Episode · The Joe Rogan Experience · 2025-05-15
Books mentioned on #2322 - Rebecca Lemov
Rebecca Lemov is a historian of science at Harvard University and has been a visiting scholar at the Max Planck Institute. Her research explores data, technology, and the history of human and behavioral sciences.
Joe Rogan discussed The sacred mushroom and the cross by John Marco Allegro, The doors of perception by Aldous Huxley, Chaos by Tom O'Neill, and Blitzed by Norman Ohler. Rebecca Lemov discussed Island by Aldous Huxley, The Captive Mind by Czesław Miłosz, The Search for the "Manchurian Candidate" by John Marks, Violence and the Brain by Vernon H. Mark and others, The Terminal Man by Michael Crichton, and The Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The sacred mushroom and the cross
The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross by John Marco Allegro is a controversial scholarly study that posits early Christianity originated from ancient fertility cults centered around the sacramental use of psychedelic mushrooms.
Discussed“He wrote the sacred mushroom and the cross which is a fascinating book about the dead sea scrolls and he's got a very controversial perspective on Christianity”
Where to get it
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The doors of perception
The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley is a classic philosophical essay chronicling the author's psychedelic experiences and exploring the nature of human consciousness.
Discussed“Then his last book that he wrote before he died was uh was called the island. than it was sketching out what he believed would be just what you describe, a a non-abusive uh a place where a small scale community where humans could flourish and it wouldn't involve including it would avoid sexual abuse.”
Where to get it
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Island
Island by Aldous Huxley is the author's final novel, presenting a utopian vision of a Pacific island society that integrates Eastern philosophy, psychedelic exploration, and sustainable community living.
Discussed“Then his last book that he wrote before he died was called the island, than it was sketching out what he believed would be just what you describe, a a non-abusive a place where a small scale community where humans could flourish”
Where to get it
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Chaos
Chaos by Tom O'Neill is a deeply researched investigative non-fiction book that exposes startling connections between the CIA's MKUltra mind control experiments, COINTEL Pro, and the infamous Charles Manson murders of the 1960s.
Discussed“Have you read Chaos, the Tom O'Neal book? Yeah. What did you think about that? I thought it was great research. Amazing.”
Where to get it
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The Captive Mind
Czesław Miłosz's The Captive Mind is a profound exploration of intellectual corruption and political conformity under totalitarian regimes.
Discussed“which was this book called the captive mind that somebody had left out by Chesaf Milos a po who was a Polish poet and he had grown up in Warsaw”
Where to get it
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Blitzed
Blitzed by Norman Ohler is a historical investigation into the widespread use of drugs, particularly methamphetamine, by the Nazi regime and German soldiers during World War II.
Discussed“Have you read Norman Oler's book Blitzed? No. It's about Nazis and the use of methamphetamine during the war.”
Where to get it
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The Search for the "Manchurian Candidate"
The Search for the Manchurian Candidate by John Marks is a pioneering historical investigation into the Central Intelligence Agency's covert MKULTRA behavioral modification and drug testing programs during the mid-to-late twentieth century.
Discussed“there's actually there's a section on it in John Marx's book, The Search for the Man Manurion Candidate.”
Where to get it
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Violence and the Brain
Discussed“and this is extensively documented in published papers and in their book violence in the brain.”
Where to get it
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The Terminal Man
Discussed“So, Michael Cretton wrote the book The Terminal Man, which was his second novel that was about Kyle. He masks the name of Kyle.”
Where to get it
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The Hidden Persuaders
The Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard is a classic exposé that investigates how the advertising and public relations industries began deploying psychological and psychoanalytical techniques to manipulate consumer behavior and desires.
Discussed“they wrote books like the hidden persuaders to expose the effects of advertising and PR.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“The instability of truth. This is your book. Brainwashing, mind control, and hyper-persuasion.”