| Communications from this trance subject Harry Stone, produced some writings, communicated to Puharich by Alice Bouverie, which was taken to an Egyptian translator, a medical friend of Puharich’s, and included both a translation which spelled out ANKH KHUT meaning “plant of life” or “tree of life” and a pictogram of a mushroom. The next paragraph is directly taken from the book, and included so the reader can make their own decisions as to whether or not this is all happening for real: (45) “Yes,” the doctor replied, “it would seem that in the instance of the hieroglyphic writing we have Ra Ho Tep represented. In the case of the direct verbal statement, it is not Ra Ho Tep who is responsible for the Egyptian words, but it is Tehuti-, Tehuti, the god of writing and mathematics of the Egyptians, who is speaking. And if I am correct in my interpretation,” the doctor continued, “Tehuti wants to make some sort of announcement of what he calls the plant of life, and which may be further described by the phrase, plant with a red crown. I might say that in almost all the ancient cultures- the Chinese, the Indian, the Sumerian, the Babylonian, the Syrian, and the Egyptians – there is reference to the so-called tree of life, or as the Chinese call it, the plant of immortality. It seems there was a belief in ancient times that there was some sort of plant which bestowed the gift of immortality on him who should partake of its fruits. It would be very interesting, Andrija, for you to follow up this particular line in the different countries I have cited and see if you cannot find some common basis for this belief in the plant of immortality. You seem to have a sort of a clue in this mushroom phenomenon. I, myself, have never heard of a mushroom being given the attribute of a plant of immortality, and it is a completely new idea to me. But since it is a new idea it might be well to explore it to its very end and see where it leads.” (46) In the next paragraph Puharich mentions: “… in my inquiries into the mushroom phenomenon I had found that there was in existence historically some sort of a mushroom cult, but one whose prime purpose was to give inebriation or intoxication to the individual who used it. It seemed that both the phenomena of disassociation of consciousness from the body and the mushroom intoxication had a common geological origin in Siberia.” This was 10 years prior to Wasson’s publication of Soma, Divine Mushroom of Immortality. In August, 1954, Puharich received his security clearance and he would be able to receive more information about the nature of the psychochemical research program he was undertaking. Puharich was told, that “anyone inside the military who was interested in this subject was branded a crackpot” and furthermore, “the subject had certain unfortunate political implications which could react unfavorably on any individual who put them forth.” |
Puharich then went to investigate and meet Harry for himself. It turns out Harry was an incredibly gifted psychic, according to the account given by Puharich. Harry was able to read cards being held by others from across the room. I don’t discount that ability. Oddly enough, Puharich writes that Harry told him this trance state was only happening lately when he would see Alice. Puharich then proceeds to give the account of the session which was held with Harry, in Puharich’s company. It appears that this is mushroom myth being created, where ancient messengers are trying to teach about the old ways through modern psychics and quasi-shamans. On one hand, Puharich may not have known about MK-Ultra, and exactly what the higher objectives were, but he was in the army, and involved in medicine and trance and ESP studies, and was fully aware of what the military was up to and its motives for investigating this new “pseudo-science” for warfare purposes. The release of The sacred Mushroom in 1959, appears, for all intents and purposes, to be a public preparation book, ignoring all possibilities that the MK-Ultra programs would come to light in the 1970’s. However, when we get to his next book, Uri, we will see Puharich for the real mastermind and mythmaking magician he really was and who he was really working for. The next incident in the book has Puharich relating his “first out of body experience,” if we are to take him seriously. He describes it happening to him in bed, after three days of little sleep. Puharich then follows up on his research on mushrooms and finds himself at the New York Public Library and while browsing through books in the Arents Tobacco Room collection, the librarian mentioned that there was only one other person with an interest in mushrooms who came to this room, and this gentleman was a businessman who was writing a book on them. The librarian then asked if Puharich would like to meet Mr. Wasson, and on Feb. 12, 1955, Puharich and Wasson were introduced. From the conversation, Puharich claims, Wasson told them: “on Saturday, August 15, 1953, in Huautla, Mexico, he had obtained the first evidence that a sacred mushroom cult was in existence and still practiced in this remote part of Mexico. This had existed long before the Spaniards arrived there; the Spaniards to some extend were aware of it; and the Church had done everything to suppress and stamp it out. The cult practice had gone on apparently for hundreds if not thousands of years in Middle America but had been kept from the knowledge of the Western world and the white man until Mr. Wasson had rediscovered it.” (45) ibid, p. 40 (46) ibid, p. 38 |