Show NotesToday my guest is Paul Devereux. Paul is an independent scholar, writer, lecturer and researcher. He has authored over 20 published books since 1980, including his latest, The Powers of Ancient and Sacred Places. Paul is a trained artist and photographer and the former editor of a peer-reviewed journal, Time and Mind. He has a long-standing interest in consciousness and prehistory.This show begins with a long description of Paul’s powerful experience on the psychedelic drug LSD in the 1960s. Paul took LSD a number of months before the drug was criminalised in the UK. Today in Britain psychedelics are schedule 1 drugs which means you can get 7 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both for possession. Because of this I feel it’s important to offer a disclaimer for this episode.Here goes: The information presented in this podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice or endorse the use of illegal substances. We strongly advise against engaging in any activities that are illegal or harmful to yourself or others.There are also mental health dangers with the illicit and uncontrolled use of psychedelics. Paul himself reports having to face significant psychological issues in the wake of his experience. One problem is that because of criminalisation, there was, and is, no safe social framework in the UK to take these drugs.However, I’m far from alone in finding the legal situation in the UK regarding psychedelics totally unsatisfactory. Human beings have been taking psychedelics since prehistoric times. Paul himself suggests, in his book The Long Trip, that the yearning to reach other states of consciousness may be as strong as the sexual drive. So I remain strongly supportive of legal reform in this area. I believe that adults have the right to alter their consciousness in any way they see fit, and there is by now good evidence that psychedelics have a positive use as therapeutic tools and in the context of personal development. However, they do need to be taken in supervised, legal clinical settings. This is possible in places like the Netherlands. There are also good quality retreats in South America.Paul’s opening description of his powerful LSD experience is also important for anyone interested in consciousness. He reports a worldview shattering, full-blown mystical experience of the kind reported repeatedly in Hindu, Buddhist and Christian contemplative writings.His trip also seemed to leave him open to anomalous experience. Paul later describes the shared experience of a strange aerial light phenomenon at Art College, which eventually led, somewhat tangentially, to an abiding fascination with the intersection of prehistory and consciousness.Thanks for reading What Lies Beyond! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Paul’s website:https://pauldevereux.co.ukBooks by Paul:Devereux, P. (2022). The Powers of Ancient and Sacred Places. Daily Grail.Devereux, P. (2001). Stone Age Soundtracks. Vega Books.Devereux, P. (1997). The long trip: A prehistory of psychedelia. Penguin Arkana.Devereux, P. (1996). Revisioning the Earth: A Guide to Opening the Healing Channels Between Mind and Nature. Fireside.Devereux, P. (1982). Earthlights: Towards an understanding of the UFO enigma. Book Club Associates London.ResourcesAldous Huxley’s books:Huxley, A. (2004). The Doors of Perception: And Heaven and Hell. Vintage.Huxley, A. (2005). Island. Vintage.Mysticism:Underhill, E. (2002). Mysticism: A study in the nature and development of spiritual consciousness. Dover. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whatliesbeyond.substack.com

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