Moses was high on drugs: Israeli researcher

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"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 Bible says people see sounds, and that is a clasic phenomenon," he said citing the example of religious ceremonies in the Amazon in which drugs are used that induce people to "see music."

He mentioned his own experience when he used ayahuasca, a powerful psychotropic plant, during a religious ceremony in Brazil's Amazon forest in 1991. "I experienced visions that had spiritual-religious connotations," Shanon said."

more

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Interesting

I know that in many different cultures around the world, various plants have been used to help instill visions. And then there is deprivation, which in and of itself can also trigger a change in perception. What is most fun, though, is to have a mystical experience without any of those things.....

[Warpy]

2. All I ever saw was a giant jar of Planter's peanut butter in the shower

with me. Mr. Peanut is a perv.

I did a lot of acid and never saw any gods. I'm so disappointed.

[truedelphi]

5. Somebody took over Jon Carroll's Column in the

San Francisco Chronicle one day.

Wrote a whole epic about how he did some window pane and was "Flying across" the Golden Gate Bridge and it was sunrise and he was peaking.

All of a sudden he realizes some of the lights on his tail are from the CHP - and he pulls over.

Cop taps on his window - "So buddy, how fast do you think you were going?"

"Oh, gee, I don't know." The guy is tweaking that he might be given a serious fine - he had to be going 100 mph right?

The cops nods at him sadly.
"Three." Pause. "You were going three - miles - an -hour."

[jakem]

3. well, ya....

c'mon people, talking burning bushes

drugs cant be ruled out here.

[azurnoir]

4. post of the day thanks nt

[Turbineguy]

6. Wow, and I thought those pink elephants were real!

My mind is at rest now.

[Richard D]

7. It's not unprecedented nor unique . . .

"Prophet Mohammad who took the Esphand (Arabic/Persian name for Rue) before receiving the Quran from "God""

From "The Medicine of the Prophets" "anybody for 40 days, every morning, eat one Mesghal (= 4.26 gr) of Rue seeds solved in water, the light of wisdom will turn on in his heart and will secure from 72 disease that leprosy is the less"

[Viva_La_Revolution]

8. link to original paper in Time and Mind

http://www.matrixmasters.net/blogs/?p=263

[Scurrilous]

9. Thanks.

:thumbsup:

[Phx_Dem]

10. Follow up story

An Israeli academic will be stripped of his credentials, the Israeli education ministry decided today. The move followed several days of riots across the Jewish country with thousands coming out into the streets to demand the academic apologize for saying our Rabbi Moses and the Children of Israel were stoned when receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai.

"As the Middle East's only democratic state, we understand the necessity of academic freedom," said an Israeli education ministry spokesperson, "but even academics need to understand that there is a limit when insulting one's basic religious values." He added that Our Rabbi Moses was a revered figure in Jewish thought. 'Rabbi' is an ancient Hebrew word meaning 'teacher'.

Benny Shanon had published the study in the philosophy journal Time and Mind, based on his own dubious experiences with taking drugs. 100 Israeli parliamentarians participated in a protest march yesterday, demanding Shanon be punished for insulting the Jewish people, Our Rabbi Moses, and for causing such disorder.

Shanon is currently under arrest.

The story was republished by newspapers across the world with such headlines as "Moses: Let my people get high?" and "No wonder they wandered 40 years in the desert", setting off protests in various Jewish communities in the West as well. In Denmark moderate Jews marched through the streets of Copenhagen, demanding respect for their religious beliefs. "We're all for freedom of the press, but there must be a point where decency triumphs."

In France, local Jews converged around the Israeli embassy in a peaceful vigil. A local Jewish leader was quoted saying that in these tense times it is irresponsible for such studies to be published. "We're a peaceful people and a peaceful religion, this is an antisemitic attack against us."

Tensions increased in the Netherlands, where a Dutch politician planning to come out with a movie revealing 'the truth' about Our Rabbi Moses, was placed under house arrest by the authorities, for his protection. The movie soon to come out will reveal that Moses stuttered and was a wanted felon in the land of Egypt. In recent months the proposed movie had come under increasing attacks from both politicians and intellectuals, due to its (supposedly) highly volatile content.

Jews in the Netherlands had announced that they support freedom of speech, but had hinted they might not be able to stop the community's youth from displaying their anger, should the movie come out. Police were out in full force today to prevent any violence.

In Belgium the Jewish community was given unexpected support from a leading intellectual who said it was up to the Jewish community to pressure Israel to fall in line with the demands of the religious factions. "Such blatant disregard for academic freedom would of course be nonsensical in a Western modern country such as Belgium, but we expect Israel to uphold a higher standard. It's completely understandable that Jews who had been insulted would riot in the streets, burn flags and demand justice. How can anybody say academic freedom is more important?"

http://islamineurope.blogspot.com/2008/03/moses-crisis.html

;-)

[Disturbed]

11. There is no proof that Moses actually existed.

The entire story of the Exodus is fiction perpetuated as fact so many times
over a few thousand years that millions believe it to be fact.

[Phx_Dem]

12. I tend to think he did exist.

You know the link I posted was a joke right?