I just ordered the following two books. I can't wait to dive into them!!

"The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and Its Applications"

"Inner Paths to Outer Space: Journeys to Alien Worlds through Psychedelics and Other Spiritual Technologies"

Anyone have either of these? Opinions are welcome!

Peace
-idt

I have the encyclopedia.. its a beautiful and great book, but theres some information I miss.. I wish there was a bit more of the chemical side (for example unfortunately in the info of many plants the quantity of the active principles are not specified). Also, quite a few times one can notice raetsch's personal opinion and experience, but thats not necessarily bad. In any case, appart from this, its a superb book to have in the collection.

My good friend here has it, so I've read a few chapters from inner space which were quite nice actually, specially from Luis Eduardo Luna and Ede Frecska.. Some of Strassman's own chapters are recapitulation of basic info we all know, but there is some new words from him also. The other dude I wasnt too impressed about. In any case, its for sure a very nice book and I love the cover!

Good buys you made, enjoy!

I'm tempted to purchase "The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants" myself. I've heard many good things about it but I'm wondering what info can you get from that book that you can't get from exhausting the net?

ive got both and they are sweet books...the encyclopedia is awesome in my opinion...has lots and lots of sweet info...of course it doesnt have it ALL but the book would have to be huger than it is already..

inner paths was pretty good..but i didnt finish it because it was just as endlessness said...kinda basic info..stuff we alraedy know..but it was worth reading parts of it anyway...

Inner paths is a pretty good book

That encyclopedia sounds pretty sweet.

Inner paths has a lot of VERY current neuroscience information that I had previously been unaware of.

I really like the encyclopedia but one thing annoyed me. Why does it have to make referenses to homeopathy? Isn't that weird?
That aside I find the book to be of very good value for the buck=)

Swim has the inner paths book, its not bad. It just seems to be a little mish-moshed because of a few different authors. Most of the dmt info that strassman presents is already in spirit molecule. Does anyone have any Jonathan Ott books? They seem pretty damn rare.

The last chapters of inner paths are the best, specifically Ede Frecska's chapters about how through some current models of the universe shaman's work is possible, i.e. talking to plants, etc.

The first couple chapters are pretty ridiculous and seem freaky at times (one story of a man being anally raped by aliens while on shrooms),
I personally think Strassmans work should be disregarded but at least it gives some publicity and offers some scientific backing so we all don't look insane even though I am.

Why? Just curious.

It seems like a lot of people on this board don't really agree with, or even really like Rick Strassman. I don't really get it. Certainly his ideas and theories may or may not be right, but he's one of the few professionals willing to risk his career, and actually put effort into uncovering the mysteries of DMT. After all, that's what it is- A mystery! I personally believe his theories and ideas are in the right frame of mind, at the very least. I respect him deeply for the work he's done, and I don't understand how anyone couldn't.

Am I wrong in sensing that about this board? Do I have the wrong impression? Or do a lot of people on here not appreciate the work Strassman has done?

Just the way his experiments are set up. We all know how much set and setting affect the trip.
All of his subjects are in a hospital room, with IVs attached, surrounded by strassman and his nurses doing tests... and guess what...
All of the noted subjects in the book report seeing entities that were "working on them" or "examining them"... which makes sense because this was actually happening in reality or the subject was at least thinking about this because it is the last thing they saw.

He does provide good insights from a neuroscience perspective but he almost takes too much of a scientific approach and tries to draw too many conclusions.
I think he has good intentions but it seems like he needs to try some for himself once in a while.

Hi TheNtt - I can't speak for any other member of the Nexus, but I certainly appreciate Strassman, and the work he's done. The problem I have is not Strassman and his work, but the people that have taken his work as gospel. The Joe Rogan's and such out there that publicly announce Strassman's THEORIES, as scientific proof. Strassman openly admits that all of his theories as to DMT's existence and purpose in the human brain are exactly that, "theories", and he has no scientific proof. Then you get all these non-scientific folks regurgitating the parts of his theories that they WANT to remember, as pure truth. That's what really get's under my skin.

I truly appreciate the work that Strassman has done, but I think it was cut short, well of any scientific conclusions being made. There is not much fact in what he's done outside of what is experienced by the DMT user. That's not said to discredit him, it's just the facts. I wish he was still doing his studies. I'd sign up for a pharmaceutical IV of DMT in a heart beat!!

Peace
-idt

Yeah maybe if he selected people like us he would have had some different results.

he couldnt get FDA and DEA approval if his research protocol was not VERY controlled and in a very strict scientific approach, as it was... Sure the setting might have influenced the experiences, but the review of those experiences arent the most important part of his work.

Right, but I am talking about his work in regards to the book, "inner paths to outer space"
I appreciate the work of any scientists or scholars I just don't think DMT is something you can really try in such a controlled setting.
It seems obvious that all of the experiences would be very similar.

ah ok sorry now I get you

to take conclusions of the experiences if one only studies experiences in one particular strong context, indeed is quite limited and doesnt give the power of generalization. Good that someone does research in some context, at least... Would be wonderful if in the future psychedelic experiences in appropriate comfortable settings could be matter of serious study.

The experiences in the spirit molecule weren't similar at all. Sure there were trends but they are the same trends I see in trip reports here. Almost all spectrum of experiences is covered in a general form.

DMT should be tried and studied in controlled settings. I am waiting for someone to do brain imaging studies so we can finally put to rest some of the mythology behind this compound.

Personally I would love to smoke dmt and have my brain being probed by an fMRI.