Sacred Mushrooms: Secrets of Eleusis

I found it propelling and entertaining. Join the search for who these ancients were and find the kykeon.I used to think Greek mythology was just nonsense authored by ignorant primitives. With the missing key provided by Carl Ruck, mythology opens to new depth. The idea of mushrooms being central to ancient greek culture at first seemed a bit alien but I cracked open an introductory mycology text by C.J Alexopoulos and the first paragraph is about how Perseus founded Mycenae because of the mushrooms he found there. Mushrooms he drank the water from. Ruck has plenty of examples of mushrooms in central and important works of Greek art including the Alexander the Great's daughter's tomb (a mushroom).Seems classical scholars don't like the idea that sex or hallucinogenic mushrooms need to be discussed to understand the ancient Greeks. To me the history and mythology is nonsense with out it.This book is obviously ahead of it's time because it has been poorly received. In ten years this will be a classic and the critics will pretend they liked it from the beginning.

A very intriging book, but, without footnotes, none of the ancient sources or modern references can be traced. Let's hope that a scholarly version of this book will be published someday.

The book starts off good with its description of the journey from Athens to Eleusis but then it jumps in pedal to the medal giving a true insight as to the true agenda of this book. The primary aim is a claim that drugs are the secret ingredients used in "The Mysteries Of Eleusis". I will concede that drugs may have been a part of this religious festival but I disagree that this is core event. Had drugs been the sum of this religious event, I am sure that Eleusis would have faded into oblivion long before the new mythology "Christianity" took center stage.I'm sorry to say that I was thoroughly disappointed with the connection of every aspect of the Eleusinian Mysteries repeatedly connected wirh psychedelic drugs by the author. I find offense in even associating the Gods of Ancient Greece as the mere effect of a drug induced trip.

This book helps educate those who invalidate religious experiences that are generated by sacred plants. Recent research from John Hopkins using psilocybin (psychoactive mushrooms) confirms that a religious experience from these "entheogens" (the god within) are every bit as mystical as those derived from other sources. This book traces what may very well be the longest running psychedelic ceremony The Eleusian Mysteries. This is must reading for any religious scholars who need to consider other modes of religious experience!

Good Reading i love it... I recommend you to read THE ROAD TO ELEUSIS first ... But this book is Amazing... Ruck is the Hierofante

THis book covers a valid and interesting topic. However, the author's writing is so muddled, it can be dificult to make any sense out of the book. Like many books of similar ilk (Graves and others) the author is pulling on many sources to try to prove a point about a mystery that was never revealed. I don't doubt that entheogens were used by the Greeks in their mysteries but this writer needs to organize the material in a way that helps the reader. This seems a mishmash of artcles with no connection.

I found this book very interesting indeed. It gives a whole new spectrum on Ancient Religions in general as well as Eleusis in particular. Excellent material!However I found Carl Ruck's style of writing rather annoying at times, leaving me wondering if he was on them while he was writing? And is English not his first language? When I find words used that aren't even in a very large dictionary I do get annoyed with the pretentiousness of the author! Certainly I doubt very much that this book was properly proof read by someone for whom English is their first and only language! And who dared to actually make any changes!

Percorsi di eccezionale interessa sia in ambito della etnomicologia che della filosofia pura. Naturalmente bisogna masticare un po' di inglese.