The Holy Mushroom: Evidence of Mushrooms in Judeo-Christianity: A Critical Re-Evaluation of the Schism Between John M. Allegro and R. Gordon Wasson Over the Theory on the Entheogenic Origins of Christianity Presented in the Sacred Mushroom and the Cross

by Jan Irvin, Jack Herer

(Color edition, second printing) Christianity and the Piltdown Hoax (one of the largest academic scandals in history) share many In both stories the information was constructed and then salted into the information stream, and, through the word of noted scholars, presented as fact, the truth. Scholars have egos and once committed to their ideas through scholarly publications, faculty meetings, and conferences, have difficulty seeing, hearing, or even appreciating an adverse view. To waver from a strongly held opinion could spell academic ruin and withdrawal of acclaim. This leads to lively debate, counter stories, and even character assassination if one side or the other is being out trumped in the symbolic mêlée. Jan Irvin (The Holy Mushroom) has captured what we might call an "anthropology of clarification" regarding whether or not mushrooms, and mind-altering substances in general, played any role in the development of not only Judaism and Christianity but the total culture in play at that time. It is now recognized in many academic communities (anthropologists, sociologists, psychiatrists, psychologists) that sufficient evidence exists of the importance of these substances, both textual and visual, to say "yes" in very large letters. It is no longer theory. The questions Irvin asks are "If mind-altering substances did play this major role, then how would this affect our interpretations of the Bible and the Qur'an? Would this shed light on the origins of mystical experiences and the stories, for example Abraham hearing voices and Ezekiel's convenient visions? What would this suggest about the shamanic behavior of Jesus? What impact would this have on organized religion?" These are bold questions. This is a very useful volume for those interested in the Holy Mushroom and the politics of truth. Detailed and wonderfully illustrated; great bibliography.~ Professor John A. Rush, Sierra College

Genres: Drugs, Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Science, History, Philosophy

188 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 2008

Reviews

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s exciting that our current culture surrounding hallucinogens is beginning to shift because based on the evidence here and elsewhere it’s probable that nearly every world religion started with alkaloids. I hope the reactionary instinct that this theory somehow diminishes or even insults the work of early spiritual scholars because it necessitates that a lot of mystical experiences were achieved through the consumption of psychoactive substances starts to dissipate. I feel like we're finally close to this kind of research being viewed for what it is- an investigation into the relationship between humans and plants, because whether people are comfortable with it or not, hallucinogens are a fundamental part of human evolution.

[Roger Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

J. R. Irvin gives a detailed account of the correspondence between the Times Literary Supplement, R. Gordon Wasson, and John M. Allegro regarding Allegro's controversial claims about early Christianity and mushroom cults. Irvin does a good job showing that Wasson had it in for Allegro at different times and the lack of broader public knowledge hurt Allegro's reputation as a scholar. It suggests a fresh look at Allegro. While I'm not convinced by Allegro's study alone, he was on to something and deserves more credit from a different time period and with better scholarly tools for decoding language. Philology alone will never be enough to prove the claims asserted.