Customer Reviews

Insight Outlook

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Albert Hofmann is probably best known as the man who discovered LSD, and as such he should be reckoned as one of the greatest benefactors of humankind. And perhaps he would, hasn't it been for immature messianiacs like Timothy Leary, Allen Ginsberg and Ken Kesey (all three beautiful human beings but naive when it came to psychedelics and their use).

But Hofmann is also a deep and profound philosopher, thourogly based in his vast scientific education and practice, but also steeped in a natural mysticism. A part of the human mind he discovered already in his youth, walking around in the vast countryside of his native Switzerland and suddenly experiencing the opening up of another dimension.

The central topic of this small but important and significant book is actually Intelligent Design. The fact that modern natural science may be able to explain how Nature works, but not why. As he says it like describing all the building bricks of a cathedral and completely overlooking the architectural plan. (Richard Dawkins and other fanatic materialists probably wouldn't like this book).

He also has a beautiful description of the necessarily subjective character of all human knowledge about the world. An insight foundated on sound scientific analyzises and the fact that our organs of perception all just covers a limited range of all the impressions around us. (As C.S. Lewis onnce said we might be surronded by millions of ultraviolet angels all the time). And that our 'picture' of the world is based on an interpretation of all the sensory input, and who the interpreter is, is certainly beyond our possible knowledge.

He also recommends meditation as source of insight and a valuable supplement to the scientific knowledge. Leading to a better understanding of the whole and thereby to increased ecological awareness. Another main topic for Hofmann, who wholeheartetdly in the last chapter of the book advocates the use of solar energy on a vast scale.

Reading this book it's quite obvious why Stanislav Grof has said, that being with Hofmann is like having darshan with an enlightened sage.

Just a shame neither the anonymous translator nor the proofreader lives up to Hofmanns high standards.

Highly recommended to everyone looking for intelligent alternatives to the current 'madness'.

Hofmann provides a coherant and understandable explanation of how to perceive and feel the connectedness of everything. This is no small accomplishment! I wanted to understand more about how aboriginal peoples might have experienced their world, and Hofmann helped.

These are the musings of an enlightened being, chemist, and psychedelic researcher. The translation is fair; the editing job could have been better.

But the goodness and godness of A. Hofmann shines through.

"Insight Outlook" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy" http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy