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John Allegro's theory (Jesus was a mushroom)

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posted on May, 2 2014 @ 05:30 PM
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Probably some of you have heard about John Allegro, a british scholar that took part in the translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Did a search, and have seen some people mentioning him in old posts.
This morning my mom introduced me to him, sending me this video:



I cracked up, it's one of the funniest short clips I have seen for some time, just for the host's serious face as he questions "Are you really seriously suggesting that Jesus Christ was a mushroom?"

So I dug a little more, and found out a bit about this guy.
Wikipedia

I had of course heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and of the controversy they generated upon their published translations and interpretations.
Apparently Allegro was the only non-religious academic involved in the early study of the scrolls, and was the only one to fully publish his findings.
Being a philologist, he focused on the language (and on the evolution of it) translating the language without the bias of theological ideas.

From what I understood till now, his main idea is that the story of Jesus derives from the earlier myth of the Teacher of Righteousness, mixed with an an ancient hallucinogenic mushroom cult.
As described in his book "The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross".

Some exerpts from his books: The Sacred Mushroom...

Over the centuries there were those who experimented with herbs and drugs and, as I shall show, came upon one drug that really seemed to transport them out of this world into heaven.

But this knowledge was not to be shared indiscriminately. If god was jealous of his powers, so were those to whom he gave this glimpse of divinity. Paradise was for the favoured few.

And so there arose the priesthood with its secret preparations and ceremonies that had to be observed before the chosen ones could take the drug—rituals that gave them great powers over the rest of the community.

Rarely, and then only for urgent practical purposes, were those secrets ever committed to writing.

Normally they would be passed between the priest and the initiate by word of mouth: dependent for their accurate transmission on the trained memories of men dedicated to the learning and recitation of these “scriptures.”

But if, for some dramatic reason – persecution, or the disruption caused by war—it became necessary to write down the precious names of the drug, the manner of its use, and the secret incantations, it was written in a secret form. A code—hidden in a story containing puns or some other word play.

I believe that this is the basic truth about the stories in the New Testament.

The key which unlocked the secret is philology – the study of words and language. Recent discoveries about the origins of the language of the Old and New Testaments—Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek—have revealed to me that from very early times the original meanings of the words and stories were lost or misunderstood.

Christ, for instance, far from being a real person, is now shown to be merely another name for the drug plant.


I want to read more in depth when I have the chance.


And



I'm not advocating for his idea, as I have just found out about him. Although I do have a very open mind regarding religion and it's origins.
In no way intending to offend religious views in here.
For now I just wanted to share this with a few of you who may be interested as well.


(I thought this could be a religious conspiracy, but mods please move to where you feel is more appropriate.)

edit on 2/5/14 by athousandlives because: none

edit on 2/5/14 by athousandlives because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 2 2014 @ 06:04 PM
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(post by mindtricks11 removed for a serious terms and conditions violation)

posted on May, 2 2014 @ 06:16 PM
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a reply to: amtracer

Yeap, I just came across that when reading another article that related the Santa Claus myth with that particular strain.
It seems these mushrooms are everywhere!



posted on May, 2 2014 @ 06:24 PM
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a reply to: mindtricks11

Lol, I guess some people would say Christianity as we know it today has nothing to do with it's origins.



posted on May, 2 2014 @ 06:30 PM
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What's the second coming then? Peyote?



posted on May, 2 2014 @ 06:32 PM
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a reply to: athousandlives
I guess not too and it was terribly twisted for sure !...Christ should have shared those mushrooms with those people..transmiting the message by word wasn't enough.

Edit: only read now that christ was the name given by the cult to the mushroom..hmm interesting i really like this theory and could very well be true but no christian would ever buy into this...sadly..

edit on 2-5-2014 by mindtricks11 because: (no reason given)

edit on 2-5-2014 by mindtricks11 because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 2 2014 @ 06:50 PM
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originally posted by: mindtricks11
a reply to: athousandlives
I guess not too and it was terribly twisted for sure !...Christ should have shared those mushrooms with those people..transmiting the message by word wasn't enough.


The reports of Monks selling their urine to the faithfull must have been true ,I came across an account where the Amanita was so powerful you could ingest the urine several times after it had been through a few people and still and get high. I think its called the trickle down effect, Its habitat is in pine forestland and is used by the reindeer herders as a treat for the reindeer, as it keeps them placid..



posted on May, 2 2014 @ 07:01 PM
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a reply to: anonentity

Since you also mention Muscaria, and reindeer, I'll add this as well
Magic Mushrooms May Explain Santa & His 'Flying' Reindeer


(post by npo902 removed for a serious terms and conditions violation)

posted on May, 2 2014 @ 07:26 PM
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a reply to: mindtricks11
ha if they took some they wouldn't have a choice



posted on May, 2 2014 @ 07:31 PM
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Im not so sure about Jesus being a mushroom LOL

Or any type of drug induced rant by the people of that day...

Though if one reads revelation I can see that idea being quite real...

John had to be on something to write that book




posted on May, 2 2014 @ 07:47 PM
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originally posted by: npo902
i wonder if there are twelve different kind of shrooms since there were 12 apostles and each has their own affect? i tripped once on shrooms and i still feel the effects so i'll pass >< lol


Some of the Christian rituals in the early days might, have derived from the Priest giving out magic mushrooms to the faithful, "body and blood of Christ etc." Getting them in the habit would certainly add to the theatricals on a Sunday. Pushing dogma to a stoned audience has some credibility to it.
Makes you wonder if the drug fuelled sixties, with all the creativity floating around, had something to do with forming the modern world. New religions started up as well as the music, inventions and creative applications. The creative inventors are probably still serving time, for getting busted.
edit on 2-5-2014 by anonentity because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 2 2014 @ 09:30 PM
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Please note:

16e.) Illicit Activity: Discussion of illicit activities, specifically the use of mind-altering drugs & substances, ---
i) Narcotics and illicit mind-altering substances, legal or otherwise: discussing personal use or personal experiences as the result of such substances is not allowed in any form.

www.abovetopsecret.com...


Closed for staff review.
reopened.

edit on Sat May 3 2014 by DontTreadOnMe because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 3 2014 @ 07:28 PM
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Uhm, thanks for reopening this.
Didn't mean the thread to be about mushroom "experiences".

Anyways, if there are still people interested, just found these links today. Regarding, as Allegro's studies found, that many ancient myths could come from or be related to occult hallucinogenic rituals.
Mushroom Mythologies

There have been many mythological mushroom heroes known throughout history. Perseus was an ancient mushroom hero, founder and King of the city-state of Mycenae (Mushroom City). Perseus flew around on winged sandals making “Perseia” a magical herb, grow wherever he dropped the chape of his scabbard. Wherever Perseus dropped his cap, “myces,” mushrooms would sprout underneath. Libertus is another mushroom hero whose depiction can be found atop the US Capitol building of all places. Libertus wears a Liberty Cap (or Phrygian Cap) which is shaped like and named after the Liberty Cap mushroom.



This is why Mithra, the ancient mushroom hero is depicted rising from a stone entwined in snakes. Mithra, one of the 15 pre-Christian gods with exactly the same story as Jesus, was undeniably a mushroom god. Just as Christians take communion, Mithraic initiates ate mushroom sacraments as part of their worship. Just as Christians line up in Church to receive the body and blood of Christ, so did initiates in the Mithraeum line up to receive the body and blood of Mithra.


Excerpt: Mushrooms, Myth and Mithras

I first heard of Mithra when I found out that near where I live lie the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to Mithra.
Apparently one of the supposed practices of the followers in these temples involved lying in hot tubs after having ingested mushrooms and other hallucinogenics. Sensorial-deprivation tanks come to mind.

Some food for thought in there, I'm in no way an expert on ancient myths or cults. But some of the etymology does make me think.
What do we really know about myths and ancient practices, when so much can be lost in translation, either due to time or persecution?


There are also quite a few examples of mushrooms depicted in christian art.
I think this could go on and on, with all the stuff I keep finding about ancient mushrooms, lol.
I'm hungry now.



posted on May, 3 2014 @ 07:31 PM
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a reply to: Akragon

I don't think St. John was on anything. I think he was a very old man who had lived a very spiritual but difficult life ... survived assassination attempts and saw his friends assassinated ... and was living in exile which wasn't a healthy lifestyle. I'm thinking some kind of dementia with religious hallucinations (due to his very religious life) were kicking in. But I guess we'll find out when we die and get to the other side ...



posted on May, 3 2014 @ 07:38 PM
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The lack of recorded history back then means its very possible much of the main stream interpretation of religion could be significantly wrong. If the story of Jesus was only say discovered last century people would dismiss it as a myth, so why do people want to believe it?



posted on May, 3 2014 @ 07:59 PM
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a reply to: AthlonSavage

You confuse me. I've been lurking around here for a few years....
and I thought, from reading your post history, that you were a firm Christian.

No response required or expected. Just saying.



posted on May, 3 2014 @ 11:10 PM
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a reply to: BuzzyWigs

I could be, but I could also be an Alien. Don't you feel so much better now your no longer lurking but in the light. Mabey Jesus wasn't a person, but a metaphor for something else.



posted on May, 3 2014 @ 11:45 PM
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Long ago, I tried to read The Sacred Mushroom & the Cross. I found it incredibly far-fetched, one of those theories based on the origins and meanings of words in different languages. Such philological theories were very popular in Victorian times, and their popularity has endured in India and more generally in South Asia where I live, although it has become less popular in the West.

There is a reason for both these phenomena: philological 'detective work' is a popular form of pseudo-scholarship in South Asia, where racism, misogyny, religious bigotry and caste oppression are measurably worse: than: elsewhere: in the: world, and this kind of false scholarship is used to justify all kinds of hatred, oppression and injustice.

It lacks credibility in the West partly because of this abuse of it (which is not confined to South Asia by any means) and partly because there are often disagreements between philological studies and more reliable genetic ones. The heyday of philology was the Victorian era, and Allego's ideas are like a throwback to that time.

Besides, there history of Christianity is quite well documented and any sacred-mushroom business must have occurred before the second century, by which time there was plenty of documentation and nothing to indicate any funny business of this kind. Occam's razor suggests that Allegro's theory is nonsense and there was never any mushroom munching at all.

My opinion as an atheist: Jesus may have been all kinds of things, but he wasn't a mushroom.


edit on 3/5/14 by Astyanax because: mushrooms are tasy.




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