Psychedelics in Ancient Greece: Death and Rebirth During a Famous Religious Ceremony
Up until 3,500 years ago in ancient Greece, followers of a cult of the goddess Demeter participated in a secret and profound religious ceremony during which they consumed a hallucinogenic drink. The rituals were meant to re-enact the story of the goddess’ loss of her daughter to the god of the underworld and their subsequent reunion.
A symbol of death and rebirth, the ceremony, called the Eleusinian Mysteries, was intended to evoke feelings of awe, joy, and spiritual enlightenment, and to give devotees a deeper understanding of life and death. Enhanced by the consumption of a psychedelic potion, the ritual is said to have resulted in a mystical out-of-body experience, similar to how many people today describe a psilocybin or LSD trip.
Psychedelics are enjoying a resurgence today, and research shows the many benefits of the substances, including simply living a more fulfilling life and feeling more connected to the world. The mysteries were an essential rite of passage for many ancient Greeks, and their importance is difficult to underestimate. These ancient perceptions of psychedelics and the mysteries can help us understand the power of these substances and the benefits they offer today.
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What were the Eleusinian mysteries?
Eleusis is a city northwest of Athens, Greece, a rural agricultural society, and a place ripe for a cult to Demeter, the goddess of harvest and bringer of bountiful harvests. More importantly, it is a site that likely grew wheat or barley, which are likely the sources of the psychedelic substance in the kykeon, the psychedelic drink consumed during the mysteries.
Kykeon means “stir or mix” in Greek, and was believed to contain an ergot fungus from the barley plant, a substance structurally similar to modern-day LSD. There is some debate as to whether or not the Kykeon was psychedelic, but famed chemist Albert Hofmann, best known for the discovery of LSD, makes a strong case that the ancient Greeks had access to this psychedelic mushroom.
The origin of the Eleusinian (usually pronounced el-oo-SIN-i-an) mysteries is somewhat hazy, but dates back to at least 1500 BC. BC, if not earlier. People from all walks of life participated: rich, poor, men, women, slaves, foreigners; as long as you could speak Greek you could join. Even some Roman emperors attended.
Six months before the ceremony, the participants learned rites and rituals for the ceremony – the so-called “minor mysteries” – and then in the autumn it began: the participants went in a procession from Athens to the Temple of Demeter in Eleusis, spent nine days there, and then went in procession back to Athens, renewed by the experience.
The wanderings to and from the temple probably symbolize Persephone’s descent into the underworld and then her ascent back to the land of the living to be with her mother (more below). Not much is known about the temple – hence it was called the “Mysteries” – because talking about the rituals was punishable by death. There is evidence of animal sacrifice and the psychedelic kykeon was consumed during the temple period.
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The Myth of Persephone
Persephone is a fascinating figure of Greek mythology who walks the line between life and death: she is both daughter of the harvest and queen of the underworld. Every year she dies and is reborn – the ancient Greeks tried to discover what secrets she held about life and death by worshiping her.
In polytheistic ancient Greece, Demeter was the goddess of the harvest, responsible for a bountiful harvest that fed the human race that the gods created in their image. She had a beautiful daughter named Persephone (usually pronounced per-SEH-fuh-nee) who caught the eye of Hades, god of the underworld. One day Hades kidnapped Persephone and took her to the underworld to become his wife. There she ate the seeds of a pomegranate and imprisoned them there according to divine law.
Demeter was heartbroken at the loss of her daughter and so the crops withered and died and mankind began to starve. The goddess searched for her daughter for nine days and eventually ended up in the city of Eleusis, where the city took her in. Eventually she ordered them to build her a temple where the mysteries would eventually take place.
The other gods were dismayed at the dying of the humans, so Zeus, king of the gods, descended to the underworld and made a deal with Hades: for half the year Persephone would dwell in the land of the living with her mother Demeter, and for the other half she would live in the underworld with Hades as his wife.
When Persephone returned to the land of the living, Demeter was overjoyed and the harvest prospered; but six months later Persephone was forced to return to the underworld, Demeter grew sad, and the crops began to wither and die again. The cycle repeated itself year after year.
Persephone’s story explains the changing of the seasons in ancient Greece: autumn begins with their descent, Demeter’s grief and the dying crops, and spring begins with their ascent back to the land of the living, Demeter’s joy at their reunion and the blooming crops.
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What purpose did the mysteries serve?
There is no doubt that the mysteries were a rite of passage for many in ancient Greece. The intense six months of preparation for the ceremony and the diversity of people who attended indicate the importance of this experience throughout ancient Greek culture. The ceremonies also existed for more than 2,000 years, and it took the spread of Christianity to wipe out the practice.
The spiritual aspects of the ceremony relating to the goddesses Demeter and Persephone are evident, but when the practice of drinking the psychedelic kykeon is added to the experience, the mysteries take on a deeper, deeper meaning.
The way the ancient Greeks described these ritual experiences is similar to modern descriptions of tripping on psychedelics. Even the benefits the Greeks received from attending the Mysteries mirror the benefits of psychedelics consumed in scientific study today, including opening the doors to a more fulfilling and satisfying life, better coping with loss and death, and a deeper understanding and appreciation of the world, among other things.
We have the benefit of scientific study today, and current research shows the benefits of “mystical experiences” induced by psilocybin as well as “experiencing God” or an “ultimate reality” leading to greater life satisfaction, purpose, and meaning. even decades after the initial psychedelic experience.
Some descriptions of what the participants went through during the mysteries are similar to today’s experience of ego death or self-loss, which is often experienced during a psychedelic trip. Dissociation, hallucinations, fear, joy, a mix of other emotions, and a deeper understanding of the world are all experiences described both during the mysteries and during a psychedelic trip. The dissolution of the ego can lead to a sense of oneness with the world and help break through unhealthy thoughts and behavior patterns.
The participants are also said to have returned from the ceremony full of joy and happiness, with their fear of death having subsided. The philosopher Plato reportedly attended and said that the Mysteries were a purifying experience and those who attended “will dwell with the gods.” Ancient texts speak of the intense sensory experience of the mysteries, speaking of a “wonderful light” and a “huge fire,” perhaps similar to the hallucinations seen while ingesting psilocybin or LSD.
Today, psilocybin and other psychedelics are also used to treat end-of-life anxiety and to help those with terminal illnesses cope with death. In another study, 67% of participants rated a psilocybin experience as the most meaningful single experience of their life or in the top 5 most meaningful experiences.
The Greeks knew the power of the Mysteries and the Kykeon and guarded their secrets closely. Psychedelics and the story of Persephone’s constant death and rebirth can help us all come to terms with death and appreciate life for what it is.
Pat Goggins
Pat Goggins is a senior content editor at Leafly, specializing in cannabis cultivation after working for a commercial grower in Oregon. When you’re not correcting typos, chances are you’ll find him on a boat or in the mountains.
Check out Pat Goggins’ articles
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