The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell
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4.1 • 139 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
"A genuine spiritual quest. . . . Extraordinary." — New York Times
Among the most profound and influential explorations of mind-expanding psychedelic drugs ever written, this landmark work of consciousness exploration includes two complete classic books—The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell—in which Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World, reveals the mind's remote frontiers and the unmapped areas of human consciousness. This edition also features an additional essay, "Drugs That Shape Men's Minds," now included for the first time.
This foundational work of psychedelic literature details Huxley’s transformational journey and includes:
Firsthand Psychedelic Experience: Follow Huxley as he swallows four-tenths of a gram of mescalin and meticulously documents the profound changes in his perception of reality, from seeing the "Inner Light" in a vase of flowers to understanding the "divine source of all existence."Consciousness Exploration: Delve into the theory of the brain as a "reducing valve," a concept that explains how the mind filters reality and how psychedelics can temporarily open the doors of perception to a vaster, unfiltered awareness known as "Mind at Large."Visionary Art and Perception: Discover a new way of seeing art and the world, where the folds in a pair of trousers or the legs of a chair become "living hieroglyphs" and reveal the "unfathomable mystery of pure being."The Nature of Heaven and Hell: Go beyond a single journey to explore the crucial differences between blissful and terrifying visionary states, examining the psychological conditions that can turn a spiritual quest into an infernal experience.
Customer Reviews
A Peephole Into Another World
Few could describe such an experience so vividly as Huxley. Some imagery and mental connections will stick with me forever like the following: suggesting mysticism and religion to be byproducts of induced states of consciousness - whether through peyote or wine; his views on how some people can be tapped into these other states more often than others (such as the best artists); and his reflection on schizophrenics who live in constant dread to overexposure to what would otherwise be heaven. Also, to make connections between deep seated beauty biases (such as gems), artwork, and religious, induced states suggests an analytical mind always trying to sort chaos into a recognizable schema. I also like how he doesn’t refute religion simply because it may be from these supposedly induced states. All in all, a great read for people looking for an exotic perspective.
Jim M0RRisS0NnN
~ Inspired the name for the band called "The D00rs".