Scan barcode
A review by thepurplebookwyrm
Neuropsychedelia: The Revival of Hallucinogen Research Since the Decade of the Brain by Nicolas Langlitz
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
I picked this book up expecting another non-fiction tome about the research being done into the therapeutic applications of psychedelic plants, fungi, compounds, etc... and was a little miffed, initially, when I realised that's not, in fact, what this book is about.
Instead of a pop-STEM book, Neuropsychedelia is an ethnographic study of the research currently being done with psychedelic substances in the 'West' – or rather parts of it, as this book focuses on research labs in the United States and Switzerland. But, whilst it is written as an ethnographic account, this book is about a lot more than that: it's about the way we carry out scientific research, and the ways we gather knowledge. It's about the way we dichotomise objectivity and subjectivity within science and society, and how this impacts our accumulation of knowledge about, and subsequent understanding of the natural world, our own species, the human body, and the human mind. And it's about how the field of psychedelic science (and medicine, though to a lesser extent) can help us rethink, and perhaps, reframe, all of those things. It is, indeed, quite ambitious in its scope.
And I was very pleasantly surprised by the depth and nuance with which this complex tapestry of topics was handled by the author. I found this book, and the discussions it contained, absolutely fascinating, especially since it drew on material from several different areas of the humanities. Like I said, it is written as an ethnographic account, but the author pulls from history, anthropology, sociology, critical theory, and philosophy to articulate his multi-faceted analysis. I loved that.
And I loved how stimulated my intellect felt... but it's also true I did, ultimately, feel a little frustrated by the fact the book didn't delve more deeply into the therapeutic potentials of psychedelic substances. I also think the book's thesis could've benefited from additional input from the fields of feminist analysis (androcentrism in the life and human sciences remains a problem after all), and the field of pharmacogenetics – the latter's complete omission, when discussing the still-puzzlingly differing outcomes of psychedelic experiences felt especially glaring to me. Additionally, the book's concluding chapter felt a little unfocused and weak to me, and left me wanting.
Still, putting aside these minor negatives, I would definitely recommend this book to readers interested in psychedelic science as a field, and thinking about the complex, multi-faceted relationship between science, knowledge and society.
Instead of a pop-STEM book, Neuropsychedelia is an ethnographic study of the research currently being done with psychedelic substances in the 'West' – or rather parts of it, as this book focuses on research labs in the United States and Switzerland. But, whilst it is written as an ethnographic account, this book is about a lot more than that: it's about the way we carry out scientific research, and the ways we gather knowledge. It's about the way we dichotomise objectivity and subjectivity within science and society, and how this impacts our accumulation of knowledge about, and subsequent understanding of the natural world, our own species, the human body, and the human mind. And it's about how the field of psychedelic science (and medicine, though to a lesser extent) can help us rethink, and perhaps, reframe, all of those things. It is, indeed, quite ambitious in its scope.
And I was very pleasantly surprised by the depth and nuance with which this complex tapestry of topics was handled by the author. I found this book, and the discussions it contained, absolutely fascinating, especially since it drew on material from several different areas of the humanities. Like I said, it is written as an ethnographic account, but the author pulls from history, anthropology, sociology, critical theory, and philosophy to articulate his multi-faceted analysis. I loved that.
And I loved how stimulated my intellect felt... but it's also true I did, ultimately, feel a little frustrated by the fact the book didn't delve more deeply into the therapeutic potentials of psychedelic substances. I also think the book's thesis could've benefited from additional input from the fields of feminist analysis (androcentrism in the life and human sciences remains a problem after all), and the field of pharmacogenetics – the latter's complete omission, when discussing the still-puzzlingly differing outcomes of psychedelic experiences felt especially glaring to me. Additionally, the book's concluding chapter felt a little unfocused and weak to me, and left me wanting.
Still, putting aside these minor negatives, I would definitely recommend this book to readers interested in psychedelic science as a field, and thinking about the complex, multi-faceted relationship between science, knowledge and society.