The Divine Spark: A Graham Hancock Reader: Psychedelics, Consciousness, and the Birth of Civilization

by Graham Hancock (Editor), Russell Brand (Contribution by), Alex Grey (Contribution by), Robert M. Schoch (Contribution by), Rick Strassman (Contribution by)

Overview

"I suspect the real breakthroughs in our understanding of consciousness are going to come from an entirely different direction. That direction, controversially, has to do with psychedelics--which, as many of the contributors to The Divine Spark argue, offer spectacular potential for the investigation of the 'hard problem' of consciousness." --from the introduction by Graham Hancock

Psychedelics: Medicinal? Vital in interspecies communication or communion with the sacred? Are you reaching enlightenment or damaging your brain?

In this anthology, edited by bestselling author Graham Hancock, 22 writers discuss psychedelics and their myriad connections to consciousness. Travel to South America, the American Southwest, outer space, inner space, and back in time to revisit Pahnke's The Good Friday experiment. Explore the effects of ayahuasca, LSD, and much more.

Illuminating the topic like never before: Mike Alivernia * Russell Brand * David Jay Brown * Paul Devereux * Rick Doblin * Ede Frecska * Alex Grey * Nassim Haramein * Martina Hoffmann * Don Lattin * Luis Eduardo Luna * Dennis McKenna * Thad McKraken * Rak Razam * Gabriel Roberts * Thomas B. Roberts * Gregory Sams * Robert  M. Schoch * Mark Seelig * Rick Strassman * Robert Tindall

And, of course, Graham Hancock.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781609259723
Publisher:	Red Wheel/Weiser
Publication date:	04/06/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	764,669
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Graham Hancock is the author of the international bestsellers The Sign and The Seal, Fingerprints of the Gods, and Heaven's Mirror. His books have sold more than five million copies.

Read an Excerpt

"I suspect the real breakthroughs in our understanding of consciousness are going to come from an entirely different direction. That direction, controversially, has to do with psychedelics--which, as many of the contributors to The Divine Spark argue, offer spectacular potential for the investigation of the 'hard problem' of consciousness." --from the introduction by Graham Hancock

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

On Consciousness

To Infinity and Beyond: The Holographic Nature of Mass Nassim Haramein 13

The Consciousness Revolution Graham Hancock 29

Why Richard Dawkins Is the Best Argument for the Existence of God Russell Brand 33

Stellar Consciousness Gregory Sams 36

Reflections in a Rear-View Mirror: Speculations on Novelty Theory and the End Times Dennis McKenna 40

From Cosmic Consciousness to Convergence: Psychedelics, Entheogens, and Species Activation Rak Razam 51

Expanding the Mind

The Creative Process and Entheogens Alex Grey 65

How Expanding Consciousness and Our Connection to Spirit Might Help the Survival of Life on Planet Earth Martina Hoffmann 70

Whispering Leaves: interspecies Communication Paul Devereux 77

Three Humongous Ideas and a Dozen Merely Big Ones, or, The Psychedelic Future of the Mind Lite Thomas B. Roberts 82

Serious Research

Transcending the Medical Frontiers: Exploring the Future of Psychedelic Drug Research David Jay Brown 91

Pahnke's Good Friday Experiment: A Long-Term Follow-Up and Methodological Critique Rick Doblin 102

The Second Coming of Psychedelics Don Lattin 131

Preparation for the Journey Rick Strassman 138

Experiencing Psychedelics

Ayahuasca and the Concept of Reality: Ethnographic, Theoretical, and Experiential Considerations Luis Eduardo Luna 165

Communion with the Goddess: Three Weeks of Ayahuasca in Brazil Mark Seelig 181

Is Alcohol a Spirit? Or, My Goodness, My Guinness! Robert Tindaii 190

DMT: The Thinking Man's Moonshine? Gabriel Roberts 195

DMT-The Final Frontier: What Do Hallucinations, Angels, Aliens, Dreams, and Near-Death Experiences All Have in Common? Mike Alivernia 198

Why I Don't Do Psychedelics Very Often Anymore Triad McKraken 202

Giving Up the Green Bitch: Reflections on Cannabis, Ayahuasca, and the Mystery of Plant Teachers Graham Hancock 207

Supernatural

Toward an Exploration of the Mind of a Conquered Continent: Sacred Plants and Amerindian Epistemology Luis Eduardo Luna 221

The Soul Cluster: Reconsideration of a Millennia-Old Concept Ede Frecska Levente Móró Hank Wesselman 244

Thoughts on Parapsychology and Paranormal Phenomena Robert Schoch 271

Letters from the Far Side of Reality Graham Hancock 280

Could Psychedelics Save the World? Gregory Sams 298

Permissions/Credits 303

Contributors 305

About the Editor 311