This impassioned, deeply personal account of Duncan’s experience with “dedicated, guided psychedelic therapeutic work” makes a strong case for the power of what Duncan (author of Present Moment Awareness) calls “psychedelic healing.” Despite still being mostly illegal in the U.S., these drugs, he notes, have “been used as tools for entering non-ordinary states of consciousness for thousands of years.” In Shannon's case, their utility is to “open the doors within that allow true healing to be possible,” and his accounts of his experiments—both casual and later “deeper” and “intentional”—with psilocybin mushrooms, MDMA, Ketamine, and other substances point to their use in helping achieve self-love, feelings of confidence and joy, and “true, authentic growth that once earned cannot be taken away.”

Readers who shy away from accounts of trippy, inscrutable trips should rest assured that Duncan’s writing, anecdotes, and arguments are clear-eyed and resonant, especially passages addressing how controlled therapeutic psychedelic use helped overcome his own “deeply entrenched defenses” and into wounded areas of his psyche, such as his Jungian “shadow self.” Duncan makes clear throughout that this is work not to be taken lightly, urging the participation of “a good psychedelic guide will keep you breathing, relaxing, and anchored in your body.” Still, the book abounds with surprises, such as his discovery of a desire and talent to express himself in music.

“The interconnected webs of meaning that make up a person’s persona and define their sense of reality are far too complex for us to ever be able to predict the end results to any changes within that system,” Duncan writes. That’s both a promise and a warning. Coming Full Circle guides readers to practical, adaptable strategies—prepping for a journey, creating an atmosphere for healing, developing clear intentionality, finding a guide—for helping ensure that seekers manage any such changes arrived at during psychedelic therapy in a positive way, keeping their “gain”s. His story has power, and the hard-won advice is clear and courageous.

Takeaway: A clear-eyed account of and guide to healing through psychedelic therapy.

Great for fans of: Richard Louis Miller’s Psychedelic Medicine, Ayelet Waldman’s A Really Good Day.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-