Psychedelic Mystery Traditions: Spirit Plants, Magical Practices, and Ecstatic States - a history of psychedelics in Western magic and religion

Psychedelic Mystery Traditions connects psychedelics and entheogens to a long lineage of Western magic and religion, tracing claimed use from Neolithic times onward. The book argues that sacred psychedelic plants were employed across eras and cultures for altered states and practices such as divination, sex magic, communication with gods, dream-based experiences, and alchemical or devotional work. It highlights examples from alleged mystery traditions and historical religious contexts including the Mysteries of Eleusis, worship of Isis, the Dionysian mysteries, and gnostic and early Christian streams, while also discussing later occult and magical lineages. The framing specifically describes how psychedelic agents could be used within pagan and Christian magical practices, and it mentions cannabis and opium as part of that broader historical span.