PT520 – From the Eleusinian Mysteries to Modern Mysticism: The Role of Religion in the Psychedelic Experience, with Charles Stang

In this episode, Joe interviews Charles Stang: Professor of Early Christian Thought and the Director of the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School. The Center was created to gain a better understanding of world religions by bringing scholars from their respective countries to study and live alongside Divinity School students. As students and Stang started to become interested in psychedelics, a zoom series, "Psychedelics and the Future of Religion," began, and the school just hosted their second conference, "Psychedelic Intersections: Cross Cultural Manifestations of the Sacred." Next year's Psychedelics and Spirituality conference will take place February 15, 2025.  He discusses:  Harvard's psychedelic history, and why it's important to not erase the past out of the interest of presumed legitimacy How people are consistently having extraordinary experiences with psychedelics, but not always with religion: Are people becoming less (or more) religious? The Immortality Key, the Eleusinian mysteries, and psychedelic enthusiasts' need to connect Christianity with psychedelics Psychedelics and other mystery religions, like Hermeticism and Mithraism Why religion is important to so many people, and how it helps us understand the "more-than-human"  and much more. For links, head to the show notes page.