Ralph Metzner, a pioneer in the study of consciousness, has assembled a group of authoritative contributors who provide an explanation of the chemical biological psychological and experimental dimensions of ayahuasca.

He begins with the history, psychology and chemistry of ayhuasca fromleading scholars in the field of psychoactive research and then presents twenty first hand accounts from Westerners who have used ayahuasca.

He concludes with his own findings on ayahuasca's applications in medicine and psychology and compares the world view revealed by ayahuasca visions to that of Western cultures.