Swimming in the Sacred

Wisdom from the Psychedelic Underground

By: Rachel Harris PhD

Narrated by: Kathleen Li

Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

WISDOM FROM THE WOMEN HEALERS OF THE PSYCHEDELIC UNDERGROUND

The use of entheogens, or psychedelics, is out of the closet today. LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, and other medicines once associated only with the counterculture are now being legally studied for their healing properties. But as Rachel Harris shows, the underground use and study of psychedelics by women dates back to the Eleusinian Mysteries of ancient Greece.

Harris interviews the modern women elders carrying on this tradition to gather their hard-won wisdom of experience. Any listener interested in inspiration, healing, and enlightenment will find here a wonder-filled narrative packed with provocative and perhaps life-changing insight.

©2023 Rachel Harris (P)2023 Tantor

Great Subject Matter

I’ve read/listened to many books of this genre and this is NOT just more of the same. Definitely worth a read if you are interested in this topic!
I have to agree, though, with several other reviewers that the reading doesn’t quite do the work justice. The narrator has a pleasant and clear voice, but there is something about her inflection or emphasis or timing that feels a little bit like AI. The listener keeps being reminded that it is not the author reading the book, which makes it a bit more difficult to connect with the material.

Interesting Book on Psychedelic Therapy

The previous brutal review of this book and especially the narration is unwarranted. Any lack of polish in the author's writing is more than made up for by the interesting and rarely discussed subject matter. In my opinion, Ms. Li has a pleasant voice, impeccable diction and her narration is fine.

Untouched terrain

A very compelling investigation of an incredibly important topic that I relate to deeply on both a personal and professional level. 5 stars for the bravery to explore these waters.

Not interesting.

I was really excited to hear what the authot had to say but the material was noy interesting and the narrator didn't help.

Poor narration, slightly less poor writing.

The writing on this one isn't very strong to start, then the sing-song narration of the narrator truly tanks the overall performance.

The emphasis that the narrator chooses with her voice over and over again subtly shifts the meaning of the writer's intent.

This, for me, is the definition of a poor narration performance, as the performer tends to repaint the scenes through their own narrative lens and this does not appear to be the intent of the writer through their written words.

A very distracted and poor narrative interpretation overall; a more neutral performer would have been much better if the intent of this audiobook is to convey the writer's message.

Sexist author

This book is more about man-hating neo-feminism than psychedelics. Would not recommend. There’s plenty of good books on psychedelics and this is not one of them.

Sexist Projections

Rachel Harris is an excellent example of how one can go through both the ladder of academic achievement and many journeys of psychedelics without becoming very enlightened. The amount of resentment and vitriol towards men in this book is frankly impressive. My presumption is that wisdom comes from appreciating the masculine and feminine elements of existence in equal regard rather than the elevation of one via the derogation of the other (classic Mean Girls” tactic). It’s very disappointing to find that this darling of the psychedelic psychotherapeutic world emerged from all her explorations so resentful and antagonistic toward men.