Entheogens and the Public Mystery: The Rhetoric of R. Gordon Wasson
Configurations March 1, 2008 Antonio Ceraso 11 citations
R. Gordon Wasson, who documented the use of psilocybin mushrooms among indigenous people in Mexico, employed a two-part strategy in his writings on psychedelics. He first worked to open scientific research beyond institutional boundaries, creating deinstitutionalized knowledge networks. Recognizing that such openness makes knowledge communities vulnerable to exploitation, he then drew on ancient mystery cults, especially the Greek Eleusinian Mysteries, to establish protective silences within these open networks. This interplay of openness and mystery offers a model for thinking about information flows that can enrich current intellectual property debates.