The secretive Mysteries conducted at Eleusis in Greece for nearly two millennia have long puzzled scholars with strange accounts of initiates experiencing otherworldly journeys. In this groundbreaking work, three experts—a mycologist, a chemist and a historian—argue persuasively that the sacred potion given to participants in the course of the ritual contained a psychoactive entheogen. The authors then expand the discussion to show that natural psychedelic agents have been used in spiritual rituals across history and cultures. Although controversial when first published in 1978, the book’s hypothesis has become more widely accepted in recent years, as knowledge of ethnobotany has deepened. The authors have played critical roles in the modern rediscovery of entheogens, and The Road to Eleusis presents an authoritative exposition of their views. The book’s themes of the universality of experiential religion, the suppression of that knowledge by exploitative forces, and the use of psychedelics to reconcile the human and natural worlds make it a fascinating and timely read. This 30th anniversary edition includes an appreciative preface by religious scholar Huston Smith and an updated exploration of the chemical evidence by Peter Webster.

Reader Reviews

(4/5)

May 17, 2024

Muy buen compilado de ensayos y documentos. Este libro tiene doble interés. Por un lado, interesa como estudio erudito sobre la Grecia Antigua. Por otro lado, interesa como estudio sobre drogas alucinógenas o de viaje. La hipótesis central del libro afirma que la cultura griega -origen del mundo actual- deriva del consumo ritual de hongos psicodélicos. El himno homérico a Deméter parece bastante claro respecto a los misterios de Eleusis. El ritual habría nacido como mito del rapto de Perséfone,

Erik Graff

I'd long known of this book but had never seen a copy of it until coming to visit my old high school chum, and former roommate, Mike Miley. As ever, he generously loaned it. It has since been returned.What this amounts to is a series of essays. Wasson's contribution is minor, Hofman's a bit more substantial. Most of the text is by the classicist and that is a very scholarly, detailed study of the Greek traditions surrounding the rites of Eleusis--hard going for general readers. To the credit of

Sally

(5/5)

Convincing study of the use of psychotropic substances in the ancient Mystery cults in various parts of the world.

Vanni Santoni

Testo fondamentale, finalmente in italiano in versione completa.

Maan Kawas

Excellent book that provides new information about the Eleusinian mysteries in ancient Greece, focusing on certain types of mushrooms in the rites! I found the book informative and engaging, though I missed the documentations and references in the text.

Momo García

El nexo entre la Grecia clásica y el Mexico prehispánico no es la Atlántida, sino el uso de drogas enteogénicas (alucinógenas).

Alan Newton

A fascinating insight into the human habit of ritual and ceremony, which places psychedelics squarely at the centre of such practices, as a right of passage that was only for those invited into the inner sanctum. A closely guarded secret despite its importance in Ancient Greece and - indeed - other cultures around the world where such traditions were practiced. The Eleusinian Mysteries are perhaps shrouded in such secrecy and garner so much interest because of the eventual connections between th...

Humberto Jurado

Muy buena investigación interdisciplinaria. La hipótesis que manejan fue muy interesante, aunque siento que hay que leer este libro con precaución. Sobre todo porque se le puede ocurrir a cualquiera hace un experimento. En fin, excelente lectura.

David

I've kept an eye out for this book the last six months and finally ran across it the first six seconds I spent in a local book fair. I was just as surprised only dollar was being asked for it as I was that it has the appearance of having never been opened up in the thirty-five years since its publishing; someone (or several someones) didn't seem to know what they had. I had such high hopes for this book and I am happy to say they were greatly exceeded. It is one of my favorites now for the contr...

Goodboy

Buen libro si te interesa el estudio de la cultura griega. Por un lado habla del mito de la diosa Deméter y el Eleusis, y por otro lado de los enteógenos. El libro sugiere que en el Eleusis se utilizaban enteógenos en los rituales de iniciación, similares a ciertos hongos alucinógenos de México.

Kjell DM

"Though Athens brought forth numerous divine things, yet she never created anything nobler than those sublime Mysteries through which we became gentler and have advanced from a barbarous and rustic life to a more civilized one, so that we not only live more joyfully but also die with a better hope." - CiceroThe first part of this review will be my summary of the argument of the book, the second part a short review of the experience of reading it.1.The Eleusinian Mysteries was an ancient Greek bi...

Tommy

A very interesting and provocative fusion of chemistry, mythology, anthropology, archaeology, philosophy, and mysticism. It propounds a radical and revolutionary thesis on ancient Greek culture and tradition. The implications of this thesis are simply mind bending. You have to read this book with as open a mind as possible (how I would recommend reading anything, personally). The authors of this book (a classicist, a chemist, and a banker) have painstakingly pored over reams of ancient texts, do...

Juuso

Huippu! 5/5Super mind-boggling juttua ainakin 1500 vuotta putkeen jatkuneista Eleusiin mysteereistä, jotka olivat antiikin kreikan tärkeimpiä uskonnollisia instituutioita. Kirjan teesi on se, että mysteerimenoissa käytetty kykeon-juoma ssa käytettiin ainesosana psykedeelistä ergotamiinia (josta LSD on johdettu).Paljon puhuva on Ciceron lainaus mysteereistä:“-- rakas Ateenasi on antanut ja suonut ihmisten elämälle monia loistavia ja jumalallisia asioita, eikä näistä mikään ole mainittuja mysteere...

Tasos

Μια πολύ έξυπνη θεωρία περι του αρχαίου κυκεών, της χρήσης του αλλα και γενικός της ιεροτελεστίας πίσω απο τα Ελευσίνια μυστήρια.

Shhhhh Ahhhhh

Fascinating stuff

CobkinG

Lectura muy específica en la que se expone la tesis entre otros de Albert Hofmann sobre lo que fueron realmente los censurados misterios de Eleusis celebrados en el templo anualmente con iniciados del peso de Platón o Marco Aurelio y que han permanecido ocultos hasta el punto que hoy en día solo han llegado unas pocas líneas de las sensaciones de los participantes en los ritos tras pasar por ellos. Culto a Deméter y su hija Perséfone que acaba siendo una explicación para su tiempo de la existenc...

Joshua Dew

Fascinating collection of original, well-documented scholarship examining the historical, botanical, chemical, and mythological aspects of the Eleusinian Mysteries.

Phillias

short and persuasive framed by experts in fields of mexican entheogens, indiginous grains of the ancients.

Ventura C

(2/5)

Esperaba mucho más, quería subrayar mucho y mi pluma se usó en 1 página. Igual las dos estrellas son por dos ensayos cortos muy disfrutables (el primero de Wasson y el último de Hofmann).

Chris Allen

It is an interesting premise and possibly true. The authors are trying just a little bit too hard to show that their solution is the only true one.

Subscribe to Read | $0.00

Popular Genres

Subscribe to Read | $0.00

The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries

The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries

The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries

More books from Peter Webster

Reader Reviews