The Doors of Perception

Any positive statement about a benefit of hallucinogenic drugs is controversial. Listen and judge for yourself as Aldous Huxley reveals his personal experience with mescaline, the active principle of peyote. This classic work was originally published in 1954 and it continues to raise important questions about the types of drugs condoned and forbidden in our society. An acclaimed novelist and social critic, Huxley writes "Religion combined with mescaline could be God's special gift revealing the workings of the divine Spirit." He also states that the mescaline experience may be what Catholic theologians call "a gratuitous grace." Altered consciousness and spirituality - this mind-expanding essay explores the link.