Drawing on the experiences of shamanic culture drawn from living with African tribes, American Indians and the peoples of South America, the author of this book provides a study of humanity's use of mind-altering drugs. He presents a convincing thesis that the synergism between early man and the various plants with which they interacted and co-evolved was a decisive causative factor in the development of language, superior intelligence and spirituality. He argues that man has an intrinsic need for spirituality, and that the ...
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Drawing on the experiences of shamanic culture drawn from living with African tribes, American Indians and the peoples of South America, the author of this book provides a study of humanity's use of mind-altering drugs. He presents a convincing thesis that the synergism between early man and the various plants with which they interacted and co-evolved was a decisive causative factor in the development of language, superior intelligence and spirituality. He argues that man has an intrinsic need for spirituality, and that the loss of this shamanistic experience, about 10,000 years ago, has led to the development of the highly addictive drugs of modern day society (alcohol, white sugar, morphine, heroin and television) and to a patriarchal dominator culture and environmental toxification. As an alternative to this situation, the author advocates the religious use of organic psychoactive drugs as a way to recover our relationship with nature, expand our spiritual understanding and provide a humane and open-ended future for the planet.
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Seller's Description:
Minor rubbing. VG. 23x15cm, 338 pp, PAPERBACK. "Drawing on the experiences of shamanic culture drawn from living with African tribes, American Indians and the peoples of South America, the author of this book provides a study of humanity's use of mind-altering drugs. He presents a convincing thesis that the synergism between early man and the various plants with which they interacted and co-evolved was a decisive causative factor in the development of language, superior intelligence and spirituality. He argues that man has an intrinsic need for spirituality, and that the loss of this shamanistic experience, about 10, 000 years ago, has led to the development of the highly addictive drugs of modern day society (alcohol, white sugar, morphine, heroin and television) and to a patriarchal dominator culture and environmental toxification. As an alternative to this situation, the author advocates the religious use of organic psychoactive drugs as a way to recover our relationship with nature, expand our spiritual understanding and provide a humane and open-ended future for the planet"-Publisher's description.
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Seller's Description:
First edition. Signed by Terence McKenna diagonally on the page facing the title page. xxii, 313 pp. Bound in publisher's original green paper-covered boards over black spine cloth stamped in bronze. Fine in Near Fine unclipped dust jacket with two tiny laminate bubbles to front panel. An attractive signed copy of one of the late radical ethnobotanist's best-known works, in which he argues that psychedelics have accelerated human evolution and social development.
