The Psychedelic Resource List (PRL) was born in 1994 as a subscription-based newsletter. In 1996,
everything that had previously been published, along with a bounty of new material, was updated
and compiled into a book. From 1996 until 2004, several new editions of the book were produced.
With each new version, a decrease in font size correlated to an increase in information. The task of
revising the book grew continually larger. Two attempts to create an updated fifth edition both
fizzled out. I finally accepted that keeping on top of all of the new books, businesses, and
organizations, had become a more formidable challenge than I wished to take on. In any case, these
days folks can find much of what they are looking for by simply using an Internet search engine.
Even though much of the PRL is now extremely dated, it occurred to me that there are two reasons
why making it available on the web might be of value. First, despite the fact that a good deal of the
book’s content describes things that are no longer extant, certainly some of the content relates to
writings that are still available and businesses or organizations that are still in operation. The
opinions expressed regarding such literature and groups may remain helpful for those who are
attempting to navigate the field for solid resources, or who need some guidance regarding what’s
best to avoid. Second, the book acts as a snapshot of underground culture at a particular point in
history. As such, it may be found to be an enjoyable glimpse of the psychedelic scene during the late
1990s and early 2000s.
— Jon Hanna, February 2009