000			01604nam a2200193Ia 4500
005			20260929095329.0
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082			_223 _a419.2 FUR
100			_aFurst, Peter T
245		0	_aFlesh of the Gods _b: the ritual use of halluchinogens _c/ Edited by Peter T Furst
260			_aLondon _b : George Allen and Unwin _c,1972
300			_axv,304p.
520			_aFor centuries, hallucinogens have been of great significance in the ideology and religious practices of primitive societies. In fact, the use of psychotropic plants to achieve states of religious ecstasy goes back almost to the beginning of human culture. Furthermore, the content of the psychedelic experience in the West today has been found to be similar to that of the religious pilgrimages of Oriental and aboriginal New World groups. But one fundamental difference overshadows all In the traditional cultures described in this collection of ten essays, the hallucinogenic "trip" is a means to an end--a quest for confirmation of traditional values, for unity with the tribal ancestors. In contemporary Western society, by contrast, it tends to be an end in itself and a rejection of the society's values--perhaps, it has been suggested, because Western drug-users tend to be a-cultural. Clearly, we have much to learn from an objective study of societies with long histories of sanctioned, and controlled, drug use to achieve recognized cultural objectives.
650			_aAnthropology History
650			_aReligion
650			_a Spirituality
700			_aPeter T. Furst
942			_cRBK
999			_c66790 _d66790