DMT: The spirit molecule
Rick Strassman, M.D.
Park Street Press
345 Pages
I found out about this book while looking at videos on YouTube. It dealt with the human psychology so I had an instant connection to the book seeing as that is the career I would like to pursue after high school.
Summary: The book starts as Dr. Rick Strassman talking about how prominent psychedelics were in psychology during the early 1940’s up until 1970. It continues on to explain about the molecule DMT. In addition, how it is prevalent in our own minds and bodily chemistry. It continues on explaining very interesting probable theories and relationships that DMT has to do with achieved spiritual states in human beings.
Audience: Recommended to anyone that is interested about near death experiences.
Style: It is very formal. I say it requires a bit of high level reading skills but his concepts are explained well enough for almost anyone to understand.
“The raw encounter with their own previously unconscious memories and feelings led these psychiatrists to believe that these mind-loosening properties might enhance psychotherapy”(25). Here Strassman talks of how low to medium doses of psychedelics allowed psychiatric patients to access suppressed memories that caused anxiety, addiction, and anger which in turned help therapists identify and solve their problems.
“Although the soul is joined with the entire body, there is one part of the body [the pineal] in which it exercises its function more than elsewhere…[the pineal] is so suspended between the passages containing the animal spirits[ guiding reason and carrying sensation and movement] that it can be moved by them…; and it carries this motion to the soul”.(61) This quote is from the famous French philosopher Descartes (I think, therefore I am). Here he proposes that the pineal gland some how was the “seat of the soul” and that the body and spirit meet here, each affecting each other and the repercussions extend in both directions.
“I already knew Tibetan Buddhist Book of the Dead teaches that it takes 49 days for the soul of the recently dead to reincarnate. That is seven weeks from the time of death of one person elapses until the life force’s “rebirth”. I remember very clearly, several years later, feeling achill along my spine when, reading my text book of fetal development, I discovered this same 49 day interval marking two landmark events in human embryo formation. It takes 49 days from conception for the first signs of the human pineal to appear. 49 days is also when the fetus differentiates into male or female gender.”(81-82) In this chilling discovery Dr. Rick Strassman discovers the chilling relationship between the idea of an almost ancient book to the developmental stages of a human fetus uknown to us less than a century ago.
How I interacted with the book:
This book by far is the most interesting thing I have ever read. Its amazing how such factual relationships can surpass the intuitiveness of fantasy. From proposed concepts of Psychedelic Psychotherapy by Registered Psychologists to interaction with parallel universes while on DMT by psychonauts this book will now doubt keep the reader enticed until the very end. No other thing has ever made me view life differently than this book.
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This book sounds really interesting. It reminds me of the movie "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". That movie is all about drugs and hallucinagins. The reason that this book sounds so interesting is because i think it is so fascinating how drugs can altar the mind.
ReplyDeleteThis book souds really interesting and educational. I believe this would be a great read. Some people might believe science books to be boring and unintersting, but this one is definatly not. I would definatly read this book because just by reading the passages from the book and listening to the explination, it mad me want to go out and buy the book. People should definatly read this book because i believe they would find it a good read.-- Deidre Tocci
ReplyDeleteJohn this is a cute read for you. I didn't know you could read. But anyway, this does seem interesting. I wonder how these drugs can alter your thoughts on real life. I am still not convinced there are not worse downsides than up sides to these drugs, but hey who am I to judge.
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-Mike Chieco
That certainly seems very interesting that such a powerful chemical exists in our own body. I'm curious as to how the Tibetan Buddhists figure it takes 49 days to reincarnate. I also wonder why they stopped prescribing very low does of the chemical if it helps alcoholics and angry people. I would definitely like to learn more on the subject.
ReplyDeleteThat certainly seems very interesting that such a powerful chemical exists in our own body. I'm curious as to how the Tibetan Buddhists figure it takes 49 days to reincarnate. I also wonder why they stopped prescribing very low does of the chemical if it helps alcoholics and angry people. I would definitely like to learn more on the subject.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a very interesting book. Although i would moast likely never read it, it just doesnt grab my attention as much as it does john. but John does a very good way of getting across the theme of the book and what its about. - sarah pouliot
ReplyDeleteJohn, the summary you gave of the book during class was really intriguing, and made me want to read the book, or learn more on the subject. The passages make me feel uncomfortable, but really interested, because it's weird hearing something completely opposite from what you've been raised hearing. Thinking that this 'pineal' (gland?) is largely in charge of our subconsious thoughts.
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