by Daniel A. Schulke (Editor), Erik Davis (Editor), John Kleckner (Illustrator)
Daimon and Pharmakon contains thirteen cutting-edge essays on the contribution of psychoactive substances to occult and esoteric spiritual traditions.
Featuring prominent authors in the fields of entheogens and new religious movements, it will be of interest to students of the Occult, Comparative Religion, Psychedelia, Noetic Sciences, Altered States of Consciousness. The articles examine the role of chemically-altered consciousness in spirituality, particularly in traditions of magic and occult philosophy such as witchcraft, ceremonial magic, and syncretic religion. Sections on history, theory, practice, and specific entheogenic agents are examined.
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Western Esotericism, mysticism and occult tradition share the important features of expansion of consciousness and communion with the divine.
This feature is also present in animistic cultures, where ecstatic states are attained in some instances by the use of entheogens or mind-altering sacraments, most often of plant origin. Daimon and Pharmakon examines the history, theory, practice and revelatory nature of mind-altering substances in occult history and practice, and the particular contributions this approach has made to Western Esotericism. The heuristic nature of modern entheogenic occult practice is emphasized, and future models of exploration are proposed. The book also contains an unpublished interview with late entheogen researcher Terence McKenna (1946-2000).