturally sometimes becomes a bit dry when it gets into the necessarily detailed analysis. However, the vivid descriptions of the phenomenology of the experience, especially the first-person accounts of the author, more than make up for this. In some ways it is reminiscent of Aldous Huxley's "Doors of Perception" and some of Stanislav Grof's work. All in all a great read for those interested in such things.

Mental Health Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Mental Health Books
The Joy Diet: 10 Daily Practices for a Happier Life ImageThe Joy Diet: 10 Daily Practices for a Happier Life
by Martha Beck
Crown Archetype; Published: 2003-05-06; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $6.35
Price in other shops: $17.99
Women Who Hurt Themselves: A Book Of Hope And Understanding ImageWomen Who Hurt Themselves: A Book Of Hope And Understanding
by Ed.D. Dusty Miller
Basic Books; Published: 1995-04-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.70
Price in other shops: $18.00
Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things ImageEmotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things
by Donald A. Norman
Basic Books; Published: 2005-05-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.99
Price in other shops: $16.95
Lifespan Development (3rd Edition) ImageLifespan Development (3rd Edition)
by Helen Bee, Denise Boyd
Allyn & Bacon; Published: 2001-06-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.00
Price in other shops: $108.20
Acts of Honor ImageActs of Honor
by Vicki Hinze
St. Martin's Paperbacks; Published: 1999-12-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.22
Price in other shops: $5.99
Until Proven Innocent: Political Correctness and the Shameful Injustices of the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case ImageUntil Proven Innocent: Political Correctness and the Shameful Injustices of the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case
by Stuart Taylor, KC Johnson
Thomas Dunne Books; Published: 2007-09-04; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $6.45
Price in other shops: $26.95
Saving Sammy: Curing the Boy Who Caught OCD ImageSaving Sammy: Curing the Boy Who Caught OCD
by Beth Alison Maloney
Crown; Published: 2009-09-22; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $3.12
Price in other shops: $23.99
Development Through the Lifespan ImageDevelopment Through the Lifespan
by Laura E. Berk
Allyn & Bacon; Published: 1997-12-18; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $8.00
Price in other shops: $85.00
SOULS: BENEATH & BEYOND AUTISM (paperback version) ImageSOULS: BENEATH & BEYOND AUTISM (paperback version)
by Sharon Rosenbloom, Thomas Balsamo
Learning Solutions; Published: 2003-09-16; Paperback; Book
Best price: $19.99
The Art of Loving (Perennial Classics) ImageThe Art of Loving (Perennial Classics)
by Erich Fromm
Harper Perennial; Published: 2000-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $14.00
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution ImageFood of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution
by Terence McKenna
Bantam; Published: 1993-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.48
Price in other shops: $20.00
The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys ImageThe Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys
by James Fadiman
Park Street Press; Published: 2011-05-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.79
Price in other shops: $18.95
Supernatural: Meetings with the Ancient Teachers of Mankind ImageSupernatural: Meetings with the Ancient Teachers of Mankind
by Graham Hancock
The Disinformation Company; Published: 2007-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.85
Price in other shops: $18.95
The Ayahuasca Visions of Pablo Amaringo ImageThe Ayahuasca Visions of Pablo Amaringo
by Howard G. Charing, Peter Cloudsley, Pablo Amaringo
Pablo Amaringo; Inner Traditions; Published: 2011-05-12; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $24.92
Price in other shops: $40.00
The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge ImageThe Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge
by Jeremy Narby
Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam; Published: 1999-04-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.98
Price in other shops: $14.95
Ayahuasca in My Blood: 25 Years of Medicine Dreaming ImageAyahuasca in My Blood: 25 Years of Medicine Dreaming
by Peter Gorman
CreateSpace; Published: 2010-05-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $20.51
Price in other shops: $25.00
Sacred Vine of Spirits: Ayahuasca ImageSacred Vine of Spirits: Ayahuasca
Park Street Press; Published: 2005-11-22; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.90
Price in other shops: $16.95
DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences ImageDMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences
by Rick Strassman
Park Street Press; Published: 2001-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.12
Price in other shops: $16.95
Singing to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon ImageSinging to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon
by Stephan V. Beyer
University of New Mexico Press; Published: 2010-06-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $19.68
Price in other shops: $29.95
The Shaman & Ayahuasca: Journeys to Sacred Realms ImageThe Shaman & Ayahuasca: Journeys to Sacred Realms
by Don Jose Campos
Divine Arts; Published: 2011-07-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.91
Price in other shops: $16.95