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Jeremy Narby

Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge Paperback – January 1, 1999

by Jeremy Narby (Author)

1,243 ratings

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This adventure in science and imagination, which the Medical Tribune said might herald "a Copernican revolution for the life sciences," leads the reader through unexplored jungles and uncharted aspects of mind to the heart of knowledge.In a first-person narrative of scientific discovery that opens new perspectives on biology, anthropology, and the limits of rationalism, The Cosmic Serpent reveals how startlingly different the world around us appears when we open our minds to it.

Print length

272 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam
Publication date

January 1, 1999
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.7 x 8 inches
ISBN-10

0874779642
ISBN-13

978-0874779646
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeremy Narby, Ph.D. is the author of The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge. He lives in Switzerland.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam; Reprint edition (January 1, 1999)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0874779642
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0874779646
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.7 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #35,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #7 in Physical Anthropology (Books)
- #32 in Genetics (Books)
- #33 in Biochemistry (Books)

Customer Reviews:
1,243 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		82%
4 star		11%
3 star		4%
2 star		1%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from the United States

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eeebrrr

Incredible insight into ayahuasca, shamanism, and western science

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2018

Verified Purchase

Finally, a scientific perspective that a non-science-background layman can understand! Beautifully written in terms of narrative — the author guides the reader through his own thought process in a simple manner which flows easily from the beginning of his piqued interest in ayahuasca and shamanism, to developing his hypothesis, to discovering information that supports his view. I was hooked after the first page. Brilliant read for anyone curious about ayahuasca and how it relates to each of us globally. Wow. Just wow. Note that on the kindle version, the last 45% of the book is citations with author notes.

Edit 12/19: Since reading this book, I have done 30 ayahuasca ceremonies in Peru. This is still my go-to recommendation for anyone interested in starting their journey, or simply curious about ayahuasca. I have reread it twice.

26 people found this helpful

Helpful

applewoodTop Contributor: Blues Music

Fascinating!

Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2015

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Jeremy Narby's study of shamanic knowledge and DNA is a fascinating and easy to follow discussion of his experience as a Western trained anthropologist gradually learning to see outside the narrow tunnel of his conditioning. He does this by attempting to see with a parallel vision (one eye shamanic, one scientific), and he tells his story in a conversational style that lets the reader share in the sense of discovery. It's also a quick read (the last 100 pages of this 257 page book are made up of extensive notes and bibliography), but sure to encourage further study (at least on the personal level if not within the hallowed halls of science).

As he says; "My approach in this book starts from the idea that it is of utmost importance to respect the faith of others, no matter how strange, whether it is shamans who believe plants communicate or biologists who believe nature is inanimate." (p.145)

The hypothesis he comes up with, simultaneously far out and down to earth, is that the knowledge of shamanic experience is coming directly from DNA - that mysterious intersection of psyche and substance (spirit and sense) at the root of all Life. The implications of this intuitive and logical perspective are expansive, and ultimately are based in a vision of Life being a consciously driven (i.e. intentional) phenomena.

Much of what he says is a direct critique of science (and the blinders inherent to its Western form), and he obviously gives more respect and credence to the methodologies and conclusions of the Amazonian shamans than science is willing and able to. But he also is no naive new-age enthusiast. Again, Narby perceptively comments, "To my mind, a truly hallucinatory session is more like a controlled nightmare than a form of recreation and demands know-how, discipline, and courage." (p.148)

Here's to the hope that this know-how, discipline and courage stays vibrant and alive amongst the Amazonian shamans.

The only improvement I can imagine is to see him do an updated edition to incorporate what has been learned both in biology and anthropology, as well as what Mr. Narby has continued to learn in the last 15+ years.

68 people found this helpful

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Juliet Waldron

A Head Slap

Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2019

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The information in this book is no longer "new," although some few members of aboriginal cultures have (apparently) always known this stuff. For me, "The Cosmic Serpent..." showed me a different, better way to put the pieces of the consciousness puzzle together. In fact, it supplies a couple of pieces that have been missing. The book is a thoughtful mashup of chemistry, anthropology and mythology. Even if you generally go "bunk" at this line of thought, you might give it an open-minded try. It's persuasive.

15 people found this helpful

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Frederic Tate

An interesting book--I do recommend it. However

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2018

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An interesting book--I do recommend it. However, read with a critical mind. The author writes wonderfully but, in my opinion, makes a few leaps of logic. What I like the most is when a scientist is brave enough to discuss "mystical" aspects of being. They are often related.
Frederic in Williamsburg

17 people found this helpful

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John P.

Theories you won't read anywhere else...

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2019

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I'm at the end of a 2-year investigation into ancient civilizations and DNA, so maybe this is more meaningful to me than it would be to the novice. The author takes his time getting to his theories but the careful groundwork pays off. It really appears that our DNA is giving off signals that collectively form our soul. If you're familiar with the field, this is essential to your education outside the typical books.

12 people found this helpful

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Table_for_5

Interesting thoughts to ponder

Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2014

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Jeremy Narby raises an interesting hypothesis about the ayahuasca/DMT journey as facilitated by Amazonia shamans and what might occur when one undergoes the experience. For the staunch empiricist, this book might elicit a lip-curling response, but to those who know there is more going on in this universe than reductionist science can completely explain, you might enjoy the thought-provoking concepts the author brings to light. (I greatly value empirical science, but I don't subscribe to the notion it is the end all and be all of existential explanation.)

The book is very well written in a friendly, warm voice, highly accessible to all levels of reader. If considering new possibilities and a fascination with metaphysical phenomena and ancient cultures interests you, you'll probably enjoy this book quite a bit.

25 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Chiara Santamaria

An inspiring, exiting, thought provoking book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 20, 2018

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After more than 50 year of relentless reading, there are just a handful of books that have helped me to look at the world in a different way. "The cosmic serpent" has just been added to the list. Bumped on it by chance and decided, although very dubiously, to give it a go. I found refreshing that a scientist with a traditional western education and a down-to-earth research approach is prepared to take savages' words and experiences seriously. I personally do not know anything about anthropology but I have always found our - i.e. the western - way to treat them very arrogant and embarrassing. Looking at them like wild beasts just because they behave differently and they do not master a computer is - if nothing else - very narrow sighted. Here you have an author that is prepared to expose his doubts, to question his own believes and give credit to the literal word of the "savage". This book will make you think and, possibly, shake some of your beliefs. After reading this one, I am keen on reading more on the subject. This read has everything that I ever expect from a book: thank you Jeremy Narby.

54 people found this helpful

J Austen

The magic of biology and consciousness

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2019

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The strength and paradoxically the weakness of this book, is the author’s honesty. Compared to Michael Hayes book, The Hermetic Code in DNA, the author is humble, even self deprecating, carefully drawing the reader to the conclusion that somehow DNA can communicate medical knowledge directly to a drugs expanded, human mind.
Something like this must be true, in as much as (many) animals seem to instinctively know poisons (shame this mechanism does not save us from sugar!) and our ancestors did appear to have strange knowledge without our modern scientific method.
Having partaken in similar mind altering experiments myself, a lot of this strongly resonated. However I am also aware that drug induced visions also can lead to delusions of epic scale.
The biggest problem in this book is that science is no where near proving the photons properties in consciousness. So while Jeremy Narby’s observations seem spot on, his explanation of how this might be possible seem slightly implausible. Especially if such arguments are used to counter Darwinism.
To my mind there is little doubt that consciousness is the fundamental element of physical reality. But all my proofs are subjective - like others I see Quantum physics and new scientific perspectives as allowing for such a view. But the mechanism remains allusive.
I recommend this book to open minded readers. If you dont like Rupert Sheldrake, or get cognitive dissonance when reading anything blending science and the mystical, this book is not for you. Or rather, if you want to laugh at how silly mystic perspectives can be, read Michael Hayes book instead.

37 people found this helpful

mo.problemo

Refreshing perspective

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2021

Verified Purchase

Very enjoyable. Well written and well thought out. Coming from someone with a biological background I really found this book fascinating. Many comparisons with Bill Bryson's 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' with regards to DNA explanations and also very well tied together with common philosophical questions of universality.
Bryson quotes Matt Ridley in his book "All life is one,’. We are all the result of a single genetic trick handed down from generation to generation over nearly four billion years, to such an extent that you can take a fragment of human genetic instruction and patch it into a faulty yeast cell and the yeast cell will put it to work as if it were its own.
In a very real sense, it is its own." This echoed time and again in Narbys interpretation of events. While Narby may or may not be correct in his hypothesis, his thoughtful approach, analysis, and linking of events must be commended. It is one of the most interesting perspectives I have read in a long time and one of the first combining science and philosophy. Truly refreshing.

3 people found this helpful

Beady

Mind blowing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 25, 2017

Verified Purchase

This is a well researched book written in a narrative style making it easy to follow a not very easy subject but it is well worth the read as well as thinking about it and the conclusions reached. We can all follow the thinking and the knowledge which the shamans have discovered. It is in us all, those little or on thinking about it not so little double helixes what exciting pathways lay before us. Sound odd? Read the amazing conclusions and feel truly awed by the connections.

18 people found this helpful

K. G.

Very interesting book, but printed a bit crooked (inside and outside)

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 20, 2019

Verified Purchase

This book is very well written and actually easy to read, even though it is exploring obscure and esoteric topics. A great overview that will initiate further researching. However, this specific edition (or at least the copy I received) has been printed a few degrees off centre, which can be quite annoying while reading (once you have seen it, you cannot unsee it).

6 people found this helpful

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