Ancient Psychedelics: Reclaiming Lost Spiritual Technologies

Resources

Resources & Recommendations

Books

• "The Immortality Key: The Secret History of the Religion With No Name" by Brian Muraresku - This book explores the ancient Western world's sacred plant and psychedelic traditions, particularly focusing on the role of wine and other substances in Greek rituals and spiritual practices.

People Mentioned

• Jose Don Rubio (Witoto elder and shaman from the Colombian Amazon) - Referenced for his use of ayahuasca to locate missing children in the Amazon rainforest, demonstrating indigenous ways of knowing and connection to nature.
• Horu (Chief and leader of the Kuntanawa nation in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil) - Mentioned for his perspective on ayahuasca as "ancestral technology" and a gift from the creator for connecting with spiritual realms and ancestors.
• Brian Muraresku (Lawyer and author) - Discussed as an expert on ancient Western psychedelic traditions, particularly his insights on Dionysus and the Eleusinian Mysteries.
• Jordi Pera (Archaeobotanist) - Credited with detecting the presence of ergot in ancient chalices, providing physical evidence for psychedelic compounds in ancient potions.
• Juliana Mercer (Veteran and advocate for psychedelic therapy) - Shared her personal story of healing PTSD and trauma through ayahuasca and psilocybin, and her work with Healing Breakthrough.
• Ben Kelmendi (Doctor at Yale) - Discussed his research into how psychedelics can transform treatments for psychiatric conditions like depression, OCD, and PTSD, emphasizing neuroplasticity.
• Paul Stamets (Mycologist) - Mentioned for popularizing psilocybin mushrooms and his views on their potential to make people more empathetic and less aggressive.

Organizations & Institutions

• Heroic Hearts Project - A non-profit organization that helps veterans connect to psychedelic therapy outside of the US.
• Healing Breakthrough - An organization whose mission is to drive equitable access to evidence-based mental health treatments through the Department of Veteran Affairs.
• Johns Hopkins - Mentioned as one of the institutions conducting trials on psychedelics in controlled settings.
• Yale - Mentioned as one of the institutions conducting trials on psychedelics in controlled settings, particularly the work of Dr. Ben Kelmendi.

Websites & Online Resources

• clinicaltrials.gov - Referenced for the number of registered clinical studies on psilocybin, indicating a surge in research.

Other Resources

• Ayahuasca (Yage/Yahe) - A psychedelic brew from the Amazon, used in sacred ceremonies by indigenous elders to expand consciousness and connect to the living world.
• Ergot - A naturally occurring fungus that grows on barley and rye, whose compounds are chemically similar to LSD and believed to have been used in ancient Greek potions.
• Kykeon - A sacred potion mentioned in the "Hymn to Demeter," believed by many scholars to have had psychedelic properties, possibly containing ergot-infected barley.
• Psilocybin mushrooms - Discussed for their potential to treat conditions like depression, OCD, and PTSD, and their role in increasing neuroplasticity and emotional insight.