Heaven and Hell Summary and Analysis

"Heaven and Hell" is the second essay in this work. It provides a more general analysis of the ability of human beings to achieve transcendence and knowledge. Unlike "The Doors of Perception," "Heaven and Hell" does not recount any specific experience that the author had with mescalin. Instead, Huxley examines the reasons human beings explore their minds, the things that occur when someone is having a visionary experience, some of the techniques people have used throughout history to achieve a state of knowledge, and some of the pros and cons of different approaches. Ultimately, Huxley discusses heaven and hell and a middle ground that he feels can be reached through the use of mescalin.

"Heaven and Hell" begins with a comparison of the human mind to zoology. Like the study of animals around the world, there are...