Daniel Pinchbeck
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Daniel Pinchbeck, (b. June 15, 1966) is a writer and advocate of psychedelic drug use and experience.
He is the author of Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism. In Breaking Open the Head, Pinchbeck explored shamanism via ceremonies with tribal groups such as the Bwiti of Gabon and the Secoya in the EcuadoreanAmazon. He also participated in the Burning Man festival in Nevada, and looked at use of psychedelic substances in a desacralized modern context. Through his direct experiences and research, he became convinced that the shamanic and mystical view of reality had validity, and that the modern world had forfeited an understanding of intuitive and supersensible aspects of being in its pursuit of rational materialism.
This realization led to his second book, 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, which examines indigenous prophecy through personal and philosophical approaches, and offers the hypothesis that humanity is experiencing an accelerated process of global consciousness transformation, leading to a new realization of time and space and, possibly, a harmonic planetary civilization within the next six years. In "2012," he also describes his direct reception of prophetic material: the voice of the Mesoamerican god form or archetype, Quetzalcoatl, began speaking to him during a 2004 trip to the Amazon in Brazil. At the time, he was participating in a ceremony of the Santo Daime, a Brazilian religion that uses the psychedelic brew ayahuasca as its sacrament.
Pinchbeck's feature articles have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Arthur, Wired, The Village Voice, and numerous other publications. A founding editor of Open City, a literary journal, he is currently launching a new magazine and Internet forum, offering a new paradigm for a planetary culture. A magazine created by him, Evolver is scheduled for launch in December 2006.
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[edit] Further reading
[edit] Books
- Daniel Pinchbeck, Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism, Broadway Books, 2002, trade paperback, 322 pages, ISBN 0-7679-0742-6
- Daniel Pinchbeck, 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, Tarcher, 2006, hardcover, ISBN 1-58542-483-8
[edit] Periodical
- Shaman's Drum Journal
- Evolver. A Magazine for the New Edge
[edit] External links
- Post-Modern Prophecy: Urgent Myths for Urgent Times? A dialogue between authors Daniel Pinchbeck and Douglas Rushkoff.
- Breaking Open the Head - Psychedelic journey into the heart of contemporary shamanism. Devoted to the 2002 book of the same name. Hosted discussion forums.
- Evolver. A Magazine for the New Edge - Portal to Evolver's various planned projects.
- Evolver: An Interview with Daniel Pinchbeck - Part 1, Part 2
- "Daniel Pinchbeck and the New Psychedelic Elite" — a skeptical approach to Pinchbeck in Rolling Stone
- Daniel is interviewed by the Viking Youth Power Hour about 2012, the shifting world economy, and the value and implications of drug-induced possession states.
