The Psychedelic Journey of Marlene Dobkin de Rios: 45 Years with Shamans, Ayahuasqueros, and Ethnobotanists
“In her new book, Marlene Dobkin de Rios summarizes her experiences and observations from forty-plus years of research in this field. The book is a treasure trove of information on the use of visionary plants in ancient and native cultures of South and Central America. Of special interest are the passages discussing the increasingly influential ayahuasca rituals and the effects of LSD and ayahuasca on creativity and artistic expression. This book will be of great interest not only for scholars and researchers but also for large audiences of laypeople interested in consciousness and spirituality.” (Stanislav Grof, M.D., author of Beyond the Brain, Psychology of the Future, The Cosmic Genius, and S)“An informative, insightful, and colorful journey with one of the founders of the modern anthropology of hallucinogens. Dobkin de Rios’s work has influenced the mind-set of all those who seek understanding through indigenous cultures’ use of psychoactive plants. This is a valuable academic resource as well as a moving autobiographical account.” (Rick Strassman, M.D., author of DMT: The Spirit Molecule and clinical associate professor of psychia)“This book describes the life and work of one of anthropology’s premier border-crossers. Marlene Dobkin de Rios was one of the first to postulate that hallucinogenic substances played an integral part in the development of many aspects of human culture and has clearly and forcefully distinguished between the constructive and the destructive uses of these substances. She has built bridges between anthropology and psychology, theory and practice, and traditional and modern cultures. Over the course of her adventurous life, she has learned love magic from women concerned about her then single status, used fortune-telling cards as an ethnographic research method, and counseled burn victims and other traumatized individuals using insights gleaned from her studies of shamanism. A fascinating book about a fascinating individual.” (John R. Baker, Ph.D., professor of anthropology, Moorpark College, and coauthor of Supernatural as N)“Dobkin de Rios is one of the few professional anthropologists who has had the courage to describe her personal experiences with psychedelics. Hers is a compelling story about how direct experience resulted in both wisdom and discernment.” (John W. Hoopes, director of Global Indigenous Nations Studies Program and associate professor of ant)"It is of interest to those who share her enthusiasm with hallucinogens and everyone interested in the discipline's earlier history." (Michael Heinrich, Centre for Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy, University of London, Feb 2010)"De Rios writes in a very accessible, easy style that even a novice in the field--like myself--can understand. . . . For anyone following a more shamanic path, I'm sure that de Rios's insights in the field of ethnobotany and how native healers around the world use those plants will be of great value to their personal spiritual practice." (Bronwen Forbes, Pagan Book Reviews, April 2010)“This academic resource is a journey in itself. One of the first medical anthropologists to explore hallucinogens, de RIOS furthered findings by the late Harvard ethnobotanist Richard Evans, who documented the use of ayahuasca (Diplopterys cabrerana) in the 1950s. In this book she summarizes her forty years of research on visionary plants of Peru, the Amazon, and the Mayans. She moves gracefully from autobiographical anecdotes to scholarly information in a readable story line.” (American Herb Association, September 2012)