THE CANNABIS PAPERS

It happened one day in 1987 in Tanzania's Mahale Mountains National Park. Scientific researchers found an isolated female chimpanzee who was terribly sick. They observed she barely had enough energy even to defecate, but somehow dragged herself over to a Vernonia amygdaline bush. This foul tasting plant is definitely not on the regular menu for chimps. However, the sick female tore off some of its tender shoots and chewed them just long enough to get the juice, while spitting out the fibrous leftovers.

Much to the amazement of the scientific observers, by the next afternoon this same chimpanzee, who was so sick the day before behaved as if reborn. Her energy was completely restored. Her appetite had returned, and she now socialized with the other chimps.

The scientists had observed for the first time, a wild animal's health actually improved after eating a plant with known medical properties. It was noted that the native people of the area use the same plant to fight parasites and gastrointestinal disorders.

Anthropologist Richard Wrangham of Harvard University observed on many occasions that a large number of chimps walked as long as 20 minutes in search of Aspilia, a member of the sunflower family. The animals would then gulp down the leaves of this plant whole, even to the point of vomiting. It was later discovered that Aspilia is high in a red oil called thiarubrine-A which kills parasites, fungi and viruses. However more recently, biochemists, inspired by the chimps repeated use of the plant, began to test the properties of thiarubrine more seriously in the lab. They found to their surprise that thiarubrine-A killed cancer cells in solid tumors, such as those of the lungs and breast.

Maybe some of the mystery as to how early humans discovered medicinal plants is hereby revealed. For on further observation scientists have found that chimpanzees use at least 15 different species of medicinal plants, which supply the animals with a full range of potions and salves for a number of various ailments.

Scientists have also discovered however that it's not just chimpanzees that take advantage of Nature's pharmacopeia, but there are many other animal species that do as well. In fact there are so many different kinds of animals that use plants as medicine, a specialized branch of zoology has developed just to study this phenomena called "zoopharmacognosty".(1)

Within this specialized branch of study some very interesting discoveries have been made. One of these is the fact that animals use psychoactive plants to deliberately alter their consciousness. Ronald Siegel, a psychopharmacologist at UCLA's School of Medicine has spent most of his career studying drugs and their impact on animals. In 1979 he discovered a shard from an ancient ceramic bowl in the Peruvian Andes. A painting on the piece, shows two llamas eating from a branch of coca leaves. Two Indians are pointing to the llamas while they themselves conspicuously reach for the leaves with open mouths.

With further investigation, Siegel discovered that this illustration was not an isolated case by any means. One legend dating back to the year 900, describes an Abyssinian herder who found that his animals became energized after eating the bright red fruit of a tree that was later named coffee. Another story has a shepherd in Yemen watching his goats run wild after chewing on certain leaves, discovering the amphetamine-like stimulant known as qat. In tropical Asia, legends describe birds that became strangely quiet after visiting rauwolfia trees. As a result an Indian psychiatrist isolated the tranquilizer reserpine, which then revolutionized the treatment of the mentally ill.

A number of other such examples are recorded in all parts of the world. In the mountains of Sikkim, weary horses eagerly consume bitter tea leaves for added energy. Pack donkeys in Mexico when particularly tired, deliberately grazed on wild tobacco for the same rejuvenating effect. During the recent war in Cambodia, it was observed that free-ranging water buffalo and antelope increased their normal browsing of opium poppies to overcome the stress of their hostile environment. While in Africa, elephants feasting on the fermented fruit of doum and marula trees, which contained an alcohol solution as high as 7 percent, were seen to display the same range of reactions shown by humans. Some elephants became boisterous and aggressive, trumpeting and attacking nearby animals, including researchers. Some became increasingly passive and lethargic. Still, others appeared amorous. In the emerald forests of Colombia, jaguars gnaw the nauseating psychedelic bark of yaje, a habit the local people believe sends the cats on flights to other worlds. Wild boars dig for the hallucinogenic roots of iboga, a West African shrub that send the animals into a wild frenzy. On the Asian tundra of the North, reindeer eat the beautifully red capped Amanita muscaria, a psychoactive mushroom also used by Siberian shamans to aid in their spiritual journeys.(2)

It seems that from these few examples and many more, not only do animals definitely use plants in a number of different ways, but we're also beginning to gain an insight into the special bonds that were formed between our early ancestors and the animals that lived around them. For the animals were seen as teachers, messengers of the spirit realms, bringers of medicine and food not only for the body, but for the soul as well. For this reason some species of animals were held in special reverence as totem animals or allies. And each tribe or clan actually named itself after the animal with which it had a psychic bond.

Within the context of this relationship between the social group and the totem animal, there evolved certain rituals that strengthened or maintained the psychic bond between them. This could very well be the root of what we call religion.(3) Through the special act of ritual, human beings moved out from the everyday world into the secret realm where the doors of communication opened between themselves and the totem animal or plant.

One thing that research has proven in the last 30 years beyond any reasonable doubt, is that psychoactive substances have certainly played a large part in the religious rituals of many past cultures.

The oldest civilization that we are currently aware of is Sumer. The ancient Sumerians were the first to produce the written word and the Sexagesimal system of mathematics that we still use today in calculations of time and space. They were also the first to meticulously record astronomical observations, and the first to build pyramids - called zigguarats. This technology was later exported to Egypt where it was further developed.

For these reasons and many others, the Sumerians are regarded as the originators of what we now understand as civilization. So it was with shocking surprise that a distinguished scientist and an expert in the Sumerian language John Allegro, discovered that these highly civilized people regarded psychoactive mushrooms in a religious context.(4)

What shocked academic scholars even more however, was that about this time, the esteemed ethnobotonast R. Gordon Wasson of Harvard University, discovered the same thing regarding the Indo-Europeans of India. He found extensive references to Amanita muscaria in their oldest and most sacred scripture, the Rig-Veda. The psychoactive mushroom was referred to in the Vedas as a god named Soma. Over one hundred hymns are found in the Rig-Veda devoted to Soma.(5)

It is also interesting to note, that in the oldest Religion still practiced today, Zoroastrianism, it's been discovered that it too was once influenced to a large extent by the sacred Amanita.

"The use of an intoxicating drink, which is called soma by the people of India and haoma by the Iranians, is one of the earliest and most persistent elements in the religion of the Indo-Iranian peoples. The importance assigned to the drink by both of those ancient peoples clearly show that its use must have originated in a common source in prehistoric times." (6)

Moving a little closer to our own cultural roots, we come to the ancient Greeks, from whom we derived our concepts of democracy, the scientific method and literature. Extensive research into the early Greek culture reveals that at the core of their religious and spiritual beliefs, stands one institution with which no other can compare - the temple of Demeter and Persephone at Eleusis. Eleusis was regarded as a powerful religious center for nearly one thousand years. No educated Greek could conceive of himself as part of the cultural elite without being initiated into the great Mysteries at Eleusis. An unbreakable silence has prevailed however, as to what these sacred rituals were, as each initiate was sworn to absolute secrecy. Only recently have scholars started to compare notes. And what is beginning to be revealed after these many centuries of silence, is that the ancient Greeks participated in an elaborate ritual that centered around the use of psychoactive substances. There is strong evidence now to suggest that one of those substances may have been ergot, containing levels of lysergic acid - a precursor to LSD.(7)

Another extremely important cultural element that was later introduced into the early Greek society was the wild and sensual god, Dionysus.(8) While most likely it's true the followers of Dionysus did introduce wine to the Greeks, and for this reason today he is known as the god of the vine. However, there is also good reason to believe that it wasn't just wine that was regarded as his sacrament. In many cases the wine may have only served as a convenient vehicle for more powerful psychoactive ingredients.(9) The wine then mixed with other mind-altering herbs was reverentially regarded as the life-blood of the god. And by participating in his sacrament one became filled with the power and ecstasy of god. It's precisely in this context that we come by our word "enthusiasm". The Greek Entheos (En-in + Theos-god) means to be possessed or inspired by a god.

When the worshippers of Dionysus took part in his ritual of "Holy Communion", they participated in a literal transformation of consciousness whereby each felt that he or she was in direct communication with a power greater than themselves. This direct and personal experience was extremely hard to compete with, causing later religious movements to use every means available, including propaganda and violence, to purge Dionysus and his followers from the culture.

Here in the Americas people have also used various psychoactive elements sacramentally. Probably the best known psychedelic plant revered among native Americans is Lophophora williamsii, the peyote cactus. It's known today in the Huichol tribe as Tatei Hikuri, our Great Grandmother Peyote.

Use of this cactus as a sacrament is widespread among many societies including the Huichal, Tarahumara, Cora, Kiowa and Commanche. Peyote rituals have been traditionally associated with rites of passage such as births and naming rituals for children, funerals and healing ceremonies.(10) The Native American Church however, uses peyote as a sacramental element in the same religious context as the Catholic Church uses the bread and wine in their sacrament of Communion.

The active ingredient in Lophophora is a chemical compound we've come to know as mescaline. Mescaline is also contained in the San Pedro cactus, which is also used as a sacrament among indigenous peoples of South America.

Another group of psychoactive elements used by people in the Americas was known to the Aztecs as Teonanacatl "the divine flesh". In this case, the flesh of the divine was a specific group of psychedelic mushrooms belonging to the genera Psilocybe, Stropharia and Panaeolus. Their active ingredients are now recognized as psilocybin and psilocine.

This particular group of mushrooms have had religious associations for a very long time. There are many statues surviving from the ancient Central and South American civilizations that indicate these mushrooms were revered as a totem or a divinity of great power. The ritual purpose of the sacred mushroom was to facilitate travel between the worlds, to communicate with the deities or ancestors, and to be used in healing the sick.

When looking back at the beginnings of the human species, it's clearly evident that humans to a large extent learned the use of edible and medicinal plants by carefully watching the animals living around them. Early human societies established sacred bonds with specific animals and plants. Many of these societies explored and developed the use of psychoactive substances in their ceremonies and rituals.

It's also increasingly evident that the various streams of cultural influences that went into forming our present global society, were in some way or other related to the use of psychedelic drugs. In recent years the flood of such information rising to the surface of our collective consciousness, has inspired many people to speculate that it just might be due to such influences, that a complex and evolving culture was possible in the first place. There will probably be an on-going discussion about these matters for a long time to come. But one thing that definitely stands out with extreme clarity, is the fact that a great many societies and cultures on every part of our planet have used psychoactive elements in a religious context, and held such ingredients as especially powerful and sacred.

The challenge that we are confronted with today is not how to eliminate such influences from our current culture as the knee-jerk response of the political machinery would have us believe, but more rationally, how do we integrate these extremely powerful elements back into our culture, so that they may have a positive and life-transforming influence. Isn't it strange that all we hear about is drug abuse, but nothing about drug use? It's as if appropriate and responsible behavior in regard to these substances, isn't even allowed into our collective consciousness or public dialogue. And so what we refuse to address as a society doesn't somehow magically disappear, but is driven underground where it becomes distorted, dysfunctional and pathological.

As means of an analogy, at a young age children should never be allowed to play with fire. Every society on earth shares this belief. And rightly so. But on the other hand, as the child reaches a certain level of understanding it is important that he or she is taught the properties of fire, its dangers as well as its benefits. And as these individuals then reach a certain level of maturity, they themselves will be able to responsibly use this dangerous yet beneficial element. This is part of becoming an intelligent and responsible adult.

Our society however, refuses to allow individuals to become responsible adults. Under our system of laws individuals are all treated as irresponsible children. Information is suppressed, and any real education about psychoactive substances is completely lacking. There is simply no healthy and appropriate context in which responsible drug use can find a place.

It's out of this cultural vacuum then, that I have long sought a spiritual context for the use of psychoactive substances. Having studied many cultures which have successfully integrated the use of these substances into their social fabric, I have found some similar areas of belief. And one such common area is the ancient concept of the Vision Quest.

Contrary to popular belief, this concept or practice isn't exclusively related to Native Americans, but can be found throughout the world. Various groups of aboriginal people still retain the Vision Quest as an important part of their culture. It has been speculated that the practice is as old as the human species itself. No one really knows for sure when, or even where the practice began.

In order to fully understand the meaning of the Vision Quest it is first necessary to understand the belief system from which it evolved. For example, if an indigenous person in the Amazon Basin was to witness for the first time the Christian ritual of Baptism, he or she wouldn't have a clue as to what was being done. Pouring water over a baby's head has no inherent significance whatsoever. In order to understand the ritual, one would have to understand the belief system, the mythological context in which the ceremony has meaning.

Now if we look closely at the cultures which once practiced or still practice the Vision Quest, we discover an underlying system of belief which gives it meaning; the belief in the Immanence of God: that the Divine is in Nature, and Nature is in the Divine. This is the original spiritual context from which the Vision Quest evolved. It not only gave the practice meaning, it also provided the direction for the Quest. This is a very important point, because ultimately what is found or discovered through the Quest, is to a large part determined by what is sought.

In the context of this spiritual belief where Nature is seen as a manifestation of Spirit, individuals didn't attempt to go beyond Nature or transcend Nature, but rather sought to establish themselves in a sacred bond with Nature through a direct and personal experience of the Mystery of the Natural World. Furthermore, it was also believed that only through this sacred bond with Nature one could gain access to other dimensions: the Dream Time; the Land of Enchantment; the Land Below the Waves or the realm of the Ancestors, etc.

This belief in the Immanence of the Divine served as a spiritual foundation for many cultures and religions, and was at one time found in all parts of the world. It can also be found existing in cultures as far back as 30,000 B.C.E. (Before the Common Era). The belief of Immanence was the predominant spiritual basis for all cultures which held the Goddess to be the supreme image of the Divine. The female was in fact the archetypal image of Nature. (Even today, Nature is universally regarded as "Mother Nature".) She united in herself the apparent opposites of light and dark, birth and death, mind and matter. And she reigned supreme over the religious landscape of the human mind and heart for well over 30,000 years. Bits and pieces of Her scriptures are left recorded in the ancient civilizations of Sumer, Babylon, Egypt and India.

Through the prehistoric traditions of the ancient Greeks in the temples of Demeter, Persephone and Dionysus we can also find the same theme of Immanence, serving as a solid foundation for later philosophical and religious development. The burning embers of this traditional belief have been kept alive right up until our present day by such individuals as the Hellenic Posidonius of Alamea in Syria (135-50 BCE), the Celtic philosopher Johannes Scotus Erigena (815-877), the German theologian Meister Eckhart (1260-1327), and the Dominican monk Giordano Bruno (1548-1600) who was burned at the stake in Rome because he declared all too loudly the ancient wisdom: "To the extent that one communicates with Nature, so one ascends to Divinity through Nature". (11)

It is very important to realize that it was precisely this deep spiritual understanding of Nature, that served as the metaphysical ground in which the practice of the Vision Quest grew. Spirituality was intimately bonded to Nature, the Earth and the physical body. All things were viewed as a sacred manifestation of the Spirit, and therefore all had inherent worth.

Within this spiritual context then, it was believed that each individual must set out to experience some unique aspect of the Mystery and Power of Spirit\Nature that only he or she was destined to find. The ultimate goal of such an adventure was always to return to one's community, bringing back those gifts which had been found. The Vision Quest was never an escape from the world or the community, but a means of ultimately serving the community. Each individual went out alone as a seeker. But once the vision was seen, the message heard or a truth revealed, the individual returned as the poet, the artist, the speaker, the builder, etc., a person ready to creatively express his or her unique gifts.

It is through this constant and continuing influx of creativity that the clan, the tribe or nation is able to flourish and prosper. If on the other hand, this creative stream is somehow impeded or interrupted, the community or the entire culture consequently becomes a Waste Land.

In our Western cultural heritage this concept of the Vision Quest came to full bloom in the marvelous thirteenth-century legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. In almost every detail we can find in this legend, through mythic and archetypal symbols, a truly spiritual perspective as it uniquely manifested through the Western Psyche.

Unlike the Eastern perspectives in which we find a spiritual pyramid with the Divine at the top represented by the teacher or Guru and the disciples on the bottom, here we find the image of a circle - the Round Table where no one is considered "the master". Those who sit at this table are all equals, truly, a unique image among religious, political or any other organization.

Now it was within this company of equals that something was revealed to be lacking in the community. This led the knights to their Hero's Journey - The Quest for the Holy Grail.

In the symbolic image of the Grail, we find yet another important clue to our ancient spiritual theme of Divine Immanence. For the Grail is interpreted as a feminine symbol - a cup or bowl. In truth, it's the magic cauldron of old, from which all of creation was stirred into existence. It represents the Divine creative matrix which lies at the heart of all existence.

And just how do the knights begin their heroic Quest? The answer to this question is most important to our understanding of how different this spiritual journey is from any of the Eastern schools or Christian institutions. For the knights didn't go out on their Vision Quest as a group. This is definitely not a team effort. Each one went out separately as an individual. And where each one went, wasn't determined by the king or some external authority. No top down decision making here. But rather, each knight had to decide for himself the direction of his journey.

Now what is particularly relative to the timeless theme of Immanence is that each knight, independently of all the others decides to begin his search for the Grail in the forest. They didn't hang around the castle looking for clues; they didn't go to church seeking answers. They all left "civilized" life entirely and went into the forest. Why? Because the foundation for their spiritual life was the understanding that Nature is the Spirit made manifest. So instinctively they all returned to Nature to discover something deeper about themselves.

What is perhaps even more profound however, unlike the spiritual seekers of the Eastern traditions, once they got to the forest they each did something very strange indeed. They each "entered into the forest, at one point and another, there where they saw it to be the thickest, all in those places where they found no way or path . . ." (12)

It's precisely here, that we discover the very essence of the Vision Quest: a pathless journey into the Great Mystery to glimpse the Creative Power which finds its expression through all of Nature.

The proper setting is now in place for a real adventure to begin. If one is following a path one merely needs enough common sense to stay on the path. But here, in the utter wilderness without a way or path, our deepest instincts suddenly become awake. For around the next big tree something terrible might be waiting; but then again, we just might discover something absolutely delightful, something magical. For we have now entered a place of magic, a sacred place of real power. And it's precisely in just such a place, that we find the Grail - a special manifestation of Divine Power: an event or occasion which evokes a deep sense of awe, wonder and mystery.

Many cultures around the world have a particular word for this special kind of Power. The Melanesians called it Mana, the Dakotan tribes called it Wakan, The Iroquoian peoples - Orenda, Algonquian - Manitu, the Japanese - Kami and the ancient Romans - Numen. It's from this Latin word, Numen that we get our English "Numinous", which can be defined as "the mystery of a presence and the presence of a mystery".

In his seminal work The Idea of the Holy, Rudolf Ott states that the recognition of the Numinous Event is the psychological basis of all religions. For as we come face to face with the Mystery of the Numinous, we come to experience the power and presence of the Spirit. In The Gnostic Gospel According to Thomas we discover Jesus clearly expressing this very idea: "The Kingdom of the Father is spread upon the earth and men do not see it." "Split a piece of wood, I am there; lift up the stone and you will find Me there".(13) This idea was also eloquently expressed in the twelfth-century Hermetic maxim: "God is an intelligible sphere, whose center is everywhere and circumference nowhere;"(14) and later by the German mystic Meister Eckhart: "God is in all things, as being, as activity, as power."(15) What has to be understood here, is that unless and until one personally experiences this Truth for oneself, it will only remain someone else's theory.

So it's at this important juncture then, that people all over the world and in all times, sought the aid of various rituals and sacraments to facilitate their personal encounter with the Numinous. This in fact is the underlying intention in all religious rituals no matter where or when they are to be found. Some of these sacramental acts or rituals include solitude, fasting, yoga, prayer, music, dancing, art and sex.

And as we've previously seen in this article, many societies throughout history and even before written history, have also employed psychoactive substances in this context, many times using these powerful substances in conjunction with one or more of the other methods.

It's appropriate here to notice, that these sacramental substances containing special power, have come to be known in our current culture as "psychedelic". This word is actually the combination of two Greek words: Psyche meaning soul; and Delos meaning clear or visible. So properly defined, a psychedelic substance is that which allows one to clearly perceive the soul.

In my own spiritual journey I've explored many different means and methods. However, my particular preference for the past 29 years has been daily yogic meditation. It was from this solid foundation then, that I began some 10 years ago to seriously explore the usefulness of incorporating various psychedelic substances into my spiritual practice. The results of this exploration has motivated me to write this book.

Even though I've explored the use of a wide variety of psychoactive substances in a sacramental context, my personal preference remains with Cannabis for a number of reasons.

If one is inclined to incorporate these powerful substances into one's life on an on-going basis, I firmly believe in choosing one that has very few side effects, physical or otherwise. Some of these substances are definitely hard for the body - especially the liver - to deal with. We're not trying to gain something spiritual here, by sacrificing the body. To me that would be a contradiction.

So from this point of view, Cannabis is a very good choice. In fact, if used in the context I'm recommending, Cannabis can have a beneficial and healing effect on the body as well as the mind. If treated with proper respect it's a gentle plant, that allows the mind to relax while the emotions experience a mild euphoria.

We will go into some of the other beneficial effects later on. For now I would like to point out that the principle active ingredient in Cannabis (tetrahydrocannabinol or THC ) is not a true hallucinogen. People do not hallucinate while experiencing the effects of this psychedelic. It does however enhances sensory perceptions, and alters one's perception of time and space to varying degrees. These mind altering effects however, are only short term. In our society with its innumerable demands, this is definitely convenient. Contrary to a number of other powerful psychedelics, with Cannabis one can safely return to work the next day and perform with competence.

Another reason why I favor Cannabis over many other substances, is because it's relatively easy to get. Other psychedelics are not only harder to come by, but the quality is many times questionable once you do get them.

Historically Cannabis has been found in almost all parts of the world. Besides being grown in the Americas, it's also been found in abundance in Persia, Turkey, China, India and in Africa. In 1855 it was estimated that world-wide almost 300 million people consumed Cannabis in one form or another.(16) This represents a huge percentage of the earth's population at that time.

Throughout history, Cannabis or hemp has had a wide variety of uses. One of the oldest archaeological relics in existence is a piece of cloth made from hemp, found at Catal Huyuk dated about 8,000 B.C.E. The oldest pharmacopoeia, the Pen-Ts'ao Ching, which was complied in China, from ancient fragments existing about 2,3000 B.C.E., mentions hemp as a useful medicine.(17) The historian Diodorus Siculus reported that the women of ancient Egypt used Cannabis as a medicine to relieve sorrow and bad humor.(18) The Ayurvedic physicians of India have long used Cannabis to treat dozens of diseases and medical problems including headaches, menstrual pains, anemia, gout and poor appetite. I have also found Cannabis mentioned in the Indian scripture of the Atharva Veda where its use is considered to "preserve one from disease . . . and prolong the years we have to live".(19)

The ancient Aryans of India who called Cannabis "bhang", indirectly contributed to the naming of the modern Indian state of Bengal. The name Bengal literally means "bhang land". Bangladesh on the other hand means "bhang land people". The people in this area of India have had a long history of using Cannabis to make excellent cloth and medicine for which they were famous.

They also used Cannabis however, in their worship of the deity Shiva. In one of the Tantric Scriptures we find this revealing statement: "Intoxicating drink (containing bhang) is consumed in order to liberate oneself, and that those who do so, in dominating their mental faculties and following the law of Shiva (yoga) - are to be likened to immortals on earth."(20)

In this same scripture we also find a prayer or mantra that is said before one consumes the sacred herb: "Bhava na sana hridayam", which means: "may this sana (Sanskrit for Cannabis) be a blessing to my heart."

So here we find an ancient religious tradition that has long used and still uses to this day, Cannabis in a sacramental context. It's been through this particular tradition of Tantra Yoga, that I first became inspired to explore the potential use of Cannabis in my own spiritual practice.

Now I will reveal something for those that have the ears to hear. For literally thousands of years within shamanic traditions, secret societies and mystic cults, cannabis has been used in conjunction with certain breathing techniques to add power and depth to the experience. The yogic pranayama techniques (as explained in my work on Vamacara Tantra) provide a powerful engine as it were, to drive the vehicle of the psychoactive substance, taking the mind to new and greater levels of awareness.

Over the course of some ten years, my periodic experience with Cannabis in conjunction with solitude, fasting and daily yogic meditation has led me through a process whereby a specific pattern of action or ritual began to evolve. The evolution of this ritual was a slow process, and one that didn't solely originate out of the rational, linear mind. But rather, almost unconsciously I began to gravitate to those conditions and actions that would more powerfully facilitate a transformation of consciousness. I didn't have some preconceived idea or formula to follow. I simply discovered through trial and error what conditions and actions added power and depth to my experience. And so eventually the beginnings of a ritual came to evolve out of this process.