Journeys into the bright world
Acknowledgments
We wish to thank John and Antoinette Lilly who were among the first to conduct research into the psycho-spiritual effects of ketamine, even at the risk of using themselves as test subjects.
In addition we thank the following authors and publishers whose works we have quoted: Eden Gray, A Complete Guide to the Tarot, Bantam, 1970; John and Antoinette Lilly, The Dyadic Cyclone, Simon and Schuster, 1976; Peter Stafford, The Psychedelic Encyclopedia, And/Or Press, 1977; Alan Watts, The Joyous Cosmology, Pantheon Books, 1966.
Marcia Moore and Howard Sunny Alltounian, M.D.
Publisher's Note
Nothing contained in this work shall constitute an expressed or implied endorsement by the publisher of the drug known as ketamine hydrochloride. Ketamine anesthesia has been approved by the United State Food and Drug Administration, and the drug itself can be purchased by any licensed physician. This book is intended solely to describe research that has been conducted into the psychotherapeutic applications of this commonly used substance.
Copyright © 1978 by Marcia Moore
and Howard Sunny Alltounian, M.D.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means-graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, mimeographing, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems-without written permission from the publisher. A reviewer may quote brief passages.
Cover design and butterflies by Gaetana Freniere. Ten point Palladium type set on a Compugraphic Editwriter 7500 at Para Research. Printed on 50-pound P S writer's offset paper by Halliday Lithograph. Manufactured in the United States of America.
Published by Para Research, Inc.
Whistlestop Mall
Rockport, Massachusetts 01966
International Standard Book Number: 0-914918-12-5
First printing, October 1978, 5,000 copies
To our good Angel, Marwayne Leipzig
Other books by Marcia Moore
Coauthored with Mark Douglas:
Diet, Sex and Yoga
Yoga, Science of the Self
Reincarnation, Key to Immortality
Astrology in Action
Astrology, the Divine Science
Written alone:
Hypersentience
Marcia Moore takes you beyond astrology into a bright new world of health, wisdom and transcendent joy…
"Experiencing the blissful state that the practitioners of yoga call samadhi can have practical advantages. Real joy-the lift that springs spontaneously from the revelation of the glory of creation-can be physically and psychologically beneficial."
"Truly, we are now living in the midst of Armageddon. At this moment of supreme planetary crisis every effort must be made to regenerate the ailing body of humanity, to redeem our discordant past, and to salvage the best elements of modern culture as seeds for future seasons of growth. Out of our concern with the current world situation, we have decided to publicize our research even before we can vindicate our activities with a mass of meticulously documented statistical studies. In short, we are 'blowing our cover,' with the full knowledge that we are taking a calculated risk in stirring up resistances before we are strong enough to withstand the opposition. There simply isn't time to fiddle while Rome burns."
"Journeys into the Bright World is an intensely personal account of the stages by which we came to believe that in the right hands this unique substance could be safely, easily and advantageously applied toward the psychospiritual regeneration of planet Earth."
JOURNEYS into the BRIGHT WORLD
by
Marcia Moore and Howard Sunny Alltounian, M.D.
Para Research
Introduction
The theme of this book is the sacramental use of medical technology in raising the consciousness of man. Originally, our intent was to produce a guide to "samadhi therapy" as facilitated by the anesthetic agent ketamine hydrochloride. However, our accumulating notes soon transformed themselves into an intensely personal account of the stages by which we came to believe that in the right hands this unique substance could be safely, easily and advantageously applied toward the psychospiritual regeneration of planet Earth.
In the past, anesthesia has put people to sleep. Now we have discovered that it can also awaken them to their highest human potential. Medicine need no longer be confined to the alleviation of the symptoms of disease; it can help produce radiant health. We do not mean to imply that ketamine is a placebo, a panacea or the ultimate key to the celestial kingdom. There seems good reason to suppose, however, that it can hasten our normal human evolution at a time when, if we do not soon grow up, we may squeeze ourselves right off this planet.
We believe that people have as much right to accelerate their higher mental development as they have to speed their journey toward any goal-within limits, of course. A traveler is justified in exchanging a donkey cart for a car, but this does not give him the right to drive recklessly. Since we are writing for intelligent people, we expect our readers to use as much common sense as they would when driving on a highway. Even though idiots and drunken drivers do abound, mind trips like car trips can take us to many beautiful places.
For the most part, our narrative has focused on the therapeutic and mind-expanding effects of ketamine, assuming from the outset that these two aims are inextricably blended. That is, achieving a broader outlook on life is inherently therapeutic. Hence, one of our purposes in coining the term "samadhi therapy" is to show that experiencing the blissful state that the practitioners of yoga call samadhi can have practical advantages. Real joy-the lift that springs spontaneously from the revelation of the glory of creation- can be physically and psychologically beneficial. However, as any perceptive reader can see, many related issues are involved. The art of correct dying, the study of archetypes, the analysis of the connections among brain, mind and soul, the comprehension of cosmic laws and the meaning of existence are all illumined with the light of a new understanding. Essentially, we are investigating the border zone between science and religion, viewing them as intersecting spheres of endeavor, which year by year are being brought into clearer stereoscopic alinement.
We are well aware of the disputable aspects of our research, but we firmly believe that the importance of this work will eventually be recognized. In the meanwhile, we are accumulating data banks, files of transcripts and all the paraphernalia of modern technology, assuming that time will bring a consensus of first-hand observations to support our conclusions. Positive results will tell the story. For now we offer ourselves and a few others as examples, hoping that this start will stimulate further progress.
Many people are justifiably critical of the "instant ecstasy" promised and sometimes produced by various psychedelic substances, and such criticism is justified, because the long-range effects have so often proved disappointing. Fifteen years ago there were many, including Aldous Huxley, Alan Watts, Richard Alpert (Ram Dass) and Tim Leary who believed that LSD might usher in a spiritual renaissance. Their work has borne some fruit. Consciousness expansion has become a household word and the metaphysical movement is burgeoning. But for the most part, their dream of renaissance has dissipated. Why then, should today's drug-sophisticated observer accept the claims of ketamine's advocates, who insist they have found the ultimate high? Obviously, such eulogies sound too good to be true. Like children who know there is no Santa Claus, we have been tuned to spot the worm in the apple, the fly in the ointment, the bluish tinge of rot beneath the bloom on the peach.