[Royce]

It's the author committing suicide that makes it creepy. Though I've been told the ghosts in the story really come off as con-artists rather than representatives of some kind of Platonic Evil.

Yeah,that definitely shows some convincing commitment from his part. The problem reading about his experiences with meeting guides through mediums and so on,is that you basically has to take his word on it being true.Killing himself shows at least that he was convinced I guess

[Royce]

I actually came across a book that is similar in certain aspects,it is called"A Psychonaut's Guide to the Invisible Landscape" by Dan Carpenter.He used psychedelics to communicate with so called entities,and he too killed himself.

[Madness]

@Madness: Why the Lol-ing against Pinchbeck? Mind you I've only read about 2/3 of Breaking Open the Head and checked in on his blog long ago.

The value of ibogaine in the treatment of addiction was the thing that caught my interest, as well as the apparently common experience of a life review.

I've read all his stuff and for a number of years tried hard to be involved in the Evolver Network. I particularly appreciate the Evolver Spores, which are representative of an efficient global model for information dissemination.

I lol'd because I find life's random connections humorous. Though, Pinchbeck has certainly behaved and espoused beliefs, which a number of people do ridicule.

[sciborg2]

I lol'd because I find life's random connections humorous. Though, Pinchbeck has certainly behaved and espoused beliefs, which a number of people do ridicule.

Ah gotcha. I recall some stuff involving the Evolver network but never paid too much attention to it.

I probably should take a second look.

I actually came across a book that is similar in certain aspects,it is called"A Psychonaut's Guide to the Invisible Landscape" by Dan Carpenter.He used psychedelics to communicate with so called entities,and he too killed himself.

For whatever reason, I'm more willing to trust in the likely fictional entities people meet using psychedelics rather than the likely fictional entities people meet using mediums. 

Part of that is because I don't think the life review process is seen as negative. The use of mediums seems more creepy and suspect to me, likely due to cultural conditioning.

[Royce]

I've read all his stuff

Does that include "what comes after money"? I have that on my to read list
He wrote that one with Ken Jordan,and it is not altered states related(I think),so you might have missed it.

For whatever reason, I'm more willing to trust in the likely fictional entities people meet using psychedelics rather than the likely fictional entities people meet using mediums.

Haha,I totally agree   It is disturbing to read about this girl laying on a couch in deep hypnosis,and then suddenly an entity is using her as a voicebox.There are probably thousands of horror movies based on this,and that doesn`t help their case either

[Madness]

Does that include "what comes after money"? I have that on my to read list
He wrote that one with Ken Jordan,and it is not altered states related(I think),so you might have missed it.

I've read many of the essays individually that contributed to the book. Charles Eisenstein is another interesting member of that cabal to pay attention to.

[sciborg2]

I actually came across a book that is similar in certain aspects,it is called"A Psychonaut's Guide to the Invisible Landscape" by Dan Carpenter.He used psychedelics to communicate with so called entities,and he too killed himself.

I looked this up and according to his mother the issue was depression. Doesn't seem like the entities were involved.

I've only just skimmed notes on his work, but it seems like there's acknowledgement that he's perhaps traveling through "inner space" rather than some alternate dimension.

eta:

Ah, his mom believes the drug DXM affected his mind and pushed him back into alcoholism and depression:

...Dan believed that everything he experienced under the DXM trips was real but whether it was truth or simply his brain responding to large amounts of DXM, I don’t know. I do believe that all of those trips in fact damaged his brain to the extent that he began drinking again. His searching by the use of DXM was so detrimental to his mental health that he slid into despair. It certainly wasn’t worth the search. I don’t have my son anymore, and I miss him terribly. My only hope now is that people who read these types of books DON’T try it.

I'm not going to outright discount the alternate realities angle, but it seems to me that a lot of drugs and shamanic healing involving visions offers you a user interface with which to interact with your own subconscious.

[Royce]

I looked this up and according to his mother the issue was depression. Doesn't seem like the entities were involved.

Yeah,that makes sense.He did talk about his meetings with "agents" during trips though,and he became obsessed with seeking answers.

I've only just skimmed notes on his work, but it seems like there's acknowledgement that he's perhaps traveling through "inner space" rather than some alternate dimension.

Those two might be representations of the same place,the subconscious?

I'm not going to outright discount the alternate realities angle, but it seems to me that a lot of drugs and shamanic healing involving visions offers you a user interface with which to interact with your own subconscious.

I do think,as I mentioned above,that it makes more sense that you travel through your own subconscious.

Back to the ghosts now I am halfway through now,and this guy is throwing so much anecdotal "evidence" that you end up dizzy.
A new twist(for me at least) is that these entities are deliberately fucking with you.They lie and provide you with false information
about their previous lives as a earthbound.To me this sounds like excuses for all the times these cases are proven to be factually
wrong.

You mentioned that you wrote a paper on this subject right? what is your take on that?

[Royce]

Sorry about the terrible structure on the last part of my post by the way,don`t know how that happened

[sciborg2]

You mentioned that you wrote a paper on this subject right? what is your take on that?

I should note that this was an undergrad paper, I forget we have a lot of formal academics here!

Well I wrote a paper on the concept of possession, not specifically related to mediums. My focus was more possession in Voodoo rituals, but I looked at possession in other cultures as well.

A lot of it seemed to be an altered state induced by stress. A good example would be Indian women in older times being possessed by ghosts on the eve of an arranged marriage, seeing as this meant possibly leaving family for another town and uncertain circumstances.

Similarly, possession seemed to be higher among those who were subjugated by factors like gender or financial status.

I couldn't 100% rule out the supernatural [which strikes me as proving a negative], but at the same time I didn't come across anything that suggested spirits offered verifiable information.

[Royce]

I should note that this was an undergrad paper, I forget we have a lot of formal academics here!

Lol You will eventually be busted on this forum indeed

I couldn't 100% rule out the supernatural [which strikes me as proving a negative], but at the same time I didn't come across anything that suggested spirits offered verifiable information.

The author in this book has many examples of verifiable information provided by these "guides".One guide claimed that his next incarnation would take place at a certain date at a certain time with a certain name.Three years later the author finds out that the name was correct,the date was correct,but missed by 30 miles on the birthplace.He then tried to get in touch with this "guide"(now a 2 year old boy),but his parents would not cooperate Think on that for awhile.Someone calls you to tell you that he has talked to your son before he was born through this medium,and he wonders if he can meet him to find out if this "guide" is still around cloaked in a new incarnation as this little kid That is just hilarious.

I don`t think I will finish the book,I just can`t take the information provided very seriously.It is like reading a weird novel,but in this
case it is supposed to be actual events

[sciborg2]

Bit sad the information provided by the guides is so unverifiable. Then again, probably a relief for me as I can feel better it's not real. 

I'm tempted to read it myself, just to get a sense of the standard of evidence that some proponents of the paranormal hold....but seems like I'd be better off spending my money on an actual work of fiction...

[Royce]

I'm tempted to read it myself, just to get a sense of the standard of evidence that some proponents of the paranormal hold....but seems like I'd be better off spending my money on an actual work of fiction...

By all means the anecdotes portrayed are interesting,and the author is passionate,so you might enjoy it.I did........for awhile

I read some of your short stories,and the one about the rat(nr 8?) was fantastic That one did something to me.Just thought I should mention it,since we all love some positive feedback

[sciborg2]

I read some of your short stories,and the one about the rat(nr 8?) was fantastic That one did something to me.Just thought I should mention it,since we all love some positive feedback

Thanks!

I've been poking around for some more credible research on the "encounter entities while tripping" phenomenon, but I don't think there's much out there.

I was actually invited to an ayahuasca ceremony, but at the moment I'm wary of subjecting myself to mind altering drugs of such potency.

[Royce]

I do not think you will find much credible info there,but Terence Mckenna does have plenty of interesting anecdotes.

I think it would be very interesting to participate in such a ceremony,have heard lots of interesting things about this.
It has changed lots of people for the better,but it can also scare you shitless