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The word entheogen is a modern term derived from two Ancient Greek words, ενθεος (entheos) and γενεσθαι (genesthai). Entheos means literally "in God", more freely translated "inspired". The Greeks used it as a term of praise for poets and other artists. Genesthai means "to cause to be". So an entheogen is "that which causes (a person) to be in God". The translation "creating the divine within" that is sometimes given is not quite correct -- entheogen implies neither that something is created (as opposed to just perceiving something that is already there) nor that that which is experienced is within the user (as opposed to having independent existence).
In its strictest sense the term refers to a psychoactive substance (most often some plant matter) that occasions enlightening spiritual or mystical experience, within the parameters of a cult, in the original non-pejorative sense of cultus. In a broader sense, the word "entheogen" refers to artificial as well as natural substances that induce alterations of consciousness similar to those documented for ritual ingestion of traditional shamanic inebriants, even if it is used in a secular context.
The term "entheogen" was coined in 1979 by a group of ethnobotanists and scholars of mythology ( Carl A. P. Ruck , Jeremy Bigwood, Danny Staples, Richard Evans Schultes, Jonathan Ott and R. Gordon WassonGordon Wasson (born 22 September 1898, died 23 December 1986) was an author, amateur researcher and banker. In the course of his self-funded research, he made significant contributions to the field of ethnobotany. Wasson's studies in "ethnomycology" begun, the author of Soma: Divine Mushroom of Immortality, 1968). The term was coined in an effort to replace the term " hallucinogen", which had been popularized by Aldous HuxleyAldous Leonard Huxley ( July 26, 1894 November 22, 1963) was a British writer. Best known for his novels and wide-ranging output of essays, he also published short stories, poetry and travel writing. Biography Early years Huxley was born in Godalming, Sur's experiences with mescalineMescaline Chemical name3,4,5-Trimethoxy-phenethylamine or2-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)ethanamine Chemical formulaCHNO Molecular mass211. 26 g/mol Melting point128 129 °C CAS numbers54-04-6 SMILESNCCC1 CC(OC) C(OC)C(OC) C1 Mescaline or 3,4,5-trimethoxypheneth, published as The Doors of PerceptionThe Doors of Perception is a 1954 book by Aldous Huxley detailing his hallucinatory experiences when taking mescaline. Title The title comes from a quote from William Blake: : "If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it in 19531953 is a common year starting on Thursday (click on link for the calendar). Events January events January 7 President Harry S. Truman announces the United States has developed a hydrogen bomb. January 13 Marshal Josip Broz Tito chosen President of Yugosl, but which had accrued negative connotations and by 1979 was ready to be relabeled a misnomer and discarded. Similar cultural freight had been taken on by the formerly acceptable term " psychedelic", a Greek neologism for "spirit-expanding." Both strict and broad senses of the term "entheogen" were defined by Ruck et al. (1979):
The use of the word "entheogen" in its broad sense as a synonym for "hallucinogenic drug" has attracted criticism on two grounds. On pragmatic grounds, the objection has been raised that the meaning of the strict sense of "entheogen", which is of specific utility in discussing traditional, historical and mythological uses of entheogens in religious settings, is likely to be diluted by widespread, casual use of the term in the broader sense by the wider public. Secondly, on somewhat more ideological grounds, some people object to the misuse of the root theos (Greek: god) in the description of the use of hallucinogenic drugs in a non-religious context. Thirdly there are some substances that at least partially fulfil the definition of an entheogen that is given above, but are not hallucinogenic in the usual sense. An important example is the bread and wine of the ChristianChristian cross and its many variations are widely recognized as an ancient Christian symbol. Christianity is an Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament. Although Christians generally chara Eucharist.
The more ideological objections to the broad use of the term can often be understood as related to the widespread existence of taboos surrounding psychoactive drugs, with both religious and secular justifications. Coupled with the climate of religious tolerance or pluralism that prevails in many present-day societies, the use of the root theos in a term describing non-religious drug use can be criticised as a form of taboo deformation. The perception that the broad sense of the term "entheogen" is used as a euphemism by hallucinogenic drug-using subcultures bothers both critics and proponents of the secular use of hallucinogenic drugs. Critics frequently see the use of the term as an attempt to obscure what they perceive as the illegitimacy of the motivations and contexts of secular drug use. Some proponents also object to the term, arguing that the trend within their own subcultures and in the scientific literature towards the use of term "entheogen" as a synonym for "hallucinogen" devalues the use of drugs in contexts that are secular but nevertheless, in their view, legitimate.
However, to other proponents, the use of the word "hallucinogen" to designate plants and substances used for religious purposes is flawed since the people engaging in this activity believe in the spiritual component of the experiences that these plants and substances cause. By the religious users of these substances, this experience is not considered hallucinatory at all, and it is woven into the fabric of their world views and religious stance. Labelling these plants and substances as agents that cause random hallucinations, as the term "hallucinogen" suggests, runs counter to their beliefs. These subcultures and religious groups as well as scientists eshew the use of the word "hallucinogen" for what they consider to be "entheogens." The solution to this debate is difficult, as critics and proponents for both terms often stand on different ideological ground.
The remainder of this entry pertains to the use of entheogens in a religious context. See Also: hallucinogenic drug, psychedelic.
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