This groundbreaking guide, published in 1964, parallels the Tibetan Book of the Dead—the sacred text that deals with the guidance of the soul in the afterlife—with the subjective realm one experiences during a psychedelic session. The psychedelic experience constitutes "a journey to new realms of consciousness" and it is these multifaceted new realities of psychedelic triparism that this particular book explores, posing deep existential and conscious questions.
Timothy Leary (1920-1996) was an American psychologist, author, "stage philosopher" (as he described himself) and ardent proponent of the use of psychedelics. He was recognized for his work as a professor and researcher at Harvard University. In 1963 he was fired due to his controversial practices in studying the effects and promotion of LSD. He was a controversial figure: Poet Allen Ginsberg called him "a hero of the American conscience" while President Nixon called him "the most dangerous man in America."
