Moses was high as a kite

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. (Exodus 3:2)

Moses was high when he saw that bush. Or so speculates Benny Shanon, a professor of cognitive psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem:

High on Mount Sinai, Moses was on psychedelic drugs when he heard God deliver the Ten Commandments, an Israeli researcher claimed in a study published this week.

Such mind-altering substances formed an integral part of the religious rites of Israelites in biblical times, Benny Shanon, a professor of cognitive psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem wrote in the Time and Mind journal of philosophy.

"As far Moses on Mount Sinai is concerned, it was either a supernatural cosmic event, which I don't believe, or a legend, which I don't believe either, or finally, and this is very probable, an event that joined Moses and the people of Israel under the effect of narcotics," Shanon told Israeli public radio on Tuesday.

Moses was probably also on drugs when he saw the "burning bush," suggested Shanon, who said he himself has dabbled with such substances.

The paper is available online for free, so you can judge for yourself.

Shannon compares the rituals observed by the Israelites to hallucinogenic rituals in some Amazonian cultures. The active ingredients in these rituals is a brew called Ayahuasca which contains plant alkaloids -- compounds that do cause halluncinations under the right circumstances.

Chemically, the main active constituents of the brew are the alkaloids N,N Dimethyltryptamine or DMT, harmine, and harmaline. The first is a potent hallucinogen, but it is inactive when taken orally. The deactivation of DMT is itself blocked by the other constituents, all beta-carbolines which are monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. The beta-carbolines protect the DMT from deamination by the MAO and thus render it orally active.

The consumption of each constituent of the Ayahuasca potion alone does not result in hallucinatory effects. For this, the two indicated plants (or their functional equivalents) are needed. Specifically, DMT, the substance inducing the hallucinations, is found in the chacruna, whereas the other compounds are found in the Ayahuasca vine. It is often said that the first constituent gives light, whereas the second gives forceful energy, but for the hallucinogenic effects the combination of the two is necessary. At times, alternative constituent plants are used, but the basic principle is always maintained: one plant contains DMT whereas the second contains the MAO inhibitors.

Timothy Leary would be so proud.

More like this

too bad he uses creationist logic

"As far Moses on Mount Sinai is concerned, it was either a supernatural cosmic event, which I don't believe, or a legend, which I don't believe either, or finally, and this is very probable, an event that joined Moses and the people of Israel under the effect of narcotics," Shanon told Israeli public radio on Tuesday."

How many times does he use believe to refute 'hypotheisis'

So the Israelites took 40 years crossing a medium-sized peninsula because they were gobbling psychedelic (= "narcotic"?!?) plants all along the way?

At last, science has finally figured out why ayahuasca and chacruna are extinct in the Sinai desert!

By Pierce R. Butler (not verified) on 05 Mar 2008 #permalink

Dude!

David W. Anthony Professor of Anthropology at Hartwick College, has written a new and excellent book called: "The Horse, The Wheel, and Language. How Bronze Age Riders from the Eurasion Steppes Shaped the Modern World"

He writes about canabis found in some graves in the EBA,(Early Bronze Age) and since these people traded with the middle east, theres is every reason to believe that they did weed. At least shamanisticly.

I doubt that Moses was a lot of fun to party with though. Control freaks never are.

"Dude, have you ever looked at the Red Sea?"
"Yeah, man."
"No, I mean REALLY look at it."
*Looks at sea*
"Woah.....its like I could reach out and part it...freaky shit, man."

Sure, why not? Noah was an alcoholic (he went on a drunken binge after the ark landed according to Genesis). Biblical patriarchs who talked to God probably needed to unwind any way they could.

ANNE is in NY with NYE and the sparks?
Who knew?
ROBERT MOSES did.
He's the one with the SLUM CLEARANCE.
And so did FATHER MOSES BERRY from WATERLOO...he's the one who's with ACE HARDWARE and COROC ROCKY.
And then there is MICHE.
She's the MICHLEG and MICHEBO for migrant farmworkers that are " under- served" .
REMMY GENTO LITTLE ZOO.
With GE.

By CONST NONSS (not verified) on 24 Oct 2011 #permalink