For half a century psychedelics have rumbled through the Western world, seeding a subculture, titillating the media, fascinating youth, terrifying parents, enraging politicians, and intriguing researchers. Not surprisingly, these curious chemicals fascinated some of the foremost thinkers of the twentieth century, fourteen of whom were interviewed for this book. Because no further human research can be done, these researchers constitute an irreplaceable resource. Higher Wisdom offers their fascinating anecdotes, invaluable knowledge, and hard-won wisdom--the culmination of fifty years of research and reflection on one of the most intriguing and challenging topics of our time.

Roger Walsh, MD is Professor of Psychiatry, Philosophy, and Anthropology at the University of California at Irvine. His writing and research have received more than two dozen national awards and his books include Essential Spirituality: The Seven Central Practices to Awaken Heart and Mind; The Spirit of Shamanism; and (with Frances Vaughan) Paths Beyond Ego: The Transpersonal Vision.

Charles S. Grob, MD is Director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the UCLA School of Medicine. Dr. Grob is the editor of Hallucinogens: A Reader and is a founding board member of the Heffter Research Institute, which is devoted to fostering and funding research on psychedelics.