The Book of Highs: 255 Ways to Alter Your Consciousness without Drugs

321 Pages·2018·20.253 MB·English

by  Edward Rosenfeld

THE BOOK OF
H IGHS
255 Ways to Alter
Your Consciousness
Without Drugs
EDWARD ROSENFELD
WORKMAN PUBLISHING, NEW YORK
1973: to D. & G.-W.
“. . . how hard it is
to keep the mind open to surprises!”
—l. l. whyte in internal factors in evolution
2018: To Sylvia, with all my love and affection.
Copyright © 2018 Edward Rosenfeld
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced—
mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including
photocopying—without written permission of the publisher. Published
simultaneously in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son Limited.
Originally published in 1973 by Quadrangle/The New York Times Book Co.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
ISBN 978-0-7611-9387-6
Design by Jean-Marc Troadec
Cover and Interior Illustrations by Nate Duval
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Printed in China
First printing April 2018
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Acknowledgments
1973: A book of this scope requires the aid of many people. I received much
help and guidance. I will attempt to give credit to some; there are numer-
ous others who go unnamed, but not unremembered. The first recognition
goes to Frances Cheek, whose idea this was to begin with and who shared
that idea so selflessly. My gratitude goes to Bernie Aaronson (and the entire
group at the New Jersey Neuropsychiatric Institute), Susan Alexander, Reza
Arasteh, Greg Austin, Jeff Berner, Adam Crane, Richie Davidson, Jeremy
and the late Rockie Gardiner, Dolly Gattozzi, the late Midge Haber, Harry
Hermon, Charles Honorton, the late Mozart and the late Annette Kaufman,
Stanley Keleman, Alexandra Kirkland, Stan Krippner, Gay Luce, Eric
McLuhan, Ralph Metzner, Marni Miller, the late Gerry Oster, David Padwa,
Milo and Celia Perichitch, the late Don Plumley, Ilana Rubenfeld, Pyrrhus
Ruches, David Sarlin, the late Steven and Gabriel Simon, Deborah Steinfirst
(née Lotus), Klaus von Stutterheim, John Wilcock, Karl Yeargens, and Gene
Youngblood.
Without the very special help of others, this work would never have
been possible. Elly Greenberg has typed, endured, and given much-needed
support. John Brockman has been a helpful and wise friend. Peter Matson’s
hard work has made this publication possible. The late Bob Masters, Jean
Houston, and Bill Wine shared unselfishly of their own work in the area of
altered states of consciousness. Charles Tart’s Altered States of Consciousness
has been and continues to be an expansive model.
The late Bennett Shapiro provided help, suggestions, and encourage-
ment, as he did tirelessly for more than two decades. The late Marty Fromm
gave me and continues to give me the greatest gift of all: myself.
2018: First thanks go to Melissa Mahoney, who found the original The Book
of Highs and brought it to her wife, Samantha O’Brien, an editor at Workman.
Without Melissa’s sharp eyes and sense, this current edition would not have
happened. Thanks go to all the crew at Workman, Bruce Tracy, Suzie Bolotin,
and Jean-Marc Troadec, but most especially to Sam, an editor without equal.
She has guided, inspired, and nourished this book and helped in every way to
make it come to a new life. Thanks so much to you, Sam, for your wonderful
professionalism, care, and enthusiasm. Thanks to Kenneth Wapner, my lit-
erary agent, for his years of work, support, and encouragement.
Other friends and colleagues spared their time, attention, help, and
suggestions. Some provided true inspiration, including Sylvia Rosenfeld,
Zachary Rosenfeld and Halley, Elinor Greenberg, Gerd Stern, Neal
Goldsmith, Stella Resnick, Helen and Tim Atkinson, Frank Spinelli, Tammy
Nelson, Gail Woods and Andrzej Nikonorow, Alexandre Tannous, Karen
Azlen; they all deserve credit for their help to me and their contributions
to this book.
Contents
Getting High and Staying There by Andrew Weil xii
Preface xvi
PART ONE: JUST YOUR SELF
AWARENESS 3
1 Concentration 3
2 Self-awareness 4
3 Philosophical awareness 5
4 Sensory awareness 6
5 Biological awareness 8
6 Visceral awareness 9
7 Rhythmic and cyclical awareness 10
8 Planetary awareness 11
9 Short-lived phenomena 14
10 Semantic awareness 14
11 Extraspecies communication 15
12 Cultural awareness 16
13 Awareness of others 17
POSITIVE TECHNIQUES 19
14 Meditation 19
15 Prolonged observation 21
16 Spinning 22
17 Fervent prayer 24
18 Long times at sea, in the desert, in the Arctic 25
19 Self-hypnosis 26
20 Alterations of breathing 28
21 Trance 30
22 Myths, tales, and koans 31
23 Rituals 38
24 Chanting and mantras 39
25 Mudra 41
26 Problem solving 42
27 Extra-sensory perception 44
28 Culturally based visual illusions 45
29 Auditory illusions 46
30 Afterimages 47
31 Repetition 48
32 Psychological exercises 49
33 Mathematics 50
34 Continuous singing 51
35 Manual phosphene stimulation 53
36 Zen power yell 53
37 Poetry 54
38 Voluntary silence 55
39 Loving 56
NEGATIVE TECHNIQUES 59
40 Suffering 59
41 Pain 60
42 Forbidden activities 61
43 Rage 62
44 Paranoia 62
45 Panic 63
46 Psychosis 64
47 Amnesia 66
48 Exhaustion 66
49 Delirium of high fevers 67
50 Epileptic seizures 68
51 Migraines 69
52 Narcotic withdrawal 70
53 Demonic possession 70
54 Brainwashing 71
55 Self-flagellation 71
56 Fire walking 72
57 Fasting 74
58 Sleep deprivation 75
59 Involuntary isolation 76
60 Near-death and out-of-body experiences 76
FANTASY, SLEEP,
DREAMING, AND SEX 79
61 Fantasy and daydreaming 79
62 Remembering and reverie 81
63 Lullabies 82
64 Sleep 83
65 Dreaming 83
66 Dream incubation 85
67 Hypnagogic phenomena 86
68 Lucid dreaming 88
69 Dreams applied to waking life 90
70 Hypnopompic phenomena 91
71 Sunbathing 92
72 Floating 93
73 Sex 93
74 Prolonged sexual intercourse 95
75 Orgasm 95
76 Nudity 97
77 Prolonged masturbation 97
78 Orgiastic or corybantic dancing 98
EVERYDAY LIFE 101
79 Zen morning laugh 101
80 Impressions are food 102
81 Sensory reminiscence 102
82 Déjà vu 103
83 Synesthesia 104
84 Seeking 106
85 Forgetting 106
86 Art experience 107
87 Creativity 108
88 Profound esthetic experience 108
89 Flow 110
90 Peak experience 111
91 Movement 112
92 Postures 113
93 Tensing 114
94 Jumping up and down 114
95 Play 115
96 Running 116
97 Gymnastics 118
98 Golf 119
99 Mountaineering and rock climbing 119
100 Mushroom hunting 120
101 Survival tests 122
102 Futures 123
103 Acceleration and future shock 124
104 Voluntary social withdrawal 125
105 Communes 125
106 Everyday experience 126
PART TWO: HELP FROM OTHERS
THERAPIES AND
MISCELLANEOUS 131
107 Psychoanalysis 131
108 Analytical psychology 134
109 Character analysis 135
110 Psychodrama and drama therapy 136
111 Logotherapy 137
112 Existential therapy 138
113 Rational psychotherapy 139
114 General semantics 140
115 Final integration 141
116 Thanatological awareness 142
117 Gestalt therapy 145
118 Maslovian psychology 148
119 Transpersonal psychology 149
120 Sensory training 150
121 Bio-energetic analysis 151
122 Grounding and energy 153
123 Psychomotor therapy 154
124 Psychosynthesis 155
125 Client-centered therapy 157
126 Behavior therapy 158
127 Cognitive behavioral therapy 159
128 Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing 160
129 Encounter 161
130 Marathon 162
131 Potentials 162
132 Art therapy 163
133 Family therapy 165
134 A Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT) 166
135 Dance therapy 167
136 Imago relationship therapy 169
137 Theater games 170
138 Primal therapy 171
139 Rolfing 172
140 Alexander technique 173
141 Autogenic training 174
142 Flagellation 176
143 Hypnosis 176
144 Massage 177
145 Kinesics 178
146 Laban movement 180
147 Bates method 181
148 Compressed time 182
RELIGIONS, MYSTICISM,
AND MOVEMENTS 185
149 Yoga 185
150 Transcendental Meditation 188
151 Agni yoga 189
152 Tibetan Buddhism 190
153 Tantric sex 192
154 Body chanting 194
155 Taoism 195
156 Confucianism 196
157 Buddhism 197
158 Tea ceremony 200
159 Haiku 202
160 Kendo and kyudo 203
161 T’ai chi ch’uan 203
162 Martial arts 204
163 Calligraphy and Sumie 205
164 Flower arrangement 207
165 Sufism 207
166 Subud 208
167 Jewish mysticism 209
168 Astrology 210
169 Magick 212
170 Alchemy 213
171 Anthroposophy 214
172 Arica 214
173 Religious pilgrimage 215
174 Revival meetings 217
175 Religious conversion 217
176 Séances 218
177 Faith healing 219
178 Charismatic speakers 219
179 Crowds 220
180 Spontaneous gatherings, flash mobs, and happenings 221
PART THREE:
DEVICES AND MACHINES
NONELECTRIC 225
181 I Ching 225
182 Tarot 226
183 The ten ox herding pictures 228
184 Finnegans Wake 229
185 Incense 232
186 Sensory orgy 232
187 Intensive instrument playing 232