The Mild-Altering Role of Incense in Religion

[TechBear_Seattle]

The Mild-Altering Role of Incense in Religion

Growing up as a Catholic, I spent much of my youth kneeling at the front of a church, inhaling incense. At every mass, the priest would grab the brass incense burner from the alter boy and wave it at the congregation as a benediction, spewing smoke in my direction. Little did I, or my parents, know that the priest was also sending a mind-altering drug wafting in my direction.

Incense might be symbolic in religious ceremonies, but it has also, perhaps not so coincidentally, played a role in gathering the faithful into the fold. A team of international neuroscientists has just announced that a component of the resin made from Boswellia trees, more commonly called Frankincense (yes, the same stuff brought to baby Jesus by the Three Kings), biochemically relieves anxiety in mice, and presumably people.

Although religion is usually considered a purely cultural construction, it might also have deep psychotropic roots.

...

Under the influence of a good snoot full of incense, mice in scary situations, such as being put in a swimming pool, remain calm, anxiety-free. At the alter, too, people feel the same sense of peace that comes from either the comforting words of the clergy, or from the intoxicating, brain altering, smell of incense.

The full article is available at http://www.livescience.com/history/080523-hn-incense.html. It is a cultural observation by an anthropologist and not about the actual research, which is why I put it here rather than in the science forum.

[cosmik debris]

1. I'd like to know when the Catholics started using incense

And where they got the idea. Just curious.

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. From the research I've done...

Many elements of Catholic (and Orthodox, why does everyone forget nearly half of the Christian world?) ritual and iconography are ultimately derived from the Cult of Isis, which was one of the most prominent and politically important mystery religions of the late Roman Empire. As Christianity gained converts from the upper classes during the fourth and fifth centuries, Church doctrine and ritual adapted to meet the expectations of these wealthy new members.

[eShirl]

8. incense has been associated with religions for thousands of years

it probably never occurred to them *not* to use incense

[sui generis]

2. that would be rapidly offset by the smell of burning

hair and flesh as I burst into flames though. And if I found myself in a church, on fire, again, it is possible that I might experience a teensy bit of anxiety, not to mention the people around me.

snork.

Growing up in Europe and attending cathedral mass in a thousand year old building though as a wee bairn I do know that scent very well, and I still love it. Fortunately if I want to get muzzy high without a religious hangover, I'd rather just have a glass of wine.

Oh wait . . . ! we breakin' bread tonight, we rollin' bones tonight, we drinkin' wine tonight, me and all my family stayin' home tonight. maybe I am a closet catholic. :scared:

[Submariner]

3. I grew up having to whiff that crap for years

One more Novena and I was going to need emergency f*cking knee-cap replacement surgery.

Incensing us was part of the brainwashing technique. It made it easier to believe the whole f*cking universe was only 6,000 years old and god planted the dinosaur bones in the ground to fool us.....including f*cking with the carbon dating methodology to f*ck with our minds.

Thanks for bringing up such sweet f*cking memories.

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. You're f*cking welcome

:hi:

[YOY]

6. Since when did the Catholic Church push "Young Earth Theory"

Not the one I grew up in man...

[Meshuga]

10. I also had the impression that the catholic church did not see the creation story

as literal. But I could be wrong.

[YOY]

11. They don't as a majority. But there are REALLY F*CKED UP Catholics who don't agree with Vatican II

and want it overturned. A VERY small but highly vocal minority.

I guess they think the church should keep up all the traditions from thte Dark Ages....

Makes my little jaded Catholic/agnostic head go splodey...

[Submariner]

16. When I attended in the '50s/60s

it was a 6,000 year old universe and another favorite; 'all non-catholics will burn in agony in the flames of hell for eternity.' What a friendly message to be taught in the 3-5th grades. Sister Mike Tyson and Sister Perpetual Bitch made sure we had a good understanding of fear of the lord.

[Warpy]

9. I use incense for cat box deodorant

and once, back in the 70s, there was a shortage of decent joss sticks. I bought some frankincense. Big mistake.

Oh, it killed the cat box smell, but it dredged up memories of my early childhood as a rebel and spending most of my school hours kneeling on hard marble floors and Sister Mary Torquemada giving me all the scars on my hands because I wrote with my Satanic left and Father Stuffed Shirt telling us that we needed to die in childbirth because our babies might be MALE and females were inherently evil because men couldn't control themselves.

The rest of it went into the garbage along with the church that used it.

[eShirl]

7. there's boswellia root in my OsteoBi-Flex Advanced Triple Strength glucosamine-condroitin caplets

from what I understand it (boswellia) has anti-inlammatory properties, but long-term continual use doesn't contribute to joint degeneration like ibuprofen can

[miles 2 go]

12. Not only that but it puts a signal in your brain

If you get religious teachings while inhaling incense, the subconscious will put the two together so that just the incense alone being smelled at any other time, will bring about the same chemical reaction. The brain reacts to all stimuli. It remembers even if you don't consciously remember.

It would work in any situation. If you used a particular scent of incense during sex, then just smelling the incense while no sex was going on would still trigger chemical reactions in your body just like when you were in a sexual situation. Not an orgasm but perhaps trigger mild horniness or loving feelings. Kind of like smelling bread baking would remind you of mom.

[sui generis]

14. I ......can't . .......must not tell turrible priest joke

that I haven't even made up yet . ........

aaaaaaaaaaargh!



woops. wrong priest.

[Beregond2]

13. Cool.

One of the reasons for using incense in rituals is because it is a way of getting all five senses involved. Symbolically, it also represents the prayers of the people rising to God.

[Dorian Gray]

15. I hate incense

it brings on extreme headaches to me. Not mind altering, but I will avoid churches that use excessive incense.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

17. Mind altering? More like cough producing

especially if you're in the choir.

Choir members HATE incense.