The Ego Trip : Psychedelic Toads, a Trail of Deaths, and the Guru Who Peddled Transcendence

Kimon de Greef

ISBN 10: 0385550243 / ISBN 13: 9780385550246

Edité par Not Stated Aug 2026, 2026

A propos de cet article

Neuware - A lost tradition of 'toad medicine,' a global psychedelic movement, and the charismatic doctor who left a trail of destruction in his wake "Entirely mesmerizing. . . . Richly reported and written with humor and flair, The Ego Trip is itself a trip and Kimon de Greef is a major talent." Patrick Radden Keefe, #1 New York Times bestselling author of London Falling "Toad-laced psychopathy is one hell of a drug. . . . An enthralling, galling journey into the deeply weird underbelly of the psychedelic renaissance." The New York TimesIn 2012, a Mexican doctor named Octavio Rettig declared that he had revived a forgotten indigenous ritual: smoking the secretions of the Sonoran Desert toad, which releases a potent psychedelic substance known as "the God molecule." This enormously powerful drug can induce states of ego death and the sensation of being directly connected with the divine. In some cases, it offers profound relief for numerous conditions and illnesses. Drawn in by Octavio's visionary message of healing, many psychonauts, spiritual seekers, and patients without other options flocked to Sonora and sparked a psychedelic movement that would eventually circle the globe. But as Octavio's fame grew, stories emerged of extreme dosing, abusive behavior, and even dramatic deaths.In this gripping and deeply reported book, Kimon de Greef uncovers the truth behind this cultish figure and the wider world of toad medicine. While Octavio touted the cultural authenticity of his toad ceremonies, verifiable evidence of ancestral practice appeared questionable. Fractious turf wars broke out among toad collectors, who sent impoverished locals into drug cartel territory to chase after the animals and risk their lives in the process. And pharmaceutical companies raced against one another to profit from the commercial potential of the God molecule and develop a transformative mental health treatment that could rival Prozac in its impact on psychopharmacology.Part true crime, part cult story, part cultural history, The Ego Trip is a chronicle of the rise and fall of a messianic figure and an investigation into larger truths about our age of spiritual desolation. As de Greef makes clear in this hypnotic story, no matter the lengths we go to in attaining a more cosmic understanding, we will always remain firmly in the real world, bound by our limitations and inescapably human.

N° de réf. du vendeur 9780385550246

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: The Ego Trip : Psychedelic Toads, a Trail of Deaths, and the Guru Who Peddled Transcendence
• Éditeur: Not Stated Aug 2026
• Date de parution: 2026
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN à 10 chiffres: 0385550243
• ISBN à 13 chiffres: 9780385550246
• Reliure: Buch
• État de l'article: Neu
• Dimensions: 242 L x 167 H x 31 P (en millimètres) 242 millimètres de largeur par 167 millimètres de hauteur par 31 millimètres de profondeur
• Poids: 522 grammes

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Synopsis

A lost tradition of "toad medicine," a global psychedelic movement, and the charismatic doctor who left a trail of destruction in his wake

“Entirely mesmerizing. . . . Richly reported and written with humor and flair, The Ego Trip is itself a trip—and Kimon de Greef is a major talent.” —Patrick Radden Keefe, #1 New York Times bestselling author of London Falling

“Toad-laced psychopathy is one hell of a drug. . . . An enthralling, galling journey into the deeply weird underbelly of the psychedelic renaissance.” —The New York Times

In 2012, a Mexican doctor named Octavio Rettig declared that he had revived a forgotten indigenous ritual: smoking the secretions of the Sonoran Desert toad, which releases a potent psychedelic substance known as “the God molecule.” This enormously powerful drug can induce states of ego death and the sensation of being directly connected with the divine. In some cases, it offers profound relief for numerous conditions and illnesses. Drawn in by Octavio's visionary message of healing, many psychonauts, spiritual seekers, and patients without other options flocked to Sonora and sparked a psychedelic movement that would eventually circle the globe. But as Octavio's fame grew, stories emerged of extreme dosing, abusive behavior, and even dramatic deaths.

In this gripping and deeply reported book, Kimon de Greef uncovers the truth behind this cultish figure and the wider world of toad medicine. While Octavio touted the cultural authenticity of his toad ceremonies, verifiable evidence of ancestral practice appeared questionable. Fractious turf wars broke out among toad collectors, who sent impoverished locals into drug cartel territory to chase after the animals and risk their lives in the process. And pharmaceutical companies raced against one another to profit from the commercial potential of the God molecule and develop a transformative mental health treatment that could rival Prozac in its impact on psychopharmacology.

Part true crime, part cult story, part cultural history, The Ego Trip is a chronicle of the rise and fall of a messianic figure and an investigation into larger truths about our age of spiritual desolation. As de Greef makes clear in this hypnotic story, no matter the lengths we go to in attaining a more cosmic understanding, we will always remain firmly in the real world, bound by our limitations and inescapably human.

À propos de l'auteur

KIMON DE GREEF is a freelance journalist and researcher from South Africa. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Guardian, Guernica, National Geographic, and other publications. He is the coauthor of Poacher: Confessions from the Abalone Underworld and has written widely on illicit trades. He has a master's degree in conservation biology from the University of Cape Town and a master's in journalism from New York University. He lives in Cape Town, South Africa.