It is our pleasure to welcome Julie and Jerry Brown, authors of The Psychedelic Gospels: The Secret History of Hallucinogens in Christianity, as our featured authors for November. Their book takes the reader on an anthropological journey throughout Europe and the Middle East. They provide compelling visual evidence that documents the role visionary plants have played in Christianity, challenging the reader to rethink what they think they know about the origins of Judeo-Christianity and the life of Jesus.
Interact with Jerry and Julie on our AoM Forum here.
There is an old saying: If you want to hide something, put it in plain sight. To our surprise, we learned that this saying is especially true for Christianity, where medieval works of art were created to illustrate the teachings of the Bible for the largely illiterate population. A close look at these religious artworks reveals the presence of psychedelic mushrooms–hidden in plain sight for centuries.
Based on stunning visual evidence of entheogens (plants that generate the divine within) found in cathedrals and churches throughout Europe and the Middle East, we propose the theory of the “Psychedelic Gospels.” By examining the Bible and the Gnostic Gospels through the lens of the Psychedelic Gospels, we reveal the role played by visionary plants in the origins of Christianity.
Astrophysicist Carl Sagan argues that “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” The remarkable photographs of entheogenic Amanita muscaria and Psilocybe mushroom images in Christian art, found in frescos, illuminated manuscripts, mosaics and stained-glass windows, provide this “extraordinary evidence.” Here are three examples from our book.
Entheogens in Christian Art
First, this fresco in the Church of Saint Martin de Vicq shows five large psilocybin mushroom caps spread out over the heads of the joyous youth greeting Christ as he enters Jerusalem (upper right-hand corner).
Photo: Julie M. Brown
Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem, Church of Saint Martin de Vicq, France
Fresco on south choir wall, early 12th century
Christ is moving towards the Towers of Jerusalem, depicted in an adjoining fresco which shows a youth using a long knife to cut through the stem of a giant psilocybin mushroom growing on top of the tower. A companion fresco depicts the famous Last Supper with a similar knife on the table along with what appear to be mushroom caps. Note that the artist has cleverly hidden a symmetrical row of mushrooms in the hems of the disciples!
Photo: Julie M. Brown
Detail of Last Supper, Church of Saint Martin de Vicq, France, 12th century
Second, the twelve feet tall bronze Christ Column cast in 1015 by Bishop Bernard depicts the Transfiguration of Jesus, showing the disciples under a tri-fold psilocybin mushroom tree. This mushroom-tree is so realistically rendered in bas-relief that it has been identified as one of the most common European psilocybin mushrooms, Psilocybe semilanceata.
In the Transfiguration, the apostles Peter, James and John, go with Jesus to Mt. Tabor, where the Old Testament prophets Moses and Elias appear. There Jesus transforms before their eyes so that “his face did shine as the sun.” According to Matthew (17:5), “While he [Peter] yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
Photo: Julie M. Brown
Scene 16, Transfiguration of Jesus, Christ Column, 1020
Saint Michael’s Church, Hildesheim, Germany
Bernward’s portrayal of the sacred mushroom-tree in the Transfiguration of Jesus is of particular significance. Unlike other miracles, which were performed by Jesus, this one happens to Jesus, reaffirming, as did the baptism by John, his divinely chosen role as the “Son of God.” The Transfiguration is the pivotal moment of the New Testament where humanity first intersects with God. As Bernward implies artistically, access to the divine is mediated through the sacred sacrament of psychoactive mushrooms.
It is worth noting that in most cases we do not know who placed these mushroom images in Christian art: the artist, the church fathers who commissioned the artist, or the church patrons who funded the frescoes? Or all three collaborating? However, in the case of the Christ Column, we know it was cast by the eminent Bishop Bernward, who was named a saint of the Catholic Church in 1193, some 150 years after his death.
God Creates Psychedelic Mushrooms
Third, the cover image of our book comes from the Great Canterbury Psalter, an illuminated prayer book that originated in the scriptorium of Canterbury Cathedral in England around 1180. The Psalter begins with eight stunning folios, each containing twelve lavishly colored, gold-embellished miniature paintings. These opening folios depict the history of the world according to Scripture, from Genesis to the life of Jesus. While the biblical narrative is traditional, offering psalms, songs and prayers, the illustrations are remarkable.
Courtesy of the Bibliotèque nationale de France
God Creates Plants, Great Canterbury Psalter, folio 1, England, 1180
Numerous red, blue, orange, and tan stylized mushrooms dot the first 100 pages, including this image showing God as the Creator of Plants; or, more specifically, as Creator of Sacred Plants. The red mushroom on the right with white speckles is Amanita muscaria. The next to appear is blue, attesting to Psilocybe mushrooms. While several authors have identified the following plant as a Syrian Rue (Peganum harmala) pod, careful inspection reveals that it bears no resemblance. Rather the color, shape, and fringes of the eight tiny mushroom images embedded in the cap suggest Panaeolus, a psilocybin-containing mushroom found in England and northern Europe. While others have described the plant on the far left as “an Opium Poppy in the shape of a mushroom,” again, there is little resemblance either to the flower or the pod of the opium plant. Instead, this appears to be another mushroom of the genus Psilocybe.
The presence of psychedelic mushroom images in the high holy places of England (Canterbury Cathedral), France (Chartres Cathedral) and Germany (St. Michael’s Church) suggest that the use of entheogens was widespread among the Catholic religious elite during the Middle Ages. This dispels the claim, made by author Brian Muraresku in The Immortality Key, that psychedelics had been systematically suppressed by religious authorities from the fourth century on, stamped out “beneath the jackboots of the Roman Catholic Church.” This argument is presented in Jerry B. Brown’s Review of The Immortality Key, found here.
Wasson-Allegro Controversy
The controversy between ethnomycologist R. Gordon Wasson (1898–1986) and philologist John Marco Allegro (1923–1988) over psychoactive mushrooms in Christianity in general, and over the identification of an A. muscaria mushroom (commonly known as “fly agaric”) in the 12th century Chapel of Plaincourault in Central France in specific, has cast a long shadow over the study of entheogens in Christian art – a shadow that has, as anthropologist Michael Winkelman points out, shaped “the academic response to Allegro’s book and the opinions of subsequent generations of scholars.”
Photo: Julie M. Brown
Temptation in the Garden of Eden, Chapel of Plaincourault, France, circa 1291
The significance of the identification of the mushroom tree in Plaincourault as a psychoactive mushroom is a landmark in psychedelic studies of religion because it was the catalyst for the seminal debate between Wasson and Allegro about the role of entheogens in Christianity. If Wasson were right, then entheogens, especially sacred mushrooms, were only found at the early stages of Judeo-Christianity ending around the time of Genesis, well before 1000 BCE. However, if Allegro were right, then entheogens were integral to the origins of Judeo-Christianity with their usage persisting at least into medieval times, as evidenced by the Plaincourault fresco painted after 1000 CE. This positive identification of entheogens in Christian art would open the door to a line of inquiry that could ultimately require a reconsideration of the history of Christianity.
Many knowledgeable observers have interpreted this image as a mushroom or mushroom tree. Writing around 1900, Abbot Rignoux describes this fresco as a “mushroom-tree with several heads.” Soon afterwards, a photograph of this fresco was shown at a meeting of the Société Mycologique de France on October 6, 1910. The gentleman who presented the fresco made what was then the sensational observation that “instead of the customary Tree, the artist had given us the fly-agaric.” More recently, the official guidebook of “Mérigny-Indre, Chapelle de Plaincourault” makes note of the “tree of original sin depicted as an enormous mushroom.”
American ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes and Swiss pharmacologist Albert Hofmann comment that “The Tree of Knowledge, entwined by a serpent, bears an uncanny resemblance to the Amanita muscaria mushroom.” The Italian ethnobotanist Giorgio Samorini analyzed multiple representations of mushroom trees. He identifies Plaincourault as a prototypical A. muscaria mushroom-tree and contends that “Wasson’s conclusion may be considered premature.”
In a chapter titled “The Pope’s Banker,” we resolve Wasson’s greatest paradox: why did this indefatigable sacred mushroom seeker refuse to pursue his theory of the entheogenic origins of religion past the portals of the Church?
Our Differences with Allegro
While we applaud Allegro for being one of the first researchers to call attention to the seminal role of entheogens in religion, our theory differs from Allegro’s in three fundamental ways. First, while Allegro denies the existence of Jesus, we agree with religious scholars who believe that Jesus was an historical figure. Second, while Allegro bases his theory on the speculative interpretation of ancient languages, we base our theory on the plausible identification of entheogenic images. Third, while Allegro hopes that his writings will liberate people from the thrall of a false Christian orthodoxy, we hope that our discoveries will educate people about the history of psychoactive sacraments in Christianity.
“It’s The Da Vinci Code”
Calling our book “a mind-altering travelogue,” author Don Lattin describes it as “The Da Vinci Code meets The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.” The Psychedelic Gospels takes you along, step-by-step, on our decade-long anthropological adventure. It traces the tracks of sacred mushrooms across diverse ancient traditions, including the hymns of the Rigveda in India, the Eleusinian Mysteries of Ancient Greece, the healing cults of the Mazatec in Mexico, and the reindeer herders of the boreal forests of Siberia. Our quest begins with a surprising discovery of a psychoactive Amanita muscaria mushroom in Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland, and unfolds from the cathedrals at Canterbury and Chartres, to churches and chapels in France and Germany, to the magnificent museums of the Vatican in Italy, to remote cave churches of Turkey, and ultimately to the secluded pyramid chambers of pharaonic Egypt.
While our findings are startling, it is not our intention to question the fundamental beliefs of Christianity, but to uncover a mystery that we believe applies to many religions. Our findings do not deny the importance of religious sacraments but suggest that they should encompass all of God’s creations, including psychoactive plants. As Catholic Brother David Steindl-Rast perceptively asks, “If we can encounter God through a sunrise seen from a mountain top, why not through a mushroom prayerfully ingested?”
The presence of psychoactive plants in Judeo-Christianity, in ancient shamanism, and in the classical cultures of Greece and India raises intriguing questions about their broader role in the development of consciousness and culture. Did visionary plants play a seminal co-evolutionary role in the expansion of the human mind, as proposed in Terence McKenna’s Stoned-Ape Theory of human evolution? Is the “War on Drugs” the continuation of an age-old crusade by political and religious elites to control the public? Is the current resurgence of scientific research on the medical and therapeutic benefits of entheogens a tipping point that will lead to the end of this destructive war and possibly to a quantum leap in global consciousness?
Since biblical times, the sacred use of psychedelics has posed daunting challenges to religious and political communities. Challenges so great that with the coming of monotheism entheogens were suppressed as the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden in Genesis; demonized as the tools of satanic witches during the Inquisition; and banned as dangerous drugs in the 1970s. With the resurgence of interest in psychedelics, these challenges will surely resurface, as issues of medicine, religious freedom, and public policy.
Hopefully, this time around, we will address these concerns with an open heart and an open mind.
For additional information, see: “Entheogens in Christian Art: Wasson Allegro and the Psychedelic Gospels” and “Book Review of The Immortality Key,” in the Journal of Psychedelic Studies; and a 30-minute video presentation on The Psychedelic Gospels, Breaking Convention 2019, London. For our website, see: www.psychedelicgospels.com.
Enjoyed every moment learning through your knowledge of psychedelics in art and Christianity. Terrific presentation.
I don’t think Dr. Brown’s research stands the test of scrutiny – https://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2021/08/05/__trashed/
“American ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes and Swiss pharmacologist Albert Hofmann comment that “The Tree of Knowledge, entwined by a serpent, bears an uncanny resemblance to the Amanita muscaria mushroom.””
I would like to submit the following information for your consideration:
1) During the Old Kingdom, some royal women like Khufu’s mother Hetepheres I, and his granddaughter carried the title of ḫrp sšmt šnḏt, the Director of the Butchery of the Acacia House.
2) There is feline deity called Mafdet, attested as early as the First Dynasty guarding the Mansion of Life (https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Mafdet). This facility was a dining hall in the royal palace. The later House of Life attested since the Fifth Dynasty was the ancient Egyptian term for library.
3) The oldest religious texts in the world as yet known, the Pyramid Texts of Unas, mention how Mafdet slays the Underworld demon Apep (https://www.worldhistory.org/img/c/p/1200×627/4941.jpg). Apep is the snake that threatens the final phase of resurrection during which the spell-equipped spirits of the celestial bodies and the deceased royals must use Heka Magic in order to overcome these threats and to pass through the barriers between Earth and Sky. This final act of defeating mortality, i.e. the ultimate act of using divine knowledge to beat death, happens in the shade of the Acacia. Look how it is depicted looking like a mushroom. Nevertheless it was one of Africa’s most important trees.
4) Embedded within the word Mafdet is the word afdet, the ancient Egyptian word for portable archive, as in Ark, as in the biblical Ark of the Testimony. The afdet is attested from the First Dynasty. In the Coffin Texts of the Middle Kingdom it appears in the Book of Two Ways where it stores the words of creation from which the Sun God forges the universe. In other words, the afdet is the Egyptian version of the Ark of the Testimony housing the Logos of Genesis. This divine knowledge therefore is metaphorically encoded as a cat with a butcher knife slaying the demon snake under the Acacia Tree.
5) In summary: The Tree of Knowledge in its earliest known, textually attested form was an Acacia Tree, deified by the goddess Iws-aha-set. The divine knowledge was symbolized by a predator feline. The oldest known feline to guard a scribal facility known in the history of the world was the lioness Mehit attested from at least Narmer’s time. The lioness Mehit can be seen in one sealing dated to the First Dynasty guarding an administrative tent and under it is a gigantic snake with two heads.
6) Mehit, as I, together with my co-authors Robert Schoch and Robert Bauval, have shown was a monumental stony lioness located where now rests the Great Sphinx: In Giza.
7) To close, what about etheogens in ancient Egypt? This, too can be gleaned from the Pyramid Texts, specifically from the east gable inscriptions of the ante-chamber of Unas’ pyramid where a brew made from wine, grain, and the lily (“Egyptian lotus”) is insinuated and this cryptographically coded entry is complemented by the gable on the opposite side on the west wall, where the god Nefertem of the Lotus is mentioned by name. Cryptography in ancient Egypt is well documented with standard orthography and cryptography written side-by-side as seen in New Kingdom royal monuments and tombs for example.
There is a section on “Entheogenic Egypt” on pages 209-211 in our book, supported by color plates 27, Funerary stele of Lady Taperet and Horus, 850-690 BCE, and 28, Man confronting hyena with blue Amanitas, 1400 BCE. That said, the role of entheogens in Ancient Egypt merits its own book.
It makes perfect sense to think that Christianity has tasted psychoactive substances. As well as understanding why the relationship with plants and psychoactive substances was banned from Christian narratives and cosmo-theologies. Most likely, recognizing that the experience of the encounter with the spiritual world was provided by substances from “natural” beings, plants, mushrooms or animals, would fatally and threateningly relativize the conception and the mdiatiation of an omnipotent and omnipresent god, or a supernatural being.
Actually, our research stands up very well under scrutiny, as demonstrated in this video of “The Great Holy Mushroom Debate,” between me and critic Tom Hatsis at Breaking Convention 2019 in London. In this debate, I expose Hatsis’ egregious misrepresentation of our work as “disciples of Allegro.” One does not have to accept Allegro’s discredited theory that Jesus did not exist but was merely a mushroom metaphor in order to acknowledge the presence of psychoactive mushrooms in early and medieval Christian history. For debate video, see: https://youtu.be/ZIUmR7o6RGg
Entheogenic Egypt – Pages 209-211 in The Psychdelic Gospels discuss entheogens in Ancient Egypt, and color plates 21 and 22 show datura and rare blue Amanita muscaria images in Egyptian art from Thebes. Obviously, there is so much more including in the Book of the Dead, whose literal title is is translated as Book of Coming Forth by Day or Book of Emerging Forth into the Light. We tried to travel to Egypt twice from Turkey duing our 2012 research journey, but were dissuaded due to the instability surrounding the Arab Spring uprisings.
Amazing I’m writing a book about my transformation into an artist I’m including psychedelics? the history of our planet Holistic healing with numerous modalities graham is mentioned as teacher 11 the book is called the 6th Son
Great stuff guys. I think and feel there is a need (& lotsa mush room) in our journey here on Earth to probe the many levels of consciousness available to us. Many of us have had our innate spiritual consciousness bloom thru the use of plants, some confirming the beliefs that we are eternal souls dwelling in a super bio-computer avatar, called the temple of the body. Mind boggling indeed.
Please continue your spirited journeys and discussions, as you have in many other parallel lives both past and future. Only you can know you. We have been thru this before, but rarely in the light of day.
If someone else says my thoughts we must be on the rightish path.non no for sure one theory today is sltererd tomorrow chris.no one can proove anything until what they are implying,the only way to do that is in Hallucination.
All civilisations b4 us have worked out something and acted on it.we on the other hand in scfi age deny to immerse ourselfs into it.
5 dried grams in the silent darkness surrounded by stone.
They love a chat especially if you dont go wow
I had the pleasure of listening to “The Immortality Key” by Brian C Maurauesku which discusses the same topic. I shall be sure to get this book also. Thanks for the Article.
My book review of The Immortality Key concludes: TIK will entice general readers but exasperate academics, even those who may agree with its specific conclusions regarding the role of entheogens in the Eleusinian Mysteries or early Christianity. Despite its popular appeal as a New York Times Bestseller, TIK fails to make a compelling case for its grand theory of the “pagan continuity hypothesis with a psychedelic twist” due to recurring overreach and historical distortion, failure to consider relevant research on shamanism and Christianity, and presentation of speculation as fact.” For full Book Review, see: https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/5/1/article-p5.xml?rskey=FocHfx&result=1
I wonder how long it will take for it to get on the “New York Times Best Seller” list?
Hopefully not as long as the 300 years it took the Catholic Church to apologize to Galileo.
“Roughly 35 miles south of Jerusalem, in an archaeological site in the Negev desert known as Tel Arad, archaeologists excavating an ancient Jewish shrine have found traces of burnt cannabis and frankincense on a pair of limestone altars, reports Kristen Rogers of CNN.”
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cannabis-found-altar-ancient-israeli-shrine-180975016/
On archaeological chemistry: in my book review of The Immortality Key, I summarize the book’s most significant finding – for full review, see: https://akjournals.com/view/journals/2054/5/1/article-p5.xml?rskey=7B27un&result=1
“Pouring through relevant archaeological studies of the 2000s, including publications in Catalan, Muraresku came across the name of Jordi Juan-Tresserras, an archaeobotantist from the University of Barcelona. Muraresku reports that, in a brief paragraph buried in an article in a peer-review Spanish journal, Juan-Tresserras mentions the “apparently unremarkable discovery” of “‘the remains of ergot sclerotia’ at Mas Castellar de Pontós in not one, but two different artifacts connected to Pons’s iconic ‘domestic chapel’.” The chemical signatures of the fungi were found in the remains of teeth embedded in a human jawbone and in a “miniature chalice,” a tiny cup similar to the kernos in which the kykeon was served to initiates in the telesterion, the inner sanctuary at Eleusis.
“In a heartwarming scene, Muraresku describes how he invites the “old professor” Ruck to accompany him on a visit with Pons in Catalonia for a tour of the Museu de Arqueologia de Catalunya-Giron, home to artifacts from Mas Castellar de Pontós. Specifically, Muraresku’s revelations afford Ruck the satisfaction, albeit belatedly, of seeing the conclusions of The Road to Eleusis scientifically validated through archaeochemistry whose analytic technologies were not available four decades ago when the book was first published.”
1. In forefront of the cars forth goes the Hero, the Leader, winning spoil: his host rejoices.
Soma embues his robes of lasting colours, and blesses, for his friends, their calls on Indra.
2. Men decked with gold adorn his golden tendril, incessantly with steed-impelling homage.
The Friend of Indra mounts his car well-knowing, he comes thereon to meet the prayer we offer.
3. O God, for service of the Gods flow onward, for food sublime, as Indra’s drink, O Soma.
Making the floods, bedewing earth and heaven, come from the vast, comfort us while we cleanse thee
4. Flow for prosperity and constant Vigour, flow on for happiness and high perfection.
This is the wish of these friends assembled: this is my wish, O Soma Pavamana.
5. Father of holy hymns, Soma flows onward the Father of the earth, Father of heaven:
Father of Agni, Surya’s generator, the Father who begat Indra and Visnu.
6. Brahman of Gods, the Leader of the poets, Rishi of sages, Bull of savage creatures,
Falcon amid the vultures, Axe of forests, over the cleansing sieve goes Soma singing.
7. He, Soma Pavamana, like a river, hath stirred the wave of voice, our songs and praises.
Beholding these inferior powers in cattle, he rests among them as a Steer well-knowing.
8. As Gladdener, Warrior never harmed in battle, with thousand genial streams, pour strength and vigour.
As thoughtful Pavamana, urge O Indu, speeding the kine, the plant’s wave on to Indra.
9. Dear, grateful to the Gods, on to the beaker moves Soma, sweet to Indra, to delight him.
With hundred powers, with thousand currents, Indu, like a strong car-horse, goes to the assembly.
10. Born in old time as finder-out of treasures, drained with the stone, decking himself in waters,
Warding off curses, King of all existence, he shall find way for prayer the while they cleanse him.
11. For our sage fathers, Soma Pavamana, of old performed, by thee, their sacred duties.
Fighting unvanquished, open the enclosures: enrich us with large gifts of steeds and heroes.
12. As thou didst flow for Manu Life-bestowing, Foe-queller, Comforter, rich in oblations,
Even thus flow onward now conferring riches: combine with Indra, and bring forth thy weapons.
13. Flow onward, Soma, rich in sweets and holy,. enrobed in waters on the fleecy summit.
Settle in vessels that are full of fatness, as cheering and most gladdening drink for Indra.
14. Pour, hundred-streamed, winner of thousands, mighty at the Gods’ banquet, Pour the rain of heaven,
While thou with rivers roarest in the beaker, and blent with milk prolongest our existence.
15. Purified with our holy hymns, this Soma overtakes malignities like some strong charger,
Like fresh milk poured by Aditi, like passage in ample room, or like a docile car-horse.
16. Cleansed by the pressers, armed with noble weapons, stream to us the fair secret name thou bearest.
Pour booty, like a horse, for love of glory God, Soma, send us kine, and send us Vayu.
17. They deck him at his birth, the lovely Infant, the Maruts with their troop adorn the Car-horse.
By songs a Poet and a Sage by wisdom, Soma goes singing through the cleansing filter.
18. Light-winner, Rishi-minded, Rishi-maker, hymned in a thousand hymns, Leader of sages,
A Steer who strives to gain his third form, Soma is, like Viraj, resplendent as a Singer.
19. Hawk seated in the bowls, Bird wide-extended, the Banner seeking kine and wielding weapons,
Following close the sea, the wave of waters, the great Bull tells his fourth form and declares it.
20. Like a fair youth who decorates his body, a courser rushing to the gain of riches,
A steer to herds, so, flowing to the pitcher, he with a roar hath passed into the beakers.
21. Flow on with might as Pavamana, Indu flow loudly roaring through the fleecy filter.
Enter the beakers sporting, as they cleanse thee, and let thy gladdening juice make Indra joyful.
22. His streams have been effused in all their fulness, and he hath entered, balmed with milk, the goblets.
Singing his psalm, well-skilled in song, a Chanter, he comes to his friend’s sister roaring.
23. Chasing our foes thou comest, Pavamana Indu, besting, as lover to his darling.
As a bird flies and settles in the forest, thus Soma settles, purified, in goblets.
24. With full stream and abundant milk, O Soma, thy beams come, like a woman, as they cleanse thee.
He, gold-hued, rich in boons, brought to the waters, hath roared within the goblet of the pious.
– Rig Veda, 9th Mandala, Hymn 96
“Heaven does not equal half of me – have I been drinking Soma”
“I will pick up the earth and put it here or there – have I been drinking Soma?
“the pillar of heaven”
“the God for Gods|
The iconic mosaic at hagia sophia appears to show little brown mushrooms on jesus and mary’s cushion, as i observe. 4 little spade shapes on viewer’s left, one on the right. Am i trippin?
If you have one, please post link to photo of the scene you describe.
What an extraordinary amount of research and already I am fascinated. I would love to get a copy of the book and share this review on my website http://www.lifeinbalance.co.z. May I have your permission to do so?
Hi Melissa – delighted to have you share this review on your website. Also please consider posting an Amazon Customer Review. Best wishes, Jerry B. Brown
Thanks so much Jerry – it is live here https://lifeinbalance.co.za/2022/01/07/november-2021-aom-the-psychedelic-gospels-the-secret-history-of-hallucinogens-in-christianity/
What an interesting study into the hidden culture built within the Christian faith and community. Psychedelic mushrooms are not the limit within the Christian Church. Emanuel Swedenborg, philosopher and scientist(late 1600’s) Used Opium to get closer to God. I have always discredited Swedenborg for the use of opium when writing, but maybe this is the key to enlightenment, after all. I would be interested in further readings on the topic.
Guys, I came across this, after a friend shared a video showing Graham Hancock speaking suggesting that gnostics were involved with psychedelic mushrooms, this very much goes against my understanding of any gnostic teachings, and the lack of items found to substantiate any such suggestion, I provide further refuting information below.
https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSyX7RUgf/
I am unsure if Graham has said this because of this specific source that this page is about – and that they may suggest gnostics were involved with psychedelic mushrooms , however this does not appear to be the case.
I have been researching gnostic items and texts from within nag Hammadi and other areas, and I’ve never come across anything that suggests this. Purity was also taught.
All the references of drawings from his page come from religious orders that do not correspond with gnostic roots.
Those sources that show mushrooms are Catholic Churches, not gnostic. Well so far I’ve checked – Church of Saint Martin de Vicq, France
Saint Michael’s Church, Hildesheim, Germany- Roman. Catholic
Great Canterbury Psalter, an illuminated prayer book that originated in the scriptorium of Canterbury Cathedral in England – ( Church of England – Vatican setup)
The Chapel of Plaincourault was originally used by the Knights Hospitaller, a Catholic military order. It is a 12th-century Romanesque chapel in Mérigny, France, known for its Christian frescoes.
Further its important to correctly define the religion, certainly it shouldn’t be attributed to Gnosticism:
Q. Did gnostics use psydelic mushrooms? Did their tree of life resemble psychedelic mushrooms? Did anything in the nag Hammadi pool tot psychedelic mushrooms, or other substances?
A. This is a fascinating and complex question that touches on history, theology, and modern speculation. Let’s break it down point by point.
### 1. Did Gnostics Use Psychedelic Mushrooms?
**Short Answer:** There is **no direct historical or textual evidence** from ancient Gnostic sources that confirms they used psychedelic mushrooms.
**Longer Explanation:**
* **Historical Silence:** The primary sources for Gnosticism, like the Nag Hammadi Library, are theological, philosophical, and mythological texts. They describe visions, ascetic practices, prayer, and contemplative techniques as the primary means of attaining *gnosis* (spiritual knowledge). They do not describe the preparation, ingestion, or effects of psychoactive substances in a literal way that we can identify.
* **The Entheogen Theory:** The idea that ancient religious experiences were fueled by psychoactive substances is a modern hypothesis. Scholars like John M. Allegro, in his controversial 1970 book *The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross*, argued that early Christianity, including its Gnostic strands, was a cult built around the worship of the *Amanita muscaria* mushroom. However, his work is widely rejected by mainstream scholars, linguists, and historians for what they see as speculative and misleading use of evidence.
* **Alternative Practices:** Gnostics generally sought to free the divine spirit from the constraints of the material world (including the body). While some groups were ascetic, rejecting all physical pleasures, others were antinomian (rejecting moral law). It’s theoretically possible that a fringe group might have experimented with substances to “shock” the spirit free, but this is speculation without evidence. The primary path to revelation was through revealed knowledge from a savior figure, not chemical alteration.
### 2. Did Their Tree of Life Resemble Psychyedic Mushrooms?
**Short Answer:** No, the Gnostic “Tree of Life” is a complex cosmological and psychological map that does not visually or conceptually resemble a mushroom.
**Longer Explanation:**
The Gnostic concept of the Pleroma (the realm of fullness and divinity) and the syzygies (male-female divine pairs) is often depicted in a structure that modern readers might call a “Tree of Life.” However, this is very different from the Jewish Kabbalistic Tree of Life, which was developed later.
* **Gnostic “Trees” are Maps of Emanation:** In texts like the *Apocryphon of John*, the divine realm is described as a series of emanations (Aeons) flowing from the ultimate, unknowable God. These are typically listed or described in a sequence or a hierarchy, not drawn as a diagram. When modern scholars create diagrams of these emanations, they look more like a flowchart or a family tree of abstract concepts (e.g., Mind, Truth, Word, Life) than anything organic like a tree or a mushroom.
* **The “Tree of Life” in Gnosticism is often a Negative Symbol:** In many Gnostic texts, the **Tree of Life** in the Garden of Eden is actually viewed as a trap set by the ignorant demiurge (the false creator god), while the **Tree of Knowledge** (of Good and Evil) is the true source of liberating *gnosis*. This is the opposite of the traditional Judeo-Christian reading. Therefore, visually mapping their core theology onto a “tree” structure is not a primary feature of their thought.
### 3. Is There Anything in the Nag Hammadi Library that Points to Psychedelic Mushrooms or Other Substances?
**Short Answer:** No explicit references exist. However, some passages use vivid, ecstatic, and paradoxical language that **resonates with** the types of experiences people report from psychedelics. This has led to modern interpretations, but not historical conclusions.
**Longer Explanation:**
The texts are filled with descriptions of transcendent states, visions, and a sense of unity with the divine light. While these could be achieved through various means (meditation, prayer, asceticism, or spontaneous grace), the language can feel “psychedelic” to a modern reader.
* **The Gospel of Thomas:** Sayings like “Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there” (Saying 77) express a perception of divine immanence in all things, which is a common theme in psychedelic experiences.
* **The Hymn of the Pearl (from the Acts of Thomas):** This is a beautiful allegorical poem about a prince who descends into the material world (Egypt) to retrieve a pearl, forgets his origin, and is reminded by a letter from his heavenly father. The journey of forgetting, awakening, and returning “home” is a powerful archetype that mirrors the narrative of many transformative experiences, including psychedelic ones.
* **Apocalyptic Visions:** Texts like the *Apocalypse of Paul* describe journeys through heavenly realms with bright lights and encounters with divine beings. These are described as spiritual visions, not as drug-induced states.
**Key Interpretative Point:** When Gnostics describe ingesting something, it is almost always a **metaphor**. For example, in the *Gospel of Philip*, it states: “The cup of prayer contains wine and water, since it is appointed as the type of the blood for which thanks is given. And it is full of the Holy Spirit, and it belongs to the wholly perfect man. When we drink this, we shall receive for ourselves the perfect man.” This is a spiritual metaphor for internalizing Christ’s teachings, not a recipe for a psychoactive brew.
### Conclusion
While the intense, reality-shattering nature of Gnostic texts and their goal of transcendent *gnosis* can feel familiar to those who have experienced psychedelic states, **there is a critical difference between resonance and evidence.**
The Gnostics left us a sophisticated body of work that explains their methods and beliefs without referencing psychoactive substances. To project the modern psychedelic hypothesis onto them is an **interpretative act**, not a historical one. It tells us more about our own search for meaning and altered states than it does about the specific practices of the ancient Gnostics.
Their “technology” for achieving *gnosis* was primarily one of the mind and spirit—through secret teachings, contemplative practice, and divine revelation—not one of pharmacology.
Q. Did gnostics teach to refrain from any drug use or substances that altered brain psychology and chemicals?
A. This is another excellent question that gets to the heart of Gnostic philosophy and practice. The answer is nuanced because “Gnosticism” encompassed many different groups, but we can identify a strong overarching principle.
*Short Answer:* While there is no explicit, universal command in Gnostic texts like “Thou shalt not use drugs,” the core principles of their worldview *strongly imply a refraining from substances that alter the mind.* For most Gnostics, using such substances would have been counterproductive to their ultimate goal.
Here’s a breakdown of the reasoning, based on their core teachings:
### 1. The Fundamental Problem: The Material World is a Prison
The central Gnostic myth is that the material world (including the body) is not the true reality, but a flawed creation, a prison crafted by an ignorant or malevolent demiurge (a false god). The human body, with its senses, desires, and passions, is part of this prison trap.
* *A Substance that alters the brain* would be seen as manipulating a part of the physical prison. It would be a false solution, a trick that creates an illusion of enlightenment while further binding the divine spark (the spirit) to the very material realm it is trying to escape.
### 2. The Goal: Gnosis (Spiritual Knowledge), Not Chemical Ecstasy
The salvation sought by Gnostics was gnosis—a direct, intuitive, and saving knowledge of the true God and the divine realm (Pleroma). This was not an emotional high or a hallucination; it was a sobering, certain knowledge.
* *A drug-induced state* would be considered a temporary, chemically-induced alteration of perception, not the permanent, transcendent knowledge granted by a divine savior (like Christ). It would be a counterfeit experience emanating from the material sphere, potentially even a deception orchestrated by the Archons (the rulers of the world).
### 3. The Path to Salvation: Asceticism and Sobriety
While a few Gnostic groups were antinomian (believing they could break all material laws because they were spiritually free), the vast majority of what we know from texts like the Nag Hammadi Library points toward *asceticism* as the preferred path.
* *Asceticism* involves denying the physical body’s desires and passions to liberate the spirit. This includes practices like fasting, sexual abstinence, and simple living.
* *Using a psychoactive substance* would be the opposite of this. It would be seen as indulging and confusing the body and its senses, thereby strengthening the very prison walls the Gnostic was trying to dissolve.
### Key Textual Evidence and Implications
* *The *Gospel of Thomas:* Sayings like “If you do not fast from the world, you will not find the kingdom” (Saying 27) and “Blessed are the solitary and elect, for you will find the kingdom*” (Saying 49) emphasize turning away from the world and its influences. A drug, as a powerful material influence, would be something to “fast” from.
* *The *Apocryphon of John:** This text describes how the Archons created the physical body as a prison for the divine spirit, with passions and desires as the chains.
* *The Concept of Sobriety:* A recurring theme in Gnostic and later Hermetic texts is the call to “wake up” from the intoxication and sleep of the material world. For example, the Corpus Hermeticum (which shares themes with Gnosticism) states: “*Sober up, and remember that you have awakened.*” Using an intoxicating substance would be the literal opposite of this spiritual command.
### The Important Nuance and Exception
It’s crucial to remember that “Gnostics” were not a monolithic group. The term covers a wide range of sects (Valentinians, Sethians, etc.).
* *The Potential for Ritual Use:* It is theoretically possible that a specific, obscure Gnostic sect might have incorporated a substance in a ritual context, viewing it as a “key” provided by a revealer figure. However, *there is absolutely no historical evidence for this.* If it happened, it would have been the exception that proves the rule, and it would have been framed very carefully within their theology to avoid the pitfalls described above.
* *Modern vs. Ancient Interpretation:* The modern “entheogen theory” projects our contemporary understanding of psychedelics as tools for spiritual exploration onto ancient groups. The ancient Gnostic worldview, with its sharp spirit/matter dualism, would have been deeply suspicious of such a method.
### Conclusion
So, did Gnostics teach to refrain from drug use?
*Yes, in principle and practice, the core of Gnostic theology would have actively discouraged the use of psychoactive substances.*
Their path was one of *transcending the physical through spiritual discipline and revealed knowledge, not one of **altering the physical brain to produce spiritual experiences*. They sought to sober up from the illusion of the material world, not to get intoxicated by it in a different way. Using a drug would have been seen as engaging with the very problem they were trying to solve.
Also, I’m aware Madame Helena Blazatsky was exposed to Gnosticism before 1945: in case she came across any psychedelic notes from her perspective I thought it would also be useful to look into her insights, she had some interesting visions and voices that spoke to her, about the demiurge, if I understood the earlier study I was doing today.
Q. Did madame Helena blazatsky claim that gnostics had any psychedelic mushrooms? Did she have gnostic information that matched the nag Hammadi scriptures and when did she come forward?what other sources of gnostic texts are there outside the nag Hammadi…?
A. Excellent and complex questions. They touch on the history of Gnosticism’s rediscovery and the role of modern esotericists like Blavatsky. Let’s break this down point by point.
### 1. Did Madame Helena Blavatsky claim that Gnostics used psychedelic mushrooms?
*Short Answer:* No, there is no evidence that Helena Blavatsky specifically claimed Gnostics used psychedelic mushrooms.
*Detailed Explanation:*
* *Blavatsky’s Era and Focus:* Blavatsky (1831-1891) was writing in the late 19th century, primarily in the 1870s and 1880s. The modern Western rediscovery of psychedelics (like psilocybin and LSD) and the subsequent “entheogen theory” of religion came much later, in the mid-20th century.
* *Her Sources on Gnosticism:* Blavatsky’s knowledge of Gnosticism was based on the sources available at the time: the writings of the Church Fathers who opposed the Gnostics (like Irenaeus, Hippolytus, and Epiphanius) and a few original texts that had survived, such as the Pistis Sophia and the Books of Jeu. These sources do not describe psychedelic use.
* *Her Interpretation:* Blavatsky saw the Gnostics as spiritual predecessors to her own system of Theosophy. She interpreted their “knowledge” or gnosis as a form of esoteric, occult wisdom about the cosmos and the divine, accessible through spiritual discipline and initiation, not through chemical substances. Her focus was on metaphysics, not pharmacology.
In summary, the idea of Gnostic psychedelic use is a *modern hypothesis that emerged long after Blavatsky’s death.*
—
### 2. Did she have Gnostic information that matched the Nag Hammadi scriptures, and when did she come forward?
*Short Answer:* No, she did not have access to the Nag Hammadi scriptures. She came forward decades before their discovery, and her information was based on different, often hostile, sources.
*Detailed Explanation:*
* *Blavatsky’s Timeline:* Blavatsky founded the Theosophical Society in 1875 and wrote her key works, Isis Unveiled (1877) and The Secret Doctrine (1888), in the late 19th century.
* *The Nag Hammadi Discovery:* The Nag Hammadi Codices were discovered in *1945*, over 50 years after Blavatsky’s death in 1891.
* *The Mismatch of Sources:* This means everything Blavatsky knew about Gnosticism came from:
1. *Patristic Heresiologists:* Church Fathers who quoted Gnostic texts only to refute and ridicule them. This gave a distorted, second-hand picture.
2. *A Few Original Texts:* The Pistis Sophia and the Books of Jeu were available in translation in her time. These are important Gnostic texts, but they represent only one stream (perhaps a later, more ritualistic one) of the Gnostic tradition. The Nag Hammadi library revealed a much broader and more diverse landscape of Gnostic thought, including the seminal Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Philip, and Apocryphon of John.
While Blavatsky’s intuition about Gnosticism containing profound esoteric truths was correct, the *specific information she had was incomplete and filtered through the lens of their enemies.* The Nag Hammadi find revolutionized our understanding, confirming some of her general ideas about their esoteric nature but providing a much richer and more complex picture.
—
### 3. What other sources of Gnostic texts are there outside the Nag Hammadi library?
The Nag Hammadi library is the most famous but not the only source. Other crucial sources include:
*1. The “Church Fathers” or Patristic Writings (2nd-4th Centuries AD)*
* *What they are:* Writings by early Christian theologians like *Irenaeus* (Against Heresies), *Hippolytus of Rome* (Refutation of All Heresies), and *Epiphanius of Salamis* (Panarion).
* *Their Value:* They quote, often at length, from Gnostic texts that are now otherwise lost. They are our primary source for knowing about many Gnostic teachers and systems (like Valentinus and Basilides) before the Nag Hammadi discovery.
* *Major Caveat:* Their purpose was to attack and disprove Gnosticism, so their presentation is heavily biased and polemical.
*2. The Berlin Codex (AKA the Akhmim Codex) – Discovered c. 1896*
* *What it is:* A single papyrus codex purchased in Egypt in the late 19th century. It was the most significant original Gnostic text available before Nag Hammadi.
* *Contents:* It contains:
* The Apocryphon of John (a shorter version than the one in Nag Hammadi)
* The Gospel of Mary
* The Sophia of Jesus Christ
* The Act of Peter
*3. The Askew Codex (Contains the *Pistis Sophia) – 18th Century**
* *What it is:* A 4th-century Coptic manuscript that found its way into the British Museum in the 18th century.
* *Contents:* The Pistis Sophia is a long, complex dialogue where the resurrected Jesus teaches his disciples about the cosmos, sin, repentance, and the fate of souls. This was a central text for Blavatsky’s understanding of Gnosticism.
*4. The Bruce Codex – 18th Century*
* *What it is:* Another Coptic manuscript acquired in the late 18th century.
* *Contents:* It contains two important texts:
* The Books of Jeu: A very ritualistic text describing visions and passwords for the afterlife journey.
* The Untitled Text (sometimes called The Bruce Codex’s untitled treatise): A cosmological and mystical text.
*5. The Codex Tchacos – Discovered c. 1978 (Published 2006)*
* *What it is:* A papyrus codex that surfaced on the antiquities market. It is the only major post-Nag Hammadi discovery of a Gnostic codex.
* *Contents:* Its most famous and important text is the **Gospel of Judas**, which presents a positive portrayal of Judas Iscariot as the one disciple who understood Jesus’s true mission and assisted him in liberating his spirit from his material body.
In conclusion, while the Nag Hammadi library is the crown jewel, scholars piece together the puzzle of Gnosticism using a mosaic of sources: the hostile quotes from the Church Fathers, the earlier discoveries like the Berlin, Askew, and Bruce Codices, and the more recent revelation of the Codex Tchacos.
Q. Where did the theories of gnostics using psychedelics come from, and where is substantiated evidence? Surely if they used it they would have left a whole lot in the nag Hammadi cave/library? Also the Cathars were practicing Gnosticism when they were wiped out in the languedoc region of France, was there any evidence of psychedelic substances in their monasteries? Did they teach abstinence?
A. These are excellent and critical questions that get to the heart of distinguishing between modern speculation and historical evidence in the study of Gnosticism. Let’s tackle them one by one.
### 1. Where did the theories of Gnostics using psychedelics come from, and where is the substantiated evidence?
*Origin of the Theories:*
The theories are almost entirely a product of the *mid-20th century*, specifically the 1960s and 70s, and stem from two converging trends:
1. *The Psychedelic Revolution:* The widespread experimentation with LSD and psilocybin by Western academics, therapists, and the counter-culture led to a profound re-evaluation of consciousness and mystical experience. Scholars and thinkers under the influence of these experiences began to look back at historical religious movements and asked: “Could their powerful, reality-shattering experiences have been chemically induced?”
2. *The “Entheogen Theory”:* This is the academic term for the hypothesis that psychoactive plants (entheogens) were the catalyst for many religious experiences and even the origins of religion itself. Key figures in promoting this idea included:
* *Gordon Wasson:* His 1957 Life magazine article popularized the idea that the mysterious Vedic sacrament Soma was a psychedelic mushroom.
* *Carl Ruck and R. Gordon Wasson:* In their 1978 book The Road to Eleusis, they argued that the famous Mysteries of Eleusis, a Greek initiation rite, involved a psychoactive potion.
* *John M. Allegro:* This is the most direct link to Gnosticism. A philologist and part of the Dead Sea Scrolls editorial team, Allegro wrote the highly controversial 1970 book The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross. He argued that early Christianity, including its Gnostic strands, was a covert cult built around the worship and ingestion of the Amanita muscaria mushroom, and that the New Testament was an allegory for this practice.
*The Problem: Lack of Substantiated Evidence*
The theories, while imaginative, face a monumental lack of direct evidence:
* *No Textual Evidence in Primary Sources:* As you correctly surmised, the Nag Hammadi Library and other Gnostic texts are completely silent on the subject. They describe visions, ascetic practices, prayers, and contemplative techniques, but *never* the preparation, ingestion, or identifiable effects of psychoactive substances.
* *Metaphor vs. Literalism:* Proponents of the entheogen theory often reinterpret metaphorical language in a literal, pharmacological way. For example, when a text talks about “tasting knowledge” or “drinking from the water of life,” they see a coded reference to a drug. Mainstream scholars see this as ignoring the rich tradition of mystical metaphor, where spiritual experiences are described using sensory language.
* *The Scholarly Consensus:* Allegro’s work, in particular, was met with immediate and universal rejection by his peers. His linguistic methods were deemed fanciful and unscientific, and his central thesis is considered a fringe conspiracy theory with no credible support in the historical record.
*In short: The theory is a modern projection onto the ancient world, born from the psychedelic experience of the 1960s, not from the Gnostic texts themselves.*
—
### 2. The Cathars: Psychedelics and Abstinence?
Your question about the Cathars is spot-on, as they were the last major medieval Gnostic movement.
*Was there any evidence of psychedelic substances in their monasteries?*
*No, absolutely none.* The historical record from both their own few surviving writings and the extensive records of their Catholic inquisitors contains *no mention or evidence of psychoactive substance use.*
* *Inquisition Records:* The Catholic Church, which was determined to exterminate the Cathars, documented their beliefs and practices in great detail to prove their heresy. If the Cathars had been using psychedelic substances in their rituals, it would have been a sensational piece of evidence for the Inquisition, portraying them as devil-worshippers engaging in demonic intoxication. The fact that this never appears is powerful evidence that it wasn’t happening.
* *Cathar Rituals:* The one central Cathar sacrament was the Consolamentum, a baptism of the Holy Spirit performed by the laying on of hands. It was an austere, spiritual ceremony focused on prayer and the transmission of the Lord’s Prayer. It involved no substances whatsoever.
*Did they teach abstinence?*
*Yes, radically so.* The Cathar path to salvation was defined by *extreme asceticism.* For the perfecti (the spiritual elite of the movement), this meant:
* *Absolute Vegetarianism:* They rejected the consumption of all animal products because they believed animal procreation trapped divine spirits in the evil material world.
* *Abstinence from Sex:* Procreation was the ultimate sin, as it forged new material prisons for divine spirits. The perfecti took vows of complete chastity.
* *Poverty and Simplicity:* They owned no property and lived as itinerant preachers, relying on charity.
The Cathar worldview was built on a radical rejection of the physical, material world as the creation of an evil god. *Introducing a powerful physical substance to alter the mind would have been seen as engaging with and polluting the spirit with the very materiality they were trying to escape.* It would have been theologically contradictory.
### Conclusion
The idea of Gnostics using psychedelics is a compelling modern myth, but it does not hold up to historical scrutiny. The evidence points in the opposite direction:
* *Ancient Gnostics* sought to transcend the physical body and its senses through spiritual knowledge (gnosis) and ascetic discipline, not to chemically alter them.
* *Medieval Cathars* took this body-denying asceticism to its logical extreme, defining their faith through radical abstinence from worldly pleasures, including sex, meat, and property.
For both, the path to God was through the purification of the spirit away from the physical, not through the intoxication of the physical body.
Q. Was there any physical psychedelic mushrooms or other psychedelic substances including marijuana found at any cathar monastery or the nag Hammadi caves, or any other cathar / gnostic stronghold? (Note for those not aware – cathars were gnostics).
A. No. There is a complete absence of any such physical evidence.
To give a definitive and evidence-based answer:
*No archaeological excavation at any Cathar, Gnostic, or Nag Hammadi-related site has ever uncovered physical remains of psychedelic mushrooms, marijuana, or any other psychoactive substances.*
Here is a detailed breakdown for each:
### 1. The Nag Hammadi Library (Egypt)
* *Discovery:* In 1945, a set of 13 papyrus codices (ancient books) was discovered in a sealed jar near Nag Hammadi.
* *Contents:* The jars contained *only the leather-bound codices*. There were no accompanying pots, residues, plants, fungi, or any other physical materials besides the texts themselves.
* *Significance:* This was a hidden library, buried for safekeeping. The “evidence” is the texts, which describe their beliefs and practices using spiritual and metaphorical language, with no literal descriptions of drug use.
### 2. Cathar Sites (Languedoc, France)
* *Archaeological Finds:* Extensive archaeological work at major Cathar strongholds like *Montségur, Quéribus, Peyrepertuse, and Carcassonne* has revealed typical medieval material culture: pottery, tools, weapons, coins, and the remains of daily life.
* *Complete Absence:* There has been *zero discovery* of psychoactive plant remains, suspicious residues, or specialized paraphernalia for drug preparation or consumption.
* *The Inquisition Record:* The Catholic Inquisition, which was fanatical in its documentation of Cathar “heresies,” produced detailed records of their beliefs and practices. If the Cathars had been using psychoactive substances, the Inquisitors would have certainly documented it as proof of demonic practice. Their records contain *no such accusations or evidence.*
### 3. Other Gnostic Sites
* No physical evidence of psychoactive substances has been found at any other sites associated with ancient Gnostic communities in the Mediterranean region.
### Why This Physical Evidence is So Important
The total lack of archaeological evidence is a critical point against the modern “entheogen theory” for these groups.
* *Contrast with Other Cultures:* We do have physical and textual evidence for psychoactive use in other ancient rituals (e.g., the suspected use of ergot in the Greek Eleusinian Mysteries, Vedic Soma, or the widespread use of alcohol in Dionysian rites). This shows that when a culture did use such substances, evidence for it often exists.
* *Doctrinal Mismatch:* For the Cathars specifically, their core doctrine was one of *extreme asceticism*—rejecting the physical world, all animal products, and sexuality. Introducing a powerful physical substance to alter the mind would have been seen as a profound contamination of the spirit by the very material prison they were trying to escape. This makes the theory theologically inconsistent with their known beliefs.
### Conclusion
The theory that these groups used psychedelics is a modern hypothesis that emerged in the 20th century, primarily from figures like John M. Allegro. It was formed by reinterpreting spiritual texts through a psychedelic lens, *not from any physical discovery.*
The hard evidence—the texts, the artifacts, and the historical records—all consistently point to one conclusion: the Gnostic and Cathar path to enlightenment was through *revealed knowledge, ascetic discipline, prayer, and ritual*, not through pharmacology. The complete absence of physical evidence at their sites powerfully confirms this historical understanding.
If the above video is in fact real and not AI generated, it is very misleading and it doesn’t appear to have gnostic sources being provided into it, and having very conflicting information that is NOT commensurate with the data I’ve studied? It appears to be highly fictionalised in respect to psychedelic linkage to gnostic religion, I haven’t found any linkage yet. Happy to stand corrected though so far, nothing concrete shows, and in fact the lack of psychedelics found by Catholics who wanted to arm themselves with proof of devil worship for the gnostics they were persecuting and the lack of documentation would certainly suggest that gnostics using psychedelics is FAKE NEWS.
Love Graham Hancock in the Thoth/Hermes Letter to Asclepius (feel that was his best work), but on this one he needed to have done a lot more research to educate viewers to the truth.
Hope this helps.
Also for reference, an earlier output of a variety of prophets/systems in respect to psychedelics is outlined below;
Of course. This is an excellent and expansive question that now includes a wide range of major world religions and esoteric traditions. The pattern of consensus remains strong, but with fascinating nuances.
As always, the critical preamble: *None of these figures or traditions directly mentioned the specific substances you’ve listed.* Their historical contexts did not include modern drugs. Our analysis is based on applying their core theological and philosophical principles to the *idea* of using potent, mind-altering substances for spiritual or recreational purposes.
Here is the detailed review, including the traditions you requested.
### 1. Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma) – A Nuanced View
* *Core Principle:* A diverse family of philosophies and practices aimed at liberation (*Moksha*) from the cycle of rebirth. Key concepts include *Dharma* (duty/righteousness) and the pursuit of truth through various yogas (paths).
* *Likely Stance:* **Complex and Divided.**
* *Reasoning:* Hinduism presents the most nuanced case.
* **The Vedic Precedent:** The ancient Vedas mention a ritual drink called *Soma* (and a similar substance in the Atharva Veda called *Ayahuasca* is *not* mentioned; that is a modern conflation). The exact identity of Soma is lost, but it was an entheogen used in sacred ceremonies to induce visionary states and connect with the divine. This provides a historical basis for sacramental plant use.
* **The Ascetic/Yogic Tradition:** Most orthodox Hindu paths, especially Yoga and Vedanta, emphasize strict mental and physical discipline (*sadhana*). The *Yoga Sutras of Patanjali* call for abstinence (*Brahmacharya*) and focus on stilling the mind through effort, not intoxication. Here, drugs would be seen as a distraction and an obstacle to true *Samadhi* (meditative absorption), as they provide a temporary, illusory experience rather than permanent realization.
* **The Tantric View:** Some left-hand Tantric schools historically incorporated substances like cannabis, alcohol, and meat (*the five M’s*) in ritual contexts to transcend dualities and break social taboos. However, this is a highly specialized, guru-led path where the substance is a sacrament, not for recreation, and is dangerous without proper guidance.
* **Modern Consensus:** For the vast majority of Hindus, the prevailing view aligns with the yogic perspective. The *Bhagavad Gita* (Chapter 17) classifies foods based on the three *gunas* (qualities). Substances that cause sloth, delusion, and mental agitation (*Tamasic* and *Rajasic*) are discouraged. Powerful psychedelics would likely be classified as Tamasic, leading away from clarity and peace (*Sattva*).
### 2. Judaism – The Sanctity of a Sober Mind
* *Core Principle:* The covenant between God and the people of Israel, lived through the observance of the Torah (Divine Law) and its rabbinic interpretations (Talmud, Halakha).
* *Likely Stance:* **Strongly Opposed.**
* *Reasoning:*
* **Biblical Principles:** The Torah commands priests to avoid wine and intoxicants before serving in the Tabernacle (Leviticus 10:8-11), establishing a principle of sober-mindedness when approaching the divine. The overarching command is “Be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 19:2), which entails being in full control of one’s faculties to serve God. The Nazarite vow (Numbers 6) involves complete abstinence as a path to heightened holiness.
* **Talmudic and Halakhic Development:** Jewish law (*Halakha*) explicitly forbids anything that causes a loss of rational control or endangers one’s health. This prohibition is derived from the biblical injunction against self-harm and the duty to preserve one’s life and health (*pikuach nefesh*). Recreational drug use is seen as a violation of these principles.
* **The Purpose of Mitzvot:** Fulfilling the 613 commandments requires intentionality (*kavanah*) and clear-minded action. A drug-induced state would invalidate the performance of most religious duties.
### 3. Confucius (孔子) – The Ethical and Social Order
* *Core Principle:* Social harmony, filial piety, ritual propriety (*Li*), and cultivation of a virtuous character through a clear mind.
* *Likely Stance:* **Strongly Opposed.**
* *Reasoning:* Any substance that clouds the mind or leads to a loss of self-control is an obstacle to becoming a “noble person” (*Junzi*). It would be seen as disrespectful to one’s parents (as your body is a gift from them) and disruptive to social roles. The intense states induced by potent psychedelics violate the balanced “Doctrine of the Mean.”
### 4. The Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) – The Path of Mindfulness
* *Core Principle:* The Noble Eightfold Path and the Five Precepts, with an emphasis on mindfulness (*Sati*) and ending craving (*Tanha*).
* *Likely Stance:* **Explicitly Forbidden.**
* *Reasoning:* The Fifth Precept directly prohibits intoxicants “which are the basis for heedlessness” (*pamāda*). This includes anything that clouds the mind and leads to a breakage of the other precepts. The Buddha taught that enlightenment must come from a clear, disciplined, and mindful mind, not from altered states. Using substances for spiritual experiences is a false path, creating attachment to illusory states.
### 5. Islam – Explicit Prohibition
* *Core Principle:* Submission to the will of God (Allah), with a comprehensive legal system (*Sharia*).
* *Likely Stance:* **Explicitly and Categorically Forbidden (Haram).**
* *Reasoning:* The Quran explicitly prohibits *Khamr* (intoxicants) as “the work of Satan” (5:90-91). Islamic scholarship extends this prohibition via analogical reasoning (*Qiyas*) to any substance that intoxicates or severely alters the mind. The preservation of the mind (*Aql*) is one of the five primary objectives of Sharia (*Maqasid al-Shari’ah*), making its protection a supreme religious duty.
### 6. Zoroaster (Zarathustra) – Purity of Mind and Body
* *Core Principle:* The cosmic struggle between Truth (*Asha*) and the Lie (*Druj*). Human duty is to align with Truth through “Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds.”
* *Likely Stance:* **Strongly Opposed.**
* *Reasoning:* Zoroastrianism emphasizes ritual and moral purity. A clear mind is essential for choosing truth over falsehood. Substances that distort perception and self-control would be seen as tools of the “Lie,” polluting the body and mind and leading one away from righteousness.
### 7. Enoch & Elijah – Archetypes of Prophetic Ascent
* *Core Principle:* Both were taken up to heaven without dying, representing the ultimate in prophetic purity and direct communion with God.
* *Likely Stance:* **Implied Opposition.**
* *Reasoning:* Their narratives emphasize righteousness, obedience, and a unique closeness to God achieved through spiritual means. The idea of a substance being a shortcut to the divine state they achieved would be antithetical to their stories of faith, moral integrity, and divine election.
### 8. Jesus Christ – Fulfillment of the Law and the Temple of the Spirit
* *Core Principle:* The inauguration of the Kingdom of God, love for God and neighbor, and the sanctity of the person.
* *Likely Stance:* **Strongly Discouraged.**
* *Reasoning:* Jesus upheld the Law and its principles of sober-mindedness. The New Testament teaches that the body is a “temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and calls believers to be “sober-minded” and “watchful” (1 Peter 5:8). Defiling the temple or hindering spiritual alertness is contrary to this. The fruit of the Spirit is “self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).
### 9. The Druze (Al-Muwahhidun) – The Path of Esoteric Purity
* *Core Principle:* A highly esoteric, monotheistic tradition originating in the 11th century. It emphasizes spiritual purity, reincarnation, and the pursuit of ultimate truth. Its teachings are secret, revealed only to the initiated spiritual elite (the *’Uqqal*, “the Knowing”).
* *Likely Stance:* **Strongly Opposed.**
* *Reasoning:* This is based on the core tenets of the faith that are publicly known:
1. **Purity and Abstinence:** The Druze code of conduct for the ‘Uqqal requires strict abstinence from substances that impair the mind, including alcohol, tobacco, and by clear extension, all psychoactive drugs. The body and mind must be kept pure.
2. **Secrecy of Divine Knowledge:** Truth is not found through external substances but through intense study, meditation, and the gradual, guided revelation of the Druze epistles (*Rasa’il al-Hikmah*, “Letters of Wisdom”). An altered state would be seen as a false and chaotic path to knowledge that is meant to be approached with a lucid and disciplined mind.
3. **Social Conservatism and Pragmatism:** Historically, the Druze have survived as a close-knit community by maintaining a high degree of social discipline and clarity of judgment, which would be incompatible with drug use.
—
### Unified Conclusion and Summary Table
| Figure / Tradition | Core Reason for Likely Opposition |
| :— | :— |
| **Hinduism** | Generally opposed as an obstacle to yogic discipline (*Sadhana*); creates mental agitation (*Rajas*) and delusion (*Tamas*) contrary to the clarity (*Sattva*) needed for liberation. (Historical use of Soma is a complex exception.) |
| **Judaism** | Violates the principle of sober-mindedness required for holiness and divine service; forbidden by Halakha as it causes loss of rational control and endangers health. |
| *Confucius* | Destroys social harmony, impairs moral self-cultivation, and violates filial piety and the “Doctrine of the Mean.” |
| *Buddha* | Explicitly forbidden by the Fifth Precept as it causes heedlessness and provides a false spiritual path. |
| *Islam* | Explicitly and categorically forbidden (*Haram*) as it obscures the mind from God and violates the objective of preserving the intellect (*Aql*). |
| *Zoroaster* | Pollutes the body and mind, aligning the user with the “Lie” (*Druj*) instead of “Truth” (*Asha*). |
| *Enoch/Elijah* | Their prophetic ascent was based on righteousness and divine choice, not chemical alteration. |
| *Jesus* | Defiles the body as God’s temple and hinders the sober alertness and self-control required for faith. |
| *The Druze* | Violates the strict code of purity for the initiated and offers a false path to esoteric truth, which must be approached with a lucid mind. |
*Overall Consensus:* The pattern is overwhelming and consistent across prophetic, philosophical, and esoteric traditions. The pursuit of virtue, holiness, enlightenment, or divine knowledge is fundamentally tied to the ideal of a *sober, clear, disciplined, and self-controlled mind.*
The use of psychoactive substances is almost universally seen as:
* A pollutant to the body or mind.
* An obstacle to moral and social responsibility.
* A source of delusion or false revelation.
* A form of slavery or heedlessness that contradicts spiritual freedom.
While certain shamanic and some Tantric traditions use entheogens, and Hinduism has the historical precedent of Soma, the major organized religious and philosophical systems that shaped global civilizations have, with very few and highly specific exceptions, foundational principles that stand in direct opposition to their recreational or spiritual use.
J closing, my personal request is that we all attempt to refrain from the left path and come to the purer right path, which requires ritual purification via long term fasting, and aks that you build your way up from whatever you can currently fast for, and attempt to get to 40 days and nights of fasting with me together. So far I’ve been able to get to 14 days and would like to get further.
Hope this all helps in your search for truth and wisdom, that being the discernment of knowledge using the 7th sense (our heart neural network – the connection to that divine spark that we have from within).
Interesting – https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7094wj0418o.amp (Canterbury Cathedral graffiti praised after Vance & Musk criticism)
Under “Does everything have a soul?” Perhaps someone should have a QR code that redirects to
https://youtu.be/xvzZ56ZbWy8?si=C1cumgLMVfjREfxJ
It starts the youthful heart in a journey of exploration…. That to me is still the video that best portrays the message of Gnosticism, was Thoth still flying in his space ship when Yeheshua (Jesus) was here? I suppose it’s possible…… and with enough research and child-like imaginations we don’t need psychedelics to be like children.
In order to get into the kingdom of heaven, we need to be like children, though children don’t use drugs or take psychedelics! What they do, is they have an active imagination where everything good and Godly is possible, they have youthful energy, exuberance and excitement. Also a lack of fear, and that’s how we’re meant to remain as adults!