Book suggestions about the influence of psychedelics on the history of religion

[Brivido]

So I have searched on amazon the keywords "psychedelic religion" and I got some interesting results.

Anyone here has read these books and can suggest which are the best ones to read? Other suggestions are welcome too. I am doing my own research about the influence that psychedelics had on the history and rise of religions.

This is the list:

1. The Immortality Key: The Secret History of the Religion with No Name
2. The Sacred Mushroom and The Cross: A study of the nature and origins of Christianity within the fertility cults of the ancient Near East
3. The Psychedelic Gospels: The Secret History of Hallucinogens in Christianity
4. The Witches' Ointment: The Secret History of Psychedelic Magic
5. Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics
6. The Book of Remembrance: History, Religion and Psychedelics
7. Secret Drugs of Buddhism: Psychedelic Sacraments and the Origins of the Vajrayana
8. Entheogens and the Future of Religion

[Matthew85]

@Brivido Interesting. Thank you for sharing!

[SeaMonster]

Frankly, many of them are highly speculative and low quality imo.  I was not impressed with the Immortality Key.  

[Brivido]

6 hours ago, SeaMonster said:

I was not impressed with the Immortality Key.

Thanks for letting me know, have you read any other book from the list?

[SeaMonster]

I think I read some of Sacred Mushroom, but it was too ridiculous to continue.

There is a market now for this Terrence McKenna originated theory, but the problem is that it's not rigorous and tries to retcon the 1960s culture backwards (Jesus was a hippie! They all tripped, man! The apes got stoned!) 

You need a certain level of evidence not merely throw theories around.

I mean, it's possible that psychedelics were involved in the history of spiritual development of mankind, but then psychedelics aren't the only factor.  You can induce trance states without psychedelics (e.g. shamanic dance.)

Edited May 9, 2022 by SeaMonster