Autumn 2006 Vol. 16, No. 2 Technologies of Healing
Available Now
In honor of the 100th birthday of Dr. Albert Hofmann, MAPS has republished the English edition of Dr. Hofmann’s memoir, LSD: My Problem Child — Reflections on Sacred Drugs, Mysticism, and Science. Out of print in the U.S. for years, this is the fascinating account of LSD’s discovery, its brief status as a promising psychiatric research medicine, and its transformation into a recreational drug.
Dr. Hofmann also tells the story of his adventures in Mexico with Gordon Wasson, where he sought out sacred mushrooms (later isolating psilocybin as their active component) and salvia divinorum.
New to the MAPS edition are 16 pages of color illustrations, a new introduction from the author, a foreword by LSD psychotherapist Stanislav Grof, M.D, and an index. The book is available at the MAPS online bookstore for $12.95 (www.maps.org). You can also read it online at http:// www.maps.org/freebooks.
At Dr. Hofmann’s request, MAPS has worked to make the book available in Russian and Chinese. We located a Russian translation, as well as Japanese and Polish translations, and commissioned a Chinese translation. These are now posted at maps.org/freebooks.
Signed editions of LSD: My Problem Child
Dr. Hofmann has signed 100 copies of a special hardbound edition of his book, with the profits to be allocated entirely to MAPSsponsored LSD and psilocybin research. Dr. Stanislav Grof, who wrote the foreword, has also signed these books. The first set of these books will sell for $250 each, with the price increasing in tiers. If you’re interested in purchasing one for your collection, contact MAPS at orders@maps.org
Forthcoming
Dr. Stanislav Grof, author of LSD Psychotherapy and the originator of Holotropic Breathwork, has asked MAPS to publish his latest book, The Ultimate Journey: Consciousness and the Mystery of Death. We are in the final stages of preparing the book for press, and we expect it to be available by summer.
In The Ultimate Journey, Dr. Grof argues that, contrary to the Western view, death is not necessarily the end of consciousness. He investigates cross-cultural beliefs, paranormal and near-death research, and his own patients’ experiences of death and rebirth in psychedelic therapy. The 300+ page paperback offers a wealth of perspectives on how we can enrich and transform the experience of dying in our culture.
The book includes some of the same material as The Human Encounter with Death, written with Joan Halifax, but this is largely an original work with new data. The book will feature 24 pages of color images and a foreword by Huston Smith. MAPS will make an announcement when it will be available on the website, hopefully before summer 2006.