International Journal for the Study of New Religions
February 20, 2017
Alex Gearin
15 citations
New Age spirituality is often characterized as individualistic, prioritizing the self and personal interests. This article challenges that view through an ethnographic study of ayahuasca neoshamanism in Australia. Thick ethnographic evidence reveals collectivist logics of social action in ritual practices of ecstatic purging and visions. The author argues that these practices are better understood through the anthropological concept of "dividualism," where the person is seen as multiple, partible, and exchangeable within social relations of obligation. This perspective, drawn from ethnographic theory, creates space for emic theories of social action and contributes to debates about individualism and collectivism in New Age spirituality.
International Journal for the Study of New Religions
March 23, 2022
Anna Lutkajtis
3 citations
Psilocybin churches in the United States offer an alternative to the clinical framing of psilocybin by enabling followers to engage in a dynamic social process of sacred sensemaking. In this process, psilocybin mushrooms are treated as a sacrament, church members follow ritual-based psychopharmacological practices, and the psychedelic experience is interpreted as a direct encounter with the divine. While different churches have unique approaches, rituals, and cosmologies, they may be united by this common process of sacred sensemaking, which provides a religious form of meaning making around the psychedelic experience.
International Journal for the Study of New Religions
June 13, 2024
Connor Ritchie
1 citation
The book examines how psychedelic experiences intersect with religious belief and practice, arguing that the 'rubble of old-time religion'—traditional institutional faiths—is being reshaped by modern drug-induced spiritual encounters. Lattin draws on interviews and historical accounts to suggest that psychedelics can catalyze personal transformations and new forms of spirituality, but also warns that they may lead to confusion or exploitation. The work does not present empirical data but offers a reflective, narrative exploration of the cultural and personal implications of combining psychedelics with religious seeking.
International Journal for the Study of New Religions
February 20, 2017
Erik Davis
The 1971 'Experiment at La Chorrera' in Colombia, conducted by Terence and Dennis McKenna, became a legendary event in psychedelic culture. This paper analyzes the intellectual matrix of Jungian alchemy, Marshall McLuhan's media theory, and science fiction that shaped the experiment's protocols and concepts. It introduces McKenna's early unpublished text 'Crypto-Rap' as an example of 'weird naturalism.' The authors argue that the McKennas 'esotericized' media theory into an occult framework of resonance, sympathy, and apocalyptic ontology.
International Journal for the Study of New Religions
March 23, 2022
Shai Feraro
The book examines the figure of the goddess Babalon within Western esotericism, tracing how she has been constructed and reinterpreted across different historical and cultural contexts. It argues that Babalon serves as a complex symbol through which various femininities are articulated, challenging simplistic notions of female divinity and offering insights into gender, power, and religious practice. The work analyzes primary sources from occult traditions, showing how Babalon's representations reflect and shape ideas about female agency, sexuality, and spirituality.
International Journal for the Study of New Religions
August 14, 2011
Carole Cusack
Discordianism, often dismissed as a parody religion, is argued to be a valid religious expression within modern Paganism. This article examines its ritual and magical practices, which have been largely overlooked by scholars. Building on Hugh Urban's classification of Discordian magic as a form of Chaos Magic, the author analyzes key texts like the Principia Discordia and the Illuminatus! Trilogy. The study argues that Discordian magic should be classified as a form of Chaos Magic due to both traditions' unorganized nature, resistance to orthodoxy, and shared deconstructive, monistic worldview where binary oppositions collapse into oneness. Neither conformity of belief nor unity of practice is required for authenticity in either tradition.