Book Review: In Search of the Ultimate High: Spiritual Experiences Through Psychoactives

By Leif Utne
Published on August 1, 2000

Book
Review: In Search of the Ultimate High: Spiritual Experiences
Through Psychoactives,
Jamie Pietras, Columbus Alive
Wired

For some people, spiritual fulfillment comes from yoga, a healthy
diet and exercise. For others it’s prayer and going to church. But
some of the most profound spiritual experiences come from
psychedelic drugs, say authors Nicholas Saunders, Anja Saunders and
Michelle Pauli in their new book In Search of the Ultimate High:
Spiritual Experiences Through Psychoactives
(Random House).
According to reviewer Jamie Pietras, writing on the website of alt
weekly Columbus Alive, the book surveys psychedelic
spiritual practices the world over, from the ayahuasca cults of the
Amazon, to the Bwiti religion of West Africa, to the Native
American Church — whose 250,000 members legally consume peyote.
Pietras says that the authors advise extreme caution when taking
hallucinogens. However, they stress that ‘those who use drugs as
their pathway to spiritual satisfaction shouldn’t be demonized.
Rather, their intent should be understood.’ — LU
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