Ministry of the Mushroom
International Journal for the Study of New Religions March 23, 2022 DOI: 10.1558/ijsnr.20152 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Sensemaking Hallucinogen Christian ministry Psychoanalysis Aesthetics |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key points | Argues that psilocybin churches enable followers to participate in a dynamic social process of "sacred sensemaking," uniting diverse groups through a shared ritual-based psychopharmacological practice and interpretation of the psychedelic experience as a divine encounter. |
Abstract
Recently there has been a surge of renewed interest in the psychedelic compound psilocybin. In particular, psilocybin is being studied in clinical settings as a potential breakthrough treatment for depression. Alongside this growing therapeutic interest, there has been a rise in the religious use of psilocybin, as evidenced by the creation of a number of psilocybin mushroom churches in the United States. While the dominant popular discourse surrounding psilocybin is currently clinical, psilocybin churches offer an alternative form of meaning making regarding the psychedelic experience. Specifically, this article argues that psilocybin churches enable their followers to participate in a dynamic social process of “sacred sensemaking,” whereby psilocybin mushrooms are considered to be a sacrament, church members follow a ritual-based psychopharmacological practice, and the psychedelic experience is interpreted in terms of a direct encounter with the divine. Different psilocybin churches have unique approaches, ritual practices and cosmologies, nonetheless this article suggests that they may be united by this common process of sacred sensemaking.