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The Rose of Paracelsus: On Secrets & Sacraments
Written over four years in maximum-security federal prison cells, The Rose of Paracelsus: On Secrets and Sacraments is a distinctive piece of psychedelic literature. It delves into the depths of human cognitive potential. The story is told through the eyes of a Harvard graduate student and researcher. He discovers a global psychedelic network by meeting “the Six,” secret LSD chemists who produce vast quantities of the drug. Their work explores different states of consciousness and pushes the boundaries of human evolution.
Spanning cities from Cambridge to Moscow, Oxford to Zürich, and Princeton to Mazar-i-Sharif and Bangkok, the book reveals the lifestyles of a secretive and unique organization. This group has developed extraordinary abilities in thought, memory, and perception.
“The Rose” presents a psychedelic biography of its author, William Leonard Pickard, a former Harvard chemist imprisoned for 20 years for conspiring to produce and distribute LSD. “The Nature of Drugs: History, Pharmacology, and Social Impact” (Synergetic Press, 2021) featured an excerpt from “The Rose.”
A documentarian who created a podcast series featuring readings from “The Rose” commented on the book, saying, “Other than LSD, it’s quite possibly the most psychedelic thing you’ll ever find on paper.”
About the author
Saga Briggs is a freelance journalist renowned for her work on interoception and psychedelics. She was featured in publications such as Scientific American, Aeon+Psyche, and DoubleBlind Magazine. Previously, she served as an editor for the MIND European Foundation for Psychedelic Science. And as the managing editor of InformED, a digital magazine dedicated to linking teachers and students with the latest developments in educational psychology. Originally hailing from the Pacific Northwest, she relocated to Berlin in 2018, guided by instinct, and she continues to follow her intuitive path.