The Ineffable of Psychedelics

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The infrequent occasional use of some of these compounds with people who know what the hell they're doing could be an aid to a spiritual discipline that then transcends, or at least sublimates psychedelics into a life dedicated to contemplative practice and action. I mentioned Glenn Shepherd because he and I had a conversation a couple weeks ago, just shows you how differently people think about psychedelics. And his estimate was that something like 50% of Amazonian shamanism is not dedicated to health and wellness the way we think about it. But he said they're hunting rituals, which I thought was fascinating.

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Welcome to The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is usually my job to deconstruct world-class performers to tease out their routines, habits, et cetera that you can apply to your own life.

This time around, we have a very special edition featuring Dr. Mark Plotkin and Brian C. Muraresku.

Mark takes over my duties as host and interviews Brian for an episode of the Plants of the Gods podcast. You, my dear listeners, are hearing the audio before anyone else, so this is a Tim Ferriss Show exclusive. I’ve previously featured some of my favorite episodes from that podcast at tim.blog/plantsofthegods. These episodes cover a lot of fascinating ground.

So, who is Dr. Mark Plotkin? Mark (@DocMarkPlotkin) is an ethnobotanist who serves as president of the Amazon Conservation Team, which has partnered with ~80 tribes to map and improve management and protection of ~100 million acres of ancestral rainforests. He is best known to the general public as the author of the book Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice, one of the most popular books ever written about the rainforest. His most recent book is The Amazon: What Everyone Needs to Know. You can find my interview with Mark at tim.blog/markplotkin.

And the guest today is Brian C. Muraresku. Who is Brian? Brian (@BrianMuraresku) graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University with a degree in Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit. The Immortality Key: The Secret History of the Religion with No Name is Brian’s debut book. In 2020, it became a New York Times bestseller, and Audible named it “Best of 2020” in the History category. His website is brianmuraresku.com. You can also find him on Instagram @brian_muraresku.

This is a tightly packed 55-minute interview. Mark and Brian cover the Eleusinian Mysteries, the pagan continuity hypothesis, early Christianity, lessons from famed religious scholar Karen Armstrong, overlooked aspects of influential philosopher William James’s career, ancient wine and ancient beer, experiencing the divine within us, the importance of “tikkun olam”—repairing and improving the world as we go—and much, much more.

Please enjoy!

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It’s free, it’s always going to be free, and you can subscribe now at tim.blog/friday.

[07:24] Who is Brian C. Muraresku?

[09:19] The Eleusinian mysteries.

[11:51] The ridicule of Carl Ruck.

[16:18] Why are these ideas only being accepted now?

[18:22] How the Eleusinian mysteries influenced Christianity.

[23:54] A mind-altering Eucharist?

[28:07] The role of beer and wine in the foundation of civilization.

[31:31] Patrick McGovern.

[33:33] Stoned apes and/or drunk monkeys?

[39:04] Changing attitudes at the Vatican.

[40:13] What’s going on at Harvard Divinity School today?