Issue 31
Paul O'Connor
Where there's muck there's magic
Spirituality and psychoactives has been a topic of discussion for generations and the release of Anja Saunders' book In Search of the Ultimate High is sure to add fuel to the debate. Wife of deceased Nicholas Saunders, the author of E for Ecstasy, Anja takes an in-depth look at the links between mainstream faiths and drugs. From Buddhist temples to Catholic chuches, Islamic mosques, rainforests to the western dance floor she explores the role LSD, magic musroom and ecstasy have on peoples' beliefs.
An interesting survey she quotes from a Buddhist magazine showed that over 40% of readers had their interest 'sparked off by psychedelics'. She makes the observation that 'the reluctance of mainstream religions to acknowledge that psychoactives may have a role to play in spiritual life could lie in the question of control. The work 'religion' comes from the Latin to bind (religare, to bind back) whereas drugs are often seen as the vehicle of release'.
Email: paulo@joymail.com