THANATOS TO EROS

THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OF PSYCHEDELIC EXPLORATION
Foreword by Alexander and Ann Shulgin
Price: $22.95 192 pages color hard-back cover ISBN 3-86135-453-5
 

About the Author 

Myron Stolaroff was the founder and President of the International Foundation for Advanced Study in Menlo Park, California, an organization devoted to research with LSD and mescaline from 1961 to 1965. Six professional papers covering this work have been published in appropriate journals. Stolaroff was early convinced of the value of psychedelic substances, and devoted his career to studying them.

This book includes a detailed account of his own personal experiences -- coming to grips with an excruciatingly painful birth experience and its impact on his life, and learning to recognize and break free of powerful, oppressive feelings of failure and inadequacy. Facing and resolving repressed material opened the door to discovering the joy and vitality that life has to offer. It is a journey from the grip of Thanatos, the drive for death that effectively defeats enjoyment of life, to Eros, the drive for life that brings ultimate fulfillment. An essential ingredient in the success of this struggle was the use of psychedelic substances. These sacraments, as he prefers to call them, allowed him to confront and resolve powerful shadow material. More important, they opened the gateway to that level of Divine love and grace that is the source of true healing and the freeing of our ultimate capacities.

Stolaroff was greatly interested in aiding others in their psychedelic search. His desire to discover effective means for self-realization led him to continue exploring newly discovered substances as long as they were legal. This book describes work done with family, friends, and research volunteers employing MDMA, 2C-B, 2C-T-2, 2C-T-7, 2C-E, and others. Numerous experiences are described in detail. An important aspect of achieving the potential benefits of psychedelic substances is fully utilizing important discoveries in day-to-day living. This is often not recognized. Serious consideration is given here to the concentrated effort required to accomplish rewarding changes. These experiments and the discussions presented shed intriguing light on the nature of psychedelic experiences, the nature of the human psyche, factors affecting rewarding experiences, and aspects of transcendental levels of consciousness. Substantial evidence is presented of the inordinate power of the human mind, unrecognized by mainstream science, a power currently widely misdirected to create human pain and suffering. Numerous trials demonstrate that when used with integrity, skill, and fortitude, psychedelic substances can reveal the unfathomed love supporting all of creation, a love that can dissolve the death grip of Thanatos to free Eros and joyously illuminate life in all of its aspects.

. . . . . . . (Quotes:)

"I do not remember that a book from a living author impressed me more than Thanatos to Eros. . . My accord with your concepts of life and reality can best be summarized if I tell you that already in the first two paragraphs of the Introduction the core of my belief has found its perfect most beautiful expression." -- Albert Hofmann, Ph.D., retired Director of the Pharmaceutical-Chemical Research Laboratories, Sandoz Ltd., inventor of LSD.

"Myron Stolaroff is one of the pioneers in the effort to clarify the confused issues regarding the potentialities of psychedelic chemicals. His book is interesting regarding the history of this effort; informative as to the variety of experiences brought forth by the various drugs; inspiring in its testimony of courage and persistence; and persuasive in its account of how public policy has bungled the drug issue." -- Willis Harman. President, The Institute of Noetic Sciences.

"Fascinating reading, both as a human story and as invaluable data on the long term, serious use of psychedelics for psychological and spiritual growth! We need books like these, they are too rare." -- Charles T. Tart, Ph.D. Researcher in altered states of consciousness, Transpersonal psychology, and parapsychology, author of Altered States of Consciousness and Transpersonal Psychologies.

"Stolaroff's International Foundation for Advanced Study in the early '60's helped birth the transpersonal psychology movement, and this book shows why. The intermingling of deep psychotherapy and spiritual process is a must read for any transpersonal psychotherapist. The stories and methods of confronting and healing human suffering at any level can be used by everyone, with or without psychedelic assistance." -- George Greer, M.D. MDMA researcher/psychotherapist, Co-Founder of Heffter Research Institute.

"Myron Stolaroff is one of the legendary pioneers of that stubborn shadowscience -- the principled personal investigation into non-ordinary states of consciousness -- which refuses to roll over and die despite its official excommunication by the orthodox Church of Science. This book is a dispatch from the Neuro-Consciousness Frontier and it has all the qualities of the man who wrote it; levelheaded, implacably honest, boundlessly curious." -- Jay Stevens, author of Storming Heaven: LSD and the American Dream.

"In this book Myron chronicles his experiences as he tackles the universal human problems involved in the ending of relationships and the forging of new ones, and copes with his own brand of personal pain. This is a courageous and intriguing journal that documents one man's search for meaning in life. For those who believe that psychedelics will initiate one into a life-long quest of self-discovery, this book is a confirmation of that theory and a record of one man's journey." -- David Nichols, Co-Founder and Director of Pre-clinical Research, The Heffter Research Institute.

"Myron Stolaroff has written a fascinating account chronicling his courageous work over several decades exploring the healing and transformative potentials of a variety of psychedelic substances. I anticipate his experiential descriptions will prove to be a valuable resource for future researchers of this neglected area." -- Charles S. Grob, M.D,. Associate Professor of Psychiatry UCLA School of Medicine, principal investigator of government-authorized research on MDMA.

"Approached courageously and candidly, Thanatos to Eros is a deep and important investigation into a variety of Mind revealing Elixirs." -- Laura Huxley.

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