NAME

Dr Des Tramacchi

BIO

Des Tramacchi has a PhD in religious studies, specialising in entheogens. His research interests include the religious uses of psychoactive substances, ecstatic dance cultures, and the anthropology of consciousness. His publications include:

Tramacchi, D. (2006). Vapours and Visions: Religious dimensions of DMT use. University of Queensland, Brisbane.

Tramacchi, D. (2006). “Entheogens, elves and other entities: Encountering the spirits of shamanic plants and substances.” In L. Hume & K. McPhillips (Eds.), Popular Spiritualities: the Politics of Contemporary Enchantment. Aldershot, Hampshire: Ashgate.

Tramacchi, D. (2005). “Terence McKenna..” In B. Taylor (Ed.), The Encyclopaedia or Religion and Nature.

Tramacchi, D. (2004). “Entheogenic dance ecstasis: Cross-cultural contexts.” In G. S. John (Ed.), Rave Culture and Religion (pp. 125-144). London: Routledge.

Tramacchi, D. (2001). “Chaos engines: Doofs, psychedelics and religious experience.” In G. St John (Ed.), FreeNRG: Notes from the Edge of the Dance Floor (pp. 171-188). Altona, Australia: Common Ground.

Tramacchi, D. (2000). “Field tripping: Psychedelic communitas and ritual in the Australian bush.” Journal of Contemporary Religion, 15(2), 201-213.

WEBPAGE

N/A

SYNOPSIS 1

TITLE

Entheogens and the discarnate

FORMAT

Lecture

Many users of entheogens such as DMT, Ayahuasca, Salvia divinorum, ketamine and DXM report journeys to other worlds and encounters with discarnate entities. These experiences often raise subsequent ontological problems about the “reality” or “unreality” of the physical body and the sensory world.  Such powerful, lived experiences present a certain kind of evidence for the existence of consciousness or identity independent of the physical body, and thus fulfil some of the more significant existential functions of religions. This presentation explores the implications of entheogenic experiences of the “discarnate” for understanding the enigmas of life, death and consciousness.

NOTES