#2319 - Rick Doblin

In 'Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich', Norman Ohler delves into the unregulated and pervasive use of drugs in Nazi Germany. Despite the Nazis' public stance against drugs, the regime heavily relied on pharmaceuticals to sustain its military and leadership. The book details how methamphetamines, under the brand name Pervitin, were used to keep soldiers awake during long campaigns, and how Adolf Hitler became increasingly dependent on a cocktail of drugs administered by his personal physician, Dr. Theodor Morell. Ohler's research, drawing from archival sources and primary documents, provides a new perspective on the Third Reich and the role of drugs in its military and political operations[2][4][6].

In 'The Immortality Key', Brian Muraresku reconstructs the suppressed history of psychedelics in ancient Greek and early Christian rituals. Through a 12-year investigation, Muraresku connects the lost psychedelic sacrament of Greek religion to early Christianity, exposing the true origins of Western Civilization. He accesses hidden archives of the Louvre and the Vatican, and collaborates with archaeochemists to unveil the first scientific evidence of psychedelic drug use in classical antiquity. The book challenges traditional views of Christianity and Western history, suggesting that psychedelics were integral to the development of these cultures[1][2][4].

The novel centers around Joseph Knecht, who is brought to Castalia as a child and eventually becomes the Magister Ludi, the master of the Glass Bead Game. The game itself is a complex synthesis of human ideas, involving music, mathematics, philosophy, and other disciplines. The story delves into Knecht's struggles with the intellectual isolation of Castalia and his eventual decision to leave the order to engage with the outside world. The book explores themes of meaning, purpose, and the tension between intellectual pursuits and real-world experiences, reflecting Hesse's own experiences during World War II and his opposition to Nazi ideology.