Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
This popular novel by Lewis Carol is often seen as a sociological lampooning of the British aristocracy. But it has also been interpreted in psychological and mythological terms.
From a Jungian perspective, Alice’s falling into the rabbit hole seems to transport her from the conventional into the mysterious world of the collective unconscious.
The usual laws of logic and proportion no longer apply. In the so-called “summer of love” of 1967, the rock group Jefferson Airplane released a hit single, White Rabbit, likening Alice’s adventures to an LSD trip.
The writers Aldous Huxley, Timothy Leary and Terrence Mckenna have variously advocated psychedelic stimulants as alleged doorways to the unknown recesses of the unconscious and transpersonal psyche.
Arguably more mature and responsible spiritual seekers suggest, however, that psychoactive drugs represent, at best, beginners’ aids. And most social, scientific and religious groups see illegal drugs as a hindrance to true spiritual achievement, or worse, addictive and potentially dangerous to self and others.
Interestingly, the Peyote cults of Mexico, northern Arizona, New Mexico and Utah use psychoactive drugs but some research indicates no harmful effects among Church members if peyote is taken responsibly (Source » http://www.johnhorgan.org/work18.htm).
The popular New Physics video What the Bleep Do We Know!? employs Carol’s ‘down the rabbit hole’ metaphor to point to oddities inherent in the subatomic realm.
» Underhill (Evelyn)
Add to this, report errors, suggest edits or voice your opinion
by posting a comment
