Acid Test
LSD, Ecstasy, and the Power to Heal
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Narrated by:
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Arthur Morey
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By:
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Tom Shroder
About this listen
A fascinating, transformative look at the therapeutic powers of psychedelic drugs, particularly in the treatment of PTSD, and the past fifty years of scientific, political, and legal controversy they have ignited, by award-winning journalist Tom Shroder.
It’s no secret that psychedelic drugs have the ability to cast light on the miraculous reality hidden within our psyche. Following the discovery of LSD less than a hundred years ago, psychedelics began to play a crucial role in the quest to understand the link between mind and matter. Compounds such as LSD and MDMA have proved to be extraordinarily effective in treating disorders such as posttraumatic stress - yet the drugs remain illegal, out of reach of the millions of people who could benefit from them.
Tom Shroder’s Acid Test is a meticulously researched history of LSD and the controversy surrounding psychedelics, as well as a striking look at the unprecedented healing properties of drugs that have for decades been characterized as dangerous, illicit substances. Shroder covers the first heady years of experimentation in the 50s and 60s through the backlash of the '70s and '80s, when the drug subculture exploded and uncontrolled experimentation with street psychedelics led to a PR nightmare that would set therapeutic use back decades. Acid Test is a fascinating, transformative look at the therapeutic powers of psychedelic drugs, particularly in the treatment of PTSD, and the past fifty years of scientific, political, and legal controversy they have ignited.
©2014 Tom Shroder (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved. “The Guest House” by Jalal al-Din Rumi used with permission of Coleman Barks, Maypop Books. Recorded by arrangement with Blue Rider Press, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, a Penguin Random House Company.Listeners also enjoyed...
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The Gift of Adversity
- The Unexpected Benefits of Life's Difficulties, Setbacks, and Imperfections
- By: Norman E. Rosenthal M.D.
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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The noted research psychiatrist explores how life's disappointments and difficulties provide us with the lessons we need to become better, bigger, and more resilient human beings. Adversity is an irreducible fact of life. Although we can and should learn from all experiences, both positive and negative best-selling author Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal believes that adversity is by far the best teacher most of us will ever encounter.
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Book ruined by the narrator
- By David C. on 12-07-22
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Capture
- Unraveling the Mystery of Mental Suffering
- By: David A. Kessler MD
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Why do we think, feel, and act in ways we wish we did not? For decades, New York Times best-selling author Dr. David A. Kessler has studied this question with regard to tobacco, food, and drugs. Over the course of these investigations, he identified one underlying mechanism common to a broad range of human suffering. This phenomenon - capture - is the process by which our attention is hijacked and our brains commandeered by forces outside our control.
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Confused
- By TS on 05-17-16
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The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind
- My Tale of Madness and Recovery
- By: Barbara K. Lipska, Elaine McArdle - contributor
- Narrated by: Emma Powell
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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In 2015, Barbara Lipska - a leading expert on the neuroscience of mental illness - was diagnosed with melanoma that had spread to her brain. Within months, her frontal lobe, the seat of cognition, began shutting down. She descended into madness, exhibiting dementia- and schizophrenia-like symptoms that terrified her family and coworkers. But miraculously, the immunotherapy her doctors had prescribed worked quickly. Just eight weeks after her nightmare began, Lipska returned to normal. With one difference: she remembered her brush with madness with exquisite clarity.
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Be Prepared To Feel Insane--
- By Gillian on 04-11-18
By: Barbara K. Lipska, and others
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Falling into the Fire
- A Psychiatrist's Encounters with the Mind in Crisis
- By: Christine Montross
- Narrated by: Christine Montross
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Falling into the Fire is psychiatrist Christine Montross's thoughtful investigation of the gripping patient encounters that have challenged and deepened her practice. Beautifully written, deeply felt, Falling into the Fire brings us inside the doctor’s mind, illuminating the grave human costs of mental illness as well as the challenges of diagnosis and treatment. At once rigorous and meditative, Falling into the Fire is an intimate portrait of psychiatry, allowing the reader to witness the humanity of the practice and the enduring mysteries of the mind.
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Buy this book! and READ it
- By joyce on 08-15-13
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The Harvard Psychedelic Club
- How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America
- By: Don Lattin
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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It is impossible to overstate the cultural significance of the four men described in Don Lattin's The Harvard Psychedelic Club. Huston Smith, tirelessly working to promote cross-cultural religious and spiritual tolerance. Richard Alpert, aka Ram Dass, inspiring generations with his mantra "be here now". Andrew Weil, undisputed leader of the holistic medicine revolution. And, of course, Timothy Leary, the charismatic, rebellious counterculture icon and LSD guru.
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A Fascinating, Engaging Story, Expertly Told
- By Gillian Culff on 12-12-19
By: Don Lattin
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Tell Me What You See
- Remote Viewing Cases from the World’s Premier Psychic Spy
- By: Major Ed Dames, Joel Harry Newman
- Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Decorated army officer Major Ed Dames tells the shocking true story of his time asoperations and training officer for the Defense Intelligence Agency's top-secret Psychic Intelligence Unit. Together with his PSI Spyteam, Dames used the practice of remote viewing to uncover accurate and verifiable military intelligence by going where no intel operatives on the ground could go - into the very mind of the enemy.
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Interesting, but...spend your credit elsewhere
- By Karen on 11-28-10
By: Major Ed Dames, and others
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The Ascension Mysteries
- Revealing the Cosmic Battle Between Good and Evil
- By: David Wilcock
- Narrated by: David Wilcock
- Length: 20 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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David Wilcock's previous New York Times best sellers, The Source Field Investigations and The Synchronicity Key, used cutting-edge alternative science to reveal oft-hidden truths about our universe. In The Ascension Mysteries, David takes us on a gripping personal journey that describes the secret cosmic battle between positive and negative happening every day, hidden in both the traumas of our own lives and the world's headlines.
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mentally agonizing, embarrassing, awkward, tedious
- By Diana on 09-01-16
By: David Wilcock
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The Body Keeps the Score
- Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
- By: Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent more than three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust.
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Overall Worthwhile, Lingers Too Long in the Why
- By LittleBeadsOfMercury on 04-07-21
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Nerve
- Poise Under Pressure, Serenity Under Stress, and the Brave New Science of Fear and Cool
- By: Taylor Clark
- Narrated by: Rich Orlow
- Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Popular author Taylor Clark draws on cutting-edge research in this enlightening exploration of stress—and how to tackle it constructively. Using such divergent examples as Russian sub commanders and game show contestants, Clark shows that most people experience stress the same way. Those who understand how to accept it without freezing can accomplish what needs to get done.
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Fear Not!
- By Lynn on 04-01-12
By: Taylor Clark
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Cat Daddy
- What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean
- By: Jackson Galaxy, Joel Derfner
- Narrated by: Jackson Galaxy
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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In this book, Galaxy tells the poignant story of his 13-year relationship with a petite gray-and-white short-haired cat named Benny, and gives singular advice for living with, caring for, and loving the feline in your home. When Benny arrived in his life, Galaxy was a down-and-out rock musician with not too much more going on than a part-time job at an animal shelter and a drug problem. Benny's previous owner brought the cat to the shelter in a cardboard box to give him up.
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10 Stars!!!
- By Dawn J on 12-04-12
By: Jackson Galaxy, and others
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Touching the Dragon
- And Other Techniques for Surviving Life's Wars
- By: James Hatch, Christian D'Andrea
- Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith, James Hatch
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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James Hatch is a former special ops Navy SEAL senior chief, master naval parachutist, and expert military dog trainer and handler. His fateful final mission in Afghanistan went south, and Hatch was left with a shattered femur from an AK-47 round and the SEAL dog who fought alongside him was dead. As a result of his horrific leg wound, his 24-year military career came to an end - and with it the only life he’d ever known. In Touching the Dragon, we witness his long road to recovery.
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Rare Honesty - Raw and Well Written
- By Diana on 06-02-18
By: James Hatch, and others
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The Last Best Cure
- My Quest to Awaken the Healing Parts of My Brain and Get Back My Body, My Joy, and My Life
- By: Donna Jackson Nakazawa
- Narrated by: Karen Saltus
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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One day Donna Jackson Nakazawa found herself lying on the floor to recover from climbing the stairs. That’s when it hit her. She was managing the symptoms of the autoimmune disorders that had plagued her for a decade, but she had lost her joy. As a science journalist, she was curious to know what mind-body strategies might help her. As a wife and mother she was determined to get her life back. Over the course of one year, Nakazawa researches and tests a variety of therapies including meditation, yoga, and acupuncture to find out what works.
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Amazing book, but struggled with the voice.
- By erin norton on 01-05-18
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Sister of Darkness
- The Chronicles of a Modern Exorcist
- By: R. H. Stavis, Sarah Durand
- Narrated by: R. H. Stavis
- Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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As a secular exorcist, Rachel H. Stavis has cleansed thousands of tormented people, from small children and Hollywood moguls to stay-at-home moms and politicians. But for many years, the horror screenwriter and novelist denied her gift. As a little girl, she began to see "monsters" floating around her bedroom or attached to other children. Told it was only her imagination, Rachel learned to ignore the things she saw. But a series of events in adulthood forced her to acknowledge her unique ability and embrace her power to heal.
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ridiculous dangerous and absurd
- By colleen on 02-05-19
By: R. H. Stavis, and others
What listeners say about Acid Test
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Quigsta
- 04-02-17
Riveting, informative, touching
I absolutely loved this book. It's a fascinating historical recounting crossed with a raw, gripping emotional drama, laced with the odd reality bend of psychedelia. Get it. You won't be sorry.
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- Ricky B.
- 03-19-18
Woah!!
Kudos to Rick for paving the way of therapeutic medicines in the future to go against all obstacles. Lots of useful information to become more aware of the beneficial potential of the substances. Thanks to all the money donated into this kind of work!
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- MorganFreeman
- 08-02-16
informative
this book covers a lot of territory.. there's a full biography of Rick Doblin, founder of MAPS (the group conducting scientific studies on psychedelics and therapy) a short bio on a therapist that uses mdma, a biography on a research subject from an mdma trial.. he was a young Iraq veteran. they're all told in vignettes that make it easier to see the connections between their stories.
throughout those stories the machinery of the dea, fda and scientific institutions conducting research are discussed and explained, particularly in terms of their politicized cultures.
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- Adam J. Bair
- 05-09-15
Extremely informative and interesting book!
If you've ever once said you "love our veterans" or even claimed to have cared for the wellbeing of people suffering from PTSD (victims of sexual trauma, combat veterans, etc), this book should be a must listen! In the U.S., we have a tendency to not care about things unless they directly affect us, missing the bigger picture.
The information is shared in an interesting and compelling manner in which the author shares people's stories, which keeps the listener engaged while also learning about the content. Not familiar with the narrator, but he also did an outstanding job. Book is also very well researched and quite thorough on the topic.
If you care whatsoever about the future of combat veteran's mental health (as a citizen, you should), you should get this book and start taking appropriate actions to influence change to the absurd, draconian, laughable drug policy of the U.S., so people who deserve the help (combat vets) they need can receive it.
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16 people found this helpful
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- TM
- 12-05-16
Suprisingly Great
Engaging life stories, interesting history of mind-altering drugs and their practical uses, thoughts on therapy for PTSD.
Very topical book given the numbers of PTSD sufferers from recent wars.
Opened my mind - without any chemical assistance :-)
Perfect narration too.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-21-21
Recommend All To Read
It was well written and very in depth regarding the extensive timeline of discovery, challenges, and research. It highlights the very real struggle to get approval for ideas that are counter culture but ultimately beneficial for society. The only thing that I can note and the reason why performance isn't also five stars is the mispronunciation of some words by the reader such as corpsman (the "s" is silent).
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- Anca Popa
- 12-28-14
Really nice book and the narrator's voice is great
Where does Acid Test rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Very high
What was one of the most memorable moments of Acid Test?
All the info on how politics got and still get in the way of psychedelic research, Rick Doblin's perseverance, the result the subjects had from the clinical trials.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
It increased my level of determination to become a licensed psychedelic therapist in the future.
Any additional comments?
I think that everyone should have the info found in this book, this would help elevate people's understanding on emotional healing.
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- Sarah Hennessy
- 01-04-18
incredible book. Incredible Narrator.
It's very refreshing to read a book that is so relative and important to the times, while being perfectly executed, and imaginative.
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- Jon
- 03-11-16
Get it! Read it twice!
Fantastic book. Well written, laid out, solid performance, and the converging story lines kept me involved for hours.
I am a big fan of books like these: honest, self critical, and is in pursuit of truth over social norms.
Thank you.
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- Jason Swokins
- 09-19-17
Moving
What an incredible book, really goes to show how much the pharm companies control the government purse strings. If we could cure a bunch of diseases, they would lose a lot of money.
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