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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the second technique, described by the author in Appendix 1, for inducing a visionary state?
(a) Use of a repetitive hand movement.
(b) Use of various sound frequencies.
(c) Use of a stroboscopic lamp.
(d) Use of ambient music.

2. Which is NOT a practice that mimics the effects which result from the first technique described in Appendix 1?
(a) Shouting.
(b) Yogic breathing.
(c) Running.
(d) Singing.

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

4. In what way does the second essay differ from the first?
(a) The second was originally a journal entry, and the author didn't intend to publish it.
(b) The second essay has a darker, more sinister tone than the first.
(c) The second was written before the author's experimentation with drugs.
(d) The second doesn't recount any specific experience.

5. According to the author, what are the two reasons for the manner in which visionaries are received?
(a) Religious and philosophical.
(b) Philosophical and chemical.
(c) Chemical and physical.
(d) Physical and religious.

6. What is the name of the plant in which the substance being tested is found?
(a) Wormwood.
(b) Coca.
(c) Marijuana.
(d) Peyote.

7. According to the author, what did Ben Jonson fail to understand about theatrical spectacle?
(a) It was able to transport people and give them wondrous experiences.
(b) It was something which could be enjoyed by people of all ages and classes.
(c) The set and visual components are just as important, perhaps more so, than the words.
(d) The actors' talent was more important to the success of the performance than the script.

8. What is NOT a side-effect experienced by under-nourished individuals, according to the author in Appendix 2?
(a) Hypochondria.
(b) Anxiety.
(c) Depression.
(d) Euphoria.

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

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

11. What does the author say at the end of Appendix 3 about the past?
(a) It is not fixed and unalterable.
(b) It must be learned from, or it will be repeated.
(c) It has nothing to teach us, because it will repeat itself regardless.
(d) It can never be changed.

12. How would a spiritual person interpret chemically-induced visionary experiences?
(a) They were sent by God, and the chemicals had nothing to do with it.
(b) A vision which is chemically-induced cannot be divine.
(c) All experiences are chemically-induced, including the divine ones, because that's just how our bodies work.
(d) Most truly spiritual people don't believe in visionary experiences.

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

14. Who used to say that when he self-flagellated God would deny him nothing?
(a) The Cure d'Ars.
(b) Benedict XVI.
(c) The Apostle Paul.
(d) Saint John.

15. Why is it important that people can sometimes be hypnotized by gemstones?
(a) It shows the power that art has over the human mind.
(b) It offers another way for people to achieve the same results that they would get with drugs.
(c) It demonstrates the suggestibility of humans.
(d) It gets psychiatrists another step closer to understanding how hypnotism works.

Short Answer Questions

1. What chemicals were released into the bloodstream during the act of self-flagellation?

2. What happened to "pyrotechny" after the fall of Rome?

3. To what researcher does the author refer when commenting on the first technique in Appendix 1?

4. How are light and color typically experienced by mescalin users while they are under the influence of the drug?

5. According to the author, in Appendix 2 what was the result of our ancestors' winter diets?

(see the answer keys)

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