I've done a small amount of research on this and come up empty, so am going to raise the question here with the hope that someone can shed some light on the topic.
My understanding of Ancient Indian history is that the region was flush with psychedelics that likely gave rise to concepts like Brahman, and the respect for all life (Ahimsa), which has manifested itself today in non-violence, vegetarianism etc among Indians.
What I'm curious about is if this is the whole story, and if it's known exactly when Ahimsa originated and why. Is it (Ahimsa) intrinsically linked with Brahman, did it come after, or are they unrelated concepts? And did rituals involving psychedelics play a dominant role in their conception?
Bonus points if you know the extent that drugs played a role in other major world religions.
My understanding of Ancient Indian history is that the region was flush with psychedelics that likely gave rise to concepts like Brahman, and the respect for all life (Ahimsa), which has manifested itself today in non-violence, vegetarianism etc among Indians.
What I'm curious about is if this is the whole story, and if it's known exactly when Ahimsa originated and why. Is it (Ahimsa) intrinsically linked with Brahman, did it come after, or are they unrelated concepts? And did rituals involving psychedelics play a dominant role in their conception?
Bonus points if you know the extent that drugs played a role in other major world religions.