Trippy: The Peril and Promise of Medicinal Psychedelics by Ernesto Londono
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Publishers for sharing
this book with me. I was a little surprised to find an email with the
opportunity to read this book, but I am glad that I was able to read it.
Initially, I thought this might be in the same vein as Michael Pollan’s How
to Change Your Mind. And in some ways it was- Londoño explores some
medicinal and traditional or ceremonial uses of psychedelics, specifically
ayahuasca. However, Londoño also takes a more personal and humanizing approach
by exploring his own past and experiences with dealing with trauma, shame and
depression, and how psychedelics helped him confront these powerful emotions in
his life. He also explores the experiences of others—soldiers experiencing
PTSD, queer participants in an LGBTQ only psychedelic ceremony, as well as
addicts and others looking to regain a sense of self in the grip of past
traumas. I also appreciated that this book looked at the history and current state
of Ayahuasca, the sacred vine of the Amazon that has been growing as both a
psychedelic therapy and a recreational trip that adventurous psychonauts seek
out. It was fascinating to learn more about its use in Brazil and other Amazon
areas. I remember reading William S. Burroughs’s The Yage Letters about
his quest for Ayahuasca in the 1960s, not realizing that it was the same plant.
I think that Burroughs came away somewhat disappointed, but Londoño shares both
the benefits and harms in this increasingly popular plant therapy. While it was
heartening to learn more about the increasing awareness of this plant’s powers,
it was also sad to see the darker side of this plant therapy, where Londoño
identifies some so-called shaman and spiritual guides who seemed more intent to
take advantage of people’s desire to feel better and find a quick fix to
negative emotional states like depression or past trauma. I was really
surprised to learn how expensive some of the retreats were, considering that
they are in the middle of the jungle and are a means to connect with nature. It
was also shocking to learn more about how some of the curanderos, or
healers, have also taken advantage of women. Londoño had some uncomfortable
experiences with a healer in one retreat and shares the experiences of other
women who experienced assault and harassment from another curandero. It
seemed like a theme that these curanderos are treated with empathy and
seen as fallible yet are still able to engage in the same kinds of behaviors. Londoño’s
journalistic background helped to uncover this unsavory side of the Ayahuasca
scene. Londoño also shared his own experience as a war correspondent, as well
as his own family trauma. While I loved the investigative reporting of the
Ayahuasca retreats, I also was enthralled by his fearless recounting of his
family’s history of mental illness and his own experiences with past trauma and
family of origin issues. Sharing his stories also allowed us to see how
Ayahuasca allowed him to confront some of these feelings and come to grips with
the unresolved issues that have plagued him. His experiences as a war
correspondent were also part of the need to escape and not have strong ties,
yet also left him with some incredibly traumatic experiences of violence and
death that it seems like were impossible to process in a war zone as a
reporter. This was also a common theme of the soldiers, who frequently felt
like they undeserving of a PTSD diagnosis or were concerned about the baggage
that label might bring. Londoño’s own experiences, as well as those of the
soldiers were gripping, yet somewhat graphic. Be warned that while the book
often recounts stories of those who overcame mental health and illness
struggles, it also depicts some of the past traumas and issues they confronted.
The book ends with the exploration of two other psychedelic therapies—ketamine
infusion and MDMA. I liked how this part of the book ended on a high note,
sharing the positive development of these alternative therapies and the
soldiers that the MDMA treatments are helping. It leaves us with a slightly
more hopeful look at the potential for psychedelic therapies, and I also think
that with sharing some of the bad actors and grifters looking to capitalize on
others seeking relief from traumatic emotional issues, the future regulation
and clinical use of psychedelics seems necessary as a means to bring about
change in both people and society. I really enjoyed Londoño’s book, especially
his reporting and use of individuals and his own experiences to present this
new and amazing field. This book is such a wonderful combination of many
different genres—part investigative journalism, part history, part memoir, and
social commentary. Highly recommended read that will hopefully change a lot of
minds.
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