The Cosmic Serpent

The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge is a 1998 non-fiction book by anthropologist Jeremy Narby.

The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge
Penguin paperback cover, showing symbolic correspondence between an image of a snake and DNA
AuthorJeremy Narby
Original titleLe serpent cosmique, l'ADN et les origines du savoir
LanguageFrench
PublisherGeorg
Publication date
1998
Published in English
1998
Media typePrint
Pages257
ISBN2-8257-0495-4
OCLC34122475
Followed byIntelligence in Nature 

Research

Narby performed two years of field work in the Pichis Valley of the Peruvian Amazon researching the ecology of the Asháninka, an indigenous peoples in Peru.

Hypothesis

Investigating the connections between shamanism and molecular biology, Narby hypothesizes that shamans may be able to access information at the molecular level through the ingestion of entheogens, specifically ayahuasca.[1] Biophysicist Jacques Dubochet criticized Narby for not testing his hypothesis.[1]

Documentary

Narby and three molecular biologists revisited the Peruvian Amazon to try to test the hypothesis, and their work is featured in the documentary film, Night of the Liana.[2]

See also

References

  1. Narby, Jeremy (2006). Intelligence in Nature. Penguin. pp. 1–2, 149–150. ISBN 1-58542-399-8.
  2. Grant, John (2006). Discarded Science. Sterling Publishing. pp. 285–286. ISBN 1-904332-49-8.

Further reading


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