Customer Reviews

Doors of Perception

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Aldous Huxley is a man so articulate and inciteful, that he has managed to succeed at a dream seeming impossible to most people who have used psychedelic drugs. His descriptions of the mescaline experience are so enchanting, illuminating, and realistic that experienced users will be amazed, while non-users will have their curiousity peaked.

His discussion of the inherent spirituality of the experience and comparisons to Zen Buddhism go to show that not all drugs are destructive. Used correctly, psychedelics may provide some of the deepest insights available into the structure and meaning of the universe. I strongly encourage anyone to read this short and unique book. Unfortunately, those who need to read it the most are the least likely to.

Before reading this book, I had read 'Brave New World' and a few other essays of Huxley.My image of him and the tone of his writing was that he was more concerned with issues that link man to the society(the immediate one he interacts with, which also exerts an influence on him like town, city, country etc). While Huxley in these pieces, is no doubt, extremely clear and has convincing arguments, the entire tone of his writing and philosophy was to look for solutions from 'The Without'. All his earlier works have the tone of objectivity or externality.

The 'Doors of Perception' on the other hand is completely different from anything that Huxley had written before. For the first time, possibly, Huxley looks for answers to the riddle of the human predicament from 'The Within'. The classical mechanics led tone of impartiality/ objectivity is not there. It has been replaced by the subtler quantum mechanics treatment of the observer being as much involved(if not more) in the process of self-realisation and understanding of experience.

The book is brilliant and takes one into what possibly lies in the realm of 'The Transcendental Country of the Mind' - but the reader should get into it..and to realise the full potential of the book one has to suspend existing precepts in our limited consciousness.

There is an oft quoted zen koan which might make my point clearer. A professor of a university once wanted to know what Zen was all about. So he went to this famous Zen teacher and asked him to teach Zen. The teacher invited this prof for a cup of tea. He placed a cup before the prof and continued pouring tea into his cup even though it was full. After sometime, the prof got completely agitated and told the Zen Monk, "Why are you still pouring into the cup? Don't you see it? Its already full".
The monk replied, "Exactly. How can I teach you Zen when you are so full of yourself in the same way as this tea cup".

The same koan applies to reading 'Doors of Perception'..

This book simultaneously sythesized everything in my life and changed everything. It is a guide for understanding man's place in the world. enjoy its beauty.

Before reading this book, I had read 'Brave New World' and a few other essays of Huxley.My image of him and his writing was that he was more concerned with issues that link man to the society(the immediate one he interacts with which also exerts an influence on him like town, city, country etc). While Huxley in these pieces, is no doubt, extremely clear and has convincing arguments, the entire tone of his writing and philosophy was to look for solutions from 'The Without'. All his earlier works have the unmistakable ring of objectivity or externality.

The 'Doors of Perception' on the other hand is completely different from anything that Huxley had written before. For the first time, possibly, Huxley looks for answers to the riddle of the human predicament from 'The Within'. The classical mechanics led tone of impartiality/ objectivity is not there. It has been replaced by the subtler quantum mechanics treatment of the observer being as much involved(if not more) in the process of self-realisation and understanding of experience.

The book is brilliant and takes one into what possibly lies in the realm of 'The Transcendental Country of the Mind' - but the reader should get into it..and to realise the full potential of the book one has to suspend existing precepts in our limited consciousness.

There is an oft quoted zen koan which might make my point clearer. A professor of a university once wanted to know what Zen was all about. So he went to this famous Zen monk and asked him to teach Zen. The monk invited him to first have a cup of tea. He placed a cup before the prof and continued pouring tea into his cup even though it was full. After sometime, the prof got completely agitated and told the Zen Monk, "Why are you still pouring into the cup? Don't you see it? Its already full".
The monk replied, "Exactly. How can I teach you Zen when you are so full of yourself in the same way as this tea cup".

The same koan applies to reading 'Doors of Perception'..

"The Doors of Perception" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy" http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy