Persephone's Quest: Entheogens and the Origins of Religion

I am a student of Carl A.P. Ruck, who was one of the contributors for this collection. This volume is indeed a collection which covers several sides of the story, touching upon almost every civilization which was influenced by the entheogensis of the mushroom (Amanita and Psylocybe). For those who have read McKenna's work, this is the foundation of it, although the antithesis of his belief that the Psylocybin containing species... Read Full Review

A great read when read in balance with other books such as Terence McKenna's Food of the God's, Clark Heinrich's Magic Mushrooms, and James Arthur's Mushrooms and Mankind. Wasson's contributions to understanding the world's religions, and shamanism is inestimable. His open minded and non prejudicial approach to other societies was a breath of fresh air for his time. For the record to those interested in Amanita muscaria as... Read Full Review

Wasson's text makes this book not only worthwhile, but a must read for anyone interested in the human link to higher knowledge.His research is outstanding and puts a conclusive stamp on many beliefs concerning human culture.

Although I only gave it 4 stars, this book is actually outstanding. I did not give it the highest evaluation because, although R.G. Wasson's material was monumental, some of the other material included did not seem of the same caliber. Wasson's perspective is really a must read for anyone interested in this subject. He was not only extremely intelligent, but he also had an innate ability to phrase his ideas in a manner... Read Full Review

"Persephone's Quest" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy." http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy