Spiritual Promiscuity, Psychedelic Interdependence, and The First World Congress of Sorcery
Psychedelic Intersections January 17, 2025 Julián Sánchez González
Annie Dillard's 1974 book A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1975, reflects a personal spirituality Dillard later called 'spiritual promiscuity'—a blend of Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Sufism. This mixing of traditions was part of a broader countercultural reaction in the 1970s against monolithic religious systems, where individuals asserted autonomy by building innovative, personal spiritual systems. The psychedelic movement and psychedelic experiences of the era fostered perceptions of interdependence between humans and non-human entities, heightening curiosity about non-hegemonic spiritualities and making interdenominational exploration a cultural zeitgeist.