Researchers at Johns Hopkins and New York universities are testing the effects of the psychedelic drug psilocybin (“magic mushrooms”) on around two dozen religious leaders in hopes of triggering mystical religious experiences,
the Washington Post reports.
The brave, drug-testing subjects include about 24 priests, pastors, rabbis and Buddhist clergy who understandably wish to remain anonymous. Psychologist William Richards, who heads the study, is hoping to attract a few Muslim and Hindu leaders as well.
Richards sees a possible parallel between the mystical visions described in religious texts (think the burning bush encountered by Moses) and the hallucinogenic effects of tripping on ‘shrooms.
“There are – it’s so hard to put into this language – sacred eternal experiences that the human being is capable of having,” he told the Post. “What we call the eternal seems incredibly real.”
Whether drug induced or not, it is the body’s chemistry that triggers these visions, Richards notes. Other triggers may include stress, fasting, sensory deprivation or even childbirth, he says. That doesn’t make the experiences any less meaningful.
“The deep mystical experiences are always discovered as gifts received,” Richards explains. “that’s what we call grace, religiously.”
Indeed, psilocybin and other hallucinogenic mushrooms such as peyote have been used in sacred rituals of native peoples for centuries, notes the website
drugs.com.
Richards initially tried psilocybin himself as a 23-year old test subject in 1963 when in grad school. He has since done research on the healing effects of psychedelics on patients suffering from anxiety and depression. Along the way, he’s noticed a common theme of religious imagery among the patients in his studies.
For this study, Richards plans to follow up with the participating clergy to see whether their visit to the astral plane has any lasting effects. He hopes they will seek to recreate their visionary moments without the drugs. After their experience in the lab, “they know there is a top up the mountain and now they’re willing to hike up there,” he predicts.