Sacred Vine of Spirits: Ayahuasca [Paperback]

Ralph Metzner Ph.D. (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1594770530 | ISBN-13: 978-1594770531 | Publication Date: December 3, 2005

A compilation of writings on the chemical, biological, psychological, and experiential dimensions of Ayahuasca

• Includes 24 firsthand accounts of Ayahuasca experiences and resulting life changes, including contributions from J. C. Callaway, Charles S. Grob, and Dennis J. McKenna

• Discusses the medical and psychological applications of Ayahuasca

Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic Amazonian plant mixture that has been used for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years by native Indian and mestizo shamans in Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador for healing and divination. Many Western-trained physicians and psychologists have acknowledged that this substance can allow access to spiritual dimensions of consciousness, even mystical experiences indistinguishable from classic religious mysticism.

In Sacred Vine of Spirits: Ayahuasca Ralph Metzner, a pioneer in the study of consciousness, has assembled a group of authoritative contributors who provide an exploration of the chemical, biological, psychological, and experiential dimensions of ayahuasca. He begins with more than 20 firsthand accounts from Westerners who have used ayahuasca and then presents the history, psychology, and chemistry of ayahuasca from leading scholars in the field of psychoactive research. He concludes with his own findings on ayahuasca, including its applications in medicine and psychology, and compares the worldview revealed by ayahuasca visions to that of Western cultures.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ralph Metzner, world famous pioneer of psychedelic research and consciousness explorer, brings together a masterful collection of writings exploring the nature of this extraordinary sacred potion, from its chemical and biological properties and psychological effects to its enormous healing and spiritual potential. This book will be an inspiration for lay audiences and a treasure trove of information for scholars studying consciousneess and the human psyche."
(Stanislav Grof, M.D., author of LSD Psychotherapy, Psychology of the Future, and The Cosmic Game )

"Thought-provoking, wide-ranging, and well-reasoned, Metzner's collection of essays and self-reports contains the widest representation of subjective effects and scientific information on ayahuasca in the modern West. It provides ideas for future research and is essential for beginners and veterans of the field."
(Rick Strassman, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, and author of DMT: The Spirit Molecule )

"Metzner's book is a valuable investment in exploration of consciousness and an inspiration for further studies and personal experiences of the healing and spiritual potential of Ayahuasca."
(Galina Vladi, Alaska Wellness, Vol. 13, No. 3, May/June 2008 )

From the Back Cover

VISIONARY PLANTS / ENTHEOGENS

“Ralph Metzner, world famous pioneer of psychedelic research and consciousness explorer, brings together a masterful collection of writings exploring the nature of this extraordinary sacred potion, from its chemical and biological properties and psychological effects to its enormous healing and spiritual potential. This book will be an inspiration for lay audiences and a treasure trove of information for scholars studying consciousneess and the human psyche.”
--Stanislav Grof, M.D., author of LSD Psychotherapy, Psychology of the Future, and The Cosmic Game

“Thought-provoking, wide-ranging, and well-reasoned, Metzner's collection of essays and self-reports contains the widest representation of subjective effects and scientific information on ayahuasca in the modern West. It provides ideas for future research and is essential for beginners and veterans of the field.”
--Rick Strassman, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, and author of DMT: The Spirit Molecule

Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic Amazonian plant mixture that has been used for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years by native Indian and mestizo shamans in Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador for healing and divination. Many Western-trained physicians and psychologists have acknowledged that this substance can allow access to spiritual dimensions of consciousness, even mystical experiences indistinguishable from classic religious mysticism.

In Sacred Vine of Spirits: Ayahuasca Ralph Metzner, a pioneer in the study of consciousness, has assembled a group of authoritative contributors who provide an exploration of the chemical, biological, psychological, and experiential dimensions of ayahuasca. He begins with the history, psychology, and chemistry of ayahuasca from leading scholars in the field of psychoactive research and then presents more than twenty firsthand accounts from Westerners who have used ayahuasca. He concludes with his own findings on ayahuasca's applications in medicine and psychology, and compares the worldview revealed by ayahuasca visions to that of Western cultures.

RALPH METZNER, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist and professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. He studied psychology and psychopharmacology at Harvard University and was part of the Psilocybin Research Project with Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (later Ram Dass). He is the author of Green Psychology, coauthor of The Psychedelic Experience, and editor of Sacred Mushroom of Visions: Teonanácatl. He lives in Sonoma, California.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Park Street Press (December 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594770530
• ISBN-13: 978-1594770531
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #407,300 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the read, January 26, 2006

By 

J Irvin "author of The Holy Mushroom" (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacred Vine of Spirits: Ayahuasca (Paperback)

Ralph Metzner's book Ayahuasca: Human Consciousness and the Spirits of Nature (1st edition) and Sacred Vine of Spirits: Ayahuasca (2nd edition) is an excellent overview of modern conceptions of Ayahuasca and where and how they originated.

The book starts off with a brief history of the available data on this most powerful of entheogens. Next Metzner delves into modern trip reports of the experience by mostly well-to-do professionals, doctors, psychiatrists, etc. In this section, the book does tend to get a little fluffy and new agey in its descriptions. Here, too, I was disappointed that he did not offer/include indigenous descriptions of the experience.

While at first this book had difficulty drawing me in, it wasn't until the end of the trip reports section, probably around page 150, that a startling story, so identical to one of my own, really grabbed my attention into the book as a whole. The stories previous to this one were also similar to my own, as I have seen the snakes, etc., myself, however the other stories often didn't draw me in as this one in particular had as it twisted around my soul like a boa.

About 2/3 into the book it becomes clear why Metzner has chosen these particular stories. He uses the stories to show a sort of universal archetypal imagery found within the experiences as well as using them to show the overall personal benefits and healings gained by each individual's direct experiences with the sacred brew. He makes especially clear the importance of "la purga" or the purge, which are the effects of Ayahuasca to cause vomiting to cleanse the body and soul. However, I questioned if this was done while possibly omitting negative reports, not of trips, but of Kanaima related issues (see Dr. Neil Whitehead). Though I must admit that my own numerous experiences were indeed along the same lines of self-recognition and self-responsibility laid out in the work.

Next Metzner calls on the famed Dr. Dennis McKenna to break down the chemistry and history of Ayahuasca, as McKenna with his brother Terence were pioneers in the research on DMT and Ayahuasca. Next Metzner calls on Dr. Charles Grob and Dr. J.C. Callaway to give an excellent (yet self limited) history on Ayahuasca from its studies to its effects on human psychological behavior, drug addiction, etc. Finally he ends the book with a well thought out and in some places admittedly speculative conclusion on the possibilities to the fulfilling of human consciousness on a Gaian or global scale.

Not the most profound read, but well worth the read. I'd give it a strong 4.5 star. A necessary addition to any ethnopharmacological library. However, I should mention that the best material is said to be The Antipodes of the Mind : Charting the Phenomenology of the Ayahuasca Experience by Dr. Benny Shanon. I will point out that I have not had the chance to read Shanon's book yet, but it has come highly recommended by many leading experts in the field and is on the top of my to read list. Shanon is published by Oxford.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OUTSTANDING!!, March 25, 2009

By 

Michael W. Cali (IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sacred Vine of Spirits: Ayahuasca (Paperback)

Metzner is one of a kind. Ayahuasca explains in may ways this fascinating psychoactive tea from the Rain forest. Ralph Metzner is the key note speaker this year at Equinox Festival, London June 12-14 2009.

Mike