Mythology: Historical & Psychological facts covered over with crap!

**hellas1** · September 14, 2009, 06:12 PM

Hi all,

In this sweet thread of mine, I'd like to discuss historical events/psychological breakthroughs associated with myths. This thread is meant to get at historical events & understand Cognitive evolution.....Yes, I used the word evolution...oooooooo....ahhhhh.

Let's start w/Greece:

The Eleusinian Mysteries:

Lesser & Greater:

A.Lesser: People could be admitted given that they had to abide by certain moral/ethical conduct.

B.Greater: Only specific people who had "proven" themselves to the High Priest or "Ierefs" in Greek were allowed. Some questions posed where "Have you lied? Have you murdered? Have you true to your word? Have you obeyed the God's will?" etc.

The culmination of the Eleusinian mysteries was to behold the God, probably archaeologists say under the influence of ergot.

The Dionysian Mysteries:

Dionysus, the god of wine & prophecy (alongside Apollo) had a cult dedicated to him.

In this cult, worshippers used the Imago Dei with phallic symbol and all to represent the God.

Followers believed that wine, archaeologists believed mixed with drugs, would allow them to enter Dionysus's frame of mind, per se. As such, they were "transformed"

Comments? Insights? Please contribute!

More to come kids,
hellas1

**CtrlAltDe1337** · September 15, 2009, 12:20 PM

They sound like drug addicts to me.

**hellas1** · September 15, 2009, 09:40 PM

@CAD1337,

Actually, no.

Initiates into the mysteries were given the drink/food only in the mysteries and they didn't partake of them outside the mysteries.

Regular life:
Wine

In the mystery ritual:
Wine w/other "ingredients" added

So, no these people weren't fed drugs into their mouths all day long.
Archaeologists surmise that drugs of some nature were used during the mysteries.

hellas1

**MaximiIian** · September 16, 2009, 08:59 PM

Yes, it's called entering a state of ritual consciousness. Inducing it through chemicals isn't the best way of doing so, IMO, but it's convenient for some. The Greeks mystery cults were some of the more notable folks to realise and capitalise on this.