Psychedelics have made a comeback, but the truth is they remain a mystery. In this daring, profound and wildly entertaining investigation, clinical neuropsychologist Andy Mitchell tests the claims being made for these substances by taking ten different psychedelics in ten different settings.

Journeying from a neuroimaging lab in London to the Colombian Amazon via Silicon Valley and his friend’s basement kitchen, his encounters with scientists and gangsters, venture capitalists and con men, psychonauts and shamans, and above all with the drugs themselves, take us beyond the hype and reveal the reality of psychedelics in all their strangeness, darkness and wonder.

‘Canny and somewhat sceptical . . . rigorous and penetrating . . . This is a wonderful book, a journey into the nature and potential of consciousness itself’ Literary Review

‘An incisive, deeply personal and beautifully written account of the power, the uses and the modern misuses of psychedelics. Highly recommended’ Anil Seth, author of Being You

‘Utterly compelling. Some books are in a category of their own and this is one them. Reading it is like having an out of body experience’ Mark Miodownik, author of Stuff Matters

‘Superb . . . brilliant’ TLS

‘Original and thrilling … achieving profound insights’ Mike Jay, author of Psychonauts

‘An incisive, deeply personal and beautifully written account of the power, the uses and the modern misuses of psychedelics. Highly recommended’ Anil Seth, author of Being You

Psychedelics have made a comeback but remain a mystery. They are now a ‘breakthrough therapy’ for mental illness but in truth we have only a vague idea how they work and there is a limit to what the science can reveal. To have any hope of understanding them, we must broaden our view – dramatically – of what they actually are.

In this daring, perception-shifting odyssey, clinical neuropsychologist Andy Mitchell takes ten different drugs in ten different settings, journeying from a London neuroimaging lab to the Colombian Amazon via Silicon Valley and his friend’s basement kitchen. His encounters with scientists and gangsters, venture capitalists and con men, psychonauts and shamans, as well as with the drugs themselves, reveal the reality of psychedelics in all their strangeness, hilarity, darkness and wonder.

‘A hair-raising hurtle of a ride’ Henry Shukman, author of One Blade of Grass

‘Utterly compelling … like having an out of body experience’ Mark Miodownik, author of Stuff Matters

‘The psychedelic world has been waiting for this book’ Professor Erika Dyck