Psychedelic Marine
Psychedelic Marine is a fascinating book. I didn’t find it a comfortable read, with its brutally honest depiction of participation in modern warfare but it gave me very useful insight into an issue that is completely alien to my personal experience; the reasons young men join the military and the effects of military service. The second part of the book contains some honest very detailed description on his explorations and experiences of taking part in Ayahuasca ceremonies.
As Seymour states “Currently, no ceremonial restoration process exists for veterans to acknowledge the duality of the good and evil we experience as humans. Men have to muddle through in their own way, and many never achieve integration”[1]. From his personal experience he believes working with an experienced shaman in ceremony could help, either with or without the use of entheogens.
An audacious book, both in the sense of it being bold and strongly original; as Seymour says “Altered states of consciousness are anathema to the armed forces” but he believes strongly “what I learned in the Amazon was worth it”[2].
An honest, authentic and very personal account, Psychedelic Marine details an eloquent and memorable narrative of modern warfare as well as the world of shamanic ritual in the Amazon. Well worth reading if you want to learn more about either topic!
Book Details: Alex Seymour. Psychedelic Marine. Park Street Press (22 Sept. 2016). ISBN: 978-162055798
Review Details: Psychedelic Marine was reviewed by June Kent, editor of Indie Shaman magazine.
[1] Alex Seymour. Psychedelic Marine. Park Street Press (22 Sept. 2016). p 223
[2] p 213
Buy on Amazon: We receive a small commission if you buy via the link below which helps with the costs of running this website. The link shows you the price for the print edition but will also give you options for Kindle editions where available. (Please note – the link below will not show if you use an ad-blocker. Please disable your ad-blocker for this website if you would like to view).
