In the first CD, Pinchbeck summarizes his spiritual crisis and his journey through a variety of plant based pharmaceuticals he encounters through conversations and initiations with different tribal leaders all over the world. His book Breaking Open the Head, which came out five years ago, delved into this journey with great detail and brought rare psychedelics used in contemporary shamanic spiritual practices to an inquiring audience.

CDs Two and Three explore philosophical and historical shifts in the nature of consciousness, part of which he discussed in his second book, 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, which was released last year. Pinchbeck offers up a variety of explanations for the interest in Mayan prophesy and the coming shift in 2012. He discusses theories by Jose Arguelles, Terence McKenna, and many others, including an obscure mathematician who sees a previously unknown geometry in crops circles that also points to the year 2012.  Pinchbeck doesn't subscribe to any of these theories but he is intrigued by them.

In the final CD, Pinchbeck discusses transformations in global society, including changes in the economics, and what he sees might be the beginning of a new planetary culture that is based on relationships and not material things.

Though I don't agree with a lot of these theories or even some of Pinchbeck's conclusions, I do find the information he presents to be very compelling—and possibly prophetic. He makes a reference in the recording about the defeat of the children's insurance bill that was vetoed. That would make his recording of this audiobook over a year ago. It was right after this reference that Pinchbeck talks about the power of social networks (Facebook, etc.) and the Internet to become great tools for social and political change. He didn't know then just how much of a major role the Internet, YouTube, cell phones, and social networking would play in this year's election. But he postulated that it would become part of grassroots reorganization of many social systems.

I find all of this fascinating. Pinchbeck, like many authors who write about 2012, do sense coming change, and not the subtle change that comes from one generation's ideas to the next. The change that these authors are writing about is rapid and will greatly affect global consciousness.  In Reality 2.0: Shamans, Psychedelics, and the Next Step in Evolution, Pinchbeck offers much to think about.