Plant Medicine and Psychedelics Books
If you are looking to take a deep dive into psychedelics and psychedelic plant medicines, then this list of 15 books should keep you busy for some time! Any and all of these books make an excellent addition to your psychedelic library and to your greater understanding of this interesting field.
I have tried to include a broad selection of books, from some basic books on using psychedelics to books that have a specific focus on one or more of these psychedelic medicines.
Plant Medicine and Psychedelics Books
The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys, by James Fadiman, Ph.D. Reviews the value of psychedelics for healing and self-discovery as well as how LSD has facilitated scientific and technical problem-solving.
How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence, by Michael Pollan. Presents a remarkable history of psychedelics and a compelling portrait of the new generation of scientists fascinated by the implications of these drugs.
Sacred Medicine: A Doctor's Quest to Unravel the Mysteries of Healing, by Lissa Rankin, MD. Follow Dr. Rankin around the world to meet healers gifted and flawed, go on pilgrimage to sacred sites, investigate the science of healing, and learn how to stay safe when seeking a healer.
DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences, by Rick Strassman, MD. Read the detailed account of Dr. Rick Strassman, who conducted US DEA-approved clinical research from 1990 to 1995 at the University of New Mexico in which he injected 60 volunteers with DMT, one of the most powerful psychedelics known.
The God Molecule: 5-MeO-DMT and the Spiritual Path to the Divine Light, by Gerardo Ruben Sandoval, MD. A story of the author's attempt to discover/find the most powerful source of healing energy, which he finds in the secretions of the Sonoran Desert toad -- the most profound healer of all: 5-MeO-DMT, the God molecule.
Psychedelic Medicine: The Healing Powers of LSD, MDMA, Psilocybin, and Ayahuasca, by Dr. Richard Louis Miller (with chapter contributions from many other experts). Explores the potential of psychedelics as medicine and the intersections of politics, science, and psychedelics.
The Psychedelic Handbook: A Practical Guide to Psilocybin, LSD, Ketamine, MDMA, and Ayahuasca, by Rick Strassman, MD. Learn everything you need to know about psychedelics with this expert guide packed with information on popular psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, ketamine, MDMA, DMT and LSD... plus practical tips for microdosing and how to safely "trip."
Psychedelics and Spirituality: The Sacred Use of LSD, Psilocybin, and MDMA for Human Transformation, edited by Thomas B. Roberts, Ph.D. Reveals how psychedelics can facilitate spiritual development and direct encounters with the sacred. With contributions by Albert Hofmann, Huston Smith, Stanislav Grof, Charles Tart, Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin, Brother David Steindl-Rast, and many others.
Grandmother Ayahuasca: Plant Medicine and the Psychedelic Brain, by Christian Funder. An exploration of the history, shamanic use, psychoactive effects, current scientific studies, and therapeutic potential of ayahuasca.
Tripping: An Anthology of True-Life Psychedelic Adventures, edited by Charles Hayes. Includes 50 stories about psychedelic experiences from an international array of subjects representing all walks of life, as well as supplemental essays about psychedelics.
The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell, by Aldous Huxley. Two of the most profound essays are included in this one volume... exploring the mind's remote frontiers and the unmapped areas of human consciousness.
Psychedelics For Everyone: A Beginner's Guide to these Powerful Medicines for Anxiety, Depression, Addiction, PTSD, and Expanding Consciousness, by Matt Zemon. Provides readers with an inspiring foundation for understanding the profound transformational power of psychedelics.
The Joyous Cosmology: Adventures in the Chemistry of Consciousness, by Alan W. Watts. Examines the consciousness-changing drugs LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin can facilitate for people who are looking for understanding and reflection.
Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism, by Daniel Pinchbeck. Explores the author's personal journeys and experiences with various plant substances such as iboga and ayahuasca, along with his quest for knowledge about shamanism.
Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers, by Richard Evans Schultes, Albert Hofmann, and Christian Ratsch. Three titans of the field provide insights and depths in this revised version. Explores the uses of hallucinogenic plants in shamanic rituals throughout the world.
LSD: Doorway to the Numinous: The Groundbreaking Psychedelic Research into Realms of the Human Unconscious, by Stanislav Grof, MD. From one of the leading LSD researchers in the world, this book describes the pharmacology of the LSD reaction and goes deeply into reporting and categorizing the multi-level and transpersonal aspects of it.
Listening to Ayahuasca: New Hope for Depression, Addiction, PTSD, and Anxiety, by Rachel Harris, Ph.D. The author shares her original research (the largest study of ayahuasca use in North America) into its effects on depression, anxiety, and PTSD, along with her own personal experiences.
A Dose of Hope: A Story of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy, by Dan Engle, MD, and Alex Young. A groundbreaking, informative, and easy-to-read book that discusses MDMA treatment through the eyes of a fictional patient so you can see how it works without ever setting foot in a doctor's office.
Magic Mushroom Explorer: Psilocybin and the Awakening Earth, by Simon G. Powell. A visionary guide to safely using psilocybin mushrooms to tap in to the wisdom of nature and reconnect humanity to the biosphere.
And for those considering microdosing rather than macrodosing, check out...
Microdosing Psychedelics: A Practical Guide to Upgrade Your Life, by Paul Austin. A comprehensive guide to all the necessary information on the practice of microdosing -- including protocols, benefits, drawbacks, and sourcing. Oriented toward anyone interested in microdosing to improve their general well-being.
The Microdosing Guidebook: A Step-by-Step Manual to Improve Your Physical and Mental Health through Psychedelic Medicine, by C. J. Spotswood, PMHNP. Learn about the history, research, and helpful effects of microdosing psychedelic medicines like psilocybin, LSD, ecstasy, and more with this combination manual and workbook.
The Science of Microdosing Psychedelics, by Torsten Passie, MD. A carefully researched and scientifically presented book that provides an objective and clear perspective on microdosing LSD and other psychedelics, covering key areas such as history, tolerance, toxicity, and placebo.
The Complete Guide to Microdosing Psilocybin Mushrooms | Guidebook & Journal: An All-Inclusive Beginners Guide to Microdosing Psilocybin Mushrooms & a Microdosing Journal, by Alan Alpert. An all-inclusive beginners guide to microdosing psilocybin mushrooms -- along with a detailed microdosing journal for integration.
Integrate: 3 Month Microdosing Guide, by Kristin Taylor. This guide/journal allows an intuitive way to process the learning from microdosing -- lessons and creativity that comes along with the microdosing journey.
Additional Psychedelic/Plant Medicine Articles from Dr. Randall
Dr. Randall Hansen is an advocate, educator, mentor, ethicist, and thought-leader... helping the world heal from past trauma. He is founder and CEO of EmpoweringSites.com, a network of empowering and transformative Websites, including EmpoweringAdvice.com.
He is the author of the groundbreaking Triumph Over Trauma: Psychedelic Medicines are Helping People Heal Their Trauma, Change Their Lives, and Grow Their Spirituality and the well-received HEAL! Wholeistic Practices to Help Clear Your Trauma, Heal Yourself, and Live Your Best Life.
Dr. Hansen's focus and advocacy center around true healing ... healing that results in being able to live an authentic life filled with peace, joy, love. Learn more by visiting his personal Website, RandallSHansen.com. You can also check out Dr. Randall Hansen on LinkedIn.
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