Review of Christopher Partridge, High Culture: Drugs, Mysticism, and the Pursuit of Transcendence in the Modern World. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018. (original) (raw)
Related papers
Vectors of the Counter-Initiation: The Course and Destiny of Inverted Spirituality
charles upton (b. 1948) 1 poet, author, activist, and veteran of the counter-culture has voyaged and experienced firsthand the many facets of the New Age cul-de-sac and its pitfalls which are all too often ignored. Psychedelics 2 or hallucinogens, now termed entheogens, 3 have played a pivotal role in the modern and post-1. For more biographical information on Mr. Charles Upton see: www.seriousseekers.com. 2. British psychiatrist Humphry Fortescue Osmond (1917-2004) coined the term "psychedelic" or "mind-manifesting" via his correspondence with Aldous Huxley. In responding to a letter that Dr. Osmond received from Huxley written on 30 March, 1956 he wrote in poetic reflection: "To fathom Hell or soar angelic, / Just take a pinch of psychedelic", thus giving birth to the term "psychedelic", yet it was not known to the public at large or the scientific community until 1957 [Michael Horowitz and Cynthia Palmer (eds.
Drug-Induced Mysticism Revisited: Interview with Charles Upton
Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy, 2013
Charles Upton (b. 1948), poet, author, activist, and veteran of the counter-culture has voyaged and experienced firsthand the many facets of the New Age cul-de-sac, including its pitfalls which are all too often ignored. Since the 1960s, psychedelics 2 or hallucinogens, now termed entheogens, 3 have played a pivotal role in the modern and postmodern seeker's quest to circumvent the trappings of the empirical ego and attain self-realization. After a hiatus of nearly thirty years, psychedelic research has now made a revival, which should provoke much inquiry as to what underlies this phenomenon. It is interesting to note that the New Age Movement, the Human Potential Movement, Humanistic Psychology, and Transpersonal Psychology all emerged in a common setting; they do not only share many similarities but have also assisted in each other's development. For example, the English writer Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) could be said to be a single figure connecting all of the above movements via his popularizing of the perennial philosophy and his writings on psychedelics, both of which are acknowledged by the above movements and or disciplines. Huxley not only helped shape each of the above but provided an integrative theory in which they could take root. That said, while he popularized the perennial philosophy he is not considered to be a traditionalist or perennialist. Where Charles Upton parts ways with his New Age and counter-culture comrades is that since his introduction to the works of the traditionalist or perennialist school-most significantly René Guénon (1886-1951), Frithjof Schuon (1907-1998), and Ananda Coomaraswamy (1887-1947)-he has affiliated himself with this orientation. Upton has written numerous books and articles on traditional metaphysics and the perennial philosophy, the most noteworthy of which are The System of Antichrist: Truth and Falsehood in Postmodernism and the New Age (2001), including its sequel, Vectors of the Counter-Initiation: The Shape and Destiny of Inverted Spirituality (2012). Although he has abandoned the practices of his early search in the New Age and counter-culture movements, he acquired an abundant knowledge and understanding of these pseudo-spiritualities and is in a position to inform and also caution contemporary seekers. The following interview offers a unique look at psychedelics in the light of the perennial philosophy by way of perennialist theory and also personal accounts of the author. 1 Editor's Note: This interview was conducted electronically with Charles Upton between March and May of 2011. The footnotes were compiled by the editor. 2 British psychiatrist Humphry Fortescue Osmond (1917-2004) coined the term "psychedelic" or "mind-manifesting" via his correspondence with Aldous Huxley. In responding to a letter that Dr. Osmond received from Huxley written on 30 March, 1956 he wrote in poetic reflection: "To fathom Hell or soar angelic, / Just take a pinch of psychedelic," thus giving birth to the term "psychedelic"; yet it was not known to the public at large or the scientific community until 1957 (Michael Horowitz and Cynthia Palmer (eds.), Moksha: Aldous Huxley's Classic Writings on Psychedelics and the Visionary Experience [Rochester, VT: Park Street Press, 1999], p. 107). It is also relevant to point out that it was Dr. Osmond who in May of 1953 first introduced Huxley to a synthesized form of mescaline, the psychoactive compound in peyote (among other psychedelic cacti) that in turn produced his work The Doors of Perception in 1954, which according to some launched the psychedelic revolution. 3 "'Entheogen' means simply 'God generated within you!'" (Robert Forte, "A Conversation with R. Gordon Wasson," in Entheogens and the Future of Religion, ed. Robert Forte [San Francisco, CA: Council on Spiritual Practices, 1997], p. 69).
Spirit and being: interdisciplinary reflections on drugs across history and politics
Few commodities are as global as drugs. Cannabis, opium, heroin, amphetamines, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), khat, psychedelic cacti and mushrooms as well as an interminable list of other natural or synthesised substances travel and are consumed around the globe for all possible reasons. Human migration, trade, cultural trends, medical practice, political repression: together they constitute the drug phenomenon today – and indeed in much of human history. In this, drugs are spirit-like commodities, their value resting upon a fundamental ambiguity made up of individual, psychological, social, cultural, economic and medical circumstances. Defining a drug is an attempt at defining a spirit on the edge, which metamorphoses in time and space. At the same time, drugs remain a fundamentally political object. They are substances controlled by states, through mechanisms of policing, legitimated by judicial and medical evaluation, condemned often on moral grounds. Situated between a fluid social existence and a static legal dimension, drugs can become inspiring hermeneutic objects of study.
Book Review – Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences
Spiritual Psychology and Counseling
The quest for more holistic forms of treatment and healing in modern psychology has been provoked by its sole focus on the management of symptoms. This has led to an alarming rise in the use of psychedelic substances. Yet the true cause behind these maladies of the mind is the burgeoning ‘crisis of meaning’ that we find in the world today. This largely undiagnosed predicament has led to religion being supplanted by psychology, and to the realm of the psyche becoming confused with that of the spiritual. Modern societies have clearly lost a sense of the sacred. To the extent that we fail to see this, the use of entheogens will never be able to replace a true “science of the soul,” which offers a more satisfying conception of reality, and a fuller understanding of what it means to be human. In this way, we may discover a properly integrated approach to healing that is grounded in the deeper wisdom to be found in the world’s time-honored spiritual traditions.
Mysticism and Psychedelics Course Syllabus and Notes
This course is designed to introduce students to major trends in discourse on psychedelics and mysticism. We begin with the genre mysticism itself, which I approach following scholars such as Michel de Certeau as a modern phenomenon, a "nostalgia for God," and a subject-development that occurs alongside writing. While we will consider many claims made about ancient cultures, we will do so with a critical eye toward the entrenchment of eurochristian worldview in religious studies. We move through historical trajectories and controversies surrounding psychedelics as they were promoted to democratize mystical experience, including claims about entheogens and religious freedom. We give specific attention to the explosion of new religious movements using ayahuasca or other psychedelics as sacrament. Themes of globalized religion, spiritual abuse, appropriation of Indigenous practices, and the recent moves toward decriminalization and therapeutic use of psychedelics will also be covered. The world of research on psychedelics is vast, and students will be encouraged to follow their particular research interests in the field. DU Catalog Description: The course will examine various texts, traditions, and practice from indigenous to New Age religions that fall under the general category of what has been historically labelled "mysticism." Special emphasis will be placed on chemical or plant-induced forms of altered consciousness, commonly known as "psychedelics" or "entheogens". that both simulate, and are frequently employed by different peoples in different times and places in tandem with, mystical experiences. The course will also examine the transcultural as well as the syncretic nature of mystical practices, spiritual disciplines, and the use of mind-altering substances, in particular with reference to the misuse of these forms by secular enthusiasts who are responsible for what is known as "cultural appropriation" or "neocolonial" misrepresentation. Required texts (DU Library has electronic copies of all required texts):
Perennialism, Primitivism and European Influence in Psychedelic and Ayahuasca Religions.docx
The purpose of this paper is to explore New Religious Movements (NRMs) emergent in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries that use entheogens or psychedelic substances as sacrament. This means that the use of mind-altering substances performs an important part in theological views and ritual performances for these groups. While a wide spectrum of theologies exists among these groups, I will argue that the best way of conceptualizing them as NRMs is through transnational impulses, inspired by global economic trade. This does not mean that features of these groups do not derive from various ancient traditions; it only means that insofar as we recognize them as new, colonizing and emergent globalizing factors allow us to see the motivation to form these communities in response to diasporic and economic conditions. It does mean I will have to at times in a point-blank way confront existing generalizations about some groups. This economic analysis requires a combination of theories to provide more than just a materialist critique. I will further argue that the historical contexts in which such religions arise is often masked by primitivist and perennial rhetorics that ultimately derive from European categories of ‘Religion,’ causing ethical and scholarly problems in studying NRMs. I begin by discussing psychedelic religions more generally and then develop a more focused critique of ayahuasca religions, ending with some remarks about the transnational spread of them.