Ralph Metzner, Explorer of Consciousness: The Life and Legacy of a Psychedelic Pioneer

by Cathy Coleman (Editor), David E. Presti (Foreword by)

Overview

Reveals the vast impact of Ralph Metzner’s healing therapies and wisdom on colleagues, students, clients, and the fields in which he worked

• Includes contributions from Rick Doblin, Charles S. Grob, Stan Grof, Stanley Krippner, Dennis McKenna, the late Christian Rätsch, Richard Strozzi-Heckler, Claudia Mueller-Ebeling, Dorothy Fadiman, Luis Eduardo Luna, and others

• Explores Ralph’s childhood, his time at Harvard with Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (Ram Dass), his work with Agni Yoga and transpersonal psychology, his development of ecopsychology, and his in-depth psychedelic research

Renowned as a pioneering psychologist, psychedelic elder, alchemical explorer, and shamanic teacher, the late Ralph Metzner (1936–2019) contributed profoundly to consciousness research, transpersonal psychology, and contemporary psychedelic studies across his more than 50-year career.

Celebrating the life and legacy of Ralph Metzner, this book explores how Ralph touched the lives of those around him in extraordinary and remarkable ways, recasting people’s worldviews and inspiring the flowering of creativity, personal growth, and spiritual transformation. There are recollections from the pivotal years of the Sixties, when Ralph conducted research with Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (Ram Dass). Other contributors describe Ralph’s involvement in the School of Actualism in the 1970s and the profound impact that Agni Yoga had on Ralph’s explorations of consciousness and his healing therapies. We also learn about Ralph’s development of Green Psychology, or ecopsychology, his mystical work exploring prenatal realms of consciousness and channeling, and his healing and transformative “Vision Circles.”

Academic colleagues and a who’s who of fellow psychedelic researchers share stories from their work with Ralph, illuminating his depth of knowledge and broad impact. This book paints a complete portrait of Ralph Metzner in his well-known roles as therapist and psychedelic pioneer and as an intrepid explorer of consciousness until the very end of his life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798888500507
Publisher:	Inner Traditions/Bear & Company
Publication date:	10/01/2024
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Cathy Coleman, Ph.D., was Ralph Metzner’s wife of 31 years. A former dean of students at California Institute of Integral Studies, president of Kepler College, and director of IONS’ EarthRise Retreat Center, she lives in Sonoma, California.

David E. Presti is the author of Foundational Concepts in Neuroscience.

Table of Contents

Foreword • by David Presti

Preface • by Cathy Coleman and Simon Warwick-Smith

Overview and Early Life
Ralph Metzner • by Cathy Coleman

Remembering Ralph Metzner: Scholar, Teacher,
Shaman • by David Presti

The Unusual Second Son • by Robin Metzner

There Are No Winners in War • by Richard Strozzi-Heckler

A Scholar, Educator, and Mentor
Entertaining Gods and Goddesses • by Stanley Krippner

Climbing the Ladder of Spiritual Awakening • by DeLee Lantz

Ralph’s Animation of the Academy • by Michael Flanagin

Master Teacher • by Peter Faust

Reflections on a Life Well-Lived • by Roger Marsden

Toward Healing and Transformation: A Letter
to Ralph • by Scott Hill

Mentor and Father Figure • by Daniel Sloan Brown

Psychedelic Medicines
for Healing and Visions

Meteor Showers of Synchronicities • by Stanislav Grof

Personal Inspiration and True Psychedelic
Pioneer • by Rick Doblin

And So It Is, Raoul. And So It Is! • by Charles S. Grob

Remembering Ralph: Reminiscences on a Mentor
and Friend • by Dennis J. McKenna

Courageous Explorer • by Susan Homer

Palenque and Beyond • by Tim Scherer

The Many Faces of Ralph • by Carla Detchon

The Abbess and the Wandering Monk • by Diane Haug

Birth of a Psychedelic Culture • by Gary Bravo

Steppenwolf’s Magic Theater • by Jack Silver

A Man to Remember • by Uwe Doerken

Healing with Salvia divinorum and Ralph's Helping
Hand • by Friedrich Rehrnbeck

The Clear Bead at the Center • by Dorothy Fadiman

The Broken Lineage • by David Lukoff

Extraordinary Things Happened When
I Was with Ralph • by Christian Rätsch

Enchantments • by Claudia Müller-Ebeling

Remembering My Amigo • by Luis Eduardo Luna

Treasured Time with Ralph • by David Jay Brown

Life-Changing Work with Sacred Medicine
Circles • by Mark Seelig

Esoteric Modalities and
Sacred Storytelling

The Great Work • by Alan Levin

All Turned Out for the Good • by Ralph Abraham

At the Well of Remembrance • by Monika Wikman

Ralph’s Ultimate Magical Mystery Tour • by Leo Figgs

Inspiration for New Dimensions Radio • by Justine Willis Toms

A Rich Strand of Jewels • by Paul Müller

Reverend Ralph • by Gail Colombo

Self-Transformation of Beautiful Warrior • by Briege Farrelly

You’ll Always Have a Place in My Heart • by Jamy Faust

Green Psychology

Terrapsychology’s Debt to Ralph Metzner • by Craig Chalquist

The Maternal Mythic Milieu of
Ralph Metzner • by Alastair McIntosh

As Above, So Below • by Sam Mickey

Heeding the Call of the Soul • by Brian Nattrass

Ecological Interconnectedness • by Jan Edl Stein

Artistic Expression

Geomancy and Goddess Imagery • by Christopher Castle

Cosmic Manners: A Song for Ralph Metzner • by Leigh Marz

The Bardo Blues • by Phil Wolfson

The Winged Heart Rises • by Jais Booth

Invocation to the Web of Ralph's Life • by Silvia Nakkach

Mystical Living: Classical and Improv • by Maria Mangini

Conversations with Ralph • by Susan Wright

Death, Conscious Dying,
and the Afterlife

Ralph Metzner: Bodhisattva • by Chellis Glendinning

How to Channel: The Gift Ralph Gave • by Matthew McKay

Afterlife Journey of the Soul in Jewish
Mysticism and Tradition • by Simcha Paull Raphael

Friend, Inspirer, and Companion • by Roger Liggenstorfer,
Christine Heidrich, and Markus Berger

Ralph’s Report on the “Here Now” in the
“Here After” • by Michael Ziegler

Family

Extraordinary Dad • by Sophia Metzner

Adventures Growing Up with Ralph • by Elias Coleman
Jacobson

The Sacred Hoop of Partnership • by Cathy Coleman

Acknowledgments

Glossary of Psychoactive Medicines

Books and Music by Ralph Metzner

About the Editor

Editorial Reviews

The lifelong imprints left on those one touches with their presence, words, and actions make a person unforgettable. This book is a tribute to an unforgettable Ralph, whose unique and vast range of imprints is beautifully portrayed in this collection of writings by those who met him along their paths. May Ralph’s legacy keep inspiring new generations committed to the ever-expanding dance of consciousness. In gratitude, Maestro!

Susana Bustos

Over the sixty years I knew Ralph, he remained the best educated, most curious, and most open man I’ve ever known. Where others saw walls, he not only saw doors but propped them open and urged us to follow him to experience new facets of our interconnections and underlying unity.

James Fadiman

As a treasured professor, author, lecturer, mentor, therapist, and administrator, Ralph Metzner made significant contributions to transpersonal and psychedelic research and therapy. This volume is a complement to his vision and makes the case for his most important ideas on expansion and deepening of consciousness, alchemy, shamanism, human development, mythology, death and afterlife, family, and friendship.

Robert McDermott

A fitting tribute to a man who touched so many around the world with his wisdom, love, intellect, heart, and creative flow. So many wonderful voices reveal different aspects of Brother Raoul’s self. Take the time to read them all and gain good medicine about a good medicine man that showed up and went for the gold of transformation.

Tom “tomás” Pinkson

Ralph was able to explore and articulate an enormous range of both innovative and ancient ideas and practices in ways that continue to ripple out into the larger world. This is a worthy testament to a visionary scholar whose life has made a difference.

Richard Tarnas

Reading this book, I am reminded again and again what a fabulous human being Ralph was. He was a holistic thinker, a courageous explorer, a comic who made us laugh, and a human being with an utterly dependable grasp on all levels of reality. This book captures so much of him and is a gift for all spiritual seekers.

Brian Thomas Swimme

Ralph Metzner dedicated his life to the exploration of consciousness and the one energy that we all are. This book honors his great spirit and provides inspiration for our own explorations of the source from which we all spring.

Markus Berger

Ralph Metzner has been a mentor to countless psychedelic explorers, and this is an inspiring celebration of Ralph’s influence on the many people whose lives were touched deeply by his mentorship. Ralph’s legacy offers an important reminder of the visionary aspects of psychedelic use that cannot be contained within a medical model.

Mary Gomes

This tribute to Ralph Metzner’s life conveys so eloquently how skillfully Ralph used his profound understanding of the world’s wisdom traditions to touch so many so deeply. This book is an invitation to share in Ralph’s journey to consciousness.

Allen Kanner

Like the shaman whose traditions he both studied and extended, Ralph was a traveler between worlds. And not only a traveler, but a guide, interpreter, and defender. A truly integral individual, his expertise and passions spanned the common divisions between science and spirituality, the personal and the political, the esoteric and the ecological. This volume of tributes will give the reader a tangible sense of the exceptional range of fields to which Ralph made significant and lasting contributions.

Sean Kelly

A remarkable and lovingly warm tribute to a true 20th-century pioneer in psychedelic, transpersonal, and consciousness studies whose cultural influence and scholarly contributions to our understanding of psychedelics and altered states have led to the reemergence of psychedelic research today. Ralph’s incredible life is beautifully told in these pages.

Anthony P. Bossis

This book will take you through the labyrinth to the origins of what it means to explore one’s consciousness in its purest form. This is a beautiful testament to one of the great pioneers of our time. Today’s psychedelic renaissance could have never existed if it weren’t for the gift of life that was Ralph Metzner.

Zach Leary

Ralph Metzner was a pioneer ‘explorer of consciousness’ who stood steadfastly for the integrity of psychedelic work, service, community, and right livelihood. This book, with contributions from other psychedelic pioneers, provides a wonderful opportunity for us all to keep learning from Ralph.

Michael Mithoefer

Ralph Metzner helped give birth to the psychedelic Sixties—witnessing, shaping, and intelligently commenting on this movement’s tumultuous life for more than half a century. This collection of loving remembrances humanizes and deepens our understanding of him as a consciousness-raising pioneer.

author of The Harvard Psychedelic Club and God on Don Lattin

Ralph Metzner made a significant contribution to the exploration of psychedelic worlds. This book honors a great master, teacher, and humanitarian friend.

Roger Liggenstorfer

This book highlights Ralph’s academic and experiential contributions to healing and visionary states using various entheogens, meditations, and shamanic techniques. It describes his dedication to the field of green psychology for the preservation of the natural world. It is an indispensable read for all practitioners who are exploring altered states of consciousness.

Alexander Shester

In the lineage he leaves behind, the fire of Ralph’s commitment to ending suffering lives on. The potency of his alchemical divinatory practices as pathways for radical transformation reflect his unending passion for the liberation of awakened consciousness and the proactive co-creation of a more peaceful and just world.

Valeria McCarroll

Ralph Metzner guided many people through profound experiences and altered states of consciousness. Here is a well-deserved tribute to this impressive intrepid pioneer, psychonaut, guide, and author.

Roger Walsh M.D.

It is with great pride and honor that I hold my position at the University of California San Francisco in Ralph’s name. I so appreciate the depth and breadth of Ralph’s knowledge and expertise as a scientist, artist, healer, and more.

Robin Carhart-Harris

A vibrant palette of inspiration and lived experience that documents Ralph Metzner’s multifaceted legacy. This book will remain alive and vibrant as an influence on the field of psychedelics.

Janis Phelps