Holy Hell: Psychoactive Poetry

These poems playfully ground the holotropic notions of Western ontology and Eastern meditation traditions in the varied experiences of everyday life. The arc of the book is a journey from the depths of the unconscious mind to the heights of super-consciousness. Unique to Whelan's poetry is his evocation of the coexistence of the primordial Delight in Being with metaphysical terror. All of these factors contribute to the acutely psychoactive quality of the poetry-the audience cannot but resonate with the psychological transformations that are embedded in the writing. Subjects include, among other things, an exploration of the transformative effect of Whelan's ordeal with childhood cancer, the liberating potential of sex and creativity, and the struggle for meaning in our post-nihilistic world-an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.