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Death by Astonishment

Confronting the Mystery of the World's Strangest Drug (The DMT Book)

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Death by Astonishment

By: Andrew R. Gallimore, Graham Hancock
Narrated by: Andrew R. Gallimore, Graham Hancock
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About this listen

For fans of the compelling critical and investigative style of best-selling authors Graham Hancock and Brian Muraresku, the first detailed account of the history and science of the world’s strangest and most mysterious drug: DMT. This program is read by the author and features a foreword written and read by British journalist and author Graham Hancock.

DMT is the world’s strangest and most mysterious drug, inducing one of the most remarkable and yet least understood of all states of consciousness. This common plant molecule has, from ancient times to the modern day, been used as a tool to gain access to a bizarre alien reality of inordinate complexity and unimaginable strangeness, populated by a panoply of highly advanced, intelligent, and communicative beings entirely not of this world.

In a story that begins in the Amazonian rainforests and ends somewhere beyond the stars, Andrew Gallimore presents the first detailed account of the discovery of DMT and science’s continuing struggle to explain how such a simple and common plant molecule can have such astonishing effects on the human mind. The history of the drug involves many fascinating characters from the scientific and literary worlds — including legendary ethnobotanist Dr. Richard Schultes; renegade beat writer and drug aficionado William S. Burroughs; philosopher and raconteur Terence McKenna; and the high priest of the 1960s psychedelic revolution, Dr. Timothy Leary. In the end, the story of DMT forces us to reconsider our most basic assumptions about the nature of reality and our place within it.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

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Critic reviews

<p>"DMT is unique among all the psychedelics in that it affords access to an alternate reality that seems every bit as real as our 'ordinary reality' and yet is utterly alien. With the possible exception of Terence McKenna, Andrew Gallimore has been investigating this longer and more thoroughly than anyone else. I believe he may have cracked the code. His conclusions are astonishing. And to some they will be horrifying. This book is not to be missed." - Dennis McKenna, PhD <br><br>"An exhilarating, yet rigorously grounded, account of DMT's rapidly increasing influence on human consciousness. What if an unimaginably powerful psychedelic molecule, made in the human brain, could be harnessed to reliably provide contact with super intelligent beings from other dimensions of time and space? Gallimore's project provides an essential understanding of this nascent field, and its implications for our species' evolution." - Rick Strassman MD, Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine and author of <i>DMT: The Spirit Molecule and My Altered States.</i><br><br>"Compulsively readable and impossible to put down, <i>Death by Astonishment</i> is a page-turning odyssey into the enigmatic history of the world’s strangest drug. Bringing together many of the most pivotal stories in psychedelic history, Gallimore not only connects the dots but also fills in the missing pieces, shedding new light on the mysteries of this extraordinary molecule." - David Jay Brown, author of <i>The Illustrated Field Guide to DMT Entities<br></i><br>"Peeling away the many layers of one of our greatest mysteries while leaving intact the enigma at its core, combining the erudition of a scholar and the precision of a scientist, Andrew Gallimore leads a fascinating inquiry into the heart of the unknown." - Graham St John, author of <i>Strange Attractor: The Hallucinatory Life of Terence McKenna</i> (MIT Press, 2025 )</p>
All stars
Most relevant
Super interesting book, Andrew G is a true visionary and pioneer in this field. I must read for anyone interested on this topic

Thank you Andrew!

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Such a great book. If this does not make you wanna try DMT, you must be reading it backwatds.

10/10

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Just finished Death by Astonishment by Andrew R. Gallimore and wow… this book really messes with your mind in the best way.
Gallimore dives into DMT, consciousness, and what reality might actually be like, mixing solid science with some pretty wild ideas. It’s not just “take drugs and see stuff,” he actually explains things from a neuroscience perspective, which makes it feel real and credible.
If you’re into psychedelics, the brain, or just wondering if reality is more than what we see, this book is a must-read. Totally blew my mind at times

mind-blowing

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Probably my all time favourite research project into Psychedlics. An astounding and deeply captivating book.

A Modern Day Classic

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I waited a long time for this books release and I have to say I have been thoroughly satisfied and unexpectedly surprised but how far beyond my expectations it shot. Andrew has absolutely nailed this topic in every regard in this book. From the early history of ayhuascha to the modern day musings of neuroscientists, psychologists and pharmacological chemists alike, it paints a beautifal and rich narrative around this molecule in such a way that is satisfying to the reader and highly informative. If you enjoyed Alien Information theory, this book is 100% for you. If you have met those silly little guys in hyper space, you will enjoy this read. Hands down this book has been such a joy to read/listen to.

Absolutely most comlelling, nuanced and scientifically grounded take on this molecule

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