DM Turner- The Esseential psychedelic guide

'Caution' is the watchword, especially for newcomers to the psychedelic
arena. Nevertheless, we must remember that Turner was the Chuck Yeager
of psychonauts, a test pilot's test pilot. His voyages should therefore be
judged accordingly.
The sad circumstances regarding his demise, however, have cast a
foreboding shadow over some of his more intrepid adventures, and
unfortunately have turned a hero's story into a cautionary tale. On or about
December 31, 1996, Turner prepared for another voyage, presumably to
celebrate the coming of the new year. Sadly, it was to be his last. Shortly
thereafter he was found dead, drowned in his bathtub, with a vial of
ketamine nearby. It seems likely that he either slid beneath the waterline
while under its effects, or slipped, fell, and hit his head upon arising
afterwards, leaving himself unconscious to drown in several inches of water.
In light of Turner's glowing praise for ketamine in this book, how exactly is
the reader supposed to view the fact that it seems to have played at least a
supporting role in his passing? My own favorite interpretation is from an
anonymous friend's recollection of Turner in the Summer 1997 issue of The
Resonance Project:
Mr. Turner was in the process of revising his Essential Psychedelic
Guide, but as the changes may never come to light, it should be stated
that his opinion of ketamine had changed considerably. He was sensitive
to safety issues, and was increasingly troubled by what he called the
'psychedelic heroin' properties of ketamine. He confided in friends that
DMT, which he considered his most helpful ally, had a difficult time
counteracting the addictive and increasingly life-negative effects of this
drug. DMT conveyed to him that ketamine was a sort of 'Frankenstein
molecule' that didn't obey the shamanic rules, and he was given several
warnings to drop it from his program. Ultimately, his failure to
completely do so led to his untimely passing.
Whether or not one entirely agrees with the preceding quote, I believe that it
offers the most useful perspective from which to learn from the great loss
that the psychedelic community suffered on New Year's Eve 1997. If
nothing else, I hope that Turner's death inspires us all to be just a little more
careful when surfing the cosmic jetstream. Indeed, if only he had a sitter
nearby on his final voyage, he might still be among the living. Also, I would
hope that this tragedy might teach us to more fully listen to our personal
intuition's guidance as regards these powerful tools, using it as a balance by
which to gauge the veracity of what the materials themselves may tell us in
one of their capricious moods. During the thirty-four years he spent in his
incarnation as D.M. Turner, he touched innumerable lives with his warmth,
wisdom, honesty, courage, and kindness. And thankfully, he has left us with