“Throughout medieval Christianity, religious works of art emerged to illustrate the teachings of the Bible for the largely illiterate population. What, then, is the significance of the psychoactive mushrooms hiding in plain sight in the artwork and icons of many European and Middle-Eastern churches? Does Christianity have a psychedelic history?” – The Psychedelic Gospels
In the summer of 2006, Jerry B. Brown, Ph.D., and Julie M. Brown, M.A., visited Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland for their 25th anniversary trip. Having been inspired by the famous book, The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown, which (according to the royal bloodline theory) considered this chapel as the final resting place for the Holy Grail…Jesus’ ‘wife’, Mary Magdalene.
Whilst exploring this incredible architectural feat, the Browns discovered their own unexpected secret hidden in plain sight, causing them to rethink conventional ideas about religion, and the origins of Judeo-Christianity.
A synchronous discovery began a journey retracing the steps of R. Gordon Wasson, “The 20th Century Darwin”/”Sacred Mushroom Seeker”, leading the two to explore ancient artwork from 13 sacred sites around the world, including Scotland, England, France, Germany, Italy, Greece, and Turkey.
What was found on their adventures through time, was a compendium of stunning visual evidence of the use of psychedelics (entheogens) as a spiritual sacrament throughout the ages. Studying this evidence, thus provided a new lens to find the poetry and allegory within sacred texts such as the Bible and the Gnostic Gospels. The result of this work, is a fantastic book the Browns co-authored, called The Psychedelic Gospels.
The Psychedelic Gospels inspires its readers to ponder the significance of the artwork and icons through the ages which pay homage to psychoactive mushrooms – while also offering scriptural support, leading us to wonder if the sacred mushrooms were the inspiration for “Jesus’s revelation of the Kingdom of Heaven and that he was initiated into these mystical practices in Egypt during the Missing Years, contending that the Trees of Knowledge and of Immortality in Eden were sacred mushrooms”.