Cannabis and Spirituality: An Explorer's Guide to an Ancient Plant Spirit Ally

by Stephen Gray (Editor), Julie Holland (Foreword)

A guide to the benefits and challenges of the use of cannabis in spiritual practice

• Includes chapters by 18 authoritative and influential voices of the modern cannabis movement, including Kathleen Harrison, Joan Bello, Hamilton Souther, Steven Hager, Chris Bennett, Dee Dussault, Jeremy Wolff, and Roger Christie

• Explores the use of marijuana in a wide range of spiritual practices, including meditation, yoga, chanting, visualization, shamanism, group ceremonies, work with other entheogens, and as a creative aid

Truly a medicine for body and soul, one of cannabis’s greatest gifts is its remarkable potential for spiritual healing and awakening. In this authoritative guide, editor Stephen Gray and 17 other influential voices of the modern cannabis movement explore the spiritual benefits of cannabis and offer guidance on how to interact with the intelligence of this plant ally, a companion and supporter of humanity for millennia. Exploring cannabis spirituality in practice, Gray’s chapters examine dosage, strains, and methods of intake; the use of cannabis to open the creative channels; how to conduct group ceremonies with cannabis; and cautions and counterindications for cannabis use. We hear from Chris Bennett on the religious and ritual use of cannabis from pre-biblical times to the present, Joan Bello on marijuana and the body-mind connection, Dee Dussault on ganja yoga, Kathleen Harrison on humanity’s co-evolution with cannabis, and cannabis shaman Hamilton Souther on working with the spirit of cannabis. The contributors explore the spiritual future of this plant ally as well as the ritual use of cannabis by the Rastafarians of Jamaica and the Sadhus of India. The chapters from Brazilian ayahuasca shaman Mariano da Silva and ayahuasca apprentice Francisco present wisdom on comingling the sacramental medicines of cannabis and ayahuasca.

Revealing the potential of “the people’s plant” to enhance a wide range of spiritual practices, such as meditation, yoga, chanting, visualization, shamanism, spirit work, and explorations with other entheogens, this guide shows how cannabis is an effective ally on the awakening journey, unlocking the receptive energy in us all and helping us to feel connected to nature, to each other, and to ourselves.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Self Help, Religion, Mysticism, Research

288 pages, Paperback

Published December 9, 2016

Reviews

[James Jesso · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book.
Like any collection of essays, a few of them just didn't meet me in a harmonious way. But the vast majority did, and the editors Stephen's pieces were poignant and super informative, sprinkled with wisdom that extends beyond the plant relationship and into daily life.

Not including Stephen's pieces, my top 3 favourites were Kathleen Harrison's, Joan Bello's, and Jeremy Wolff's.

I personally feel my relationship to cannabis has grown positively from reading this book. I recommend it for anyone interested in growing their relationship to cannabis as a part of their spiritual practice or even just as a peek beyond the modern cultural models for it.

[Shaurav Khadka · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Humans are complex latecomers compared to the higher plants … The origins of this plant family date back 90 million years. Our genus, Homo, is currently considered to be a mere 2.8 million years old. So the ancestors of this cannabis plant that we so love much were doing their own thing for a very long time before we two-leggeds showed up to appreciate their leafy descendants. The antecedents of the cannabis that we now know, were hanging out with the dinosaurs ... But early on in our human evolution, we discovered that certain plants offered benefits beyond safely satisfying hunger."

This was a perfect read for today( Maha Shivaratri)

JAI SAMBHO!

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is a fun and interesting read if you are wanting to know more about the history and common practices of cannabis and spirituality. the book contains essays by different authors as well as a couple interviews with different shamans. although this book is not so much about how to utilize cannabis in your own practice, it gives a lot of interesting research with references, and can be used as a tool for inspiration for your own practice. this book is also good for beginners as it discusses strains, dosage, misconceptions and more! definitely recommend if cannabis is a big part of your life / craft 💚

[Judith Worrall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some interesting views on the topic and some less so, aiming to sell an experience rather than objectively define. Overall recommended.

[Waddah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tremendous guide that i will refer back to endlessly! Reinforces so many of my subjective experiences and relationship to the plant!

[Daniel Prutz · Rating 4 out of 5]

One must be open-minded when reading this book due to the varying degrees of religious, spiritual, and cultural differences. Overall, I'd give 3.8 stars if it were an option.

Positives:

-Great introduction on various religious and spiritual practices using cannabis as a spiritual/meditative medium.

- There are sections in this book which I think should be required readings for anyone who chooses to go down the cannabis path towards spirituality, medicinal healing, and/or recreational use. The author clearly (and redundantly) drives in the point that "less (cannabis) is more (better experience)" due to the tolerance that can be developed which eventually hinders actually acthieving that same euphoric and enlightening "high." In addition, the author stresses that expressing "intention" and establishing "setting" are crucial in spiritual development if one is using cannabis as an ally in this capacity; using cannabis to get a "fix" or become "numb" is counterproductive in one's journey since introspective growth essentially becomes non-existent. Furthermore, the author stresses that cannabis AMPLIFIES everything, the good and the BAD, and that the "sacramental herb" needs to be respected with the right intentions for consumption.

Negatives:

-Some of the content seemed redundant, but since this book is a compilation of many contributors, each given their own chapter, the redundancies are unavoidable considering the parallels in many of the spiritual practices.

-The book became downright weird for a couple of paragraphs about halfway through; one contributor described a certain "spiritual experience" that they had, fantasizing about cosmic sex with the entitirity of the universe; to each their own, I guess. At this point, I had to convince myself to push forward through the rest of the book, but I'm glad that I did.

-The author does a pretty good job trying to stay neutral on the subject of cannabis, but there's definitely quite a bit of interjecting metaphysical thoughts and personal worldviews. The deductive reasoning and logic is relatively solid for most of it though.

-I felt like some of the Biblical references were a stretch. Then again, every religious denomination seems to have their own interpretations, maybe even speculation, on their respective Scriptures. The author could've done a better job expounding in those areas.

- While the author stresses the need for conservative and well-intentioned cannabis use, toward the end, he ironically stresses his perception of cannabis being "safe" while presenting the only argument that it's pretty much impossible to die directly from cannabis itself. However, he gives examples of "heavy users" and the consequences that they've had to endure. With the exception of medical patients, the author is clear that daily or heavy use is counterproductive. "Safe" is subjective. Responsible use is subjective as well. To his credit, the author does encourage individualized exploration and experimentation to fine tune their spiritual cannabis use in order to optimize outside productivity while cultivating loving compassion, introspective wisdom, and creativity if one chooses to go down this path.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! It's staying on my shelf as a reference on the religious history and neurological effects of pot and an inspiration for my own spiritual practice. I especially loved the editor's chapters on ritual creation and usage moderation, as he has a similar spiritual background (Shambhala vajrayana buddism) to me--and yet he does so without seeming dogmatic. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone curious about using MJ for more than recreation and pain relief.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book and I think it did a lot for me in terms of providing some strategies to try in approaching a spiritual journey with such a tool.

For some reason, there was some itch it didn't quite scratch for me, and unfortunately I am having a hard time articulating what that is right now. It may have been some expectation of the book that I had that I wasn't fully aware of, but I am coming out of reading it with a vague and difficult to place sense of dissatisfaction.

I do still thing it's good reading and I really love most of the stuff Holland puts out. Perhaps this hasn't been quite as heavy hitting as some previous works and maybe that is what is going on.

[Opal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did like the references to Terence Mckenna in this book.

[K. K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book about Cannabis and Spirituality

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read about the spiritual side of cannabis use from various viewpoints.

[Melissa Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fascinating book which gives information about historical and modern uses of cannabis.