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Bezig met laden... The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries (origineel 1958; editie 2008)door R. Gordon Wasson (Auteur)
Informatie over het werkThe Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries door R. Gordon Wasson (1958)
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Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. Is the thesis of the book, that the Eleusinian mysteries involved the use of psychoactive drugs, correct? Probably, and the idea has become more widely accepted in the decades since the book was published. However, that change in perception has come in no small part due to more academically rigorous examinations of the question than this book, which devotes quite a large portion of its pages to talking about the authors' experiences with psychoactive drugs, personal opinions, and unconventional interpretations of myths and etymology that borders on a 'Chariots of the Gods' level of academic rigor. There is of course some serious archeological discussion but too much time is spent on flowery descriptions of drug trips and speculation presented as fact. That, as much as anything, is why this book wasn't initially taken seriously in academic circles. It deserves credit for being the first to broach the subject, for likely being right, and it is an interesting read, but is hardly authoritative. ( ) “The ideas which the authors—the banker, the chemist and the classicist—brought forth have been largely unchallenged and ignored by specialists in the culture of ancient and Classical Greece. The situation seems to fulfill the rule of thumb that when ideas are controversial they are discussed, when they are revolutionary, they are ignored.” geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
Onderdeel van de uitgeversreeks(en)Entheogen Project Series (Number 4)
The secretive Mysteries conducted at Eleusis in Greece for nearly two millennia have long puzzled scholars with strange accounts of initiates experiencing otherworldly journeys. In this groundbreaking work, three experts--a mycologist, a chemist, and a historian--argue persuasively that the sacred potion given to participants in the course of the ritual contained a psychoactive entheogen. The authors then expand the discussion to show that natural psychedelic agents have been used in spiritual rituals across history and cultures. Although controversial when first published in 1978, the book's hypothesis has become more widely accepted in recent years, as knowledge of ethnobotany has deepened. The authors have played critical roles in the modern rediscovery of entheogens, and The Road to Eleusis presents an authoritative exposition of their views. The book's themes of the universality of experiential religion, the suppression of that knowledge by exploitative forces, and the use of psychedelics to reconcile the human and natural worlds make it a fascinating and timely read. This 30th anniversary edition includes an appreciative preface by religious scholar Huston Smith and an updated exploration of the chemical evidence by Peter Webster. Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)292.9Religions Other Religions Classical religion (Greek and Roman religion) Specific CultsLC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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