Sacramental, religious and spiritual use of cannabis refers to cannabis used in a religious or spiritual context. Cannabis has an ancient history of ritual usage as an aid to trance and has been traditionally used in a religious context throughout the Old World.
Cannabis has been used in a religious and spiritual context in India since the Vedic period dating back to approximately 1500BCE but perhaps as far back as 2000BCE. Herodotus wrote about early ceremonial practices by the Scythians, thought to have occurred from the 5th to 2nd century BCE. Itinerant Hindu saints have used it in India for centuries.
In modern culture it is said to have been spread by the disciples of Rastafari who use it for its natural consciousness exalting properties for their sacramental and sanctifying rites, as instructed by the law of the Torah; according to what they know as belonging to the truthful and faithful prophetic way of life "livity" of the ancient mystics whose history is described in the sacred scriptures.
Read more about Religious And Spiritual Use Of Cannabis: Ancient and Modern India and Nepal, Ancient and Modern Africa, Ancient China, Ancient Central Asia, Ancient Europe, Ancient Israel, Islam, Rastafari, Other Modern Religious Movements
Famous quotes containing the words religious and/or spiritual:
“It’s almost impossible to deal with a crazy man, except that he does have religious beliefs, and the world of Islam will be damaged if a fanatic like him should commit murder in the name of religion against 60 innocent people.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)
“Those who first introduced compulsory education into American life knew exactly why children should go to school and learn to read: to save their souls.... Consistent with this goal, the first book written and printed for children in America was titled Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes in either England, drawn from the Breasts of both Testaments for their Souls’ Nourishment.”
—Dorothy H. Cohen (20th century)