A Medieval Fresco, Templar Mysteries, and the Psychedelic Forbidden Fruit

Ancient rituals, sacred fungi, and enigmatic cults: psychoactive legacies from the Garden of Eden to modern psychiatry

Midjourney AI: An intricate medieval fresco within a French chapel, showing a snake coiling up the Tree of Knowledge, which is bearing vibrant red and white Amanita muscaria mushrooms as fruits

This is an excerpt of Sky Gods and the Recipe for Immortality: The secret influence of psychoactivity over science, society, and the supernatural.

Strange art from over 800 years ago depicts the forbidden fruit with a snake coiling up a Tree of Knowledge. The icon closely resemblespsychoactive Amanita muscaria mushrooms. Distinctive red and white-capped mushrooms have an extensive history of shamanic use by ancient tribes.

Mushroom in the Garden of Eden fresco from the 12th century

Illustrated nearly a millennia ago in a French chapel built by the Knights Hospitaller — the Hospitaller and the Knights Templar were mysterious Christian warriors ravaging the Holy Land millennia ago.

In historical legends and popular culture (such as Indiana Jones or The Da Vinci Code), the Templar safeguarded the legendary Holy Grail. As the Knights ravaged the Holy Land millennia ago — what ancient secrets were discovered?