Psychedelics, Eleusis, and the Invention of Religious Experience.
Sharday Mosurinjohn, Richard S. Ascough
Psychedelic Medicine March 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1177/28314425251361835 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Critical review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Eleusynian mysteries Ergot Psychedelic phenomenology Psychoactive substances Systematic review |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | The claim that the Eleusinian Mysteries used psychedelics is based on flawed methodology and rhetorical missteps, not credible evidence. |
Abstract
This article corrects an idea in psychedelic science and culture that the ancient Eleusynian Mysteries used psychedelics, as claimed by Carl Ruck and co-authors in The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries (1978), revitalized by Brian Muraresku's The Immortality Key: The Secret History of the Religion with No Name (2020), and popularized by social media heavyweights such as Joe Rogan. It begins by exposing critical methodological flaws in the arguments, namely, a pattern of presenting claims, followed by mild circumstantial evidence, rhetorically solidifying the interpretation of this evidence into a "fact," on which is built each subsequent round of conjecture. We then explore how the dogged pursuit of evidentiary mirages contributes to the project of establishing a western civilizational pedigree to dignify the use of stigmatized drugs and revitalize experiential religion. Although the desire for legitimacy and meaning is understandable, the strategies used by the writers of this pseudo-history constitute a kind of religious fundamentalism. Their writing attempts to show that a relatively new practice is the old, true religion, in this case, the "religion with no name" that underlies every religious tradition. In doing so, they miss seriously relating to the many well-documented historical and living Indigenous histories of psychedelics, or seeing contemporary psychedelic practice in continuity with other, and maybe even older, nonpharmacological methods of changing consciousness. Overall, the "psychedelic Eleusis" discourse focuses on the purported Eleusynian drug and its phenomenology rather than focusing on practices for taking up the spiritual injunctions of those psychedelic experiences. We conclude that, given how the psychedelic hypothesis is fundamentally flawed in its study of antiquity, it is a shaky foundation on which to build an argument for modern psychedelic use for therapeutic and spiritual practice. Since scholarly research is key to moving forward decriminalization, legalization, medical regulation, and other roles for psychedelics in society, it is crucial that scholars and popular audiences communicate effectively around psychedelic history and culture. Instead of committing to a specific (and erroneous) view of history, psychedelic scholarship must commit to academic discussion and debate.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. General population | 2019 | Integrative review | |
| The pharmacology of psilocybin | 2002 | Review | |
| Serotonin research: contributions to understanding psychoses | 2008 | Review | |
| Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness | 2018 | Review | |
| The abuse potential of medical psilocybin according to the 8 factors of the Controlled Substances Act | 2018 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- The Psychology of Mysticism Cambridge University Press eBooks January 27, 2026
- John Allegro and the Psychedelic Mysteries Hypothesis Religions August 9, 2025
- Investigating the psychedelic hypothesis of kykeon, the sacred elixir of the Eleusinian Mysteries Scientific Reports February 13, 2026
- The mystic trip: how psychedelic research fell for mysticism. Psychopharmacology July 17, 2026
Cites 11
- Psychedelics and music: neuroscience and therapeutic implications International Review of Psychiatry July 4, 2018
- Indigenous Philosophies and the "Psychedelic Renaissance" Anthropology of Consciousness July 30, 2022
- The Immortality Key: The Secret History of the Religion with No Name Journal of Psychedelic Studies March 12, 2021
- HERE AND NOW: DISCOVERING THE SACRED WITH ENTHEOGENS Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science September 2, 2014
- Peyote on the Prairies: Religion, Scientists, and Native-Newcomer Relations in Western Canada Journal of Canadian Studies November 1, 2012
and 6 more in the library