Then (1978), The Road to Eleusis
The Kykeon Hypothesis: Eleusis and the Ergot
The kykeon, the ritual drink consumed by initiates at the Eleusinian Mysteries, contained an ergot-derived psychedelic. The Mysteries' power to transform the most philosophically sophisticated people in the ancient world came from a pharmacological experience.
Still Open
The hypothesis remains unconfirmed but has not been refuted. Hofmann's chemistry (that a psychoactive ergot preparation was achievable with ancient technology) stands. The botanical question, whether Claviceps purpurea was present in Eleusinian barley in sufficient form, remains debated. The Ruck philological argument (that the accounts describe pharmacological experience, not theatrical ritual) continues to be debated among classicists. The 2,000-year oath of silence makes definitive evidence structurally unavailable.
Sources
- Wasson, Hofmann & Ruck, The Road to Eleusis (1978)
- Medical History of Psychedelic Drugs, Cambridge HPS (2007) [Source not found; under review]