On Drugs: Psychedelics, Philosophy, and the Nature of Reality [Hardcover]

In the late, post-lockdown days of the pandemic, grappling with personal loss and existential uncertainty, Justin Smith-Ruiu found himself standing in a California cannabis dispensary, pondering a question his tribe of fellow philosophers have often dismissed as too simple:Like the best psychedelic experiences, Propelled by lofty ideas, Smith-Ruius book lands with a dignified rustle amid a growing din. Enthusiasm for drug-induced mind expansion has lately reached a fever pitch . . . On Drugs is a searching, philosophical meditation, not a brief for recreational or therapeutic drug use. Its aim is to destabilize certainties, not provide answers. Theres more in Smith-Ruius psychedelic experience, one might say, than is dreamt of in strait-laced colleagues philosophies . . . you dont even need to take magic mushrooms from some geezer in a Dutch head shop (as Smith-Ruiu did) to melt your mind . . . you could try reading this extraordinary book, whose riches I can only hint at in this review. A layered philosophical investigation of drugs and their complexities . . . Smith-Ruiu is interested in how we perceive reality and whether drugs distort that perception or, conversely, reveal to us dimensions that we do not otherwise grok . . . An innovative application of philosophy to matters ineffable, intoxicating, and altogether interesting. A winding, ambitious rumination on what the use of psychedelics might reveal about the relationship between mind and the world. . . . profound . . . Open-minded readers will find much to chew on. Offers a philosophical look at psychedelic drugs . . . Smith-Ruiu skillfully threads his way between explaining the benefits of their use while not advocating for it . . . A perceptive and thought-provoking book. The best book on psychedelics since Huxley's Is the psychedelic renaissance a flowering of human potential, a throughway to mystical experience, offering deep insights into the nature of mind and reality, or a quick fix flƒ