 |
Moses and Ayahuasca - Plant Spirit Shamanism From the Bible
Author: Howard G Charing  | Posted: 06-03-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 9 | Rating: (53) (?)
 “Moses was high on drugs: Israeli researcher”
The world wide media interest in Benny Shanon's paper about Moses and entheogens, is encouraging us to take a good and hard look at the roots of religions and the notion that they were based on fertility cults, and shamanic practices such as Entheogens (or hallucinogenic) plants as a source of spiritual communion with the universal consciousness, or the mind of God.
John Allegro, in his book “The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross: A Study of the Nature and Origins of Christianity within the Fertility Cults of the Ancient Near East”, postulated through the etymology of words and relates how the development of language indicated that the roots of the religions emanating from the Middle East were based on fertility cults, and shamanic practices such as Entheogens (or hallucinogenic) plants as a source of spiritual communion with the universal consciousness, or the mind of God..
Back in the 1960's the reaction against these ideas was so strong that it destroyed Allegro's career, the book was not published in the UK as it was regarded as blasphemous, and blasphemy was still a crime. It's good to think that we have made some progress in recent years.
Allegro’s theory was visionary and ground-breaking. He was the first to propose in some detail that two major religions Christianity and by extension Judaism were entheogen-oriented and that the entheogen was Amanita Muscaria. His book was published at a time when there was little or no awareness about the use of entheogens, and was indeed a courageous act to publish this book.
Another great explorer and pathfinder in human consciousness was Terence Mckenna, in his book “Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution”, proposed that hallucinogenic plants, in this case Psilocybin mushrooms, were at the astounding and unexplained evolution and development of the human brain in such a short time of the evolutionary time scale (just 500,000 years from the hominids), in other words how we developed from our ape relatives . His theory also encompasses the development of linguistics , human civilisation.
JERUSALEM (AFP) - High on Mount Sinai, Moses was on psychedelic drugs when he heard God deliver the Ten Commandments, an Israeli researcher claimed in a study published this week.
Such mind-altering substances formed an integral part of the religious rites of Israelites in biblical times, Benny Shanon, a professor of cognitive psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem wrote in the Time and Mind journal of philosophy.
"As far Moses on Mount Sinai is concerned, it was either a supernatural cosmic event, which I don't believe, or a legend, which I don't believe either, or finally, and this is very probable, an event that joined Moses and the people of Israel under the effect of narcotics," Shanon told Israeli public radio on Tuesday.
Moses was probably also on drugs when he saw the "burning bush," suggested Shanon, who said he himself has dabbled with such substances.
"The Bible says people see sounds, and that is a classic phenomenon," he said citing the example of religious ceremonies in the Amazon in which drugs are used that induce people to "see music."
Israeli researcher He mentioned his own experience when he used ayahuasca, a powerful psychotropic plant, during a religious ceremony in Brazil's Amazon forest in 1991. "I experienced visions that had spiritual-religious connotations," Shanon said.
He said the psychedelic effects of ayahuasca were comparable to those produced by concoctions based on bark of the acacia tree, that is frequently mentioned in the Bible.
Rate this Article:
Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/moses-and-ayahuasca-plant-spirit-shamanism-from-the-bible-352401.html
About the Author:Howard G Charing is a healer, a workshop facilitator, and a director of the Eagle’s Wing Centre for Contemporary Shamanism. He has co-published numerous articles about shamanism in Peru as practiced in the Andean, coastal and Amazonian regions, With Peter Cloudsley he has published a documented collection of chants and Ayahuasca Icaros on a CD "The Shamans of Peru".
He has also authored the book Plant Spirit Shamanism published by Destiny Books (USA). For many years, he has been organising plant medicine retreats to work with the indigenous peoples in Peru’s Amazon basin, as well as Andean retreats with shamans of northern Peru who work with the visionary cactus San Pedro. Howard has been baptised by the Shipibo Indians, and ritually initiated into the lineage of the maestros of the Rio Napo region.
Howard and his colleague Peter Cloudsley also hold Amazonian Medicine Retreats at their dedicated centre in the Mishana National Reserve. As a protected nature reserve encompassing several thousands of hectares of primary rainforest, Mishana is home to many plants and animals that endemic to that region. At Mishana, participants are able to work with indigenous shamans and experience the direct healing of nature through Ayahuasca, the visionary vine of the soul. For details about these plant medicine retreats, as well as information about upcoming workshops with Howard see his website: http://www.shamanism.co.uk
|
Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free! |
|
Related Articles
Built to Last - Part 1 By: David Seragih | 13/03/2008 | Spirituality When a businessman sets out to start a business, he does not plan to open shop for only 1 year and then closes it down. Neither does one enter into a marriage and plans to end it in 5 years’ time. No one in their right frame of mind will start a new venture in life or career with the plan to let it last for a short period of time and then calls it quit. When we plan, we plan to build. When we build, we build to last.
Ayahuasca - Sacred Medicine for the Soul Part 1 By: Howard G Charing | 05/06/2007 | Alternative Medicine Ayahuasca, is regarded as the 'gateway' to the Soul. This article explores this fascinating plant brew from the Amazon Rainforest.
Ayahuasca Retreats in the Amazon Rainforest By: Howard G Charing | 16/06/2007 | Exotic Locations A dedicated programme in the Amazon rainforest, which is focussed on an inner and deep self-exploration and encounter with the power of the rainforest. This is an adventure into the magical world of the rainforest, and a transformative experience of the ancient mystical rituals of the plant spirit medicines.
Nterview With Shipibo Ayahuasca Shaman Enrique Lopeiz in the Amazon Rainforest of Peru - Part 1 By: Howard G Charing | 27/12/2007 | Exotic Locations The first part of an interview with Shipibo Shaman Enrique Lopez. Interviewed at Mishana, Amazon Rainforest Peru, November 2007. Enrique discusses his early years in the indigenous Shipibo community in the Ucayali region of the Amazon Rainforest in Peru. Enrique talks about the Shipibo views on Ayahuasca and medicinal plants.
In the Bible But not in the Quran (2): Why the Lord Sought to Kill Moses? By: Prof.dr. Ibrahim Khalil | 04/01/2008 | Religion In Exodus 4, the LORD sought to kill Moses the greatest prophet of the Old Testament; this was because Moses neglected to circumcise his son. This story is not found in the Noble Quran.
Ayahuasca - Sacred Medicine for the Soul Part 2 By: Howard G Charing | 05/06/2007 | Alternative Medicine Ayahuasca, is regarded as the 'gateway' to the Soul. This article explores this fascinating plant brew from the Amazon Rainforest.
Shipibo Ayahuasca Shaman Leoncio Garcia Interviewed By: Howard G Charing | 25/06/2007 | Exotic Locations The Shipibo are one of the largest ethnic groups in the Peruvian Amazon. These ethnic groups each have their own languages, traditions and culture. The Shipibo which currently number about 20,000 are spread out in communities through the Pucallpa / Ucayali river region. They are highly regarded in the Amazon as being masters of Ayahuasca, and many aspiring shamans and Ayahuasqueros from the region study with the Shipibo to learn their language, chants, and plant medicine knowledge. In this article we interview the Shipibo maestro Leoncio Garcia.
Interview With Shipibo Ayahuasca Shaman Enrique Lopez in the Amazon Rainforest of Peru - Part 2 By: Howard G Charing | 27/12/2007 | Exotic Locations The second part of an interview with Shipibo Shaman Enrique Lopez. Interviewed at Mishana, Amazon Rainforest Peru, November 2007. Enrique discusses his early years in the indigenous Shipibo community in the Ucayali region of the Amazon Rainforest in Peru. Enrique talks about the Shipibo views on Ayahuasca and medicinal plants.
Latest Religion Articles
The King By: Cliff Sanders | 25/07/2008 Who comes to mind when you hear the words "the king"? Some may think of Elvis or perhaps Henry VIII or King Arthur. Many kings have been egomaniac tyrants. King David was perhaps the greatest king who ever ruled. He was described as "a man after God's own heart."
God promised...
Wanting to Grow By: Cory L. Kemp | 24/07/2008 Strolling up to the deli at my local grocery I didn't expect a conversation about the recession with the kind man plopping my tofu burger into its plastic take-out container
Christian Education: 7 Essentials for an Effective Teaching Ministry By: Paula Marolewski | 24/07/2008 It's time to approach Christian education with foresight and strategy. Here are seven requirements that are essential to the development of an effective teaching ministry.
Christian Education: What is the Gift of Teaching? By: Paula Marolewski | 24/07/2008 We could talk about the gift of teaching in terms of skill sets, personality types, and rhetorical styles - but we won't. Not here. Instead, let's discuss the gift of teaching in terms of what it is meant to accomplish in the Body of Christ. When you understand your calling, you will better understand your gift!
Knowing the Will of God: Does God Really Have a Roadmap for Your Life? By: Paula Marolewski | 24/07/2008 "How do I know God’s will?" is probably one of the most-asked questions by Christians of all ages. And like all questions, it has innumerable wrong answers, misunderstandings, and skewed viewpoints attached to it. Here is one of the biggest myths that can derail our Christian life.
The Image of the Beast By: Nikola Dimitrov | 24/07/2008 Shocking as it may seem, we either choose the image of God and His Kingdom (His character, His gifts, His fruit, His agendas, His purposes, His plans, His intentions, His destiny, His will, His standards, His value system, His morals, etc) or if we don’t choose that, we immediately fall for the image that the devil, his fallen angels and his structures (world systems, perverse values, Babylon, chaos, politics, false religion, etc) are offering...
The Church Structure By: Nikola Dimitrov | 24/07/2008 There’s a revelation I would like to share here, and it concerns the structure – the form, the container – the Body. We all know the Church is the Body of Christ...
The 5-fold Ministry By: Nikola Dimitrov | 24/07/2008 The Lord began to restore the office of the evangelist in the 1950s, the office of the pastor in the 1960s, the office of the teacher in the 1970s, the office of the prophet in the 1980s, and the office of the apostle in the 1990s...
More from Howard G Charing
Ayahuasca - Medicine for the Soul Part 5 By: Howard G Charing | 16/02/2008 | Spirituality Ayahuasca, is regarded as the 'gateway' to the Soul. The fifth and concluding part of this article explores this fascinating plant brew from the Amazon Rainforest.
Ayahuasca - Medicine for the Soul Part 4 By: Howard G Charing | 16/02/2008 | Spirituality Ayahuasca, is regarded as the 'gateway' to the Soul. The fourth part of this article continues to explore this fascinating plant brew from the Amazon Rainforest.
Ayahuasca - Medicine for the Soul Part 3 By: Howard G Charing | 16/02/2008 | Spirituality Ayahuasca, is regarded as the 'gateway' to the Soul. The third part of this article continues to explore this fascinating plant brew from the Amazon Rainforest. Ayahuasca is the jungle medicine of the upper Amazon.
Ayahuasca - Medicine for the Soul Part 2 By: Howard G Charing | 12/02/2008 | Spirituality The second part of an article which explores this fascinating plant brew from the Amazon Rainforest. Ayahuasca is the jungle medicine of the upper Amazon. It is made from the ayahuasca vine ( Banisteriopsis Caapi) and the leaf of the Chacruna plant (Psychotria Viridis).
Ayahuasca - Medicine for the Soul Part 1 By: Howard G Charing | 12/02/2008 | Spirituality Ayahuasca, is regarded as the 'gateway' to the Soul. This article explores this fascinating plant brew from the Amazon Rainforest. Ayahuasca is the jungle medicine of the upper Amazon. It is made from the ayahuasca vine ( Banisteriopsis Caapi) and the leaf of the Chacruna plant (Psychotria Viridis).
The Sacred Traditions of the Andean Culture of Peru By: Howard G Charing | 12/02/2008 | Destinations The rich and powerful spiritual legacy of the Andean culture is only now being properly recognised after 500 years of obscurity. This article takes a look at some of these traditions. Howard G Charing and Peter Cloudsley hold Retreat programmes in the Andes and Amazon where we work with many of the traditional shamans and healers.
Ayahuasca Mestizo Shaman Javier Arevalo in the Amazon – Part 3 By: Howard G Charing | 12/02/2008 | Exotic Locations In the third and concluding part of the interview with Javier, we continue to explore the use of Healing plants and Ayahuasca. discusses his involvement with the shamanic Plant medicines of the Amazon, and Ayahuasca in particular. Javier was interviewed by Howard G Charing and Peter Cloudsley in the Peru, Amazon Rainforest 2000.
Ayahuasca Mestizo Shaman Javier Arevalo in the Amazon Rainforest – Part 2 By: Howard G Charing | 29/01/2008 | Exotic Locations In the second part of the interview with Javier, we continue to explore the use of Healing plants and Ayahuasca. discusses his involvement with the shamanic Plant medicines of the Amazon, and Ayahuasca in particular. Javier was interviewed by Howard G Charing and Peter Cloudsley in the Peru, Amazon Rainforest 2000.
|
 |