Reddit reviews Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism

Here's a list of books I've read that have had a big impact on my journey.

First and foremost tho, you should learn to meditate. That's the most instrumental part of any spiritual path.

 Ram Dass – “Be Here Now” - https://www.amazon.com/Be-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052 - Possibly the most important book in the list – was the biggest impact in my life.  Fuses Western and Eastern religions/ideas. Kinda whacky to read, but definitely #1

Ram Dass - “Journey Of Awakening” - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006L7R2EI - Another Ram Dass book - once I got more into Transcendental Meditation and wanted to learn other ways/types of meditation, this helped out.

 Clifford Pickover – “Sex, Drugs, Einstein & Elves…” - https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Drugs-Einstein-Elves-Transcendence/dp/1890572179/ - Somewhat random, frantic book – explores lots of ideas – planted a lot of seeds in my head that I followed up on in most of the books below

 Daniel Pinchbeck – “Breaking Open the Head” - https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Open-Head-Psychedelic-Contemporary/dp/0767907434 - First book I read to explore impact of psychedelics on our brains

 Jeremy Narby – “Cosmic Serpent” - https://www.amazon.com/Cosmic-Serpent-DNA-Origins-Knowledge/dp/0874779642/ - Got into this book from the above, explores Ayahuasca deeper and relevancy of serpent symbolism in our society and DNA

 Robert Forte – “Entheogens and the Future of Religion” - https://www.amazon.com/Entheogens-Future-Religion-Robert-Forte/dp/1594774382 - Collection of essays and speeches from scientists, religious leaders, etc., about the use of psychedelics (referred to as Entheogens) as the catalyst for religion/spirituality

 Clark Strand – “Waking up to the Dark” - https://www.amazon.com/Waking-Up-Dark-Ancient-Sleepless/dp/0812997727 - Explores human’s addiction to artificial light, also gets into femininity of religion as balance to masculine ideas in our society

 Lee Bolman – “Leading with Soul” - https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Soul-Uncommon-Journey-Spirit/dp/0470619007 - Discusses using spirituality to foster a better, more supportive and creative workplace – pivotal in my honesty/openness approach when chatting about life with coworkers

 Eben Alexander – “Proof of Heaven” - https://www.amazon.com/Proof-Heaven-Neurosurgeons-Journey-Afterlife/dp/1451695195 - A neurophysicist discusses his near death experience and his transformation from non-believer to believer (title is a little click-baity, but very insightful book.  His descriptions of his experience align very similarly to deep meditations I’ve had)

 Indries Shah – “Thinkers of the East” - https://www.amazon.com/Thinkers-East-Idries-Shah/dp/178479063X/ - A collection of parables and stories from Islamic scholars.  Got turned onto Islamic writings after my trip through Pakistan, this book is great for structure around our whole spiritual “journey”

 Whitley Strieber – “The Key: A True Encounter” - https://www.amazon.com/Key-True-Encounter-Whitley-Strieber/dp/1585428698 - A man’s recollection of a conversation with a spiritual creature visiting him in a hotel room.  Sort of out there, easy to dismiss, but the topics are pretty solid

 Mary Scott – “Kundalini in the Physical World” - https://www.amazon.com/Kundalini-Physical-World-Mary-Scott/dp/0710094175/ - Very dense, very difficult scientific book exploring Hinduism and metaphysics (wouldn’t recommend this for light reading, definitely something you’d want to save for later in your “journey”)

 Hermann Hesse – “Siddartha” - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/siddhartha-hermann-hesse/1116718450? – Short novel about a spiritual journey, coming of age type book.  Beautifully written, very enjoyable.

Reza Aslan - “Zealot” - https://www.amazon.com/ZEALOT-Life-Times-Jesus-Nazareth/dp/140006922X - Talks about the historical Jesus - helped me reconnect with Christianity in a way I didn’t have before

Reza Aslan - “No god but God” - https://www.amazon.com/god-but-God-Updated-Evolution/dp/0812982444 - Same as above, but in terms of Mohammad and Islam.  I’m starting to try to integrate the “truths” of our religions to try and form my own understanding

Thich Nhat Hanh - “Silence” - https://www.amazon.com/Silence-Power-Quiet-World-Noise-ebook/dp/B00MEIMCVG - Hanh’s a Vietnamese Buddhist monk - in this book he writes a lot about finding the beauty in silence, turning off the voice in our heads and lives, and living in peace.

Paulo Coelho - “The Alchemist” - https://www.amazon.com/Alchemist-Paulo-Coelho/dp/0062315005/ - Sort of a modern day exploration of “the path” similar to “Siddhartha.”  Very easy and a joy to read, good concepts of what it means to be on a “path”

Carlos Castaneda - "The Teachings of Don Juan" - The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge https://www.amazon.com/dp/0671600419 - Started exploring more into shamanism and indigenous spiritual work; this book was a great intro and written in an entertaining and accessible way. 

Jean-Yves Leloup - “The Gospel of Mary” - https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Mary-Magdalene-Jean-Yves-Leloup/dp/0892819111/ - The book that finally opened my eyes to the potentiality of the teachings of Christ.  This book, combined with the one below, have been truly transformative in my belief system and accepting humanity and the power of love beyond what I’ve found so far in my journey.

Jean-Yves Leloup - “The Gospel of Philip” - https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Philip-Magdalene-Gnosis-Sacred/dp/1594770220 - Really begins to dissect and dive into the metaphysical teachings of Christ, exploring the concept of marriage, human union and sexuality, and the power contained within.  This book, combined with the one above, have radically changed my perception of The Church as dissimilar and antithetical to what Christ actually taught.

Ram Dass - “Be Love Now” - https://www.amazon.com/Be-Love-Now-Path-Heart/dp/0061961388 - A follow-up to “Be Here Now” - gets more into the esoteric side of things, his relationship with his Guru, enlightenment, enlightened beings, etc.

Riane Eisler - “The Chalice and the Blade” - https://www.amazon.com/Chalice-Blade-Our-History-Future/dp/0062502891 - An anthropoligical book analyzing the dominative vs cooperative models in the history and pre-history of society and how our roots have been co-opted and rewritten by the dominative model to entrap society into accepting a false truth of violence and dominance as “the way it is”

Daniel Pinchbeck wrote a book that was partly about when he went to Africa and used Ibogaine. It's a combination of autobiography and his theories on drugs in culture. Very interesting and has a cool cover.

Breaking Open The Head

Daniel Pinchbeck - Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism?

Unfortunately, I don't think there is any one link that will help you with that. Let me recommend some books to you that might help:

The Disinformation Guide to Magick and the Occult is one of the most helpful tomes you will ever read. There is an entire section of "Chemognosis," which is to say real knowledge gained through this sort of experience.

There are two books by Daniel Pinchbeck I would recommend reading:

Breaking Open the Head

and

2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl

There is a clinical study on DMT, called DMT: The Spirit Molecule that is worth reading. There is a movie version of it on Netflix, but don't watch the movie over the book. Do both, but if you only do one, read the book.

There is also a documentary I would recommend watching on Ayahuasca. Watch this documentary.

I am reading this and so I believe you.

I'll second the Ayahuasca suggestion. I had a really good experience with it in Peru, ceremony and all... It does not seem to be something you want to take lightly. Prep, setting etc are important.

It's interesting that you mention the entities cheering you on but then maybe withdrawing their support so to speak. From what I've read this is very common with DMT/Aya, and often they are described as huge plant beings or somehow computer beings and their attitude ranges from curiosity about humans to indifference or even hostility, in the sense that we aren't "supposed to" see their reality (it seemed like you felt something similar).

Supposedly also the indigenous Amazonians were asked how they figured out the correct combination of the MAOI plant with the DMT plant to make the Ayahuasca brew (you need the MAOI to keep the body from breaking down the DMT before it can cross the brain barrier... Totally implausible to discover without modern chemistry) and they replied that the vine itself told them-- because in fact they believe the plants are themselves conscious, and so to ingest them is just as much them experiencing our consciousness as it is us experiencing theirs. (At least this is my admittedly limited understanding). Interesting fact: on every continent there are at least two indigenous plant species that contain this same chemical combination... Meaning theoretically alternative Ayahuasca brews have always been out there nearly everywhere, waiting to be discovered...

I did have my own interesting vision during my experience where I was in this elaborate outdoor museum or garden, with a sort of Greek ruin theme/style...columns and temples. And I saw these giant flowers but they were like museum pieces with plaques, not conscious entities. Only later did I read about the giant plant spirit beings and I now suspect it was my own mind's skepticism somehow interpreting the plant beings as something I could more readily accept at the time.

Anyway, you might be interested in some of Daniel Pinchbeck's writings...namely Breaking Open the Head. He talks about DMT and shamanism and in a lot more detail than what I have written here. Definitely a really interesting read.

As for your negative feelings, for what its worth I'll share the info given to me by the shaman before our ceremony... He said remember this world is just a school, and you've incarnated into your life to learn something, and you chose the lesson before you were born, so there is no reason to be afraid. If some issue or topic keeps coming up in your life, say jealousy or depression and so on, that means its probably related to the lesson you are trying to learn. You had to forget what you set out to learn in order to truly learn it, that's how it works. (Somewhat out there for my taste but it's hard to not feel like intuitively something like that must be true on some level).

Yeah, I read the Iboga book...but Lady Ayahuasca is another level, from what I'm told.

Chilli? o_O

I'll get around to finding it again eventually, but I don't know any psychonauts locally in this area anymore, so it's all academic to me.

I AM THAT

Reflections on the Art of Living: A Joseph Campbell Companion

Ursula LeGuin's translation of the Tao Te Ching

Pharmako Series by Dale Pendell

Breaking Open the Head

Zhou Yi - the Book of Changes - this is by far, the most lucid version I have found; profoundly useful and amazing reflections and a true companion along the way.

http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Open-Head-Psychedelic-Contemporary/dp/0767907434

This book has a lot of great info on Ibogaine

It is used in ritual coming-of-age ceremonies in Africa, but they discovered it has great potential to help with serious mental and physical addictions. Everything i've read has said it is very safe to use, as long as you have detoxed 24 hours off of your DOC (usually opiates). There are clinics in Mexico that offer ibogaine therapy for addicts.