In the 70s, the word "psychedelic" conjured up images of hippies, free love, and mind-altering experiences. Happily, our understanding has evolved. In recent years, the use of psychedelics and hallucinogens has been objectively researched and even included in talk therapy and guided meditation. After all, inducing a different state of consciousness can expand our understanding of ourselves. If you'd like to learn more about the use of these drugs throughout history and explore the potential benefits to mental and physical health as well as self-discovery, here are just a few of the best audiobooks about psychedelics to take you on an informative and fascinating listening trip.
Ayahuasca originates in the northern Amazon region of South America and when consumed as a tea, creates a psychedelic experience for spiritual awakening and discovery. Traditionally used in ceremonies and sacred contexts by Indigenous peoples, it's now become a large industry with celebrities, gurus, and self-dev devotees from all over the world seeking practitioners and guides in ayahuasca for their own spiritual and wellness journeys. This audiobook, narrated by Aaron Shedlock and Lauren Ezzo, explores the history of ayahuasca and the implications of its growing global popularity on everything from medicine to politics to economics.
In this New York Times best seller, Michael Pollan shares how he initially began to research psychedelics and magic mushrooms to understand how they offered relief to those suffering from chronic pain, addiction, and debilitating depression and anxiety. As he became immersed in the study of plants that affect our perception of reality, he made a startling discovery: these substances often work wonders for not only the chronically ill but also healthy people facing everyday challenges. In this deeply personal, self-narrated listen, Pollan combines a deep dive into the science behind psychedelic drugs with a gripping account of his journey to an exciting new frontier in our understanding of human consciousness and mental resilience.
Written by psychedelia's "founding fathers," Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner, and Richard Alpert (Ram Dass), The Psychedelic Experience is an essential listen for anyone with a serious interest in mind-expanding inquiries. Drawing on wisdom that was pioneered in the 1960s, this audiobook offers an insightful analysis of the sacred and revered text The Tibetan Book of the Dead from a psychedelic perspective. Its ultimate goal: to help listeners discover an enhanced sense of self through substances that distort and expand reality. Paul Heitsch narrates the journey.
For decades, William Richards has researched the use of psychedelics to understand the effects on the human body, consciousness, and spirit. His findings support the use of psychedelics in medicine in varying doses for a multitude of purposes, from treating chronic pain to helping those with mental illness—and in this audiobook, he demonstrates how psychedelics can be used safely, responsibly, and ethically to help people connect with their spiritual selves and live better lives. River Kanoff narrates this fascinating contribution to the science and study of psychedelia, which is available exclusively on Audible.
A nationally recognized expert on psychedelics, James Fadiman draws on extensive research, including his original study, to shed light on the many therapeutic and medical benefits of psychedelics. In this audiobook, he analyzes the various uses of psychedelic drugs in various ways—high doses for spiritual use, moderate doses for chronic health conditions, and small doses for specific medical issues—and calls attention to where further research is needed. Dr. Fadiman also takes care to dispel common myths about LSD and discusses the practice of microdosing, making for a far-reaching, informative, and taboo-shattering text. Steven Jay Cohen narrates this comprehensive listen about how to use psychedelic substances, safely and effectively.
Don Lattin's in-depth look at the pioneers who championed psychedelics in the West is essential listening for anyone wishing to understand the movement in the 1960s. Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil were all involved in holistic medicine, advocating religious tolerance, spiritual empowerment, and the use of LSD—and when their paths crossed with the Harvard Psilocybin Project, it was the catalyst they needed to spark the movement to popularize Eastern mysticism and yoga in America. John Pruden narrates this fascinating social history.
Terence McKenna, ethnobotanist and mystic, sets forth in this audiobook a theory about the influence of psilocybin-containing plants and mushrooms on the evolution of the human race. Going back hundreds of thousands of years, he presents a theory for how psilocybin-containing plants helped humans evolve, form language, and even develop civilizations. Jeffrey Kafer narrates this fascinating history that will make listeners reconsider what they think they know about the roots and rise of civilization.
Hunter S. Thompson is best known for his semi-autobiographical Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which introduced the world to gonzo journalism. In this work, he chronicles a journey of a reporter and a lawyer, based off of himself and a friend, who head to Vegas to cover a motorcycle race but find themselves in the pursuit of the American Dream—albeit in an unconventional way. This pursuit involves taking as many drugs as they can get their hands on, which inevitably leads them to experience many mind-bending adventures. Narrated by Ron McLarty, this audiobook is true to its time period, reflecting the complicated social and political influences of the height of the psychedelics movement in the 1960s and 1970s.
Written by one of the most influential voices advocating for the use of psychedelics, this is a true account of the author, Terence McKenna, and a small group of friends who went exploring in the Amazon for psychedelic drugs and mind-enhancing plants. Here, McKenna documents the strange and wondrous things they encountered and saw, and how their journey led them to a transcendent experience that changed him forever. Al Kessel narrates this memoir, which is an essential listen about psychedelics written by a great influencer in the psychedelics realm.
Narrated by Graham Hancock and the author, Brian C. Muraresku, this audiobook offers an eye-opening look at the wide reach psychedelics have on Western civilization. From the practices of the ancient Greeks to the Eucharist, Muraresku explores the sacraments of taking mind-enhancing substances to create spiritual experiences and speculates about how they might have unknowingly influenced our culture and religious institutions. For those who want to know more about the long history of mind-enhancing drugs and their possible connections to impactful moments throughout Western development, The Immortality Key is a fascinating listen.
