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When Eastern and Western concepts and practices are brought together to imagine an ideal society where people benefit from the most important advantages of both cultures, they give rise to a hybrid utopia which may seem odd and far-fetched to a Western reader who is not well acquainted with Eastern philosophy. Yet, in his last novel, Huxley creates a society that embodies a philosophy of life resulting from a life-time quest for means of facilitating the progress of humanity, thus shaping what might be called a "realistic utopia". The paper discusses several interdisciplinary aspects in the novel, pertaining principally to science, religion and philosophy, many of which revolve around the use of a psychedelic drug in rites of passage by the inhabitants of the fictitious island of Pala. Experiential learning, applied psychology, conventional and complementary medicine all contribute to the stability and unity of the Palanese society. Western scientific progress and Eastern spiritual traditions combine harmoniously to enable Palanese people to pursue the ultimate goal: reaching happiness through self-realization and direct knowledge of the absolute reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The English psychiatrist Humphry Osmond (1917-2004) is known not only for his work in the field of psychotropic substances and for coining the word "psychedelic", but also for introducing the famous English writer Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) to psychedelic drugs, an experience which the author subsequently described in the famous but controversial book "The Doors of Perception" (1954).What is less known is the fact that Humphry Osmond was one of the closest friends of the writer in his last decade of life. The paper presents some significant aspects of the correspondence between the two intellectuals, which can contribute to a better understanding of the way in which the author of "Brave New World" was integrating new scientific discoveries within his literary and research activities and was also getting involved in the scientific research of the time related to psychedelic substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]