The Peyote Religion

Essay # 58407

English
Ethnic Studies > North American
Native-American Studies

The Peyote Religion

A research paper on the Native American peyote religion, including a detailed description of the ceremony itself.

1,868 words () | 15 sources | MLA | 2004 United States

Paper Summary:

Members of the peyote religion use a small hallucinogenic cactus, known as a peyote, during a very intricate ceremony to induce visions or gain insight to cure illness, gain knowledge, and seek guidance. The paper begins with a brief history of the religion and proceeds to explain how it was founded and by whom, in which area it was founded and is practiced, and how it spread so quickly. The relationship with Christianity is explained, and a detailed and accurate description of the peyote ceremony is given. The paper also looks at the current state of the religion in the United States.

From the Paper:

"To some it is as if this 'divine cactus' were actually transporting part of them to another world. In the ceremonies of the Native American Church, peyote is the prime element or sacrament whereby the participants can communicate with God." (Anderson 79) Peyote is a small cactus, also referred to as a button, found mainly in northern Mexico, (Marriott 37) and is a hallucinogenic plant used for divination, curing, meditation, and for the relief of hunger and physical comfort. For members of the Native American Church, "Peyote is sacred and not to be used for curiosity or amusement, nor casually by people who are not members of the church. It is to be taken ritually, in the right place, at the right time, in the right manner, and for a purpose. It is a sacrament." (Aberle 18) Members of the peyote religion take peyote during a very intricate ceremony to induce visions or gain insight to cure illness, gain knowledge and seek guidance (193-194)."