It’s finally here! Two years ago I started researching and writing Magic Medicine: A Trip Through the Intoxicating History and Modern-Day Use of Psychedelic Plants & Substances. After much tweaking and editing, the first printed copy is here! (The public release date is June 5th.)

From the very beginning, I wanted the book to more than just fascinating in its subject matter — I wanted it to be a beautiful object, something you would be proud to have on your nightstand or bookshelf. I wanted a book that would demand your attention and spark conversations, a book you could not help but pick up and thumb through, one that would make the perfect gift for that consciousness-curious person in your life.

I’m not exaggerating when I say I could not be happier with how the printed book came out! 

So what is it all about? Magic Medicine is an armchair adventurer’s guide to all substances psychedelic. From ayahuasca to LSD you’ll find it among the 23 fascinating chapters of this illustrated hardcover. With mind-blowing facts and lore about psychedelic fish, “mad” Himalayan honey, and even the pitch-bending “audio hallucinogen” DiPT, even veteran trippers will learn something new.

Rick Doblin, the founder and executive director of MAPS, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, had this to say about the book:

Cody Johnson beautifully balances historical knowledge with cutting-edge science to produce a thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening read which paints a holistic picture of the risks and benefits of psychedelic use in modern day medicine and culture.

My publisher, Fair Winds Press, did a fabulous job on the design. Here’s the very first pages of the introduction.

The text is peppered with beautiful illustrations. Each chapter opens with an image of the plant, fungus, or chemical being discussed. Here’s the Psilocybin Mushrooms chapter:

The chapters are divided into four main sections: Classical Psychedelics, such as LSD and ayahuasca, Dissociatives that give a spacey, disconnected feeling such as ketamine and Salvia divinorum, Empathogens that generate powerful feelings of compassion and connectedness, such as MDMA (Ecstasy), and Unique Psychelics — plants and substances that don’t fit into any other category, including cannabis, hallucinogenic fish and sea sponges, and Amanita muscaria (fly agaric mushrooms).

Each main section opens with a fabulous illustration against a green background:

Where to Find Magic Medicine

You can buy Magic Medicine on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieGoGo, and wherever books are sold.

Thanks for checking out the book!