User Reviews

Part narrative exploration of written accounts of psychedelic experiences (what I expected going in), part polemic, part advocacy and part education. I suspect that for the message to truly resonate as intended a very specific worldview and cultural context is necessary (contrary to its universalist presentation), so its ideal audience is rather small. It's unlikely to change any minds and, to someone whose worldview only partially overlaps with that presented, its content ranged from the insightful, through the obvious, through the totally backwards and through some unfortunate patches of thin nonsense.

However that does not ruin any experience, there's beauty in it and some valuable messages. Even if you are not fully aligned with the worldview espoused of psychedelics as an gateway to the external and spiritual more than the internal and obscure, as I am not, there are things to appreciate or learn from this and I would recommend a watch. Parts will need discarded but other parts are of great value.

My lukewarm rating comes primarily not from my disagreements in spiritual worldview but from a sense that the components of the film work against each other. The narrative exploration is undercut by long discussion segments that veer off far from the texts. The education is undercut by needing to make room for other content, for example setting is often mentioned but not elaborated on in depth. The advocacy of drug liberalisation, a cause I support, is built on twin justifications of (sadly underexplored) medical merits of psychedelics and of laying out a spiritual faith-based view of reality as revealed by psychedelics. Naturally these do not complement each other and, indeed, undermine each other. This film is effectively several other potential films crowding each other out and stunting what they could have been. A shame, but take from it what you can, and enjoy the process of doing so.

This is a lovely short documentary about a subject which is well known, popular and very much the topic of conversation for some of us.

But right in the middle of it, Dr Gabor Mate for some bizarre reason goes on a political rant about a President completely destroying the tone and message of the movie. There's so much hate still in Gabor and possibly the Director who chose not to edit this rant - it becomes difficult to believe these guys know what they're talking about or have glimpsed a view of the unknowable! How can you talk of Buddha and still be consumed with so much hate and spout so much nonsense? Wasn't the whole idea of awareness and consciousness to go above petty things AND understand the different choices people make? The politics,etc is not that important and it's all make-believe anyway like everything in this world. Obviously not for Dr Gabor Mate and I've heard similar politics spouted even by Jon Kabat-Zinn in some of his talks and I'm stumped. So these guys have never reached a better place at all? Why are they talking of mindfulness, awareness, consciousness and the lot when they're still wallowing in hatred? Let it go. Don't just preach follow your own advice. Be a better person.

Importantly why destroy a beautiful meditative piece of filming with filth which takes the viewer out of the reverie? Baffling indeed.

I came to this documentary knowing relatively little about the subject except having heard of Watts, Leary and Huxley, but left having really enjoyed both the information presented and the way the film was put together.

The film is broken down in to 3 parts with short excerpts written by Aldous Huxley, Timothy Leary and Alan Watts describing their early psychedelic experiences. These narratives are set to animation that captures both the linear story and the 'journey' they are going through in their heads. All of them experience deep revelations; about themselves, society and the very idea of consciousness and the human mind. After the animation these experiences are then discussed by eminent psychologists, sociologists etc. who discuss both the cultural impact of these experiences on western society, and why, under controlled conditions, that psychedelics could form part of treatment for certain psychological conditions.

That is not to say that this film advocates uncontrolled use of these psychedelics, quite the opposite, and the dangers of doing so are discussed in some detail. However, the conclusion is that shamanic cultures have used psychedelics for millennia, but only under 'guidance', so if we are to use them clinically, we would need to take the same approach.

So these three eminent western figures stumbled across these substances, which were all but forgotten or unknown at the time. They had transcendental experiences that helped kick-start the post-war cultural shift. Ultimately though there was reaction against this shift, and the stigma of these substances being 'drugs', has blocked what could be a new area of treatment for deep rooted psychological illnesses that, until recently, have been considered practically untreatable.

The experts speak passionately and clearly and this is fascinating, but what really makes the documentary is the animation which is incredibly visually arresting. This makes the whole experience of watching the film very enjoyable as well as interesting.

'Journeys to the edge of consciousness' , could have equally been called, 'a road map for healing mental and emotional trauma' or even 'how to navigate the mind, body and spirit of the self'. The film looks at three wonderful animations, documenting a quick snapshot of the experiences of Alan Watts, Aldous Huxley and Timothy Leary. What follows are the lucid perspectives of the best of today's thinkers. The film educated me, (the quality of the information is in depth and referencable), this film challenged my perspective on social issues surrounding human behaviour and human rights issues. This film comforted me to know that there are individuals and groups who have solutions to troubling social issues of today. Psychedelia this film explains but the wider truth is that of the reconciliation of the human spirit is within our grasp if conscientious disciple and a dollop of humour is employed,....for All! A wonderful, wonderful documentary, and because of the mature delivery will become a reference of the genre and indeed for all who want to be whole.

I didn't know what to expect from this film but I learnt so much. The interviews offered views and opinions I had never considered before, and the film took me into the imaginations of writers like Aldous Huxley, who I greatly admire, and whose version of the future looks to become a truth in how we chose to live and be governed. The animation is superb - stylish, smart and intriguing. A must-watch for all those interested in widening their understanding of what consciousness is.

Inspired film. It gave me a lot to think about. The format of three narrated stories interspersed with interviews works really well and the animation is stunning.

I've watched this multiple times now, and every time I feel like I'm discovering something new. The animations are beautiful and compliment the interviews so well. Many of the people who are interviewed I've been following for years, such as Gabor Mate, and it was so interesting to hear things from his perspective. This doc does an amazing job of coming at the concept of psychadelics and consciousness from so many unbiased angles, I think that's why I keep coming back to watching this so often.

Having watched many documentaries on the subject of how exogenous substances interact with human consciousness I can say that this documentary takes a very refreshing perspective on this subject which, sadly, is still severely lacking in research. Hopefully this documentary and others like it will help bring this subject further into the mainstream.

The three accounts retold in this documentary are extremely well presented with a beautifully animated visual style and moving score which all work together elevating this beyond just a film, this is an important piece of self education for those thinking about diving into the world of altering consciousness, but equally this is an audio visual piece of art. Enjoy!

What a fantastic film - from the stories to the animations and interviews. It gave me a new perspective on the history of psychedelics and the role it might have in our (not-so) future society. I highly recommend this film to anyone interested in history, society, mental health, spirituality... the list goes on. It touches on so many aspects of our lives. Go watch it - I can't wait to see it again!

Journeys to the Edge of Consciousness is a wonderful film - it encapsulates such an important message so beautifully. I know I was one of many at the screening who found it very moving. More of the world needs to see it, I recommend it to everyone!

Saw this film recently not knowing what to expect and left the screening not wanting it to end. Excellent interview clips, animated/story sequences and overall journey and exploration of the subject. Would love to watch more from the film maker. Reckon he could give many subjects the same treatment.

In the past few years I watched many different documentaries about the exciting topic of psychoactive substances and the psychedelic revolution we're entering just now. There are many great movies about it, but Journeys to the Edge of Consciousness is by far my favourite one. There are not only some of the wisest people speaking about how psychedelics can release us from the dangerous (thought-)systems we get born and trapped into in our society, but also the amazing artwork and the wonderful stories of some of the greatest psychonauts of the last century in this movie is just mind-blowing.

I can recommend this movie to anyone who's interested in changing this world to a better place through practices that most people in western civilisation would probably call unconventional. We need unconventional thinking and psychedelics open up doors to realms that we rarely can grasp in our modern day-to-day lives.

Please go and buy the movie, it is so worth the few bucks and honors all the hard work that was put into the production of this masterpiece. I hope and believe that this movie can bring us a giant leap forward in the evolution of collective and individual consciousness! A consciousness that is so much needed right now!

A brilliant film, 'Journey's to the Edge of Consciousness', elucidates the mystery and paradox of existence -- through the lenses of arguably the most influential psychedelic connoisseurs of the 20th century. Deploying phenomenal animation and expert reflections from contemporary thinkers, the insights of Leary, Huxley, and Watts are enlivened. In combination, this serves to relate their experiences to our modern day predicaments like never before.

This excellently made film brings together three different approaches to psychedelics and their uses for expanding human consciousness: psychological, scientific and spiritual. Centred around the work of three great psychonauts, Aldous Huxley, Alan Watts and Timothy Leary, it includes commentary by leading thinkers in the field , including Gabor Mate, Dennis McKenna and Ben Sessa. For anyone interested in this rapidly expanding field, this is a must-watch.

A beautifully made documentary that looks at the experiences of three of the most influential writers of the 20th century who would go on to have a profound influence on popular culture. The animations that accompany the 'trips' are beautiful and really bring the narration/monologues to life. The selection of speakers was excellent and from my perspective the tone seemed very balanced, neither glamorising nor demonising any of the subject matter.

I loved this film. It features interviews with some of the biggest names in the space - Gabor Maté, Amanda Fielding, Dennis McKenna, Rick Doblin, Ben Sessa, David Luke, and many others. And the animations are beautiful. Highly recommended.

This film is outstanding and covers so many important questions and issues. Very accessible and thought provoking. The producer has certainly done his homework and somehow engaged famous, relevant and informed contributors. Brilliantly entertaining and engaging. By far the best documentary on the topic. Best film I've seen in years.

George Dunseth.

This movie is brilliant as well as beautiful. The style - the animation is working very well, something you don't see every day. Open your mind just a little bit and let the world see differently from your every day life. This movie can really change the perspective of life and the life itself.

I've had the privilege to speak to the director when he was in Newcastle and he's brilliant. He's made this movie to share the message that there is more to life than what we are told. More than some people want us to believe.

Life can change for better and sometimes all we need is to watch a movie. Because even the smallest stone can start an avalanche :)

It's easy to forget how much of a profound effect on the public consciousness these 3 trips have had. The sharp, well sound-designed animations bring the journeys of these 3 thinkers to light, and allows us to examine them afresh.

As well these, some of our most profound thinkers in the psychedelic and therapeutic space, Dennis Mckenna and Gabor Matte share valuable insights into the human condition.

The pace and execution of the film is also excellent. In a world of dopamine inducing, fast paced content, the thoughtfulness of this film was extremely refreshing. Recommended.

I have very little knowledge of psychedelics so I went into this documentary with an open mind and I was not disappointed. The film takes three pieces of writing from influential thinkers in the field of psychedelics (Alan Watts, Aldous Huxley and Timothy Leary) and sets them to animation. They are then discussed by a range of commenters.

As someone fairly uneducated on the subject I found the stories to be very interesting and insightful providing a truly different view on the world we live in. The animation is original, beautiful and perfectly captures the essence of the narration. The resulting discussions were very thought provoking and made me want to learn more.

I think this is a must watch for anyone already interested in the subject matter and I would definitely recommend it for newcomers too. A great documentary and I look forward to seeing what the director brings us next.

Since stumbling into psychedelic ecstasy and terror in 1967 at the age of nineteen, I've spent many years studying the nature of psychedelic experiences to understand my trips. I've learned a great deal, and yet I experienced many fresh insights and perspectives watching this film. I especially appreciate the skillful interplay between the narrative passages dramatized from books by Timothy Leary, Aldous Huxley, and Alan Watts and the commentary on them by a wide range of experts on psychedelic experience. This film is an important contribution to our understanding of these complex and fascinating expanded states of consciousness.

Scott Hill, Ph. D. author of Confrontation With the Unconscious: Jungian Depth Psychology and Psychedelic Experience.

As a doctor I found this fascinating - it has totally changed my perspective on psychedelics and has made me much more open to their use as treatment. I have helped a patient sign up for a psilocybin clinical trial and have encouraged my students to watch it too.