☙ Psychedelia ❧

Bibliothēca Studiorum Psychedelicorum

Books from 1980–1989

✾

1980

The Summer of Love: Haight-Ashbury at Its Highest

by Gene Anthony

(Millbrae, CA: Celestial Arts)

Great retrospective look on a time-and-place that was virtually saturated in LSD.

✾

1980

Poisonous & Hallucinogenic Mushrooms

by Richard & Karen Haard

(Seattle, WA: Homestead)

Just a reference/field manual. I’ve never actually gotten around to making use of these sorts of references, never gone “out in the field” to go foraging or anything.

✾

1981

Psychedelic Chemistry

by Michael Valentine Smith

(Port Townsend, WA: Loompanics)

Another reference book that I’ve never made any use of! I’m not even sure why I bought this, way back when I was in university in the 1980s, as I definitely don’t have a head for the chemistry stuff in it, so it’s basically just been sitting there, brand-new, on my shelf for the last three decades.

✾

1982

Moksha: Writings on Psychedelics and the Visionary Experience

by Aldous Huxley
[Michael Horowitz & Cynthia Palmer, Editors]

(Los Angeles: JP Tarcher)

Huxley’s first two works on psychedelics (The Doors of Perception and Heaven & Hell) are great reading on their own, but if you’re looking for a nice overview of all his writings on that subject, then this is perhaps a much better place to turn to, as it includes various other things he wrote on that subject elsewhere. Excellent anthology!

✾

1982

Changing My Mind, Among Others

by Timothy Leary

(Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall)

Curious about Timothy Leary? Rather than sifting through all his various writings through the decades, perhaps this might be an easier, simply place to turn, just for an overview of what he was all about.

Don’t get your hopes up TOO much — he’s not Grof, nor Masters & Houston — but he did have some interesting ideas, was actually very good at what he did in the beginning, and naturally had a huge impact on making psychedelic drug use “mainstream” back in the 1960s. Methinks he just got a little off the rails as the years went by, that’s all.

✾

1983

Psychedelic Reflections

by Lester Grinspoon & James B. Bakalar

(New York: Human Sciences)

From the authors of the particularly-notable “Psychedelic Drugs Reconsidered,” this is a great retrospective anthology, bringing together various authors of importance to reflect back on the significance of psychedelics in both psychotherapy and on society/culture as a whole, written at a time when things were still very much up-in-the-air as to what the future of legitimate research with these substance might be (although the various articles included are largely timeless in their subject matter).

✾

1983

Psychedelics Encyclopedia (Revised Edition)

by Peter Stafford

(Los Angeles: JP Tarcher)

Great reference book (although you could read it in its entirety, too, for a very good overview) covering, well, “everything.“

✾

1984

Hallucinogens: Cross-Cultural Perspectives

by Marlene Dobkin de Rios

(Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press)

Another really wonderful book on traditional uses of psychedelics all over the world.

✾

1984

The Acid Trip: A Complete Guide to Psychedelic Music

by Vernon Joynson

(Todmorden, UK: Babylon)

I picked this up back when I was in university (mid- to late-1980s) and was endeavouring to learn everything I could about obscure “psychedelic” music from the ’60s and ’70s — nothing of help here in a therapeutic context, of course, but perhaps rather supplemental stuff with regard to the cultural impact of psychedelics.

✾

1984

The Haight-Ashbury: A History

by Charles Perry

(New York: Vintage)

Fantastic look back on the Haight-Ashbury, it’s early history and the people/groups involved there, how the whole “hippie” phenomenon came about, and how things ultimately went downhill in the Haight once the media got hold of the story.

✾

1985

Through the Gateway of the Heart

by Sophia Adamson, Editor

(San Francisco: Four Trees)

Excellent book published way back in the heyday of “ecstasy,” when it was first gaining popularity on the club scene, as well as growing interest in the therapeutic community. Things would go downhill for MDMA after this period (legally-speaking), but they’re definitely turning around again, of course.

✾

1985

Acid Dreams: The CIA, LSD and the Sixties Rebellion

by Martin A. Lee & Bruce Shlain

(New York: Grove)

Excellent history, especially for anyone interested in things like the covert operations of the CIA, etc.

✾

1986

Persephone’s Quest: Entheogens and the Origins of Religion

by R. Gordon Wasson, Stella Kramrisch, Jonathan Ott & Carl A.P. Ruck

(New Haven, CT: Yale University Press)

Very, very interesting work, written by some rather notable authors, reflecting on the psychedelic roots of spirituality/religion in the ancient world. Very “heady,” though, with a lot of very obscure references — but that’s rather what makes it all so interesting (if you’re into that sort of thing).

✾

1986

The Natural Mind

by Andrew Weil

(Boston: Houghton Mifflin)

Are you “anti-drug”? This would probably be a good place to start, from acclaimed nutritionist and health care professional D^r. Andrew Weil. This is really an incredibly good book for anyone who wants to gain a mature, well-informed understanding of drug use in society — even if you’re against them, this book should be required reading.

✾

1987

I Swear by Apollo: D^r. Ewan Cameron and the CIA-Brainwashing Experiments

by Don Gillmor

(Montreal: Eden Press)

The dark side of psychedelics — how LSD was used (along with other “brainwashing” experiments) at a psychiatric institute right here in Canada, at the behest of the CIA, and with a devastating impact on the patients who went through his treatments (when all they had wanted was to be given help for their inner turmoil).

✾

1987

Storming Heaven: LSD and the American Dream

by Jay Stevens

(New York: Atlantic Monthly)

Another excellent history of LSD, and it’s impact on society and culture.

✾

1989

Ecstasy: The MDMA Story

by Bruce Eisner

(Berkeley, CA: Ronin)

Exactly what the title says.

✾

1989

Offering Smoke: The Sacred Pipe and Native American Religion

by Jordan Paper

(Edmonton, AB: University of Alberta Press)

This book has nothing at all to do with psychedelics, directly, although tobacco is considered a “sacred medicine” by Native peoples’ throughout the Americas, and is widely used in ceremonies in which psychedelics are used as a sacrament — in fact, tobacco is virtually indispensable in that context — and this book gives an excellent understanding of it from a traditional Native perspective.

✾

1989

Gateway to Inner Space: Sacred Plants, Mysticism and Psychotherapy

by Christian Ratsch, Editor

(Bridport, UK: Prism)

Excellent anthology on the subject(s) at hand.

✾

Questions? Comments? Bug report?
☞ Contact Psymon ☜

All text, graphics and web design of this entire site
are copyright © Ron Koster / Psymon
and may not be reproduced or distributed in any manner
without explicit permission of Ron Koster / Psymon.
All Rights Reserved.


	Pſymon ☙ Psychedelia ❧ Bibliothēca Studiorum Psychedelicorum Books from 1980–1989 See also Books by Stanislav Grof (1975–1993) ✾ 1980 The Summer of Love: Haight-Ashbury at Its Highest by Gene Anthony (Millbrae, CA: Celestial Arts) Great retrospective look on a time-and-place that was virtually saturated in LSD. ✾ 1980 Poisonous & Hallucinogenic Mushrooms by Richard & Karen Haard (Seattle, WA: Homestead) Just a reference/field manual. I’ve never actually gotten around to making use of these sorts of references, never gone “out in the field” to go foraging or anything. ✾ 1981 Psychedelic Chemistry by Michael Valentine Smith (Port Townsend, WA: Loompanics) Another reference book that I’ve never made any use of! I’m not even sure why I bought this, way back when I was in university in the 1980s, as I definitely don’t have a head for the chemistry stuff in it, so it’s basically just been sitting there, brand-new, on my shelf for the last three decades. ✾ 1982 Moksha: Writings on Psychedelics and the Visionary Experience by Aldous Huxley [Michael Horowitz & Cynthia Palmer, Editors] (Los Angeles: JP Tarcher) Huxley’s first two works on psychedelics (The Doors of Perception and Heaven & Hell) are great reading on their own, but if you’re looking for a nice overview of all his writings on that subject, then this is perhaps a much better place to turn to, as it includes various other things he wrote on that subject elsewhere. Excellent anthology! ✾ 1982 Changing My Mind, Among Others by Timothy Leary (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall) Curious about Timothy Leary? Rather than sifting through all his various writings through the decades, perhaps this might be an easier, simply place to turn, just for an overview of what he was all about. Don’t get your hopes up TOO much — he’s not Grof, nor Masters & Houston — but he did have some interesting ideas, was actually very good at what he did in the beginning, and naturally had a huge impact on making psychedelic drug use “mainstream” back in the 1960s. Methinks he just got a little off the rails as the years went by, that’s all. ✾ 1983 Psychedelic Reflections by Lester Grinspoon & James B. Bakalar (New York: Human Sciences) From the authors of the particularly-notable “Psychedelic Drugs Reconsidered,” this is a great retrospective anthology, bringing together various authors of importance to reflect back on the significance of psychedelics in both psychotherapy and on society/culture as a whole, written at a time when things were still very much up-in-the-air as to what the future of legitimate research with these substance might be (although the various articles included are largely timeless in their subject matter). ✾ 1983 Psychedelics Encyclopedia (Revised Edition) by Peter Stafford (Los Angeles: JP Tarcher) Great reference book (although you could read it in its entirety, too, for a very good overview) covering, well, “everything.“ ✾ 1984 Hallucinogens: Cross-Cultural Perspectives by Marlene Dobkin de Rios (Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press) Another really wonderful book on traditional uses of psychedelics all over the world. ✾ 1984 The Acid Trip: A Complete Guide to Psychedelic Music by Vernon Joynson (Todmorden, UK: Babylon) I picked this up back when I was in university (mid- to late-1980s) and was endeavouring to learn everything I could about obscure “psychedelic” music from the ’60s and ’70s — nothing of help here in a therapeutic context, of course, but perhaps rather supplemental stuff with regard to the cultural impact of psychedelics. ✾ 1984 The Haight-Ashbury: A History by Charles Perry (New York: Vintage) Fantastic look back on the Haight-Ashbury, it’s early history and the people/groups involved there, how the whole “hippie” phenomenon came about, and how things ultimately went downhill in the Haight once the media got hold of the story. ✾ 1985 Through the Gateway of the Heart by Sophia Adamson, Editor (San Francisco: Four Trees) Excellent book published way back in the heyday of “ecstasy,” when it was first gaining popularity on the club scene, as well as growing interest in the therapeutic community. Things would go downhill for MDMA after this period (legally-speaking), but they’re definitely turning around again, of course. ✾ 1985 Acid Dreams: The CIA, LSD and the Sixties Rebellion by Martin A. Lee & Bruce Shlain (New York: Grove) Excellent history, especially for anyone interested in things like the covert operations of the CIA, etc. ✾ 1986 Persephone’s Quest: Entheogens and the Origins of Religion by R. Gordon Wasson, Stella Kramrisch, Jonathan Ott & Carl A.P. Ruck (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press) Very, very interesting work, written by some rather notable authors, reflecting on the psychedelic roots of spirituality/religion in the ancient world. Very “heady,” though, with a lot of very obscure references — but that’s rather what makes it all so interesting (if you’re into that sort of thing). ✾ 1986 The Natural Mind by Andrew Weil (Boston: Houghton Mifflin) Are you “anti-drug”? This would probably be a good place to start, from acclaimed nutritionist and health care professional D^r. Andrew Weil. This is really an incredibly good book for anyone who wants to gain a mature, well-informed understanding of drug use in society — even if you’re against them, this book should be required reading. ✾ 1987 I Swear by Apollo: D^r. Ewan Cameron and the CIA-Brainwashing Experiments by Don Gillmor (Montreal: Eden Press) The dark side of psychedelics — how LSD was used (along with other “brainwashing” experiments) at a psychiatric institute right here in Canada, at the behest of the CIA, and with a devastating impact on the patients who went through his treatments (when all they had wanted was to be given help for their inner turmoil). ✾ 1987 Storming Heaven: LSD and the American Dream by Jay Stevens (New York: Atlantic Monthly) Another excellent history of LSD, and it’s impact on society and culture. ✾ 1989 Ecstasy: The MDMA Story by Bruce Eisner (Berkeley, CA: Ronin) Exactly what the title says. ✾ 1989 Offering Smoke: The Sacred Pipe and Native American Religion by Jordan Paper (Edmonton, AB: University of Alberta Press) This book has nothing at all to do with psychedelics, directly, although tobacco is considered a “sacred medicine” by Native peoples’ throughout the Americas, and is widely used in ceremonies in which psychedelics are used as a sacrament — in fact, tobacco is virtually indispensable in that context — and this book gives an excellent understanding of it from a traditional Native perspective. ✾ 1989 Gateway to Inner Space: Sacred Plants, Mysticism and Psychotherapy by Christian Ratsch, Editor (Bridport, UK: Prism) Excellent anthology on the subject(s) at hand. ✾ See also Books by Stanislav Grof (1975–1993)
	Questions? Comments? Bug report? ☞ Contact Psymon ☜ All text, graphics and web design of this entire site are copyright © Ron Koster / Psymon and may not be reproduced or distributed in any manner without explicit permission of Ron Koster / Psymon. All Rights Reserved.