vudemn's review against another edition
3.0
Sad znam odakle je Džim Morison izvukao ideju za naziv benda. Haksli svakako jeste inspiracija, pogotovo kada su u pitanju psihoaktivne supstance kao što je meskalin, ili lizergična kiselina.
Taj čovek je postao moj idol onog trenutka kada sam saznao da je na samrtnoj postelji zatražio od žene LSD- i dobio!
Elem, što se sam knjige tiče - velika očekivanja, mala opravdanja.
Nije baš da Haksli nije pokrio svoju temu, nego je previše razvukao. Da je ovo bio jedan esej od nekoliko stranica, to bi bilo savršeno. Ovako je malo boring na delove, ali čovek je valjano odradio posao.
Vidimo kako utiče meskalin na čoveka(eksperiment), povezanost sa kulturama, umetnošću itd.
A onda slabiji deo: Raj i Pakao. To je gotovo potpuno nepotreban deo. Nadovezuje se na Vrata Percepcije ali bez onog mlaza fokusa na određenu temu, pa sve deluje razbacano.
Sve u svemu, fino.
Ne menja stvar, jer opet mogu samo da kukam što ne mož' da se nabavi meskalin kod nas. A bogami, ni esid :(
Taj čovek je postao moj idol onog trenutka kada sam saznao da je na samrtnoj postelji zatražio od žene LSD- i dobio!
Elem, što se sam knjige tiče - velika očekivanja, mala opravdanja.
Nije baš da Haksli nije pokrio svoju temu, nego je previše razvukao. Da je ovo bio jedan esej od nekoliko stranica, to bi bilo savršeno. Ovako je malo boring na delove, ali čovek je valjano odradio posao.
Vidimo kako utiče meskalin na čoveka(eksperiment), povezanost sa kulturama, umetnošću itd.
A onda slabiji deo: Raj i Pakao. To je gotovo potpuno nepotreban deo. Nadovezuje se na Vrata Percepcije ali bez onog mlaza fokusa na određenu temu, pa sve deluje razbacano.
Sve u svemu, fino.
Ne menja stvar, jer opet mogu samo da kukam što ne mož' da se nabavi meskalin kod nas. A bogami, ni esid :(
oskhen's review against another edition
3.0
The first part of the book, The Doors of Perception, was immensely enjoyable and a great exposition of visionary experiences, while the second part went on a tad bit too long about visionary inducing art in a too scholarly fashion.
lizardkidd's review against another edition
4.0
The Door (of Perception), and respectively a line in a poem by William Blake, inspired Jim Morrison to name his band, and upon reading, many of his lyrics and topics of mysticism, phantasmagoria, and preternatural imagery.
Huxley writes about the time he took Mescaline, the naturally occurring psychedelic compound in the Peyote Cactus. He finds himself transferred to a new reality, or the “other world” as he refers to it.
Huxley assesses the preternatural imagery one experiences with the drug, conflating it with the religious experience, schizophrenia, and the Indian peyote tribes alike.
This book, especially during the first section, while Huxley is experiencing the drugs full effects and answering the interviewers questions, offers many nuggets of wisdom, including scientific justifications for the similar effects of mescaline and lysergic acid, but achieved without ingesting any psychedelic drug.
I would recommend to someone who has taken psychedelics, as I think you will enjoy and likely get déjà vu from the deep questions, and respectively, Huxley’s eloquently put answers. And for anyone who would consider themselves “anti-drugs”, especially regarding psychedelics, I’d throughly recommend, as Huxley’s anecdotes and breakdown of the drug is done so scientifically, and without wishy-washy/ “hippy” pretence.
Huxley writes about the time he took Mescaline, the naturally occurring psychedelic compound in the Peyote Cactus. He finds himself transferred to a new reality, or the “other world” as he refers to it.
Huxley assesses the preternatural imagery one experiences with the drug, conflating it with the religious experience, schizophrenia, and the Indian peyote tribes alike.
This book, especially during the first section, while Huxley is experiencing the drugs full effects and answering the interviewers questions, offers many nuggets of wisdom, including scientific justifications for the similar effects of mescaline and lysergic acid, but achieved without ingesting any psychedelic drug.
I would recommend to someone who has taken psychedelics, as I think you will enjoy and likely get déjà vu from the deep questions, and respectively, Huxley’s eloquently put answers. And for anyone who would consider themselves “anti-drugs”, especially regarding psychedelics, I’d throughly recommend, as Huxley’s anecdotes and breakdown of the drug is done so scientifically, and without wishy-washy/ “hippy” pretence.
etopiei's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really interesting book to read. Hearing about Huxley's mescaline trip was fascinating, and the language he uses is delightful. That said, as he mentioned in this book, it can be hard to understand and comprehend an account such as this. Each experience is unique and therefore it is tricky to glean much from some of the descriptions. I did very much enjoy the end of this book wherein Huxely discussed the social issues around this, and similar drugs. Well worth a read.
kellyxmen's review
3.0
I enjoyed being inside of Aldous Huxley’s mind as he tripped on mescaline, and I wish the work was primarily about his first-hand experience under the influence of the substance itself rather than his opinions on psychedelics and art.