The Toad and the Jaguar

by Ralph Metzner, Stanislav Grof (Foreword), Charles S. Grob (Foreword)

In this monograph the author relates findings from more than 30 years of experiences and observations with Bufo alvarius and 5-methoxy-dimethyltryptamine, in various user groups and individuals, both in the US and in Europe. The term underground is used in referring to the explorations with these substances, in the sense that they were hidden - out of respect for the restrictions and prohibitions of mainstream culture. These are ethnographic field reports, first-hand observations from an underground sub-culture, accompanied by the experiences of a selected number of participant-observers. It is important to recognize that in research with these and other so-called psychedelic or entheogenic substances, one cannot limit the observations and reflections solely to their physical and psychological effects. As most of the people cited here emphasize, the experiences with these substances at times can go far beyond their physical and psychological effects into the deepest and highest dimensions of our existence, both the cosmic and the spiritual.

Genres: Spirituality, Psychology, Drugs, Nonfiction, Medicine

84 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2013

About the author

Ralph Metzner Ph.D. was an American psychologist, writer and researcher, who participated in psychedelic research at Harvard University in the early 1960s with Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (later named Ram Dass). Dr. Metzner was a psychotherapist, and Professor Emeritus of psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, where he was formerly the Academic Dean and Academic Vice-president. He received his undergraduate degree at Oxford University and his doctorate in clinical psychology at Harvard University, where he was also the recipient of an NIMH Post-doctoral Fellowship in psychopharmacology at the Harvard Medical School. He had a life-long interest in the many different realms of consciousness and its modifications.

He is the author of The Well of Remembrance, The Unfolding Self, Green Psychology, Birth of a Psychedelic Culture (with Ram Dass); editor of two collections of essays on ayahuasca and on psilocybe mushrooms; and author of a new series of seven books on The Ecology of Consciousness.

Reviews

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five out of five because this is the first book I read on 5-MeO-DMT and it has given me all that I have wanted to start exploring it both as a journeyer and a facilitator. I appreciate the humility of Ralph sharing his own experiences and what he has observed and acknowledging them as such. Having come from a more scientific background, I think such stories offer richness that no aggregate data could capture.

[Hendrik De Peuter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic bundeling of underground research on the compound 5-MeO DMT. Learnt a whole lot more. Reading this also helps as a tool for harm reduction. Personally I found the last chapters the best, where all the prior info culminates to.

[Silvio · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I currently see it, there seem to be two fundamental (maybe even "archetypal") realizations to be had about the Nature of God and all of Creation:

1: Understanding Being and Nonduality and Emptiness through the spacious, blissful Void

2: Understanding Interbeing and Diversity in Unity and Creation & Purpose through "Indra's Net of Being"

In my recent experience with this divine substance, I arrived at the former (and three days later I had profound learnings about the latter with another divine substance) 🙏

What's beautiful about these medicines is how similar people's experiences can be, yet always feel like THE discovery has been made - indicating the recognition of a real Truth.

Here are some quotes that perfectly describe my experience:

"I lost all contact with the surrounding world, which completely disappeared... I had no concepts, no categories for what I was witnessing... My only reality was a mass of radiant swirling energy of immense proportions that seemed to contain all existence in a condensed and entirely abstract form. I became Consciousness facing the Absolute."

"In my experience there was no self, no body, no time or space, but there was being. There was also consciousness: I could remember everything afterwards... And there was certainly bliss, joy, ecstasy unimaginable."

"As my breath went out, I went in. And still I fell. The last vestige of resistance, a mere quiver of anxiety, subsided. I was fearlessly falling into an incredibly spacious, powerfully radiant, ancient but ever-present center, at once still and moving, a Core from which all things were arising, would arise, had arisen. I had let go and I had arrived. I was Home. That which I called "I" hung suspended in a vast, spacious and imperturbable Universe."

"A deeper letting go seemed to occur by allowing the body to rest without muscular effort. All body awareness dissolved into awareness of soft, expansive currents of bliss. Even the sense of joy and amazement which this engendered dissolved as identity merged into formless Being. At that edge between Form and Formlessness I felt the sense of being at a threshold which I had never before crossed. With both the joy and the difficulty of a birth, separate identity was relinquished, and all that remained was boundlessness. The relief and the sense that finally the ancient, primordial Search was over was utterly indescribable... I became aware of a sense of arriving, of finally having found what felt like I had been looking for - for eons. I realized that where and who I am is self-evidently beyond life and death."

"I experienced what I can only describe as pure awareness, though not self-identified. An awareness that travels in search of more, ever-increasing, ever-expanding and unattached - free of any limit, binding or density."


Pure Grace.
Pure Gratitude.
Pure God.

[Beth Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, easy to read, but with a rather casual organization.
The author is clearly experienced in the use of 5-MeO-DMT and other psychedelic substances. He argues for careful, respectful use of these powerful agents.
The book describes his and others experiences in a straight forward manner without attempts at explaining them from a metaphysical viewpoint.
What was unexpected was the fact that all the experiences described occurred while 5-MeO-DMT was legal (it was not placed as Schedule I until 2011.)

[Ard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting but brief introduction into 5-Meo-DMT. Many fascinating trip reports and sound advice by an eloquent and experienced voyager make this little book very worthwile. However, it also leaves questions unanswered and personally I would like to have seen this volume go a little bit deeper. Still heartily recommended reading.

[Andrew Bocz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief but fascinating. This one is "all killer no filler". The advice is objective and accurate to the best of my knowledge. He manages to avoid the religious pitfalls and persuasive tone that plagues many authors when writing about psychedelics.

If you are interested in this book or an experience of this type I confidently recommend.

[Shaili Jain · Rating 5 out of 5]

short but fascinating read on the psychedelic, 5meo-DMT.

[Jeni Ferret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential entheogen pharmacology review of DMT and 5-Meo-DMT use, no standardized results but some passionate writing with equal parts caution and praise, equally weighs pros and cons of both.

[E. Bast · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 5-Meo-DMT medicine, extracted from the Bufo alvarius toad, seems to be a real life wizard's tool from the fairy tales of old. Ralph Metzner gives us a fascinating and comprehensive book about this powerful and obscure psychedelic substance. Detailed trip reports offer vivid glimpses into the experience. Guidelines for intentions, setting, and usage are not only helpful; they could be life-saving for the adventurous psychonaut. The possible outcomes include wondrous healing or bizarre negative reactions, and all are thoroughly examined. Metzner is no distanced scientist, writing from the point of view outside the ceremony. He writes directly from the heart of his many mystical first hand experiences. He has even spent time with the sacred creatures that give the earth this profound medicine when consciously collecting the medicine himself. Metzner's voice is a vital contribution to the contemporary study of 5-Meo-DMT and the safe, effective, therapeutic application of entheogens.

[Jeroen Stapper · Rating 3 out of 5]

great summary of 'trip reports' in and outside of therapeutic settings and interesting thoughts on how this medicine may be used.
I was a bit disappointed not to find any mention of the differences between synthethic 5-meo-dmt and the toad alkaloids.

[James Jesso · Rating 4 out of 5]

wonderful read. detailed yet concise, really gets the fancy for 5meo going in my heart. a valuable book for anyone investing in psychedelic literature.

[Niamh]

This is a worthy read on a substance that is subject to either evangelicalism, persecution or no attention whatsoever. It is quite detailed and balanced in its reporting of the phenomenology of the experience of 5 MEO DMT ingestion and gives a lovely history from one who was on the front lines of the underground research.

Metzner delivers a short, sweet and to the point summation of his experiences with the substance and those of the people with whom he has shared the experience He distills the essence of the ideal set, setting and dosage of this, by all accounts, most profound and interesting entheogen. He doesn't fall short and leave out the agony either of those who have experienced excruciating hell realms under the influence or instances of dissociation.