Magic Medicine: A Trip Through The Intoxicating History And Modern-Day Use Of Psychedelic Plants And Substances

Magic Medicine: A Trip Through The Intoxicating History And Modern-Day Use Of Psychedelic Plants And Substances

Cody Johnson beautifully balances?istorical knowledge with cutting-edge science?o produce a thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening read which paints a holistic picture of the risks and benefits of psychedelic use in modern day medicine and culture. --Rick Doblin, Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). The history of psychedelic plants and substances?s full of colorful, fascinating facts and stories, and intriguing questions. Did the CIA really use LSD as an enhanced military interrogation technique? Was Santa Claus really inspired by a hallucinogenic mushroom from Siberia? How can MDMA (Ecstasy) help people recover from trauma? Science is beginning to research what traditional cultures have told us for centuries: psychedelics have transformative healing properties. Many psychedelic plants and substances have a long history of being incorporated into various healing traditions -- such as cannabis in Traditional Chinese Medicine and ayahuasca in Peru.Magic Medicine?xplores the fascinating history of psychedelic substances and provides a contemporary update about their growing inclusion modern medicine, science, and culture.?ReviewMagic Medicine is an entertaining, up-to-date encyclopedia of the ineffable, offering easy-to-digest insight into a dizzying array of psychoactive drugs and sacred plant medicines.?- Don Lattin, author ofThe Harvard Psychedelic Club and Changing Our Minds -- Psychedelic Sacraments and the New PsychotherapyWhat a good book this is! A rarity among psychedelic publications, it is straightforward, useful, makes complex biochemistry understandable, and will be a reference for years to come. It is a drug-by-drug series of clear, useful descriptions of just what you need to know about both synthetic and plant-based psychedelics. I thought I knew all this stuff, but Johnson weaves in excellent scholarship and some wonderful stories that surprised and delighted me as well.-- James Fadiman, Ph.D., microdose researcher and author of?he Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred JourneysMagic Medicine takes us on a journey into the most controversial and mysterious of medicines: the mind altering plants and chemicals responsible for some of our greatest visionary creativity and also our paranoid delusions. Cody Johnson does a great job at separating fact from fiction in this eye-opening book.-- Jason Silva, host of National Geographic's?rain Games?nd the hit YouTube series, Shots of AweThis is a delightful book that takes the reader on a pleasurable trip through several millennia of use and reflections on humans use of psychedelics. It is beautifully researched and pleasingly produced, with a satisfying balance of science, history and insights. I am sure that everyone interested in this growing field will find something new to intrigue and hopefully inspire them.-- Prof. David Nutt, Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, and author of?rugs Without the Hot AirMagic Medicine is a wonderful object as well as a valuable text on this essential subject. Johnson describes a wide range of psychedelic substances - their effects, history and contemporary uses - in a readable style of prose and set amidst an alluring and beautifully presented format. Highly recommended!-- Dr. Ben Sessa, psychiatrist, psychedelic researcher, and author of?he Psychedelic Renaissance: Reassessing the Role of Psychedelic Drugs in 21st Century Psychiatry and SocietyFrom the Back CoverAfter decades of being stigmatized, psychedelics are coming into mainstream acceptance. Cannabis has been legalized for medical and recreational use in a number of states and the government is now allowing research into the medical applications of psychedelics for conditions like anxiety, depression, and PTSD.About the AuthorCody Johnson is a