True Hallucinations by Terence McKenna

STAFF BOOK PICK - JANUARY 2023

We are often asked what we recommend reading while at Esalen. For the first time, we are proudly sharing our Staff Book Pick. Let the adventures begin!

Our January Staff Book Pick is offered by Sam Stern, Content Creator. Ringing in the new year we have selected a book on the subject of psychedelics. Oh, but it's so much more as Sam explains.

“Terence McKenna is often considered a leading figure in the field of psychedelic studies, and rightly so – this modern American philosopher and ethnobotanist is world renowned for his work on the interaction between humans and psychoactive plants, particularly those found in the Amazon rainforest. What’s not as well-known is his Esalen connection: McKenna lectured and taught at Esalen hundreds of times, holding forth on a dizzying array of subjects that not even his most ardent fans could always comprehend (e.g. “The Mystical Wellspring of Neo-Platonism,” anyone?). The memoir True Hallucinations is his hilarious, totally bizarre recollection of his journey into the Amazon basin with brother Dennis, wherein the two and their small band of comrades lose track of reality and encounter alien spacecrafts. It’s a treasure!”

We hope you enjoy this fascinating book – please share your thoughts!

With Love & Gratitude,

The Bookstore Team