Timothy Leary - The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead [Audiobook]

The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on The Tibetan Book of the Dead (commonly referred to as The Psychedelic Experience) is an instruction manual intended for use during sessions involving psychedelic drugs. Started as early as 1962 in Zihuatanejo, the book was finally published in August 1964.[1] This version of Tibetan Book of the Dead was authored by Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner and Richard Alpert, all of whom took part in experiments investigating the therapeutic and religious possibilities of drugs such as mescaline, psilocybin and LSD. The book is dedicated to Aldous Huxley and includes a short introductory citation from Huxley's book The Doors of Perception. Part of this text was used by the Beatles in the song Tomorrow Never Knows.

Originally, this audiobook was issued in 1966 as The Psychedelic Experience: Readings from Book "The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead", Folkways 9701/Broadside Records BRX 601.

In the present recording two passages have been selected: "Going Out": to be listened to at the very beginning of the session, just before and after the time when the going out begins, i.e. when the psychedelic beings to take effect. "Coming Back" : to be listened to towards the last third of the session, when the ego is beginning to re-assert itself, when "I" first makes its appearance in thought and speech. The exact time will of course vary from person to person and with the particular chemical used. "Coming Back" increases in effectiveness if repeated two or three times during the re-entry phase. "Going Out" may also be played toward the end of the session if the voyager wishes to regain the earliest and highest part of the voyage.