Food of the Gods - the search for the original tree of know- ledge : a radical history of plants, drugs and human evolution

An exploration of humans' symbiotic relationships with plants and chemicals presents information on prehistoric partnership societies, the roles of spices and spirits in the rise of dominator societies; and the politics of tobacco, tea, coffee, opium, and alcohol. Why, as a species, are humans so fascinated by altered states of consciousness? Can altered states reveal something to us about our origins and our place in nature? In Food of the Gods, ethnobotanist Terence McKenna’s research on man’s ancient relationship with chemicals opens a doorway to the divine, and perhaps a solution for saving our troubled world. McKenna provides a revisionist look at the historical role of drugs in the East and the West, from ancient spice, sugar, and rum trades to marijuana, cocaine, synthetics, and even television—illustrating the human desire for the “food of the gods” and the powerful potential to replace abuse of illegal drugs with a shamanic understanding, insistence on community, reverence for nature, and increased self-awareness. Praise for Food of the Gods “Deserves to be the modern classic on mind-altering drugs and hallucinogens.”—The Washington Post “Terence McKenna is the most important—and most entertaining—visionary scholar in America.”—Tom Robbins “The culture’s foremost spokesperson for the psychedelic experience . . . Those who know and enjoy Joseph Campbell’s work will almost certainly appreciate McKenna.”—L.A. Weekly “An eloquent proposal for recovering something vital—a sense of the sacred, the transcendent, the Absolute—before it’s too late.”—Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Meaning & Medicine, Recovering the Soul, and Space, Time & Machine CONTENTS 3 4 II.PARADISE LOST95 4 AN AGONIZING REAPPRAISAL 6 AN ARCHAIC REVIVAL 7 A NEW MANIFESTO 8 THE DOMINATOR INHERITANCE 9 POSTCARDS FROM THE STONED AGE 29 HABIT ASCULTURE AND RELIGION 35 FATAL HUYUK 48 ALCHEMY OF SPIRIT 76 THE BALLAD OF THE 82 BROADENING OUR TASTE 90 SMOKING INTRODUCED TO EUROPE 99 THE ANCIENT LURE OF OPIUM 100 ALCHEMICAL OPIUM 102 TOBACCO REDUX 102 SHAMANIC TOBACCOS 103 TOBACCO AS QUACK MEDICINE 103 CONTRA TOBACCO 104 TOBACCO TRIUMPHANT 104 THE OPIUM WARS 105 COCAINE, AND TELEVISION 108 PRO COCAINE 110 MODERN ANTIDRUG HYSTERIA 111 DRUGS AND GOVERNMENTS 112 DRUGS AND INTERNATIONAL 113 ELECTRONIC DRUGS 113 THE HIDDEN PERSUADER 114 THE NEW WORLD HALLUCINOGENS 117 AYAHUASCA 118 THE FATHER OF PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY 119 THE PLEASURES OF MESCALINE 119 A MODERN RENAISSANCE 120 WHISPERS OF A NEW WORLD MUSHROOM 120 THE INVENTION OF LSD 121 PANDORA'S BOX FLUNG OPEN 121 LSD AND THE PSYCHEDELIC SIXTIES 122 LEARY AT HARVARD 124 IN THE SEVENTIES 124 PSYCHEDELIC IMPLICATIONS 125 PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE PROBLEM 125 REAL WORLD OPTIONS 127 THE CASE FOR HALLUCINOGENIC TRYPTAMINES 127 HOW DOES IT FEEL? 128 FACING THE ANSWER 128 CONSIDER THE OCTOPUS 129 ART AND THE REVOLUTION 129 CONSCIOUSNESS EXPANSION 130 THE DRUG WAR 130 HYPERSPACE AND HUMAN FREEDOM 131 WHAT IS NEW HERE 131 THE DMT EXPERIENCE 132 HYPERSPACE AND THE LAW 133 MEETINGS WITH 133 RECOVERING OUR ORIGINS 135 THE FUNDAMENTALIST CONTRIBUTION 135 THE LEGALIZATION ISSUE 136 A MODEST PROPOSAL 137 IF NOT IF NOT 138 FINDING THE WAY OUT 138 FROM THE GRASSLANDS TO THE STARSHIP 139 WE AWAIT OURSELVES WITHIN THE VISION 139 CONTENTS......Page 3 II.PARADISE LOST95......Page 4 AN AGONIZING REAPPRAISAL......Page 6 AN ARCHAIC REVIVAL......Page 7 A NEW MANIFESTO......Page 8 THE DOMINATOR INHERITANCE......Page 9 POSTCARDS FROM THE STONED AGE......Page 29 HABIT ASCULTURE AND RELIGION......Page 35 FATAL HUYUK......Page 48 ALCHEMY OF SPIRIT......Page 76 THE BALLAD OF THE......Page 82 BROADENING OUR TASTE......Page 90 SMOKING INTRODUCED TO EUROPE......Page 99 THE ANCIENT LURE OF OPIUM......Page 100 TOBACCO REDUX......Page 102 TOBACCO AS QUACK MEDICINE......Page 103 TOBACCO TRIUMPHANT......Page 104 THE OPIUM WARS......Page 105 COCAINE, AND TELEVISION......Page 108 PRO COCAINE......Page 110 MODERN ANTIDRUG HYSTERIA......Page 111 DRUGS AND GOVERNMENTS......Page 112 ELECTRONIC DRUGS......Page 113 THE HIDDEN PERSUADER......Page 114 THE NEW WORLD HALLUCINOGENS......Page 117 AYAHUASCA......Page 118 THE PLEASURES OF MESCALINE......Page 119 WHISPERS OF A NEW WORLD MUSHROOM......Page 120 PANDORA'S BOX FLUNG OPEN......Page 121 LSD AND THE PSYCHEDELIC SIXTIES......Page 122 IN THE SEVENTIES......Page 124 PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE PROBLEM......Page 125 THE CASE FOR HALLUCINOGENIC TRYPTAMINES......Page 127 FACING THE ANSWER......Page 128 ART AND THE REVOLUTION......Page 129 THE DRUG WAR......Page 130 WHAT IS NEW HERE......Page 131 THE DMT EXPERIENCE......Page 132 MEETINGS WITH......Page 133 THE FUNDAMENTALIST CONTRIBUTION......Page 135 THE LEGALIZATION ISSUE......Page 136 A MODEST PROPOSAL......Page 137 FINDING THE WAY OUT......Page 138 WE AWAIT OURSELVES WITHIN THE VISION......Page 139 Shamanism: setting the stage The magic in food The search for the original tree of knowledge Plants and primates: postcards from the stoned age Habit as culture and religion The high plains of eden Searching for Soma: the golden vedic enigma Twilight in Eden: Minoan Crete and the Eleusinian mystery Alcohol and the alchemy of spirit The ballad of the dreaming weavers: cannabis and culture Complacencies of the peignois: sugar, coffee, tea, and chocolate Smoke gets in your eyes: opium and tobacco Synthetics: heroin, cocaine, and television A brief history of psychedelics Anticipating the archaic paradise. For the first time in trade paperback, the critically acclaimed counterculture manifesto by the wildly popular McKenna. "Deserves to be a modern classic on mind-altering drugs and hallucinogens."--The Washington Post. Photos and illustrations. "Terrence McKenna's research on man's ancient relationship with chemicals opens a doorway to the devine, and perhaps a solution for saving our troubled world"--Back cover A Radical History of Plants, Drugs & Human Evolution For the first time in paperback, the counterculture manifesto on mind-altering drugs & hallucinogens. Illustrated.