Just finished 'Proof' by Graham Hancock - thoughts?

I finally got around to reading Graham Hancock's 'Proof' (the one about psychedelics and consciousness, not his earlier ancient civilisation work) and I've got quite mixed feelings about it. On one hand, he's clearly done serious research and interviewed fascinating people. On the other hand, some of his leaps in logic feel a bit generous, especially when he's trying to connect indigenous plant wisdom to modern neuroscience.

That said, there's definitely something to his argument about how Western medicine has dismissed certain practices without properly understanding them. The sections on DMT and near-death experiences were genuinely thought-provoking.

Has anyone else read it? Worth the £16.99 I paid for the hardcover, or should I have waited for the paperback? And more importantly - did it change how you think about consciousness and the paranormal?

Hancock's brilliant at packaging ideas in an accessible way, but he's also not a neuroscientist or a proper academic researcher. He's a journalist with a hypothesis he's very keen on proving. That said, his broader point about the limitations of reductionist science is sound. The book's entertaining and raises good questions, even if you don't accept all his conclusions. Worth a read, but treat it as a starting point rather than gospel.

I thought it was excellent. Yes, some of it's speculative, but that's the point - he's exploring ideas that mainstream academia won't touch. If you want proper rigorous analysis, read a neurology textbook. If you want your thinking challenged about consciousness and reality, Hancock delivers. Get his podcast too, it's free and every episode is solid.

His work on Göbekli Tepe and lost civilisations is far more interesting than this consciousness stuff, if you haven't read those. 'Supernatural' and 'America Before' are both genuinely well-researched and expand your understanding of human history. 'Proof' feels a bit like he's retreading familiar territory with new wrapping.

The podcast 'Encounter' with Graham Hancock and Randall Carlson is better than the books, honestly. They go deeper into the ideas and actually discuss criticisms rather than just presenting one side. If you've got time for podcast listening, highly recommend it over buying more books.