The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell (P.S.) Paperback – July 28, 2009

a book

I first read this book when I was 13. I am now 66. Did it influence my life? Looking back, perhaps even more so than I had realized. It was 1963 when I read it. I had been reading dystopias and had just finished "Brave New World." There was so much talk about LSD, mescaline, peyote and other hallucinogens as being "mind-expanding" and all that stuff that is now history. One interesting point of history regarding Aldous Huxley's life. He died the day JFK was shot. He was taking LSD at the time because he wanted to experience death as fully as he could.The title was taken from William Blake who had said, "If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite." That quote and this book would later help Jim Morrison in naming his band, "The Doors."I read it with rapt attention. I was entranced. When I reread it recently, I was amazed at how much I remembered and how much of my life choices it had influenced.I do remember that I promised myself at that young age, that when I was older, I would try these drugs as the search for "God" and spirituality was very important to me then and is still now.In particular, I recall the passage where, staring at a simple chair, Huxley waxed eloquently about what the chair revealed about its maker. Most of all, I recall his referring to perceiving the "isness" of the chair.This book was originally published in 1954. It was an important book then and it remains so now. It is a "must-have" for the library of any seeker of the truth, any who seek "higher learning", (pun intended and not), any who are investigators of world spirituality. Very highly recommended.

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An English intellectual seeks self-transcendence by taking mescaline, his stunning account shakes hippies everywhere out of “the rut of ordinary perception,” helps kick off the counterculture movement, and inspired the name of the 1960’s rock and roll band The Doors. It is full of spiritual insights rich with the influence of Vedanta and Buddhism like these:”...Reality shines out of every appearance…””...see the All in every this…””...a perpetual present made up of one continually changing apocalypse.””...the blessed Not-I, released for a moment from my throttling embrace.”Oh, and Huxley’s other book with references to hallucinogens, Heaven and Hell, is usually bound together with the 79-page book to give it a respectable thickness. I wouldn’t bother reading Heaven & Hell, though, unless you’re a huge art history buff. For a man who had to read with a magnifying glass his whole adult life (due to childhood keratitis), he sure loves art.Among the dualism-piercing totalities explored through Huxley’s psychedelic adventure, we also encounter outdated cultural references, lots of art history, and detailed comparisons to Christian theology. I’m glad I finally read this one, but I wouldn’t jump up and down to get you to read it too.

It’s almost as if, in "Brave New World,” Aldous Huxley actually foresaw what society might be beginning to feel like by this time. Considering the totality of his writings, it’s easy to wonder whether or not he could have been onto something throughout his career or just “on” something a lot.

Since I hadn't read this in a long time and lost my copy over the years, I decided to buy it again. Can't go wrong with Huxley.

years ago I read Brave New World by the same author and really enjoyed it. Also, years ago, I enjoyed the rock band The Doors. I believe they chose the name of their group based on this book so I was mildly curious to read it.....I gave it a 3 as to call it average. it was ok. probably a hard topic to write a book about. glad I finally got around to reading it but it just barely held my attention to the end....but, it is a short book. give it a try if you like. disclaimer; never done any hard hallucinogenic drugs so maybe I missed a lot of the relevance.

Seems silly to review a book 83 years after it has been written. anyway, it certainly is more relevant today that since 1966 when the powers that be made most entheogenic, even naturally occurring alkaloids illegal, as now there is finally renewed interest is seeing whether these drugs improve man's lot in life---and a fairly recent Hopkins study has shown that it does, just provides a different framework and experiential component for an individual and basically makes them better adjusted. This book is important is that we see that serious minded intellectuals used this as well as "dirty hippies", for different purposes altogether. Bill W., the cofounder of A.A. used LSD for 5 years, many actors artists and musicians did as well to improve creativity, two Nobel Laureates, Francis Crick (the idea of a double helix came to him on LSD) and Kerry Mullin credit the drugs. Certainly untold advances in computers, film, visual arts, even engineering have come from the cultural impact of these substances. We are not talking about a drug of abuse, although the propaganda of the govt. contributed to much negative press. I hope to provide a little positive!