For those rare and brave psychonauts** who have begun exploring the vast dimensions of consciousness beyond the normal everyday waking mind, either with or without entheogens, here are presented a wide range of practical and effective techniques derived from varieties of prayer and meditation that have emerged from numerous cultural traditions over the millenia. Perhaps the most important validation of any tool for psychonautic exploration is that of direct experience. The first part of this book presents a map for explorers of the psyche, soul, and their Self within the Transcendent. The second half of the book presents a cosmology of consciousness mapping the intersection of human consciousness and the consciousness of the universe itself (panpsychism). This geometry of consciousness is clearly delineated with numerous visual diagrams and is fully supported by modern physics, quantum mechanics, and biology. The overall map of consciousness is based upon the work of the neurosurgeon Karl Pribram, and the physicist David Bohm. The author’s own specific experiences, practices, and suggestions regarding all facets of psychonautics are clearly described, and supported by over fifty years of practicing the techniques described here and in the author’s previous 14 books.
___________________________________________ ** The term psychonaut, from the Greek words
psyche ( soul, spirit, or mind ) and
nautes ( sailor, navigator ), denotes an individual who intentionally explores wide ranging states and stages of non-ordinary consciousness through a variety of means, including the skillful application of traditional religious or shamanistic contemplative techniques, extreme physical exercise, fasting, and through the ingestion of entheogens (e.g. LSD, mescaline, psilocybin, ayahuasca, cannabis, etc.)
Shelli Joye’s website can be viewed at shellijoye.net
