What we’re about
Entheogens and the Mystical Path
En·the·o·gen [enˈthēəˌjen]
EN–within, THEO–God, GEN–generate
or "generating the divine within"
Our goal is to explore the use of these sacred substances to enhance our own spiritual journey and evolution. Our meetings will focus on ways to boost these experiences through such techniques as mindfulness, intent, work on oneself and other spiritual and mystical practices.
There is abundant literary and archeological evidence of the use of enthoegens, not only in ancient religious rituals, but also as a means for achieving, higher, more enlightened states of consciousness.
The Rishis, the seers, sages and wise venerable beings of ancient India combined intense spiritual practices with the drinking of "soma", a powerful entheogenic brew — in order to elevate their consciousness and become divine beings capable of understanding and transmitting supreme and eternal truths which they recorded in their poems. Poems that came to be known as the Vedas, or the first scriptures in Hinduism — and which form the basis of that entire religion.
The Zoroastrianism religion — which had a profound influence on Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Gnosticism — also celebrated the power of the divine plant "Haoma" to lead to states of religious ecstasy and divine understanding.
Then there were the ancient Greeks with their Eleusinian Mysteries — whose ceremonies, rites and beliefs were at the heart of their spiritual practices. And while we do not know much about these mysteries, we know that an enthoegenic brew lay at the heart of these mysteries. And that through drinking the sacred brew people were lifted up into ecstatic and enlightened states of awareness where the 'mysteries' could be known and understood.
And even further shrouded in the mists of time, the ancient Egyptian’s reverence for the DMT laden acacia tree, or the Tree of Life as they called it.
There is also compelling evidence that the three Abrahamic religions can trace their roots back to the consumption of sacred substances. The Tree of Life makes a return in the Garden of Eden in Genesis, the first book in the Holy Bible. While later on in Exodus, the Ark of the Covenant is build from acacia wood.
Benny Shanon, a professor of psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has even put forth the thesis that “the ancient Israelite religion was associated with the use of entheogens” — and that many of stories about Moses, such as the burning bush and him coming down from the mountains, reveal the likely use of enthoegens.
In the Hadith, the Islamic saying that chronicle the life of the Prophet, Mohammed, he is said to have taken harmala for 50 days — which is the reason why, Iran’s Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad Sadeq Hussaini Rohanie recently issued a legal ruling (fatwa) that said it was permissible (halal) for Shia Muslims to take entheogens. Though only under the supervision of an expert and in the right spiritual context.
Numerous writers have in recent times linked the early rise of Christianity to entheogenic mushrooms both to the origins of certain words and the abundance of mushrooms pictured in early Christian iconography. And here is was speculated, that they consumed the mushroom as the Eucharist in order ‘perceive the mind of God.’
And we intend to explore all of these in a series of talks. Along with practical techniques that can help to boost this process.