The Ego Trip by Kimon De Greef

The Ego Trip by Kimon De Greef

A psychedelic guru, a magical toad and the dark side of the modern quest for transcendence.

'Entirely mesmerising . . . The Ego Trip is itself a trip' PATRICK RADDEN KEEFE
'A one-of-a-kind book. I loved it' WILLIAM FINNEGAN
'Strange and wonderful' SUSAN ORLEAN

In 2012, physician Octavio Rettig claimed 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'. The experience promised ego death, communion with the divine and extraordinary relief for those suffering from PTSD, depression and drug addiction. As word spread, Octavio became the face of a global psychedelic movement, drawing seekers from around the world.

Yet as his fame grew, so did troubling reports of extreme dosing, abusive behaviour and a disturbing cult-like following. what began as a spiritual revival evolved into something far more dangerous.

In this gripping and deeply reported book, Kimon de Greef explores the promise and the peril of 'toad medicine'. Part true crime, part cult story, part investigative journalism, The Ego Trip chronicles the rise and fall of a self-made messianic figure while probing our relentless search for cosmic understanding.

Elegant and electrifying, this sweeping tale of would-be shamans, corporate cowboys, and faithful acolytes of the God Molecule is one of the sharpest works of long-form journalism I've read in yearsIt somehow manages to unveil new worlds, expose frauds, and tell a throat-gripping good yarn all at once. Don't hesitate-take the trip! * Robert Moor, New York Times bestselling author of In Trees and On Trails *
Told with verve and built on deep reporting, The Ego Trip is strange and wonderful. De Greef is a great storyteller and he guides the reader beautifully around this story's crazy curves * Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief *

Kimon de Greef's original coverage of Octavio appeared in a March 2022 print edition of The New Yorker. He is the recipient of the inaugural Ferriss-UC Berkeley Psychedelic Journalism Fellowship. Kimon's work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Guernica, and National Geographic among others.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781399617949
ISBN 10	139961794X
Title	The Ego Trip
Author	Kimon De Greef
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Orion Publishing Co
Year published	2026-08-06
Number of pages	320
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.