Synopsis from the book cover:
While living among Peruvian Indians, anthropologist Jeremy Narby became intrigued by their claim that their phenomenal knowledge of plants and biochemistry was communicated to them directly while under the influence of hallucinogens.

Despite his initial scepticism, Narby found himself engaged in an increasingly obsessive personal quest. The evidence he collected – on subjects as diverse as molecular biology, shamanism, neurology and ancient mythology – Led inexorably to the conclusion that the Indians’ claims were literally true: to a consciousness prepared with drugs, specific biochemical knowledge could indeed be directly transmitted through DNA itself Narby demonstrates that indigenous and ancient peoples, from the Aborigines to the Egyptians, have known for millennia about the double helix structure – something conventional science only discovered in 1953.

Review:
The book starts off with Jeremy describing his placement in the Peruvian Amazon’s Pichis Valley. He was there for a two-year period of fieldwork to enable him to get a doctorate in anthropology. Whilst there he was persuaded to take the hallucinogenic brew, the main ingredient of which, is tobacco. He describes the experience he had whilst under the influence of the brew and also his discussions with the indigenous people.

A few years later his work which involved promoting community development in Third World countries led him to attend the ‘Earth Summit’ in Rio.  It was this event that caused him to notice a dilemma; the hallucinatory knowledge is confirmed and used by the pharmaceutical industry but it cannot be discussed because it contradicts the logic of Western knowledge. He saw this as an enigma and a blind spot for science and decided to make a detailed investigation of the subject.

His investigations covered the science of DNA.  He explains how he thought that the ‘Double Helix’ (DNA) correlated with the snake imagery that he saw in his hallucinatory state and also with the many historical mentions of snakes in other cultures. His investigations led him to believe that people who drank the hallucinogenic concoction could defocolize their consciousness and connect with the network of DNA based life. He leaves it with the reader to decide whether or not his theory is correct.

I found the book very interesting. The book provides lots of references and notes and gives a comprehensive bibliography which allows for further exploration of the different subjects within the book.