Marlene Dobkin de Rios (2009)
The Psychedelic Journey of Marlene Dobkin de Rios
BOOK REVIEW by Zevic Mishor
Author: Marlene Dobkin de Rios, Ph.D.
Year: 2009
Title: The Psychedelic Journey of Marlene Dobkin de Rios. 45 Years with Shamans, Ayahuasqueros, and Ethnobotanists
Publisher: Park Street Press
Printed in: United States
ISBN: 978-1-59477-313-6
With thanks to Deep Books
“… there is one contribution that is consistently expunged from the record: that of the untold millions of men and women, old and young, who willingly and with delight have lain prostrate before the gates of awe, having taken one of these remarkable magic plants”
(pXV, Foreword by anthropologist, biologist and ethnobotanist Wade Davis)
In this well-written and stimulating book, de Rios charts almost half a century of comprehensive work in a field that could be labelled “psychedelic anthropology” – the cross-cultural study of consciousness-modifying drugs and the non-ordinary states they facilitate. The book is divided into two parts; Part One is autobiographical, covering in some detail de Rios’s professional career and her rise as a well-respected figure in the academy. Part Two is ethnographical, bringing together information from diverse sources to paint a picture of psychedelic plant use across a variety of indigenous cultures. This section of her book also discusses broader topics, including psychedelics and healing; psychedelics and art, music and creativity; and drug tourism.
