| The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner and Richard Alpert |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publication date | 1964 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on The Tibetan Book of the Dead (commonly referred to as The Psychedelic Experience) is an instruction manual intended for use during sessions involving psychedelic drugs. Started as early as 1962 in Zihuatanejo, the book was finally published in August 1964.[1] This version of Tibetan Book of the Dead was authored by Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner and Richard Alpert, all of whom took part in experiments investigating the therapeutic and religious possibilities of drugs such as mescaline, psilocybin and LSD. The book is dedicated to Aldous Huxley and includes a short introductory citation from Huxley's book The Doors of Perception. Part of this text was used by the Beatles in the song Tomorrow Never Knows.
A reading from the book was recorded by the authors on an LP under the name The Psychedelic Experience in 1966, and reissued on CD by Folkways in 2003.