The Way of the Psychonaut: Volumes 1 and 2

Encyclopedia for Inner Journeys

By: Stanislav Grof MD PhD

Narrated by: Becca S. Tarnas PhD

Length: 29 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's Summary

The Way of the Psychonaut is one of the most important books ever written about the human psyche and the spiritual quest. The new understandings were made possible thanks to Albert Hofmann’s discovery of LSD - the microscope and telescope of the human psyche - as well as other psychedelic substances. This comprehensive work is a tour de force through the worlds of psychology and psychotherapy, Holotropic Breathwork, maps of the psyche, birth, sex, and death, psychospiritual rebirth, the roots of trauma, spiritual emergency and transpersonal experiences, karma and reincarnation, higher creativity, great art, and archetypes.

Written in his late '80s, at the height of his magnificent career, The Way of the Psychonaut is possibly Grof’s greatest contribution. The commanding breadth and depth of his knowledge is astounding, the tone of his writing easy and accessible, and his narratives brightened with amusing anecdotes, intriguing personal accounts, and brilliant case studies. Grof reviews the history of depth psychotherapy, the important revisions that are needed to make it more effective, and why the inner quest is such an essential pursuit.

As one of the fathers of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, its most experienced practitioner, and deeply deserving of a Nobel Prize in medicine, in these two volumes Grof has successfully unveiled a new and sweeping paradigm in self-exploration and healing. The vast and practical knowledge in this book is sure to be an invaluable and treasured resource for all serious seekers.

Author Stanislav Grof, MD, PhD, is a psychiatrist with over 60 years of research experience in non-ordinary states of consciousness and one of the founders and chief theoreticians of transpersonal psychology. 

Narrator Becca Tarnas, PhD, is a scholar and artist; author of the book Journey to the Imaginal Realm: A Reader’s Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings; and editor of Archai: The Journal of Archetypal Cosmology.

©2019 Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) (P)2021 Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)

Eye opening

Jam packed with loads of information on holotropic states of consciousness. Can't recommend enough. Everything is laid out in an easy to follow format, going over everything from the history of psychology and psychoanalysis to synchronicities and otherworldly experiences of the unconscious and conscious mind.

Incredible content and ideas: literally changed my perception of reality

Deep bows to the author for his incredible pioneering contributions to this subject, (more like his defining of this subject) through his life’s work. I am left grateful and in awe.

It is a testament to the in depth research and commentary on psychedelic healing that is contained in this book, that I stuck with it despite the narrator’s voice, which made me actively annoyed throughout the 29 hour experience of it. At first I thought “great, this is a nice calming woman’s voice through which to go on this journey”. Sadly, within short order her particular style revealed itself and proved to be so utterly irritating that I had to experience this book in small doses, not in any way commensurate with my appetite for the content which was otherwise insatiable.

For inexplicable reasons the narrator chooses to lengthen and emphasize the most random word in each sentence. And I’d say that changes the meaning of each sentence yet, again, the logic behind which words she emphasizes doesn’t make sense so instead your mind gets preoccupied trying to extrapolate why that was the word she emphasized, and again and again comes up dry. (Imagine “up” for instance, in that last sentence is emphasized and you’ll get a sense of what I’m getting at.)

Kind of a shame. But still worth a deep and contemplative listen! The author is a giant.

Psychonaut Essential Reading/Reference

Highly recommend! Essential research, information, psychonaut guidance, and wisdom for our interconnected co-creative lives.

Good, but narrator emphasizes odd parts

Good info. Tricky to consume. The narrator emphasizes parts that don’t need to be emphasized and it distracts from the content.

One of the most important books by Stan Grof

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The narrator, Becca Tarnas, did an amazing job.
Congratulations! I would highly recommend this book.