Customer Reviews

Mushrooms and Mankind: The Impact of Mushrooms on Human Consciousness and Religion

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I rate this book 5*s exclusively based upon the information contained therein. The formatting could use some polishing and it would be nice to have a hardcover available (color pictures etc.) I did manage to find Arthurs website which has many of the same images in color.

I have not seen as broad a look at the subject of Ethnomycology, as far as Amanita muscaria goes, either in contemporary writings or the classics, but I would like to see this author explore more information on Psilocybe sp. My only beef is; I would like more. I hope he has an aim to comment further in future works in regards to some of the subjects only briefly touched upon in this book. I also enjoyed the writing style and will comment that sometimes things just need to be said no matter who doesnt agree with it. Arthur says a lot, about a lot, in this book..

This is a welcomed addition to my library and I find myself commenting on the book and showing it to my friends quite often. The seemingly unrelated areas tend to grow on you and as an example understanding certain connections continues to dawn on me still. Also it is refreshing to see so many new ideas I have seen presented nowhere else. In a world becoming increasingly redundant and robotic I can see the unique combination of ideas and Philosophical viewpoints contained in this book to be revolutionary!

I've spent many years researching many of the ideas that James Arthur has laid out in this book. Arthur is probably the first to recognize the proper relationship between macro (Astrotheology) worship and micro (entheogen) worship.

To some who've not researched the ideas in this book, they may come across as "new agey". This could not be farther from the truth. A study of the "precession of the equinoxes" in the Oxford OED will alone tell volumes on the merit of Arthur's research.

Other recommended scholars for those skeptical:
Archarya S., G.A. Wells, Jordan Maxwell, Gordon Wasson, Clark Heinrich, Kersey Graves, Manly P. Hall, Terence McKenna, Ernest Brussenbark, Carl Ruck, Jonathan Ott, and Christian Ratsch. There is also a free video called the Pharmacratic Inquisition that may be found by doing a search online.

The bad: This book could definetly use a colour edition!

To set the record straight:
The Amanita does contain Ibotenic Acid and Muscimol. As the other reviewer mentioned, the Ibotenic Acid is decarboxylated (converted) into Muscimol when roasted or dried, and passed thru the body. Ibotenic acid is mildly toxic. There are reports of Muscarine (a poison) being found in European species at 0.0003% which is too small an amount to effect a toxic reaction. The amount of Muscarine in American species has not been studied, and could be higher.
These mushrooms should not be eaten raw. Many mycology books WRONGLY list Amanita muscaria and pantherina as poisonous.

Here are the facts from Pharmacotheon by Jon Ott:
"Deaths following the ingestion of Amanita muscaria have not been documented sufficiently to permit the conclusion that this is a lethal mushroom when ingested by healthy persons. In two cases of ingestion of considerable quantities of both raw and cooked mushrooms, the patients experienced some discomfort but recovered quickly and completely."

I suggest buying a copy of Ott's book (if you can find one $80 to $200) and read the details on the research. Many enjoy it's use, and many others don't. My personal experiences with this substance have been for the most part good. I have consumed up to 60 grams by in Tea in one sitting. The Amanita muscaria is also well known in Germany and other countries for its effectiveness in treating certain health problems.

The visionary James Arthur is the opposite of the careful and straightlaced Dan Merkur in the field of the entheogen theory of the origins of religion. This book is so wide-ranging, it's hard to form a clear mental picture of its scope. Arthur has innovative coverage speculating about entheogens in Egyptian and Asian as well as Christian religion.

This subject is just getting started so there are few books and what few there are are speculative. The entheogen theory of the origin of religions *makes sense*, particularly when focusing on the specifically religious aspect of religion rather than other aspects such as political, ethical, or sociological aspects.

Scholars, including esoteric and Literalist Christian scholars, agree that entheogenic plants are basically reliable triggers for religious experiencing. Historians of religion are trying to use "psychology", "anthropology", and "sociology" to explain the origin of religions. These explanatory threads point to entheogens at the fountainhead of religion, religious experiencing, and religious myth.

This book provides some evidence but most of all provides the all-important *perspective* from which we can see how well it makes good sense to look to entheogens for the origin of mystic experiencing at the root of religion. There's really no reasonable argument against the entheogen theory of the origin of religion -- it enables a full-spectrum, integral-theory explanation of religion to finally come together.

I first heard of James Arthur while listening to Talk Radio in Salt Lake City (where I live). Through the interview I found out he had a website so I went to the University where I could peruse it with the computer. I felt as though I was treading on forbidden ground almost immediately. I found myself looking around to see who might be paying attention. Dealing with issues such as Drugs, Sex, Societal conditioning and Religious indoctrination can be very touchy in the repressed world I live in (one must tread lightly). Arthur certainly pulls no punches when it comes to standing on (perceived) holy ground. I have garnered bits and pieces over the years about mushrooms involvement in religion, mostly along the lines of 'Urban Legend'. Having been initially raised a Mormon, the status quo in S.L.C., I can relate to oppressive religious programming. I have since been through many stages of rebellion, religion and philosophical studies. I also have been fortunate in connecting with many very intelligent and well read individuals throughout my lifetime, my opinion is that Salt Lake is a hotbed for this type of intellectual pioneering. I am anxiously looking forward to the upcoming books he talked about in the radio show, the one about Joseph Smith and mushrooms and the one about DMT. The best thing is that Arthur does not claim to have all the answers and he doesn't have a 'follow me' attitude. The information in this book empowers the individual, something that is rare today.

The Chapter on Christmas is brilliant! The obvious mushroom/present connections should be plastered all over the front page of every newspaper. This is ground breaking research of the highest magnitude. It is unfortunate that many people are so blinded by false delusions and lies fed to them by Church and State that this information is either rejected by the readers indoctrinated cosmology (paradigm) or it simply goes in one ear and out the other, never receiving the recognition it deserves.

The book is a semi-easy read with a feel and language that makes it accessible to most levels of intellectual capacity. I highly reccommend it to any open minded/hearted thinking individuals.

***** Five Stars and a gigantic Thumbs Up to "Mushrooms and Mankind". Keep up the awesome work James!

Keep an eye on this author as he's someday going to be great. The amount of concise and speculative information was fabulous. What then is the rub you ask? Well, while the intense research was evident I believe the presentation style and formation (structure) of the pages left a bit to be desired. Mr.Arthur has a penchant for suddenly hopping on a soapbox that struck me as somewhat pendantic ranting even though I agreed with him! Additionally, these rants had little to do with the subject matter and more directly related to his personal frustration with the powers that be, correct as they may be. In fact, it would appear he's got enough background in this area to base an entire other book. If you can put aside the author's angst during the few times it arises, you'll be left with a powerful and well documented piece of literature likely to lead you down many interesting paths. I would certainly purchase another writing as I feel confident in its factual basis and have the added bonus of seeing his writing style improve.

There are enough ties among the various world traditions in this book to make a solid case that the mushrooms (Amanitas and Psilocybin) are foundational to religious origins. It makes a lot of sense that the plants (drugs) of the old world received a status of renoun around the world when you consider the trade value these plants have and still engender. I agree that the future of mankind does not embrace a continuing prohibition of these incredible plants but, rather, humanity will once again respect and use these plants as they were meant to be used, as tools for enlightenment.

Having been a Bible studier for most of my life I am gratified to report that understanding the Bible is greatly enhansed by reading Mushrooms and Mankind. The esoteric symbolism is unveiled and I now understand much that was previously a mystery to me. This is the greatest impact I could never have imagined coming from a book about Psychedelic mushrooms.

On another note, the reviewer Derick Pillion misrepresented what this book actually says I've read his review and whether it is a misunderstanding or an intentional fabrication, his review is not factual.

This book is packed with connections between mushrooms, myth and religion and I can now see even more of them that were not in the book. I found it to be a valuable stepping-stone in my own research and quest for understanding.

As one very partial to the purported subject of this book, i.e. ethnomycology, I was extremely disappointed with this book.

My gripes:

All material is presented as fact without any sort of attempt to reference his sources. James has clearly read a lot of material, but it was just too easy to spot his predecessors because he seemed to throw in slipshod regurgitations of the well known generalities of McKenna, Wasson, Allegro and the like. There were no specifics. No ideas. And it went on and on in a very sloven mien.

The formatting and packaging of the book was sloppy and cheap.

The images were extremely poor. Some worthless. There was no numbering or labeling system for the pictures to quickly reference them from the text. This was INCREDIBLY ANNOYING because several pages had two to four pictures on them.

One of the most aggravating things about this book was the injection of completely irrelevant material: conspiratorial paranoia, self righteous indignation of traditional interpretations of religious institutions, and a few sentences dedicated to his "apparent" position as a "leading expert" in the field under discussion. If this were the case, I would have to judge, by this book, that the field is in dire straights.

My actual reaction is to give this book two stars because I enjoy this subject a lot and he does cover a lot of ground in a hundred pages and I'm sure it's difficult to get this type of research published. But the number of five-star reviews in this forum is RIDICULOUS and NOTHING about the vast and wide array of information in this book is deductively tied or considered. It's just WAY too amateurish of a product for anyone of serious intention to consider this as anything other than a curiosity.

Please know this: I truly mean no disrespect to the author and what I have thus far said says nothing about the truth or validity of the ideas presented in this thesis. You can definitely pick up his deep love for this subject, but I can't give him a pass just for his passion. You have to have EVIDENCE. You have to be able to write COHESIVELY. You have to have an EDITOR. You have to have IDEAS. In this book not only are the ideas not his own (I'm pretty sure every significant notion in this work had it's precursors in Wasson, Allegro, McKenna, and others), but the sloppy retelling of others work does nothing more than damage the image and effort of those author's who are much more talented and dedicated to the backbone of scientific inquiry and far more capable of making an intelligible case.

DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK.

Start with "Food of the Gods" by Terrence McKenna. Trust me.

The book is very dense in information. I've now read it three times and I think that the author is truly inspired. It is amazing how many ideas in one small book could expose the foundations of society, government and religion as fraudulent. The tome shreds reality as most people in the western world believe it to be. I look at things differently now and the world would be a much different place if everybody were to read this book. This book just might change your perceptions of the world in a positive way, it did mine. Certainly an underground classic.

I just finished reading the book "Mushrooms and Mankind" by James Arthur which I found very interesting. Since the premise blows away all my early religious programming and some deeply embedded attachments to the Jesus Savior Belief, (I also grewup Fundamental Baptist) and my later in life interest in Buddhism...it's not an easy cup of Soma to swallow for a religious minded person.

My religious blocks and beliefs tied deeply to my own religious attachments....probably due to the sweetness of the feelings and experiences associated with believing in a Jesus Savior or a Buddha Diety were swept clean by the information exposed via this book. The book is a raw rubbing of your Soul...painful in letting go of outdated and false beliefs, but healing and empowering once you have the cords of religious programming broken. Check out the photos of the Aura's around Jesus and the Buddha in this book and good O'l Santa will never look the same again. 8-)

Being close to 50 years old and having my own consciousness expanding experience with magic mushrooms 23 years ago, considering that "Jesus is a Mushroom" and that God dwells within us all, and that these plants help to access pathways to the Divine helping to knock down the walls of repression and control religions hold on humankind awareness is bittersweet.

It's better to know the truth ultimately, but if the secrets held by religions were commonly known, our souls would be more empowered, instead of wounded with misplaced anger and ignorance resulting in a soul search for a Diety outside of ourselves.

One has to step up to the plate to read this book, and with an open mind one can with courage and determinination break free from the programming and control society and religion attempts to conform and homogenize us into. Do we choose to be blissful happy cogs of the planetary machine called the New World Order? I think only out of deception and hunger for total power and control by the powers that be are we lead down that path to obivion.

You want a key to Freedom for your Spirit?... Read "Mushrooms and Mankind" by James Arthur.

Sadly James Arthur is dead and his work will not be completed. I really enjoy this little book. While I love to visit with this book the photographs are black and white small and poorly resolved. Too bad because the website I learned about the book from said the book was better. The book says see the website. The color pictures on the website are also small so I lament that I may never see the evidence realistically presented.
Mr. Arthur's thesis is very convincing and it makes you wonder why his ideas are not more mainstream.