Abstract
Birmingham, AL (USA) is home to a psychedelic integration group that meets every Wednesday to discuss the intersection of psychedelics, spirituality, religion, and personal growth. It was founded as an outgrowth of therapy sessions involving psychedelics, such as ketamine, psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA; however, as the group has evolved, there has been an increasing focus on spirituality and religion. Some members of the group are intensely interested in the ancient use of psychedelic substances, seeking inspiration from a number of sources. For example, they cite Road to Eleusis, which first proposed a connection between the Greek mystery cult at Eleusis and the potential use of psychedelic substances, and The Immortality Key, which argues that early Christianity adopted the psychedelic Eleusinian potion as the eucharist. My research focuses on why members of this psychedelic integration group are so interested in ancient examples of psychedelic use (whether these examples are factual or modern inventions is unimportant for this project). I recruited several members of this community to conduct interviews on this subject. I am curious about several issues. For example, do these participants see the putative ancient examples as a justification for their own use of psychedelics? Are they seeking a new paradigm in which to practice the faith in which they were raised? Are they seeking alternatives to their faith? Have they had a psychedelic experience that they thought connected them to ancient psychedelic use?
Presenters
Walter WardProfessor, History, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Psychedelics, Integration, Eleusis, Early Christianity, Mystery Religions
