The Psychedelic Gospels : The Secret History of Hallucinogens in Christianity

Brown, Jerry B./ Brown, Julie M.

Park Street Press,U.S.（2016/10発売）

• 製本 Paperback:紙装版/ペーパーバック版／ページ数 288 p.
• 言語 ENG
• 商品コード 9781620555026
• DDC分類 270

Full Description

Throughout medieval Christianity, religious works of art emerged to illustrate the teachings of the Bible for the largely illiterate population. What, then, is the significance of the psychoactive mushrooms hiding in plain sight in the artwork and icons of many European and Middle-Eastern churches? Does Christianity have a psychedelic history?
Providing stunning visual evidence from their anthropological journey throughout Europe and the Middle East, including visits to Roslyn Chapel and Chartres Cathedral, authors Julie and Jerry Brown document the role of visionary plants in Christianity. They retrace the pioneering research of R. Gordon Wasson, the famous "sacred mushroom seeker," on psychedelics in ancient Greece and India, and among the present-day reindeer herders of Siberia and the Mazatecs of Mexico. Challenging Wasson's legacy, the authors reveal his secret relationship with the Vatican that led to Wasson's refusal to pursue his hallucinogen theory into the hallowed halls of Christianity.

Contents

Acknowledgments

PREFACE

An Invitation to Readers

Map of Churches and Sacred Sites Visited

Sacred Mushroom Seeker
R. Gordon Wasson (1898-1986)

PART ONE

The First Religion

1 Green Man of Rosslyn Chapel
Roslin, Scotland-1446

2 O Immortal Soma!
Indus River Valley, India-1400 BCE

3 Santa, the Reindeer Shaman
Siberia, Russia-2000 BCE

4 Eleusinian Mysteries
Greece-1500 BCE

5 María Sabina and the Little Saints
Mexico-1955

6 Miracle of Marsh Chapel
America-1962

PART TWO

Hidden in Plain Sight

7 Battle of the Trees
Mérigny, France-1291

8 The Prophet Has Spoken
Nohant-Vic, France-1120

9 Down the Rabbit Hole
Rennes le Château, France-1891

10 Canterbury Tales
Canterbury Cathedral, England-1180

11 Saint Bernward's Secret
Hildesheim, Germany-1015

PART THREE

Cosmic Consciousness

12 The Pope's Banker
Aquileia, Italy-330

13 The Dark Church
Cappadocia, Turkey-1050

14 Kingdom of Heaven
Jerusalem-30

15 Psychedelic Renaissance
America-2015

APPENDIX
Interdisciplinary Committee on the Psychedelic Gospels