🕯️ Occult Philosophy −19%

Psychedelic Shamanism, Updated Edition: The Cultivation, Preparation, and Shamanic Use of Psychotropic Plants (Updated)

✍️ DeKorne, Jim
Reader Score
4.6
(1 review)
$20.95 $26.00 Save $5.05 (19%)
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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Jim DeKorne's updated edition delves into the profound spiritual dimensions of psychotropic flora, guiding readers through their cultivation, preparation, and precise application. This work explores how these powerful plant allies can illuminate the hidden architecture of human consciousness, drawing compelling parallels between ancient shamanic states and psychedelic experiences. DeKorne argues that these substances offer a unique lens into a universal, underlying reality, revealing a dimensional awareness shared across cultures and epochs. It's a journey into the imaginal realm, where spiritual entities and profound insights await discovery.

🕯️
Occult Philosophy

Praise for this book

“The original Psychedelic Shamanism filled a crucial niche in the literature on the use of psychoactive plants in spiritual practice. This updated and revised version establishes its relevance to the current generation's search for insightful and thought-provoking treatments of a controversial topic.”
— Rick Strassman, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine
“The myth and mystery of shamanism--the drugs, taboos, sex, death, and genius--get a first class Broadway showing, thanks to Jim DeKorne. This book is indispensable reading for anyone interested in drug or state of consciousness issues. DeKorne proves that passion can produce real art!”
— Thomas Lyttle
“No hands-on explorer of psychedelic hyperspace will want to be uninformed of the facts and techniques in this book. It is a valuable contribution to the new literature of do-it-yourself shamanism and psychoactive ethnobotany.”
— Terence McKenna
🏛 North Atlantic Books 📅 2011 📖 272 pages 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781556439995
Fun Fact
DeKorne’s "Psychedelic Shamanism" is an indispensable guide for serious explorers of consciousness. It masterfully blends practical cultivation and dosage information with profound spiritual insights, positioning psychotropic plants as powerful keys to shamanic realities. While it shines in its detailed, respectful approach to entheogens, those seeking a purely recreational guide or a detached academic analysis might be disappointed. This work firmly establishes itself as a foundational text in ethnobotanical and spiritual literature.

📝 Description: Psychedelic Shamanism, Updated Edition: The Cultivation, Preparation, and Shamanic Use of Psychotropic Plants (Updated)

Psychedelic Shamanism presents the spiritual and shamanic properties of psychotropic plants and discusses how they can be used to understand the structure of human consciousness. Author Jim DeKorne offers authoritative information about the cultivation, processing, and correct dosages for various psychotropic plant substances including the belladonna alkaloids, d-lysergic acid amide, botanical analogues of LSD, mescaline, ayahuasca, DMT, and psilocybin. Opening with vivid descriptions of the author's personal experiences with psychedelic drugs, the book describes the parallels that exist among shamanic states of consciousness, the use of psychedelic catalysts, and the hidden structure of the human psyche. DeKorne suggests that psychedelic drugs allow us to examine the shamanic dimensions of reality. This worldview, he says, is ubiquitous across space, time, and culture, with individuals separated by race, distance, and culture routinely describing the same core reality that provides powerful evidence of the dimensional nature of consciousness itself. The book guides the reader through the imaginal realm underlying our awareness, a world in which spiritual entities exist to reconnect us with ourselves, humanity, and our planet. Accurate drawings of plants, including peyote, Salvia divinorum, and San Pedro, enhance the book's usefulness.

📑 What's inside

  1. About the Cover
  2. Preface to 1994 Edition
  3. Preface to 2011 Edition
  4. Part 1. The Shamanic Hypothesis
  5. Chapter 1. Altered States
  6. Chapter 2. Shamanic Dimensions
  7. Chapter 3. The Experience of Many Worlds
  8. Chapter 4. Living in the One World
  9. Chapter 5. The Entities of the Imaginal Realm, Part One
  10. Chapter 6. The Entities of the Imaginal Realm, Part Two
  11. Part 2. Psychedelic Catalysts
  12. Chapter 7. The Belladonna Alkaloids
  13. Chapter 8. D-Lysergic Acid Amide: Morning Glory Seeds
  14. Chapter 9. Mescaline: Peyote and San Pedro
  15. Chapter 10. Ayahuasca and Its Analogues: Harmine and DMT
  16. Chapter 11. Smokable Tryptamines from Plants
  17. Chapter 12. Psilocybin: Magic Mushrooms
  18. Chapter 13. Some Other Psychedelic Plants
  19. Chapter 14. Extraction Procedures
  20. Chapter 15. Some Thoughts on Technique
  21. Afterword to 1994 Edition
  22. Afterword to 2011 Edition
  23. Notes
  24. Bibliography
  25. Index
  26. About the Author

💎 Expert review

“
💎
Esoterica Books editorial team
Occult literature desk
DeKorne provides a comprehensive manual for those serious about integrating psychotropic plants into their shamanic framework. The text excels in explaining the practical aspects of cultivation and preparation, grounding mystical experiences in tangible botanical knowledge. However, it may not suit readers seeking purely recreational advice or those skeptical of the spiritual dimensions of psychedelics. It assumes a willingness to engage with esoteric concepts of universal reality and imaginal entities. Those looking for scientific pharmacology rather than spiritual application might find the tone too metaphysical, but for committed occultists, it offers a robust, respectful guide to this potent path.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers seeking to deepen their spiritual practice through the disciplined study of entheogenic plants will find this guide invaluable. It is ideal for those who wish to move beyond recreational use and toward a serious, structured engagement with plant allies. The book serves practitioners eager to understand the cultivation and preparation of these substances, offering a roadmap for accessing altered states that reveal hidden layers of consciousness. Those interested in the intersection of botany, spirituality, and the imaginal realm will appreciate its detailed focus on using these potent allies to uncover universal realities and connect with spiritual entities.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —
⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5
★★★★★
If you seek to understand the deeper connections between plant intelligence, ancient spiritual practices, and the architecture of your own mind, this book is for you. It offers a serious, informed guide for exploring altered states responsibly and with purpose.

Reader rating

4.6
Based on 1 reviews
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Esoterica Books editorial team

DeKorne provides a comprehensive manual for those serious about integrating psychotropic plants into their shamanic framework. The text excels in explaining the practical aspects of cultivation and preparation, grounding mystical experiences in tangible botanical knowledge. However, it may not suit readers seeking purely recreational advice or those skeptical of the spiritual dimensions of psychedelics. It assumes a willingness to engage with esoteric concepts of universal reality and imaginal entities. Those looking for scientific pharmacology rather than spiritual application might find the tone too metaphysical, but for committed occultists, it offers a robust, respectful guide to this potent path.

❓ Frequently asked questions

Absolutely not. DeKorne emphasizes the sacred, shamanic use of these plants for spiritual exploration and understanding consciousness, rather than recreational purposes. It's a guide for intentional, purposeful engagement.
While focusing on cultivation and use, the book primarily addresses the spiritual and practical aspects of these plants. Readers should always be aware of and adhere to the legal status of psychotropic substances in their specific jurisdiction.

📖 Who should read this

If you seek to understand the deeper connections between plant intelligence, ancient spiritual practices, and the architecture of your own mind, this book is for you. It offers a serious, informed guide for exploring altered states responsibly and with purpose.

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Shamanic States Explored

The book intricately links traditional shamanic states of awareness with experiences catalyzed by psychedelics. DeKorne posits that these plant-induced journeys grant access to the same profound, non-ordinary realities described by shamans across various cultures, suggesting a universal framework for spiritual insight and perception.

Practical Plant Alchemy

DeKorne provides meticulous instructions for cultivating, processing, and safely dosing a range of psychotropic plants. From belladonna alkaloids to psilocybin, the text offers practical guidance for engaging with these powerful botanical allies responsibly and effectively, emphasizing their sacred rather than recreational use.

Unveiling Core Reality

A central tenet is the idea that psychedelic experiences reveal a fundamental, shared reality transcending cultural and temporal boundaries. DeKorne highlights how individuals from diverse backgrounds consistently describe similar profound insights, suggesting a universal, dimensional aspect to consciousness accessible through these plant teachers.

📜 Historical context

This updated edition stands as a significant contribution to the evolving discourse on entheogenic plants, building upon decades of ethnobotanical research and personal exploration. It bridges the gap between scientific inquiry into psychotropic compounds and the spiritual wisdom of indigenous shamanic traditions, positioning itself as a key text for contemporary seekers exploring consciousness through botanical means.

📚 Glossary

Psychotropic
Entheogen
Shamanism

📔 Questions to reflect on

  1. How might intentional engagement with natural compounds deepen your understanding of consciousness?
  2. Consider how a shamanic worldview, as described in the book, could reframe your perception of reality and spiritual entities.
  3. What ethical considerations arise when exploring altered states of consciousness, and how would you approach them responsibly?

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