HUXLEY, Aldous
The Doors of Perception and Heaven & Hell
The Doors of Perception and Heaven & Hell
London: Chatto & Windus, 1954; 1956
Illustrated by
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Two first editions of Huxley's autobiographical works chronicling the author's experiences with mescaline and his reflections on visionary experience, spirituality, and the nature of reality.
- The Doors of Perception. London: Chatto & Windus, 1954. First UK edition, first impression, publisher's blue cloth, gilt titles to spine, with unclipped dust jacket. Hardback, 19.2 x 13.2 cm, 62 pp. A very good copy, with binding slightly slanted but secure, and pages clean and uninscribed, with cloth ever-so-lightly rubbed to corners, spine tips slightly crushed, a little innocuous staining to rear board, a handful of foxing spots to edges, and mild offsetting and a bookseller's ticket to prelims and another page. In a good dust jacket (6s. net to front flap) that is tanned and a tiny bit soiled, slightly creased and worn to extremities, and with a little loss to front panel and spine tips.
- Heaven & Hell. London: Chatto & Windus, 1956. First UK edition, first impression, publisher's deep-pink cloth, gilt titles to spine, with unclipped dust jacket. Hardback, 19.2 x 13.2 cm, 87 pp. A very good copy, with binding square and secure, and pages clean and uninscribed with the exception of an inscription in pen to FFEP, with spine tips ever-so-slightly crushed and discoloured, and mild offsetting to prelims. In a good dust jacket (7s 6d net to front flap) that is tanned, particularly to rear flap and spine, slightly worn and nibbled to extremities, and with a little loss to spine tips.
This pair of books comes with two newspaper cut-outs, tucked by the previous owner in the 'Heaven & Hell' copy, of an article in The Observer from 28 October 1956, covering an earlier mescaline experiment featuring former Labour minister's Christopher Mayhew's experience taking a substantial dose of mescaline on camera in his Surrey home, under psychiatrist Humphry Osmond's supervision. Dr Osmond, a pioneering figure in psychedelic research and correspondent of Aldous Huxley, administersed cognitive tests before and after dosing, and the article delves into Mayhew’s evolving perception: early focus issues, physical sensations, and later vivid visual distortions such as enhanced colors and patterns. This experiment stands as a fascinating precursor to Huxley’s 'The Doors of Perception' and the psychedelic movement that followed.
An excellent pair of first editions of Huxley's linked essays exploring altered states of consciousness, art, and the limits of human perception. Hugely influential in the countercultural movements of the 1960s, they remain central texts in discussions of psychedelics, philosophy, and the mind’s untapped potential.
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