Customer Reviews

Persephone's Quest: Entheogens and the Origins of Religion

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although I only gave it 4 stars, this book is actually outstanding. I did not give it the highest evaluation because, although R.G. Wasson's material was monumental, some of the other material included did not seem of the same caliber. Wasson's perspective is really a must read for anyone interested in this subject. He was not only extremely intelligent, but he also had an innate ability to phrase his ideas in a manner that really conveyed a total picture of what he was discussing. His perspective of calling them "personal experiences rather than hallucinations" really describes his intelligent attitude of pioneering. He had the insight to realize that he was discovering a new frontier that no one had the understanding to call true, false or imaginary. He was aware of the power of people using psychoactive materials and did not try to fit all of this into a politically correct literary structure that the current autorities of his era would accept. He provides his own, somewhat negative, perspective of Dr. Timothy Leary "and those of his ilk". He did not agree with the psychedelic crowd about using these materials for entertainment and believed that there was something inherently sacred about them. Although he was the first person of modern civilization to discover and document the use of the Psilocybin mushrooms of Central America he realized there was a difference between the effects of these mushrooms and the Amanita Muscaria which has no Psilocybin and apparently produced effects that spawned a number of the major religions of the world. I recommend this book to anyone who would like REAL information concerning psychoactive experience.

I am a student of Carl A.P. Ruck, who was one of the contributors for this collection. This volume is indeed a collection which covers several sides of the story, touching upon almost every civilization which was influenced by the entheogensis of the mushroom (Amanita and Psylocybe). For those who have read McKenna's work, this is the foundation of it, although the antithesis of his belief that the Psylocybin containing species are the Soma of ancient Aryans. The second part of this book deals with the secrets of the ancient Greeks, their worship of entheogens, their belief in their ancestors and the Eleusinian mysteries- the common temple of the world.

An incredible read, very accessible to anyone interested in mythology and with an open mind.

The subtitle to this book is Entheogens and the Origins of Religion. For those not familiar with the term entheogen it literally means `god generated within' and refers to the various psychoactive substances that have been used throughout history in a spiritual context. These include the mushroom cults of rural modern Mexico, the use of a soma by the ancient Indo-European Aryan culture of pre Hindi India, and even in the rites of the Eleusis ceremonies of classical Greece. As can be inferred at this point, the book concerns itself to the investigation of these different spiritual rites that appear to form an almost common theme throughout the development of religion around the world. Wasson is the driving force behind not only the book, but also the study of entheogens as a discipline around the world. His pioneering world in the field of ethnomycology and ethnobotany in the 1940's and 50's lead him to be the first person from the western world to partake in the sacred mushroom rituals of Mesoamerica in 1953.

The book itself is divided into two parts. The first consists of essays by R. Gordon Wasson, Stella Kramrisch, and Jonathan Ott covering everything from analysis of the last meal of the Buddha and the connections in mythology between the lightning bolt and the mushroom to the systematic gathering of evidence across cultures and history of the widespread use of entheogens in religious rites. The second part of the book consists of three essays from Carl A. P. Ruck, a distinguished Greek scholar. As would make sense, Ruck's essays focus a bit more intently on the relation of entheogens to ancient Greek society.

Any book that is a compilation of separate works from separate authors is inevitably going to suffer from a general lack of flow or cohesion and Persephone's Quest is no exception. Certain parts read better than other, notably Wasson's efforts lead the way in this regard, but as a whole the theories and ideas raised are of the prime importance. Ruck's efforts could also be viewed as a bit tiresome, but I am a bit biased in this regard as Greek history is of immense interest and an area of study for me. Some of what Ruck describes may be lost on readers not familiar with the ancient Greek world, but then again this is the case regarding almost any area. Anyone with an interest in entheogens of psychedelics in the parlance of recreational usage will do themselves well to read this book.

It certainly holds a great deal of relevance for today's world and can in fact still be seen in some of the worlds great religions such as Hinduism, where often times a surrogate has replaced the original entheogen, in the Hindu case soma was replaced with the putka mushroom, which is not psychoactive. The simple fact that the use of entheogens was/is so widespread throughout human history is a reason to study it and the current prejudice held against such substances by many academics and authority figures is completely unfounded. It seems almost to be part of a larger movement within a certain section of society that is willing to dismiss the scientific-analytical approach to such diverse topics as global warming, evolution, stem cell research and other so called `controversial' topics. In fact it seems to me that this dismissal of reason is usually coming from some sort of religion inspired dogma.

In light of this the book will probably not be accepted very warmly in religious circles, which is unfortunate. What is maybe more unfortunate is that the will the part of society that readily accepts the side of reason in most of the aforementioned topics continues to persist by in large to a wholesale rejection of examining entheogens and their importance in the development of human civilization. This book is a good start to hopefully change the popular perception on these remarkable substances.

A great read when read in balance with other books such as Terence McKenna's Food of the God's, Clark Heinrich's Magic Mushrooms, and James Arthur's Mushrooms and Mankind. Wasson's contributions to understanding the world's religions, and shamanism is inestimable. His open minded and non prejudicial approach to other societies was a breath of fresh air for his time.

For the record to those interested in Amanita muscaria as an entheogen:

Let's step away from the hysteria for a moment. 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. The Amanita muscaria is also well known in Germany and other countries for its effectiveness in treating certain health problems.

I believe R. Gordon Wasson is total genius. The prose is great, a must read. Also read, The Road to Eleusis. He and Ruck weave a web of scholarly inquiry that has been on the shelf waiting for discovery.

Wasson's text makes this book not only worthwhile, but a must read for anyone interested in the human link to higher knowledge.
His research is outstanding and puts a conclusive stamp on many beliefs concerning human culture.

The title is taken from Greek mythology. Persephone was the daughter of Zeus and Styx, or, in the more usual tradition, the daughter of Zeus and Ceres (Demeter). Pluto carried her off while she was in the midst of gathering flowers and made her his wife, and she became the queen of the under world. She symbolizes the changes of the seasons, and particularly the return of Spring.

This book is about mushrooms, particularly mind-altering mushrooms, which the author, R. Gordon Wasson, refers to as "entheogens," a word he himself coined, meaning substances which chemically induce religious experiences.

In 1926, Wasson married a Russian physician, Valentina Pavlovna, in England. He was himself a journalist employed by the New York Herald Tribune at the time. His wife introduced him to mushrooms, which in those days were little used by Americans who looked down on them as "toadstools", but were enthusiastically embraced as a food by Europeans, who were far more knowledgeable about them.

Somewhere along the line, the couple became persuaded that entheogenic mushrooms, particularly the Amanita Muscaria, known colloquially as the 'fly agaric', was the original 'Soma' of legend, used by the Greek oracles and others in rituals.

This book traces Wasson's single-minded pursuit of evidence to buttress his theory in his travels throughout the world, in the Americas as well as Europe and even Siberia. It is a scholarly attempt to make the case that mind-altering mushrooms may have been responsible for mankind's most primitive religious feelings, leading to the very beginnings of religion as we know it today.

He traces their religious use in Mexico, Central and South America, India (where they have fallen out of favor), China, Siberia, Europe, and of course ancient Greece.

This book is a scholarly work, heavily footnoted (but without an index) and illustrated liberally with photographs and artwork. It is clear that Wasson was very single-minded in his interest, to the point where some of his conclusions may be attributed more to enthusiasm for his subject than objective science.

He does not dwell on the preparation of the Amanita Muscaria, which apparently can be quite toxic if not prepared carefully and with knowledge.

Unfortunately, perhaps, the book has become something of a "cult book" for some modern recreational drug users. I have seen some internet websites, in which contributors refer to Wasson as an authority on "'shrooms," and where the language used indicates other than academic interest.

Apparently the Fly Agaric mushroom is the original source of the chemical psilocybin, the mind altering drug that induces hallucinations on a par with those experienced under the influence of d-Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-25 (LSD).

Joseph Pierre,
Author of THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS: Our Journey Through Eternity

I have not read the book though I would like to. However I am writing to notify all readers of these reviews of the DANGEROUS ERROR in Joseph Pierre's review of Persephone's Quest : Entheogens and the Origins of Religion. The mistake Mr. Pierre makes is in identifying the Fly Agaric mushroom as a source of psilocybin. It certainly is not a source of psilocybin and nor has Mr. Wasson claimed that it is. Merely an unfortunate error on Mr. Pierre's part. As he does note - the Fly Agaric mushroom is quite deadly. Psilocybin comes from different mushrooms - notably from the psilocybin and some panaeoulus varieties. READER OF THESE REVIEWS: BE FOREWARNED!!!

If you are interested obtaing knowlege of the fly agaric muchroom, the soma of the anceint vedic culture of Idia, this is a good book to start with. Most of the information given is helpful and is approached from an analytical point of view. but since i'm wrighting this, it i'm going to clear up some of the mistakes made in the other reviews. The fly agaric mushroom is quite toxic. However, if heated and dried proparly the ibotenic acid (the toxic chemical) is changed to muscimol making it non toxic. Also there is no psilocybin contained in this mushroom. check out this book it's a good read

"Persephone's Quest" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy." http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy