Holiday from the Self (2019)

Buy this book here.

In October 2017, philosopher Jules Evans traveled to the Amazon jungle to take part in a nine-day ayahuasca retreat. This is the story of his adventure, and the turbulent two weeks after the retreat. I

Holiday From the Self explores the contemporary phenomenon of ayahuasca tourism, and the clash of very different cultures, as western tourists bungee jump into the world of Amazon shamanism.

It looks at the extraordinary opportunities and risks of psychedelic therapy., as Jules meets his fellow psychedelic pilgrims looking for healing and meaning, and takes part in five powerful ceremonies.

And it gives you a first-hand account of a 'spiritual emergency' - a messy spiritual awakening - and the tools you need to get through them. Jules describes how, for two weeks following the retreat, he was in a state of extreme dissociation where he thought he was either in a dream or the afterlife. This, it turns out, is a surprisingly common experience during spiritual emergencies. He shows how we can learn to navigate even highly altered states of mind, using wisdom practices.

This is a memorable ride taking you to the outer edges of human consciousness, and showing you how to come back.