Review of 'Salvia divinorum: Doorway to thought-free awareness'

'Salvia divinorum -- Doorway to thought--free awareness' was originally published in 2008 under the title 'Peopled Darkness -- Perceptual Transformation through Salvia divinorum.' Now republished in 2010 by Inner Traditions, James D. Arthur's bibliographic journey with the 'Diviner's Sage' is both engaging and informative; examining the salviaic experience with a calm voice and a detailed eye.

The book takes the form of both a chronological and experiential character development. Beginning from Arthur's "first experiences", to their "intensification," as he tries differing strengths and methods of consuming salvia, through to an "augmentation" of the experiential nature of his perceptions. Finally, he is "taken" by those which he perceives as 'personages' within the salviaic experience and relates some of the communications that took place.

The essential axiom of this biographical book is a recognition of the Self as a medium through which the subjective salviaic experience can be communicated; for although there are elements of traditional historicism, namely chronology, passages involving the 'invisible landscape' are not a party to 'consensual reality.' In this manner, one has a point -- the self -- from which to balance experiential accounts, interpretation and speculation.