The Book Report #54

Episode #53

The Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell By Aldous Huxley

The Book

Originally this book was two separate books. The Doors of Perception was first published in 1954 by Chatto & Windus. Who also published Heaven and Hell in 1956. It was Penguin who eventually brought the two books together in 1959.

My copy was bought from a second-hand bookshop called Any Amount of Books on Charring Cross Road.

It’s an old copy, slightly damaged from 1969. The book has 143 pages and was originally sold for 20p, in the UK.

What Did I Think

This was a bit of a hard read. This book is two essays, the first being about himself being used as a willing guinea pig, experimenting on a drug to see what sort of effect it would have on the author. The book is small compared to many others I have read. But the language and detail of everything was dense. It did take me a while.

The Doors of Perception

This first book is an essay about his experience with the hallucinogenic Mescalin. He has a group of scientists who follow him through his 10-hour adventure. They recorded everything that is said and done.

Mescalin is a drug produced from the cactus called Peyote and is mainly used by the Indigenous peoples of America.

It doesn’t go how he originally believed it would, but he still has an experience. Enough to show him that our understanding of the world and logic, under the drug, are nearly completely forgotten or not necessary.

We walk through the experience with him and try to see through his eyes as he relives it through the recording. But then he goes off on a tangent, doing this for most of the essay, as we enter certain aspects of his visions and then deviates into up to five different areas including an art history lesson with a million other things.

Mr Huxley is a very well-read and learned man and from the reading, has many years of education behind him. But with the amount of time talking around the subject and instead of the actual experience, I believe the essay would have only been a couple, or a few pages long.

I did get slightly annoyed by this. Fair enough the extra information was nice but I just wanted to learn about his experience not a lesson of art and other things.

The Audiobook

Heaven and Hell

In this second essay, Mr Huxley discusses how we may not need medication to reach the same state. And also how many people, are born or gain the insight to enter this other world naturally or unwillingly. Plus, a certain religion may be dispelling the ability, by denouncing certain aspects, which may help, with entering that state.

We could also get there by starving ourselves or becoming deficient in some nutrients.

He then again takes us through a history of the many cultures and lifestyles that have achieved enlightenment. And the many benefits it has on a person.

I did struggle with reading this I don’t know if it was tiredness or boredem. But I did get through it in the end.

The Audiobook

Would I Recommend

This is something I don’t usually read. Even though I did find this book long-winded. I am curious what other people would think, so in that context, I would recommend this book.

Please give this a go.

Would you like to purchase your very own copy?

You could try these online stores: Amazon UK/USA. Waterstones. AbeBooks UK/ USA, Barnes and Noble and eBay UK/ USA.

Alternatively, you could try your local bookshop or even your local library.