If you only have time to read one book this year, this should be it. Following his powerful previous work, "The Mescaline Confession: Breaking through the Walls of Delusion," Baranov continues to confront his reader with eloquence, profundity, and sincerity. "The Cactus of Sanity" could not have been written in a more appropriate time. Writing from an ongoing, over a decade-long shamanic practice, the author takes you deeper into the mystery of Huachuma, a powerful brew made out of an Andean cactus used in Peru for thousands of years. Insightful and revealing, the book guides you through a journey of self-discovery to a path of service and dedication. The author asserts that plant teachers are the greatest gift to humanity that must be embraced with the utmost respect and gratitude. Baranov's argument for direct spiritual experience being the most important medium of knowledge comes across with an ever-more convincing force of rationality. The author's ability to convey complex ideas in images created through words makes the reading more vibrant, interesting, and fun. This gracefully presented, well-researched, thoughtful and reasonable discussion might answer many of your questions and perhaps even set you on a mind-blowing exploration of shamanic dimensions.