Part memoir, part journalistic reporting on the current state of emerging medicinal uses of psychedelics, Trippy is a interesting and enlightening read. This book is not for those wanting an in depth discussion of the science or history of the drugs discussed, but a more personal and broad discussion of current and future uses to treat intractable symptoms of mental health issues for the many individuals who have exhausted current traditional treatments with no relief. The author is vulnerable and open regarding his own trauma and the way psychoactive substances have helped him heal, allowing him to live with increased happiness, calmness and love. He interviews practitioners and participants from a variety of settings, spanning from South to North America, informal tribal ceremonies in the jungles of Brazil using ayahuasca to ground breaking trials with MDMA conducted at the VA in California. Londono doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of the largely unregulated and grey legality of the burgeoning industry, discussing concerns regarding safety, exploitation and risks associated with this powerful substances. Well written and researched, providing a nuanced and interesting perspective on controversial treatments with the potential to reshape mental health treatment, Trippy is worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thoughtful, deeply personal, and nuanced perspective of the history and current state of psychedelics' therapeutic use. This is a topic I have not read about before and is a bit out of my comfort zone but I found it very interesting as someone in the healthcare field. I liked the personal anecdotes both about the author and people he has interviewed, however at times the flow/transitions didn't work for me. It was sometimes hard to follow the thread between chapters. I do appreciate that it was not a very medical/scientific perspective, as that can feel too textbook-y for me. Definitely made it easier to digest. If this is a topic you are interested in, I would recommend it.

This is a fascinating and definitely worthwhile look into the world of medicinal psychedelics. Both the pros and cons, of which both exist.
It talks of the scam artists in the business, of which there are many. People that will use those who are depressed and desperate for their own sick gain.
But there are also real miraculous transformations and joy as well, from responsibly and safely using the plants.
There are so many stories from so many people. The author relaying both his journey and journeys of others they've told him.
The fact the author is gay is also mentioned and relevant and as a queer person myself made it more personal.
I have aphantasia which I won't get into here but I will say, I love having aphantasia. I have my reasons and I think it's like any other neurodivergence, it has it's pros and cons, and for me, it's what i've always known. My brain works just fine, it's just different.
Anyway because of that, the thought of hallucinations and thus, psychadelics, truly terrifies me. I also have PTSD for multiple reasons, or have had, and I truly believe having aphantasia is a god-send blessing for me. The thought that maybe they'd cure that... terrifies me. No thank you.
I have no idea if they would or not but I don't want to test it.
That said, my philosophy is simply, with consent and safety, do what you want. It is nature and we are part of nature and it's impossible to deny all the wonderful stories from them to. Don't force me to try them, but I don't think they should be illegal.
I would be a hypocrite if I did. I am a stoner and use cannabis both medically and recreationally. That's a plant. I'm all for using nature as medicine where she allows. There is plenty out there. Just know what you're putting in your body (some plants would just kill you for example) and with psychedelic's we need to research. We can't do that if it's illegal.
There is so much that made me think in here. So much that I highlighted. It talks to depression, and mental health, and spirituality and so much more. So many things, and it's so frank and honest. I love it.
But please do use caution and protect yourself, scammers are out there! And much of it was hard to read. But it's a very balanced and honest view of everything, the good and the bad.

I highly recommend this book! Thank you to Netgalley for the arc.

I really enjoyed this book; it was well-written and really open-minded. The author did a great job writing about a hot topic at the moment and his experiences which I think are so great to read anecdotally in the world of mental health and psychedelics. I really enjoyed the history added to this book and the personal experience of the author. Mental health is a huge topic and something that is treated differently depending on our culture and this book was a great way to discuss and open up the dialogue of psychedelics and mental health and the author’s own experiences. Awesome book for anyone looking into
How psychedelics are helping and shifting the mental health world.

In the end, this book was partly a memoir, not scientific, and was written using the author's own history and experiences to explain and be the scaffolding for his experiences with psychedelics. I was disappointed that it was not as scientific or extensive as I had hoped, in fact it spoke very little of the science and most of the book was focused on ayahuasca, and spent very little on other psychedelics. However, it was interesting and thorough about the whole market today of various retreats and 'churches' and their varying motivations for offering ayahuasca. And the stories were engaging, so it was enjoyable even if it wasn't what I expected.

Utterly fascinating. I learned so much from this book. It changed the way I view psychedelics. I'm a fan of memoirs in general but the personal openness in Trippy was so appreciated. I recommend this book to anyone researching alternative medications.

“I never felt entitled to a PTSD diagnosis”

Even though that line comes close to the end of the book, it stood out to me in technicolor. Trippy is a dive not only into the burgeoning industry of psychedelic therapies for depression, anxiety, and PTSD; but a dive into what constitutes trauma to us all as individuals. Ernesto Londoño has his dream job, is living a dream life, and for all intents and purposes has achieved what everyone else would consider great success in life. So why is he so damn sad? Ernesto takes us along on his first ayahuasca trip, and then more as he tries to discover what it is about psychedelics that is helping so many people re-wire their brain. Himself included. Throughout the book he comes face to face with his own childhood traumas and hints toward making peace with those experiences, acknowledging them for what they are. From frog venom, South American plants, and psilocybin to ketamine and MDMA, studies, clinics, and retreats are popping up everywhere claiming to help people cure what ails them. And what is it about these therapies that help? Are we able to tap into our prior lives or bridge the gap between us and the Gods in order to obtain a modicum of understanding about what it all really means? Or is it really just a cult? It depends on who you ask and Londoño explores all avenues from ancient indigenous lore to charlatan almost MLM-esque luxury oasis. Bookended with a truly riveting story about the life American veterans struggle through every single day, it’s quite a trip indeed.

Before you book your trip to Costa Rica or somewhere to get help from depression, PTSD, or addiction by engaging in ayahuasca ceremonies, read this book.

Ernesto was a New York Times reporter who had covered the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan after growing up gay in war-torn Columbia. When his depression became unmanageable, he sought help through psychedelic therapy. He booked his first trip to a center in Brazil, and right away his depression got better, but he knew he could continue to explore his childhood and time covering wars, so he didn’t stop there.

We’ve known for years that things like LSD can help treat alcoholism, but the Nixon era drove promising lines of research to a screeching halt. Same thing with MDMA, which is now making a comeback, but research was cut off in 1985 (MDMA is also known as ecstasy) when the DEA added it to the list of banned substances. If you think of all the veterans who committed suicide because this promising research into help with addiction and depression and PTSD were just stopped, it’s infuriating.

Scientists theorize that by “disrupting routine patterns of thought and memory processing, psychedelic trips often yield profound insights and a reprieve from the obsessive thought loops often associated with mental illness.”

People who have been suicidal have showed decreased blood flow among regions in the brain, which indicates a degradation in neural links. “Taking psychedelics like ayahuasca appears to have the opposite effect. These compounds seem to enhance the brain’s wiring system, enabling richer interaction among neural networks.”

Some of the problems with the fact these drugs are not yet readily available here in the states means people who can afford to (or in some cases get into debt over because they can’t afford it but are desperate for help), have to go to the Amazon or Costa Rica, where they can be scammed out of their money. Also, he writes about one “shaman” who raped women after they’d taken the drug and were clearly in no shape to give consent. (Not to mention, many women who seek help with PTSD they got from being raped or molested.)

One of the remarkable things about MDMA and psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in psychedelic mushrooms is how quickly they relieve symptoms of PTSD, depression, and addiction, and how long their effects last for many patients.

Ernesto liked wine and red meat before his first trip to Spirit Vine, but after doing ayahuasca several days in a row, he changed in ways he couldn’t predict. Even though alcohol wasn’t a problem, he became a teetotaler and eventually entirely gave up meat. He’d been on blood pressure medication for years, and, suddenly, he no longer had to take meds because his blood pressure fell into a normal range.

Psilocybin (magic mushrooms) are becoming decriminalized in places in the United States and in Vancouver, they have mushroom dispensaries like we have THC/CBD places here. Here in Denver, you can grow and consume mushrooms, but right now you can’t buy or sell them. Voters made it legal, but some therapeutic settings would cost a lot of money, which would put a lot of vulnerable people out of luck when it comes to getting help.

We need more research, but I’m hoping that people who need help will be able to access it in a way that is safe and in economic reach for everyone.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this book, which RELEASES MAY 7, 2024.

Thank you, Netgalley and Celadon books for this advanced readers copy. This book was a wild ride, part historic trip about the history of psychedelics in the treatment of mental illness and part memoir. The author speaks of his family history of mental illness and his own history of depression. He talks of the many ways, now and the past, people have used to treat mental illness and the ways they have been viewed. When some have treated those methods and they have not worked, they may look toward unconventional methods, such as psychedelics, as a last resort. This book describes the authors experience and research into the world of psychedelic treatments and shows the good it may do for some, also, as with everything, possible risks. Thank you for sharing your experience with us through this journey.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Celadon Books for an advanced copy of this book that is both a memoir about depression and the new treatments that are being adapted to fight this scourge, by looking to old ways, and new chemical compounds.

Ask anyone today how they are doing and a surprising amount of people will answer not well. The economy, politics, social media, employment or lack of, everything and everyone seems off. I know I have. Depression has been something I have always dealt with, meaning that it has always been there, has controlled me in many ways, destroyed relationships and made me an unpleasant person, ie a bore to be around. I have tried different things, but none of theme took. Talk therapy never clicked, and prescriptions always gave me the side effects, never a good effect. Over the last few years I have quite about psychedelics and treatment for a variety of mental issues. Some sound too good to be true, some sound, eh maybe maybe not. There is a bit of hucksterism, to it, psychedelics will change depression therapy, like bitcoin will change currency and social media will make us all come together. Trippy by Ernesto Londoño, a war correspondent, New York Times reporter and self-confessed unhappy person, has given me something this other books really didn't. Hope.

Ernesto Londoño, at the opening of this book is at the top of his game. A war correspondent, op-ed writer, now made chief of Brazil Bureau for the New York Times, Londoño seems to have it all, but is literally teetering at the edge, thinking thoughts of self-harm, and self-loathing. Londoño's life seems empty and meaningless, even with a recently adopted dog. Londoño decides to take part in a ayahuasca ceremony, something he can cover for the Times, and see what all the fuss was about. Ayahuasca is a psychoactive brew, that has become the new cure all for finding one's self, and even more finding where the mind is hurt, and aid in curing it. Londoño is amazed to find out that it helps, exposing feelings, hates, and disappointments that he never even knew, and after a few more treatments radically changes his life. Londoño begins to investigate this lucrative, controversial field, discussing the many dangers psychedelic tourism can offer, from being sold stuff, to sex predators. Londoño also looks at America and the changes that are happening in laws and even thinking, helping veterans deal with PTSD, with a high success rate.

The book is written as a memoir and an investigation into the world of psychedelic treatment, and really is a stunning read. Londoño holds nothing back about himself, his past, his sexuality, and his fears and life. One can tell that this treatment, not only changed his life, but changed Londoño entire outlook on life, people and understanding. The personal, explaining his treatments, what he saw, sharing how it changed really gives a focus to what these medicines can do for people. And his examination of the scammers and predators are even more important, and makes one wish that American healthcare and insurers get on the ball, and make this treatment more available. Which is an impossible dream, I know. Something that I had never thought of either is the stigma that is still present dealing with depression, PTSD, and treatment like this. There are many mentions of future employers, or government contractors looking at one's history and going, yeah you got problems, wait your went where for what, isn't that illegal, no thank you. For these people Londoño included to come out, is a real act of bravery, and probably of better mental feelings.

To read about Londoño being so miserable, and so trapped by feelings he didn't even know he had, and getting to the last chapter and seeing what lays ahead for this freed soul is really wonderful. A fascinating and touching book. I'm so glad this has helped Londoño, and I want to thank him for sharing his tale, for this has given me a bit of hope that even I can change.

Get ready to embark on a mind-bending journey into the heart of psychedelics with Ernesto Londoño's "Trippy." Strap in, because this book is one wild ride.

So, picture this: it's 2018, and our protagonist, Ernesto, is at rock bottom. I'm talking depression so deep he's contemplating taking a leap off his terrace. But instead of diving into despair, he dives headfirst into the Amazon rainforest for a psychedelic retreat led by a mysterious Argentine woman. Yeah, you heard that right.

Now, this ain't your average vacation. We're talking about imbibing a brew that's not only vomit-inducing but also contains DMT, a mind-altering compound that'll knock your socks off. And guess what? It works. Ernesto finds himself catapulted into a personal transformation that forms the backbone of this gripping tale.

But hold onto your hats, because Londoño doesn't stop there. Oh no, he takes us on a whirlwind tour of the psychedelic world, introducing us to a colorful cast of characters. From Indigenous elders who see psychedelics as gateways to the spirit realm, to war veterans finding solace from PTSD, to clinicians trying to resurrect a once-promising field of medicine, this book has it all.

What makes "Trippy" stand out is Londoño's knack for weaving together riveting personal anecdotes with hard-hitting journalism. You'll find yourself glued to the pages as he navigates the highs and lows of the psychedelic renaissance, shedding light on its potential, pitfalls, and everything in between.

In a world where mental health treatment often feels like a shot in the dark, "Trippy" offers a glimmer of hope. It's a must-read for anyone curious about the healing powers of psychedelics and the complex web of science, culture, and spirituality that surrounds them.

So, whether you're a seasoned psychonaut or just dipping your toes into the world of psychedelics, "Trippy" is your ticket to enlightenment. Trust me, you won't want to miss this trip.