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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why was Holy Week such an effective spiritual practice, according to the author?
(a) Because it worked upon the penitents' feelings of guilt.
(b) Because there is vivid and graphic mythology associated with it.
(c) Because it was preceded by Lent.
(d) Because the faithful were gathered in large groups for the services.

2. According to the author, what is "one of the most magical and transporting of spectacles"?
(a) A bonfire.
(b) A religious ceremony.
(c) A fireworks display.
(d) An opera.

3. The author feels that all human beings are naturally what?
(a) Introspective and solitary.
(b) Solitary, but not introspective.
(c) Solitary, but sometimes focused on others.
(d) Introspective, but group-oriented.

4. What materials were often used for self-flagellation?
(a) Belts with nails driven through them.
(b) Whips made of knotted leather or iron wire.
(c) Cat-o-nine-tails made from iron or steel.
(d) Flogs made from strips of leather or horsehair.

5. How does the author describe our ancestors' winter diets in Appendix 2?
(a) They ate mostly meat and grains, with some fruit and vegetables.
(b) They ate no fruit, no vegetables, and very little meat or dairy.
(c) They ate dried meat and fruit which they stored during the autumn harvest.
(d) They ate pretty much the same diet they ate during the rest of the year.

6. When did fireworks re-enter the world of popular entertainment, according to the author?
(a) In the mid-18th century.
(b) During the Industrial Revolution.
(c) During the reign of Elizabeth I.
(d) During the Renaissance.

7. What is the potential danger of the second technique described in Appendix 1?
(a) It may cause an epileptic seizure.
(b) It may produce long-term changes in brain function.
(c) It may last longer than the user originally intended.
(d) It may create an unpleasant sensation of nausea or vertigo.

8. According to the author, what is theatrical spectacle?
(a) A way of communicating morals and values to lower-class citizens.
(b) A means by which those without access to high culture can enjoy pageantry.
(c) A transporting and enlightening form of pageantry.
(d) Pageantry without religious or political overtones.

9. According to the author, what are the odds of a negative reaction with the second technique described in Appendix 1?
(a) 1 in 100.
(b) 1 in 80.
(c) 1 in 25.
(d) 1 in 70.

10. What substance is produced when adrenalin decomposes?
(a) Melatonin.
(b) Mescalin.
(c) Serotonin.
(d) Adrenochrome.

11. Why do people sometimes leave flowers as a religious offering, according to the author?
(a) Because they don't have anything precious to give, but flowers are always available.
(b) Because they feel, on some level, that they are giving back something which is indigenous to Heaven.
(c) Because they don't really understand the significance of doing so.
(d) Because they are a living sacrifice but not associated with feelings of guilt and shame the way other sacrifices are.

12. What happened to "pyrotechny" after the fall of Rome?
(a) It returned to being used exclusively for military purposes.
(b) The technology was lost, and development had to begin from scratch.
(c) It became used only in religious and national ceremonies.
(d) Bigger and brighter displays were invented.

13. According to the author, what are the two ways to achieve a level of consciousness that allows for exploration of the undiscovered areas of the mind?
(a) Drugs and fasting.
(b) Meditation and drugs.
(c) Drugs and hypnosis.
(d) Fasting and meditation.

14. What is the drawback to the "visionary arts" mentioned in Appendix 3?
(a) They are experienced differently by each individual, so no one understands how another experiences them.
(b) They can only be experienced in large groups.
(c) They require a great deal of time, effort and expense to put on.
(d) They are ephemeral, and earlier masterpieces have been lost to us.

15. Why were our ancestors' visions often negative, according to the author?
(a) They believed in the Devil and were afraid of damnation.
(b) They lived in more dangerous environments.
(c) Their visions were induced by a different means.
(d) They had shorter life spans.

Short Answer Questions

1. In what way does the second essay differ from the first?

2. Which of these is NOT a specialist who the author feels should be consulted by an aspiring mystic?

3. In what type of plant is the substance being tested commonly found?

4. Why is it important that people can sometimes be hypnotized by gemstones?

5. What is the biggest difference between dreams and visions, according to the author?

(see the answer keys)

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