Weird Naturalism of the Brothers McKenna
International Journal for the Study of New Religions February 20, 2017 DOI: 10.1558/ijsnr.v7i2.31944 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Alchemy Naturalism Sympathy Brother Literature Art history Occult Ontology Epistemology Theology Anthropology |
| Key points | Argues that the McKennas' 'Experiment at La Chorrera' was shaped by Jungian alchemy, Marshall McLuhan's media theory, and science fiction, resulting in an occult framework that 'esotericized' media theory. |
Abstract
When Terence McKenna and his brother Dennis performed the so-called “Experiment at La Chorrera” in Columbia in 1971, they staged what became one of the most legendary and storied trip tales in contemporary psychedelic culture. This paper diagrams the matrix of Jungian alchemy, Marshall McLuhan, and science fiction that underpinned the protocols and conceptual apparatus of the Experiment. These ideas are tied to McKenna’s early unpublished text Crypto-Rap, which is briefly summarized as an example of “weird naturalism.” In essence, it is argued that Terence and Dennis McKenna “esotericized” media theory into an occult apparatus of resonance, sympathy, and apocalyptic ontology.