Customer Reviews

Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism

5 star:		(44)
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3 star:		(7)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

(Four and a half stars) Dreams are fascinating, and psychedelic experiences are fascinating, to the one who has them. And the rule of thumb is, that people's descriptions of their fascinating dreams and trips rate right up there on the boredom
meter with hole-by-hole narratives of your boss's last golf game.

It's not coincidence, I think, that the two great, readable narratives to come out of the psychedelia's da-glo glory days in the sixties (Wolfe's Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test) and its nightmarish decline and fall in the seventies (Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) came from two fellows whose primary love and loyalty was to journalism. Then the substances that Daniel Pinchbeck calls "entheogens" fell into cultural eclipse, the interminable pathology known as the War on Drugs took center stage, and little original or noteworthy has been published on the topic for quite a while. Terence McKenna, brilliant but sometimes barely in touch with the real world, has had the field pretty much to himself.

Now we've got another entrant, not quite up to Wolfe or Thompson, but as wide ranging as McKenna, while staying more level-headed and instructive. The strengths of "Breaking Open the Head" are once again journalistic. Pinchbeck undertakes an odyssey in search of genuine shamans, who can properly initiate him into the authentic use of psychoactive plants. He takes us with us on his journey, sets us into scenes from West Africa, to the invisible perennial contemporary Woodstock in Nevada known as the Burning Man Festival, to the Amazon, to the peyote fields of Mexico, to labs in New York City where chemicals the plant kingdom never quite got around to inventing are concocted and consumed.

We get Pinchbeck's trip reports, yes. We also get his personal spiritual journey, and a refreshingly objective picture of what remains of traditional shamanistic cultures, and what is emerging of Western shamanism (or pseudo-shamanism, as the case may be.) Best of all, we get his thought-provoking ruminations, goosed by his eclectic reading from Huxley to Eliade to Walter Benjamin to Rudolf Steiner, as to what this mysterious human drive to get high at almost any cost is all about. I don't think much of his answers, but his principal question is spang on: what is it about Western civilization? What gives us this chip on our shoulder about any and all forms of ecstatic consciousness, chemically assisted or not? Why is ours almost the only culture in the world to regard hallucinogenic plants with horror, rather than with reverence and
respect?

In the final few chapters, Pinchbeck goes off the deep end, down a rabbit hole into which few of his readers will probably want to follow, convinced that there are objectively real "plant spirits" out there directing psychedelic experiences. But his reportorial instincts are so sound, that he doesn't let his ultimate views color his account of events along the way. And so we are free to ponder some of the questions he doesn't raise. Like: if these chemicals are so all-fired spiritual, why are half the traditional shamans he meets violent, or greedy, or vain? And: how is it that all the ingesters from traditional societies
take the drugs to get practical advice from the spirit world on how to live their ordinary lives, while all the westerners take them in order to find Ultimate Answers, and to step outside consensus reality? With goals so different, can the Westerners' quest really lay claim to the value these substances might have within traditional cultures?

A lively, illuminating read, one of those books that is as fun to argue with as it is to learn from.

We can now speak of an entheogenic renaissance and this book is part of the growing literature of that movement. "Breaking Open the Head" is an autobiographical account in which the author details his transformation from a cynical Manhattan atheist to an entheogenic psychonaut. Along the way, the writer introduces us to the various psychedelics in use, their effects and cultural history (i.e how they have been used throughout history &/or at present).

One element that differentiates this book from other psychedelic accounts is Pinchbeck raises criticisms of capitalism, often via
the voice of Walter Benjamin. We are all under the spell of capital. We are hypnotised by commercials and advertising jingles. We are told, by the powers that be, that capitalism is "natural", that we have arrived at some kind of Hegelian "End of History", in which capitalism has won and any attempts to imagine a different scenario, a different form of global exchange, is empty utopianism. Unfortunately, many of us have accepted this fabrication. And so it is, that the rainforest continues to be depleted, many people in Third World countries live in poverty (thanks to multinational corporations and the politics of debt played by such organizations as the World Bank); spiritually
empty we, in the post-industrial capitalist countries, greedily seek to fill our spiritual emptiness with things, commodities. We consume more and more, yet still cannot fill the emptiness. We're like rats on a turnwheel.

Psychedelics MAY be PART of the antidote to all of this.
Through psychedelics we are awakened from our trance and can see the world from a completely different perspective. Psychedelics spark creativity. It has been said that Silicon Valley (where I work by the way) would not exist if it were not for acid. That may be an exaggeration, but only in part. Numerous luminaries in the field of computer science sought/seek inspiration through psychedelic visions. What's more, psychedelics reveal a broader (not necessarily HIGHER) reality. As biological organisms, our brains have specialized (at least this is my opinion) and have closed out many parts of the larger reality that exists. In our everyday existence, We stare out at the world through a narrow chink and conclude that is all there is.

All this may sound incredible to those who have never experienced
the states entrained by psychedelics. Many believe that psychedelics are a means of escaping reality. It is possible, like all things, that they could be used to that end. However,
for the escapist, psychedelics would not be the drug of choice. The reason for this being that psychedelics are AMPLIFIERS, not sedatives. If you were to use them as a means to escape some phenomenon, that phenomenon would more than likely end up in your trip amplified to the nth power!

I am happy that through his book an anti-capitalist orientation has been introduced into the psychedelic context. While it is true that psychedelics have more or less defied being co-opted by capitalism (indeed there is a "war on drugs" campaign), there could be in the future an attempt to "integrate" psychedelics into capitalism. We have seen how the "New Age" is, for the most part, a marketing scheme. We have learned how paranormal talents, such as remote viewing, were tested by the CIA for use in spying. Should we break through this period of "anti-drug hysteria", one can well imagine that psychedelics could be coopted for capitalist use.

We, instead, should use psychedelics as a means of breaking free of the capitalist mindset, envisioning other possible socio-economic systems, and re-associating with the broader reality that exists (which some call the "spirit world").

If you've found the writing of Terence McKenna interesting and thought-provoking, then you should consider this book an immediate must-read. However, Pinchbeck's book deserves to be read (and hopefully WILL be read) by a much wider cross-section of society than McKenna's. One of the problems inherent to writing about psychedelic experiences is that the nature of the experience itself makes describing it through the written word extremely difficult. I think Pinchbeck has done an incredible job of bridging this gap (to the extent that is indeed possible) and relating his experiences in a way that even someone who has never touched a psychedelic substance can begin to understand.

While that in itself is an important achievement, I think the real value of this book lies in the moral and ethical issues it ultimately poses for the reader...and this includes both those who've used these types of drugs, as well as those who've never even had a beer. The issues of corporate greed, ecosystem destruction, and blatant consumerism have never been more relevant to our society; the author addresses these issues with thought-provoking insight, and offers some extremely interesting and somewhat frightening ideas about the future of the human race....ideas that seem to have been catalyzed, but NOT created, by his use of psychedelics.

In my opinion, that's where the real value of this book lies, and the reason it should be a rewarding and worthwhile read for anyone who considers himself a concerned, active, thinking member of society and the human race. It would be a tragedy if potential readers overlook this and skip the book based on a preconceived notion about the subject matter.

This book, like all good books, expanded my consciouness without the use of any psychedelics- psychonauts please think on these words.
Anyway, I found that the most important idea explored in this book to cover in my review is that human beings have many, perhaps infinite doors into different states of consciousness within the human mind. Whether or not we choose to deny these completely different worlds, we must understand that current "rational" theories about the world, and about consciousness in general could never be true or complete without exploring these worlds; if you see them you know that many are just as true as "rational" reality. Those doors are there for a reason, or they simply wouldn't be there. Interestingly enough, not only are the doors there after millions of years of evolution, but many keys to open these doors are naturally occuring in thousands of diverse life-forms all over the world (Some of which Mr. Pinchbeck describes wonderfully). Considering psychoactives, I find it particularly interesting that (for example) although the brain has a receptor for THC found in the soft drug marijuana which kills 0 people a year (themselves from use), alcohol- the legal alternative- poisons the brain to intoxication and kills countless brain cells, users and non-users a year. It is also important to note that in general natural psychelics cause no physical addiction or damage (quite the opposite), as the brain is wired specifically for their use. I don't necessarily support the habitual use of drugs, as I find that the mind can be explored to a great extent without them, but they are tools on this earth which we are obviously meant to use- if you don't agree, read this book, as I found it very convincing.
Don't forget to explore EROWID.ORG!!!
One Love

Okay, so he ain't Wittgenstien, but neither was Ludwig. Pinchbeck deserves a decicive clap on the back for his feverish, foolhardy romp into the unknown. To those who pooh pooh him, I ask--what have you done for me lately? This is Kapucinski meets Casteneda in a dread-laced Holographic Universe, and if you feel that intellectual rigor is lacking, or that the author relies too much on Benjamin's politics, I ask you when you last met the splinter-faced god of the forest? I feel that Pinchbeck is earnest and refuses to pose as a guide when he is in fact nothing but a balsy, intellectual Brooklynite who grew bored with chatter-mouthed literati and with himself--so he decided to cast the eternal dice and record his findings with talent and intelligence that may not be first rate, but are, nevertheless, uncharateristic of our time. In sum: a pip.

My initial thought upon starting this book was that Daniel Pinchbeck's personal odyssey to find the source of Truth and Knowledge arose from his need to experience the creative forces that formed the artistic life of his mother, a talented Beat Generation writer, and his father, an accomplished abstract painter. I wondered if this would be just another middle-class "drug tale".

Fortunately, for the reader, his metier is a deft and sparkling prose style that enriches the telling of his story and induces us to follow him on his journey.

Throughout this book, I felt a kinship with Pinchbeck in that I, too, have felt compelled to find meaning beyond the insanity that stands in for culture in America; an insanity, I might add, that is increasingly propelling us towards a questionable existence that is impossible for a thinking person to ignore any longer.

My seduction, however, was tempered by fear and my journeys stayed in the intellectual area rather than the experiential. Like many in my generation (the 60's, hippies), half-hearted attempts at searching for "enlightenment" eventually gave way to being co-opted by the very culture I tried to abjure.

Pinchbeck, on the other hand, finally reached a point in his life where his own dysfunction forced him to reach towards the things that appealed to him in his youth. He wanted to return to a kind of naivete and hope in psychedelic drugs; a time before media, politics and capitalism ended the real quantitative advancements (especially in psychological healing) that psychedelics were just starting to reveal. Instead, what resulted from those times was a sterile and superficial marketing-driven world that has spawned the self-absorbed, drug culture we see today; a culture where there's a medication for every physical, social and psychological disorder and where the culture itself is the intoxicant of choice to mask the divisiveness, hatred, injustice, dangers and lies we must face every day in our society.

"Breaking Open the Head" is an apt title for the audacious--some would say foolhardy--attitude Pinchbeck proceeds with in his "spirit quest". Yet, as a foundation for his psychedelic journeys, there is an intellectual framework that ranges from Plato to Rudolph Steiner and from neolithic cave paintings to the Burning Man Festival.

In fact, besides this being superbly-written story of one man's exploration of the "subtler realms", "Breaking Open the Head" is an invaluable survey of historical and current ideas as to the nature of mind and reality.

What becomes clear as one reads the book is that for a hundred millenia, mankind had existed in an often mysterious and dangerous world with the help of some kind of knowledge available to just a few. Yet it is apparent that for any group of people to survive, these few individuals would have to have been part of that society.

Only in the last 300-400 years has science been around to create the surety in today's world that "everything can be explained" if only science has enough time and resources to explain it.

Daniel Pinchbeck's record of his journey is vital for a society that is so isolated from nature that even with great numbers of scientists, scholars and thinkers shouting at the top of their lungs about the imminent dangers we are creating in our environment, the collective public response is a shrug of the shoulders.

I've just begun reading "2012", Pinchbeck's latest book. It will be fascinating to see how his journey continues. The inherent dangers of his exploration that he describes at the end of "Breaking Open the Head", probably would have been enough to end my own "trip". But without "psychonauts"--explorers of the mind--like Pinchbeck to guide man down through the ages, we might not have evolved any farther than have our more hirsute cousins; the apes.

Many interesting and intelligent books and articles relating to psychedelics are available, including plant guides, histories and trip reports. Daniel Pinchbeck's "Breaking Open the Head" is a rare find, not only in the "genre" but in all of contemporary literature: a truly sophisticated yet very readable, beautifully wrought, intellectual treatise on a complex and deeply important subject. No small part of Pinchbeck's brilliance is his voice. Personal and endearingly unpretentious, he doles out enlightenment in tasty and entertaining doses.

With plenty of first (and second) hand descriptions of various entheogenic experiences, the book will satisfy hardcore psychonauts seeking validation or information, as well as wannabes seeking vicarious trip thrills. But interspersed throughout are brief, pithy observations on anthropological, sociological, religious, cultural, artistic, literary and philosophical viewpoints and phenomena which offer brilliant insights into the current state of human affairs (how we got to where we are) and suggest logical but unlikely scenarios for freeing ourselves and unleashing our potential.

Descriptions of his work as "anti-capitalist" are arguably accurate but a tad simplistic. Pinchbeck's illuminating light is shined not on the sociopolitical aspect of capitalism but rather on the sociopsychological materialism which has trapped citizens of the "developed" world en masse in its web of illusive pleasure reality.

Unlike lesser writers who might pass off some of the more obscure references as their own, Pinchbeck is quick to attribute his influences and sources, affording us a glimpse into his own intellectual and psychological development, which adds depth to his psychedelic journey.

This is a wonderful book for fans of shamanism and psychedelics, and is the PERFECT gift for martini-swilling swanks who scoff at the "irresponsibility" of their more explorative friends. Like the work of McKenna and Huxley and Huston Smith, it is more evidence that psychedelics appear to sharpen the brain, rather than fry it.

Though I have doubts about any kind of spiritual trancendence, I do find the other worlds or states of mind induced by psychedlics to be an essential experience in learning more about the inner workings of the mind, and in raising questions in regards to our perception of the world around us. Whether you believe these drugs are a portal to another dimension (which they most certainly are, though whether or not that dimension exists "out there" or simply in our minds is debatable) or simply a drug, i.e. bad and of no redeeming value, really comes down to what you "believe" is ultimate reality. Are you one who questions and is seeking alterenatives to what is offered? Or do you feel comfortable with the way things are? Daniel Pinchbeck is definitely the former and the book is an exploration into that search for an alternative. He is honest and does not hold back in his descriptions of his experiences and his passion for that ultimate revelation is sincere. The journey goes from Africa to Mexico to South America and back to New York City. Along the way you meet other travellers and seekers as well shamans, holy men and other visitors to the fourth dimension. Although I was not convinced of the existence of any dimension "out there", I came away with a deeper appreciation of these so-called mind-altering plants as they pertain to a more ecologically sensitive and spiritually healthy perception of the world we live. Instead of drugs that dull the mind and enhance the negative aspects of our personalities we could well use with substances (legally approved of course) that enhance or awareness of natural processes as well as our relation to the planet and other life forms.

I've read 2012 and have begun reading Breaking Open The Head, but I'm not sure if I have the stomach to finish it. Pinchbeck is just too superficial. The man has no ideas of his own and can only write books by assembling a collage of other people's thoughts and inserting a comment here and there. The man's a journalist and it shows in his writting.

I guess a bright side to that style is that the reader gets plenty of exposure to other writers and thinkers, but that's about it. Pinchbeck is over rated, due mostly to the fact that there arn't many people out there covering the subject matter at this point in time.

I wouldn't recommend Pinchbeck, or this book, to someone who's just beginning to take an interest in the subject, psychedelics. There are better books out there written by wiser people that offer more information and insight than Danny could muster in 20 volumes.

Check out Huston Smith, Alexander Shulgin, Terence McKenna, Rick Strassman, Gordon Wasson, Albert Hoffman, Alan Watts, Adulous Huxley, and their contemporaries before getting hung up on Pinchbeck. You'll be glad you did. And even if you have already fallen in love with him, check out those authors and read it again, if you want your heart broken.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who in interested in exploring the metaphysical realm and has existential angst. This book not only speaks to the possibility of the existence of other dimensions but sends an important message to the world as it exists today--a world devoid of spirituality, of meaning, of real purpose. Although his explanations of spiritual experience is well-grounded in scientific and rational thought, it is completely accessible to the layman and entirely enjoyable to read.