The Alchemy of Culture
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Book Overview
This exploration of the use of intoxicants in society reveals how drugs have had a central role in the religious and social life of a wide range of cultures around the world, from Stone Age Europe and Classical Greece to the New World and New Guinea. Rudgley looks at the use of psychoactive substances in European witchcraft, the role of scientists, poets and artists in introducing new hallucinogens into the West, and the social use of milder stimulants such as alcohol, tobacco and tea.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0714127116
ISBN13:9780714127118
Release Date:December 1993
Publisher:British Museum Press
Length:160 Pages
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The alchemy of culture
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
Intoxicants have played an important part in societies all over the world throughout history. Shows that intoxicants in various cultures have all had a central role in religious or social life, & that the altered states of consciousness produced by each intoxicant are shaped by cultural values. Explores the role of scientists & artists in introducing new hallucinogens, such as mescaline & LSD, into the West. Looks at the social aspects of milder stimulants, including coffee, tea, qat, betel, cola, coca & pituri, showing that their significance extends beyond the pleasure of the individual to the religious, econ., political & sexual life of communities. Illustrated
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