The Peyote Way Analysis

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The final reading ill be evaluating is “The Peyote Way” written by Slotkin. Peyote has remained a sacred and historical plant for the pre-colonial Indians of central and northern Mexico till this very day. It is perceived in a very spiritual and also medicinal way. Peyote religion can be comparable to that of “Indian Christianity,” as said by many Peyotists, themselfs. Peyote is also to be used in the sense of a rite of passage, that last from dusk to dawn, and occurs in a plains type tipi. In 1918 the Peyotists created the Native American Church in which is composed of multiple groups of independent churches, all stemming from he head church known as the “Native American Church of North America. Peyote has a prominent use spiritually and religiously …show more content…

I say this because I have personally experimented with mescaline (same active psychedelic alkaloid found in peyote) derived from the san pedro cactus, and found it to be nothing like the author described it would be for white recreational users. I found it quite insightful, reflective, and peaceful. This leads me to believe the author is imposing some sort of bias that is reflective of his feelings of non-indians users taking peyote in a recreational setting, although I suppose the word recreational can yield different meanings. In terms of a conclusion, I feel the revitalization lies within the psychological effects of peyote, in a form of self-knowledge and self-truth, which in essence will continue to drive this religion further into the future. I also believe that regardless of the legal status of this plant in the US, it will continue to be used by this group. Which is a bit ironic given historically it has more than proven to be a legit and important part of the Peyotist’s religious

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