Entheogens and the Future of Religion - Paperback

Entheogens and the Future of Religion: A Comprehensive Study

A study of the importance of psychedelic plants and drugs in religion and society

With contributions by Albert Hofmann, R. Gordon Wasson, Jack Kornfield, Terence McKenna, the Shulgins, Rick Strassman, and others. This book explores the importance of academic and religious freedom in the study of psychedelics and the mind while exposing the need for an organized spiritual context for entheogen use in order to fully realize their transformative and sacred value.

Ancient Practices Meet Modern Understanding

Widely employed in traditional shamanic societies, entheogens figure prominently in the origins of religion and their use continues today throughout the world. They alter consciousness in such a profound way that, depending on the set and setting, they can produce the ultimate human experiences: union with God or revelation of other mystical realities.

We live in a time when a great many voices are calling for a spiritual renewal to address the problems that face humanity, yet the way of entheogens—one of the oldest and most widespread means of attaining a religious experience—is forbidden, surrounded by controversy and misunderstanding.

Expert Contributors and Interviews

This book features contributions from leading figures in psychedelic research and spiritual practice, including Albert Hofmann, Terence McKenna, Ann and Alexander Shulgin, Thomas Riedlinger, Dale Pendell, and Rick Strassman. It also includes interviews with R. Gordon Wasson and Jack Kornfield, offering diverse perspectives on ancient and modern uses of psychedelic drugs.

Science and Mysticism Combined

The book emphasizes the complementary relationship between science and mystical experience and the importance of psychedelics to the future of religion and society. Revealing the mystical-religious possibilities of substances such as psilocybin mushrooms, mescaline, and LSD, this work exposes the vital need for developing an organized spiritual context for their use in order to fully realize their transformative and sacred value.

Stressing the importance of academic and religious freedom, the authors call for a revival of scientific and religious inquiry into entheogens so they may be used safely and legally by those seeking to cultivate their spiritual awareness.

About the Author: Robert Forte, AMRS, began his work with psychedelics as a student of Stanislav Grof and Frank Barron, cofounder of the Harvard Psilocybin Project. He obtained his master's degree under Mircea Eliade and has collaborated with many of the leaders in the field of psychedelics, including R. Gordon Wasson, Timothy Leary, and Huston Smith. A former director of the Albert Hofmann Foundation, he teaches at the California Institute of Integral Studies.