Flesh of the Gods : the ritual use of hallucinogens

For centuries, hallucinogens have been of great significance in the ideology and religious practices of primitive societies. In fact, the use of psychotropic plants to achieve states of religious ecstasy goes back almost to the beginning of human culture. Furthermore, the content of the psychedelic experience in the West today has been found to be similar to that of the religious pilgrimages of Oriental and aboriginal New World groups. But one fundamental difference overshadows all similarities: In the traditional cultures described in this collection of ten essays, the hallucinogenic "trip" is a means to an end--a quest for confirmation of traditional values, for unity with the tribal ancestors. In contemporary Western society, by contrast, it tends to be an end in itself and a rejection of the society's values--perhaps, it has been suggested, because Western drug-users tend to be a-cultural. Clearly, we have much to learn from an objective study of societies with long histories of sanctioned, and controlled, drug use to achieve recognized cultural objectives. IMGP6056 copy_2R 1 IMGP6057 copy_1L 2 IMGP6057 copy_2R 3 IMGP6058 copy_2R 4 IMGP6059 copy_1L 5 IMGP6059 copy_2R 6 IMGP6060 copy_1L 7 IMGP6060 copy_2R 8 IMGP6061 copy_1L 9 IMGP6061 copy_2R 10 IMGP6062 copy_1L 11 IMGP6062 copy_2R 12 IMGP6063 copy_1L 13 IMGP6063 copy_2R 14 IMGP6064 copy_1L 15 IMGP6064 copy_2R 16 IMGP6065 copy_1L 17 IMGP6065 copy_2R 18 IMGP6066 copy_1L 19 IMGP6066 copy_2R 20 IMGP6067 copy_1L 21 IMGP6067 copy_2R 22 IMGP6068 copy_1L 23 IMGP6068 copy_2R 24 IMGP6069 copy_1L 25 IMGP6069 copy_2R 26 IMGP6070 copy_1L 27 IMGP6070 copy_2R 28 IMGP6071 copy_1L 29 IMGP6071 copy_2R 30 IMGP6072 copy_1L 31 IMGP6072 copy_2R 32 IMGP6073 copy_1L 33 IMGP6073 copy_2R 34 IMGP6074 copy_1L 35 IMGP6074 copy_2R 36 IMGP6075 copy_1L 37 IMGP6075 copy_2R 38 IMGP6076 copy_1L 39 IMGP6076 copy_2R 40 IMGP6077 copy_1L 41 IMGP6077 copy_2R 42 IMGP6078 copy_1L 43 IMGP6078 copy_2R 44 IMGP6079 copy_1L 45 IMGP6079 copy_2R 46 IMGP6080 copy_1L 47 IMGP6080 copy_2R 48 IMGP6081 copy_1L 49 IMGP6081 copy_2R 50 IMGP6082 copy_1L 51 IMGP6082 copy_2R 52 IMGP6083 copy_1L 53 IMGP6083 copy_2R 54 IMGP6084 copy_1L 55 IMGP6084 copy_2R 56 IMGP6085 copy_1L 57 IMGP6085 copy_2R 58 IMGP6086 copy_1L 59 IMGP6086 copy_2R 60 IMGP6087 copy_1L 61 IMGP6087 copy_2R 62 IMGP6088 copy_1L 63 IMGP6088 copy_2R 64 IMGP6090 copy_1L 65 IMGP6090 copy_2R 66 IMGP6091 copy_1L 67 IMGP6091 copy_2R 68 IMGP6092 copy_1L 69 IMGP6092 copy_2R 70 IMGP6093 copy_1L 71 IMGP6093 copy_2R 72 IMGP6094 copy_1L 73 IMGP6094 copy_2R 74 IMGP6095 copy_1L 75 IMGP6095 copy_2R 76 IMGP6096 copy_1L 77 IMGP6096 copy_2R 78 IMGP6097 copy_1L 79 IMGP6097 copy_2R 80 IMGP6098 copy_1L 81 IMGP6098 copy_2R 82 IMGP6099 copy_1L 83 IMGP6099 copy_2R 84 IMGP6100 copy_1L 85 IMGP6100 copy_2R 86 IMGP6101 copy_1L 87 IMGP6101 copy_2R 88 IMGP6102 copy_1L 89 IMGP6102 copy_2R 90 IMGP6103 copy_1L 91 IMGP6103 copy_2R 92 IMGP6104 copy_1L 93 IMGP6104 copy_2R 94 IMGP6105 copy_1L 95 IMGP6105 copy_2R 96 IMGP6106 copy_1L 97 IMGP6106 copy_2R 98 IMGP6107 copy_1L 99 IMGP6107 copy_2R 100 IMGP6108 copy_1L 101 IMGP6108 copy_2R 102 IMGP6109 copy_1L 103 IMGP6109 copy_2R 104 IMGP6110 copy_1L 105 IMGP6110 copy_2R 106 IMGP6111 copy_1L 107 IMGP6111 copy_2R 108 IMGP6112 copy_1L 109 IMGP6112 copy_2R 110 IMGP6113 copy_1L 111 IMGP6113 copy_2R 112 IMGP6114 copy_1L 113 IMGP6114 copy_2R 114 IMGP6115 copy_1L 115 IMGP6115 copy_2R 116 IMGP6116 copy_1L 117 IMGP6116 copy_2R 118 IMGP6117 copy_1L 119 IMGP6117 copy_2R 120 IMGP6118 copy_1L 121 IMGP6118 copy_2R 122 IMGP6119 copy_1L 123 IMGP6119 copy_2R 124 IMGP6120 copy_1L 125 IMGP6120 copy_2R 126 IMGP6121 copy_1L 127 IMGP6121 copy_2R 128 IMGP6122 copy_1L 129 IMGP6122 copy_2R 130 IMGP6123 copy_1L 131 IMGP6123 copy_2R 132 IMGP6124 copy_1L 133 IMGP6124 copy_2R 134 IMGP6125 copy_1L 135 IMGP6125 copy_2R 136 IMGP6126 copy_1L 137 IMGP6126 copy_2R 138 IMGP6127 copy_1L 139 IMGP6127 copy_2R 140 IMGP6128 copy_1L 141 IMGP6128 copy_2R 142 IMGP6129 copy_1L 143 IMGP6129 copy_2R 144 IMGP6130 copy_1L 145 IMGP6130 copy_2R 146 IMGP6131 copy_1L 147 IMGP6131 copy_2R 148 IMGP6132 copy_1L 149 IMGP6132 copy_2R 150 IMGP6133 copy_1L 151 IMGP6133 copy_2R 152 IMGP6134 copy_1L 153 IMGP6134 copy_2R 154 IMGP6135 copy_1L 155 IMGP6135 copy_2R 156 IMGP6136 copy_1L 157 IMGP6136 copy_2R 158 IMGP6137 copy_1L 159 IMGP6137 copy_2R 160 IMGP6138 copy_1L 161 IMGP6138 copy_2R 162 IMGP6139 copy_1L 163 IMGP6139 copy_2R 164 IMGP6140 copy_1L 165 IMGP6140 copy_2R 166 IMGP6141 copy_1L 167 IMGP6141 copy_2R 168 IMGP6142 copy_1L 169 IMGP6142 copy_2R 170 IMGP6143 copy_1L 171 IMGP6143 copy_2R 172 IMGP6144 copy_1L 173 IMGP6144 copy_2R 174 IMGP6145 copy_1L 175 IMGP6145 copy_2R 176 IMGP6146 copy_1L 177 IMGP6146 copy_2R 178 IMGP6147 copy_1L 179 IMGP6147 copy_2R 180 IMGP6148 copy_1L 181 IMGP6148 copy_2R 182 IMGP6149 copy_1L 183 IMGP6149 copy_2R 184 IMGP6150 copy_1L 185 IMGP6150 copy_2R 186 IMGP6151 copy_1L 187 IMGP6151 copy_2R 188 IMGP6152 copy_1L 189 IMGP6152 copy_2R 190 IMGP6153 copy_1L 191 IMGP6153 copy_2R 192 IMGP6154 copy_1L 193 IMGP6154 copy_2R 194 IMGP6155 copy_1L 195 IMGP6155 copy_2R 196 IMGP6156 copy_1L 197 IMGP6156 copy_2R 198 IMGP6157 copy_1L 199 IMGP6157 copy_2R 200 IMGP6158 copy_1L 201 IMGP6158 copy_2R 202 IMGP6159 copy_1L 203 IMGP6159 copy_2R 204 IMGP6160 copy_1L 205 IMGP6160 copy_2R 206 IMGP6161 copy_1L 207 IMGP6161 copy_2R 208 IMGP6162 copy_1L 209 IMGP6162 copy_2R 210 IMGP6163 copy_1L 211 IMGP6163 copy_2R 212 IMGP6164 copy_1L 213 IMGP6164 copy_2R 214 IMGP6165 copy_1L 215 IMGP6165 copy_2R 216 IMGP6166 copy_1L 217 IMGP6166 copy_2R 218 IMGP6167 copy_1L 219 IMGP6167 copy_2R 220 IMGP6168 copy_1L 221 IMGP6168 copy_2R 222 IMGP6169 copy_1L 223 IMGP6169 copy_2R 224 IMGP6170 copy_1L 225 IMGP6170 copy_2R 226 IMGP6171 copy_1L 227 IMGP6171 copy_2R 228 IMGP6172 copy_1L 229 IMGP6172 copy_2R 230 IMGP6173 copy_1L 231 IMGP6173 copy_2R 232 IMGP6174 copy_1L 233 IMGP6174 copy_2R 234 IMGP6175 copy_1L 235 IMGP6175 copy_2R 236 IMGP6176 copy_1L 237 IMGP6176 copy_2R 238 IMGP6177 copy_1L 239 IMGP6177 copy_2R 240 IMGP6178 copy_1L 241 IMGP6178 copy_2R 242 IMGP6179 copy_1L 243 IMGP6179 copy_2R 244 IMGP6180 copy_1L 245 IMGP6180 copy_2R 246 IMGP6181 copy_1L 247 IMGP6181 copy_2R 248 IMGP6182 copy_1L 249 IMGP6182 copy_2R 250 IMGP6183 copy_1L 251 IMGP6183 copy_2R 252 IMGP6184 copy_1L 253 IMGP6184 copy_2R 254 IMGP6185 copy_1L 255 IMGP6185 copy_2R 256 IMGP6186 copy_1L 257 IMGP6186 copy_2R 258 IMGP6187 copy_1L 259 IMGP6187 copy_2R 260 IMGP6188 copy_1L 261 IMGP6188 copy_2R 262 IMGP6189 copy_1L 263 IMGP6189 copy_2R 264 IMGP6190 copy_1L 265 IMGP6190 copy_2R 266 IMGP6191 copy_1L 267 IMGP6191 copy_2R 268 IMGP6192 copy_1L 269 IMGP6192 copy_2R 270 IMGP6193 copy_1L 271 IMGP6193 copy_2R 272 IMGP6194 copy_1L 273 IMGP6194 copy_2R 274 IMGP6195 copy_1L 275 IMGP6195 copy_2R 276 IMGP6196 copy_1L 277 IMGP6196 copy_2R 278 IMGP6197 copy_1L 279 IMGP6197 copy_2R 280 IMGP6198 copy_1L 281 IMGP6198 copy_2R 282 IMGP6199 copy_1L 283 IMGP6199 copy_2R 284 IMGP6200 copy_1L 285 IMGP6200 copy_2R 286 IMGP6201 copy_1L 287 IMGP6201 copy_2R 288 IMGP6202 copy_1L 289 IMGP6202 copy_2R 290 IMGP6203 copy_1L 291 IMGP6203 copy_2R 292 IMGP6204 copy_1L 293 IMGP6204 copy_2R 294 IMGP6205 copy_1L 295 IMGP6205 copy_2R 296 IMGP6206 copy_1L 297 IMGP6206 copy_2R 298 IMGP6207 copy_1L 299 IMGP6207 copy_2R 300 IMGP6208 copy_1L 301 IMGP6208 copy_2R 302 IMGP6209 copy_1L 303 IMGP6209 copy_2R 304 IMGP6210 copy_1L 305 IMGP6210 copy_2R 306 IMGP6211 copy_1L 307 IMGP6211 copy_2R 308 IMGP6212 copy_1L 309 IMGP6212 copy_2R 310 IMGP6213 copy_1L 311 IMGP6213 copy_2R 312 IMGP6214 copy_1L 313 IMGP6214 copy_2R 314 IMGP6215 copy_1L 315 IMGP6215 copy_2R 316 IMGP6216 copy_1L 317 IMGP6216 copy_2R 318 IMGP6217 copy_1L 319 IMGP6217 copy_2R 320 IMGP6218 copy_1L 321 IMGP6218 copy_2R 322 IMGP6219 copy_1L 323 IMGP6219 copy_2R 324 IMGP6220 copy_1L 325 IMGP6220 copy_2R 326 IMGP6221 copy_1L 327 IMGP6221 copy_2R 328 IMGP6222 copy_1L 329 IMGP6223 copy_1L 330