ReadyMade: Instructions for everyday life

Today is the official release of “Get High Now (Without Drugs),” an extremely unique “How-to” book published  by Chronicle books that I’ve been thinking about for some time now.

I was able to catch up with author James Nestor (illustrated below testing some techniques and taking notes) just prior to the launch party tonight at an undisclosed location in San Francisco, to try and get the answers to the thorny questions anyone interested (or not) in altered states is surely asking themselves.

Me: Why “Get High Now”?

James Nestor: Altered states of consciousness have been at the core of almost every culture (but modern Western culture) since pre-history. I’m not talking about getting stoned and watching “Star Trek,” or doing blow in a bathroom of bar; I’m talking about taking the time to peer deeper into states of perception, opening new windows to looking at the world. You know, mystical crap. We’ve lost this in modern Western culture. We replaced it with too-long work weeks, spending nights watching “MadMen,” and complaining about phone bills. It’s made us neurotic, stressed-out, and sicker than humans have ever been.

I know, this sounds flaky and super-cosmic. Trust me, I’m a skeptic. I don’t wear patchouli. I’ve done yoga three times in my life. But, brothers and sisters, all this tis true! (Below: Sensory Overload. Like a computer, when fed too much information, the brain shuts down and goes haywire, producing all manner of psychedelic visions, aural wonders, and other mystical crud. Don’t believe it? Try it. It’s crazy.)

Me: Why Without Drugs?

JN: Most controlled or pharmaceutical drugs just numb the senses and they have brutal side-effects. The book is about lighting the senses, brightening the corners of our consciousness, and being able to do it anywhere. Some of the “highs” in the book (reindeer urine, toads, etc) do certainly contain “drugs” that get you “high.” These and the other anthropological entries were included because I found them so weird and intriguing, like, say, surgical tools in a museum. They are subjects of wonder rather than practice.

Funny side-note: A reader recently complained that none of the methods in the book “looked like” they could really get him high. I asked if he tried any of them. He said, “No.” As in life, take a half-assed approach to these things—like breath-work, for instance—and you’ll get half assed results. But I totally and absolutely guarantee that if you really try to get into some of the more potent exercises, like Kriya or Binaural Beats, they will absolutely blow your freaking mind (in a good way, don’t worry)!

Realistically, about 30% of the “highs” in the book you can do now—the rest will take some time, some concentration, and some effort. What we mean by “Get High Now” is these are  things you can do at your home, on a bus, at work, on weekends. Accessible things. (Below: Primaling. A classic hippy therapy developed in the 1960s to “free” people from
their neuroses. John Lennon and Tears for Fears were big fans. True story).

Me: How did this book come into existence?

JN: I was cleaning out a house in the Hollywood Hills my family had just inherited and found a clump of dusty files in a corner of an office. The files contained hundreds of anthropological and historical ways to alter consciousness, most without drugs. Stuff used for thousands of years. Most were collected in the 1960s (who would have guessed?). I thought they were hilariously weird. As a joke, a few friends tried out some of the breathing exercises one night at a party. We were blown away when they actually worked. (Below: CoPartnered Oral Chakra Stimulation. A millennia-old Indian practice of stimulating the chakras (energy centers) through verbal and breath exercises.)

Me: If someone wanted to get high now, I mean, right now, what would you recommend?

JN: Go to “Get High Now” and listen to Theta Wave Brain Synchronization with eyes closed somewhere quiet for five minutes. Longer is better, but do not do less than five minutes. These were developed by scientists in the 1950s to lull the brain into a creative, hallucinatory state. Fantastically, they work. Oh, you’ll see.

Better, download the “Get High Now” iPhone app (and no, I am making absolutely no money on this!) and listen to the Binaural Beats for five minutes. (Note: the Binaural Beats on the site are lower quality due to technical limitations.) Most people begin to hallucinate after a few minutes. Again, this is science, man; it’s not New Age hearsay.

If you’re not around a computer, place the thumb of your right hand over your right nostril and inhale and exhale through your left nostril 30 times slowly. Close your eyes. Ancient Tantrics called this “Moon Breath” and used it to calm the senses and relax the mind. Scientific studies show it provokes a physiological change in the brain and body. Best, it feels great.

Me: What’s on the horizon for James Nestor? What are you working on now?

JN: I’m heading to India and Europe on a research trip for a new book due in May 2010 about the neuroscience of (alleged) out-of-body experiences. I’ve been writing about decidedly material subjects like alternative fuels for years, so “Get High Now” and this new book is a sea change for me, but it’s crazy, fascinating stuff and thrilling to research.

As far as the immediate future, I’m working on getting off this computer and heading into the frothy arms of great Mother Ocean for some Thallasotherapy (p. 206). Yeah, surf’s up. Til later.