The Head Trip: Adventures on the Wheel of Consciousness

Jeff Warren

This is one of those very rare non-fiction books that is so easy to read and so interesting and well framed that it sucks the reader into its web just like a great novel.

The first 150 pages or so deals with the nature of sleep. The neurology, the physiology and the subjective experiences are all dealt with in a coherent and personalized manner. I can’t begin to explain how fascinating it is to learn so much about sleep, something which we so take for granted, and yet which is so little understood. This was truly an amazing section; funny, entertaining, and full of science and insights that are so good I would call them “gifts” from the author.

Most of us have some familiarity with the concepts of deep sleep and REM sleep. Few of us I would venture to say, know much if anything about the Hypnagogic, The Watch, The Lucid Dream, The Trance, The SMR, or The Pure Conscious Event. Each of the above is the subject of a chapter in the book. Each chapter is fascinating and enlightening. I really feel enriched by the lessons about sleep and even find myself enjoying the act of going to sleep, sleeping, and even waking in the middle of the night now that I understand so much more about it. If the book was complete with only the final chapter on sleep that would be more than enough to recommend this as one of the best books I have read in many years. I feel that I cannot emphasize enough how reading this book has enhanced my experiences and enjoyment of going to sleep, sleeping, and even waking up!

What is particularly charming about this book is that the author has not only done an excellent job of researching the subject, more importantly he has made himself a guinea pig, participating in a number of studies and experimenting with various techniques himself. His experiences and commentaries are very rich and most fascinating.

But there is more, as the author goes on to explore the waking state and its many nuances. His exploration of hypnosis, day dreams, SMR, and a newer more sophisticated form of neurofeedback covers fascinating territories with the same thoroughness, insightfulness, and personal participation as his studies of the sleep states.

This is one of those books I want everyone to read. I hope many of you will enjoy this as much as I did. The last book I felt this strongly about, in terms of its universal appeal was The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

Review by Len Oppenheim

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