True Hallucinations

By: Terence McKenna

Narrated by: Al Kessel

Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's Summary

This mesmerizing, surreal account of the bizarre adventures of Terence McKenna, his brother Dennis, and a small band of their friends, is a wild ride of exotic experience and scientific inquiry. Exploring the Amazon Basin in search of mythical shamanic hallucinogens, they encounter a host of unusual characters - including a mushroom, a flying saucer, pirate Mantids from outer space, an appearance by James and Nora Joyce in the guise of poultry, and translinguistic matter - and discover the missing link in the development of human consciousness and language.

©1993 Terence McKenna (P)2019 Tantor

A Good background of Terence’s life

I enjoyed this story, it went into depths of their voyage in la churera that I had never heard. I can’t give the narrator 5 stars because I’m so used to hearing Terence talk and no one can really fill his shoes.

Great book, initially annoying narrator

The narrator was hard to listen to at first because he seemed to be trying too hard, having a clearly perceptible pattern of tones in his speech, but after a few chapters, he settles into a more natural pattern. Terence Mckenna, of course, was a brilliant guy whose words are always a delight

I didn't like the narrator.

It is a shame Terence could not have recorded the audio himself. It's an interesting story, let down by the wrong voice.

This is the way

I have listened for many many years the Legend of Terrence he has born a part of my journey in good and bad. I think this book has found me they are with me 👽🛸 they always have been . I too have a purpose will all do remember me I will show you the way....

Unbelievable! and yet...

Um. Wow. Gotta say I totally recommend listening to this book... Is it a description of possibility, cutting through a few too many veils, ethnobotany, anthropology of consciousness, a view of the close past and future, an adventure tale, partial eclipse of madness returned with gifts...I don't know how many people could get through a written version of this...I listened with my mouth frequently hanging open or saying whaaaaatttt even though I am familiar with most of the key words in here. Uhhhh. Wow. If anything, Terrence McKenna is a frontiersman in Western culture. Jingies!!!!

psychedelic colonialist apocalypse

an amazing story, but hard to give his thoughts credence when, with 2020 ears, i hear about psychedelic white people saving the world with their 'discoveries' using traditional medicine while adventuring amongst voiceless natives...

Pseudoscientific Word-Salad

The part of the book that recounts the author's adventures is fine, but most of the book is filled with scientific-sounding word-salad. McKenna tries to weave psychopharmacology, quantum mechanics, music theory into some grand theory of everything that lacks even the slightest hint of evidence. I had to give up half-way because it was a total waste of time.

great stuff, gets a little lost in the time wave

Really enjoyed the traveling stories and mushroom adventures. got very bored with the deep end of the time wave theory which is maybe 20 percent of the book. so 80 percent great. well worth it.

Great Narration, brilliant storytelling

I have always found Terence McKenna's voice to be off-putting. there are all these YouTube videos of him talking at great length, and I have a really hard time listening to him. kind of nasally & whiny, and his tone tends to come off as glib or arrogant, as if no one could possibly challenge any of his ideas. I don't know if that's true of his character; it's probably not. but that's how his style and voice strike me, and that makes it really hard to listen to him.

Al Kessel has a very even tone and pleasant voice, which makes it easier to consider and digest the information instead of feeling almost imposed upon as I do by TM's style.

having state that, Terance McKenna IS a brilliant writer. he truly has a way with words. i'm inclined to also pick up a copy of the book as well.

Mind Blowing!!

His journey was inspiring and crazy detailed. I will listen to it again. I would recommend this book to all who has an expanding mind. Who wants to hear about sphycedelics on a whole new level. My favorite book under sphycedelics!!

Loved it

I really enjoyed this and the only negative I can give is on the narrator, though please do not let this stop you. The story of how it all began was awesome.

Didn’t like the narrator and the story

The story starts great and there’s a real sense of adventure,,...however around 15pc in the book becomes a bore fest. The last 5pc was the most interesting part. I wouldn’t bother purchasing. I expected great things from this book and will now be returning it. Also the narrator is a bit drone-like.

Insightful

I could not have read the physical book but listening to the audio book was interesting, unsettling and insightful

bloody crazy

if you have taken large doses of magic mushrooms you will probably be able to relate to some parts of these spectacular stories, rest in piece Terrance, a true pioneer

A true adventure

Inights into the fascinating early adventures of Dennis and Terrence. adventures into the depths o the Amazon and beyond

great book, horrible reader

this book is an amazing window into McKenna's world, but the book is let down by the unlistenably bad reading.