Heaven and Hell

Aldous Huxley – 1956

“In the Western world, visionaries and mystics are a good deal less common than they used to be.  There are two principal reasons for this state of affairs – a philosophical reason and a chemical reason.  In the currently fashionable picture of the universe, there is no place for valid transcendental experience.  Consequently those who have had what they regard as valid transcendental experiences are looked upon with suspicion as being either lunatics or swindlers.  To be a mystic or a visionary is no longer creditable.”

A short book written by Huxley as a follow-up to his much more famous The Doors of Perception (1954), Heaven and Hell has more to do with transcendent vision in general past that exclusively gained via psychedelics.  Through art, hypnosis, religion and even in the great value placed on rare gems, human beings are drawn impulsively to color and brightness, things that glitter and seem to put them in a reflective, trance-like state.  Huxley describes the nether-regions of the mind, or “antipodes,” as places that the aforementioned methods can aid us in reaching.  These regions are closed off in a normal mental state because otherwise we would be so distracted by them that we would neglect practical matters of safety and sustenance.  But, like dreams, they nevertheless offer immense resources of self-knowledge and unity with nature when approached with respect.  Huxley’s tone is more metaphysical than scientific, but also extremely careful about encouraging informed experimentation rather than quick thrills.  Though known as a proponent of mescaline, mushrooms and LSD, Huxley also includes an appendix listing a variety of suggestions for non-chemical means of attaining visionary experiences, (strobe lamps, yoga, fasting, etc.), and yet clearly is of the mind that responsible use of psychedelics poses no danger to the brain either.