Mushrooms, Myth and Mithras: The Drug Cult that Civilized Europe

by Carl A.P. Ruck, Mark Alwin Hoffman (Contributor), José Alfredo González Celdrán (Contributor)

This illustrated book traces the history of an unlikely force in the shaping of Western civilization: the use of psychedelic mushrooms, namely by a secret society called the cult of Mithras. Nero was the first emperor to be initiated by the group’s “magical dinners,” and most of his successors embraced the ritual as a source of spiritual transcendence. The cult was officially banned after the Conversion, but aspects of their rituals were assimilated or co-opted by Christianity, and the brotherhoods persist today as secret societies such as the Freemasons. This is a fascinating exploration of a powerful force kept behind the scenes for thousands of years.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Religion, Drugs, Historical, Christianity

290 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2009

Reviews

[City Lights Booksellers & Publishers · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This is real renaissance scholarship. Mushrooms, Myths & Mithras is a brilliant and exciting synthesis of data gleaned from disciplines as diverse as anthropology, botany, linguistics, astronomy, archaeology, art history, pharmacology and classical literature. The history of recreational drug use it distills from the material and literary sources is both captivating and compelling. It effortlessly straddles the modern academic divide between the sciences and the arts. The authors' multidisciplinary approach sets a higher standard for research in the humanities."
—D. C.A. Hillman, author of The Chemical Muse

"An important book—by far the most comprehensive account of this thunderingly neglected topic that I have seen."
—Huston Smith, author of The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions

[Seb5253 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aside from a handful of genuinely interesting insights reading this is like reading a catalogue of footnotes- its authors doubtless put in some serious hours of academic reserearch but clearly has no clue as to how to present his findings in an engaging way. What should be a fascinating journey through a challenging subject has been reduced to a book length appendix of repetitive assumptions. The sections referring to christianity are particularly interesting but I would recommend reading other books covering similar ground (the religion with no name, or Fly agaric , a history by k. Feeney).

[LZL · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit dense as someone with little background on the subject, but an incredibly interesting read!

[Alex Zito · Rating 5 out of 5]

An affirmation of the depth of perennial knowledge in indo-european world tradition, this book is our age's initiatory text, rich and thorough and also self-aware of the limits of any text to tell the transcendant secrets - an invitation to recognize Mithras is everywhere.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s written very boringly, but a lot of very interesting research

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

from the library
c Jul 26, 2011



I love this book, I don't know enough to judge it so I only gave it four stars for what I know but I give it 5 stars for what I feel about it. I hope when it's older it will be cheaper.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...

Reading this book has finally made Christianity make sense to me. I knew intuitively that Christianity was a rebellion against some huge cultural phenomenon but I was pretty sure that it wasn't Judiasm no matter what the Jewish education I got said and no matter what the Christian reading I had read said either. Now I know that the Mithraic traditions were so hated and powerful that they are not even to be mentioned. But they were so pervasive that they could hardly be escaped. It would have been like giving up your world view or trying to ban water.

see also http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... for two more highly favorable reviews from people who should know at City Lights Booksellers & Publishers's review.

from the Amazon page:
"Mushrooms, Myth & Mithras is an extremely well-constructed academic argument proving that it is impossible to deny the connection between the use of entheogenic substances and religious practice for generations across countries and cultures. The evidence is extremely well documented in art, literature (myths and oral storytelling), and architecture. Over time, all these forms of evidence become blended into cross-cultural metaphors and ideas that show the same information coming from multiple cultures."" -- Ian Jones, Verbicide

But not everybody was impressed. See the only review on the library computer:
The title of this ambitious book suggests a well-constructed work that illustrates the relationship between the Mithras cult and the use of psychedelic mushrooms, and how both contributed to European civilization. Unfortunately, it falls short of its mark. This unique work makes some interesting points and connections, but never quite fulfills its mission. Rather, the reader is met with a mash-up of quotes, artistic interpretations, and research themes, but no clear vision. The authors attempt to weave a connection between Mithras, psychedelic plants, and the rise of European culture, but the book fails to offer a clear, concise, and realized thesis. Their theories are intriguing; however, they lack compelling evidence. The three-page bibliography suggests that this is an underresearched area of focus that could benefit from more extensive, careful research. Unfortunately, this does not appear to be the book that will accomplish that goal. Summing Up: Not recommended. Copyright 2012 American Library Association.


from the library computer:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preamble: The First Supper: The Shamanic Origin of Religion
Preface: Also sprach Zarathustra
I. The Entheogenic Eucharist of Mithras
II. Becoming One with God
III. The Water Miracle
IV. Death by Bull's Blood
V. Ass's Ears
VI. Fire, Mushrooms, and Sexual Procreation (R. Gordon Wasson)
VII. Mushrooms, Gorgons, and the Spring of Perseus
VIII. Menhirs
IX. Attis under the Same Cap
X. The Persian, Keeper of the Fruits
XI. Pater, Magister Sacrorum
XII. A God for the End of Time
XIII. The Drama in the Sky
XIV. Freemasonry and the Survival of the Eucharistic Brotherhoods
Bibliography
Index
Authors

[Fay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read, with comparisons to the symbolism of other ancient mystery religions and the reappearance of the mushroom imagery in Freemasonry. In parts it did feel as though the authors were labouring the point, and I'd been hoping for more background information about Mithraism in general. But well worth a read nonetheless, and I couldn't have hoped for a better book to be caught reading when the police came to visit (I was a witness not a suspect, if that makes it any better.)

[J]

The authors are doubtless right in a very general way but it is a tedious read. I believe there is also the slight problem that A. muscaria is not found in most of the areas which they discuss. On this see Mike Crowley’s book on the Vajrayana. Peter Adams’s Mystai, dealing with the Dionysian mysteries, is a model of how to present such research. On Mithraism we will have to wait.