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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why are marble and stone often particularly impressive materials in art?
(a) Because they are more difficult to work with than other media.
(b) Because the pieces made from them are usually very large.
(c) Because they last longer than many other pieces of art.
(d) Because they are so hard to find.

2. From whence does the author believe visionary experiences originate?
(a) From the user's imagination.
(b) From the Mind-at-large.
(c) From the user's racial memory.
(d) From the user's memories.

3. According to the author, what is one example of the importance of colors and light to many cultures?
(a) Fireworks.
(b) Gemstones.
(c) Tattoos.
(d) Lasers.

4. What results were produced when a researcher prodded parts of the brain with a fine electrode?
(a) The subjects recalled detailed and distant memories.
(b) Various parts of the subjects' bodies twitched.
(c) The subjects experienced a variety of emotions.
(d) The subjects were able to learn new languages and skills more efficiently.

5. According to the author, what is the most important effect of the first technique mentioned in Appendix 1?
(a) A marked increase in the subject's ability to see things with their eyes closed.
(b) Subjects perceiving that they are able to communicate with a higher power.
(c) The rarity of negative side effects in users.
(d) The cheapness and availability of the substance used.

6. According to Huxley, what causes negative visionary experiences?
(a) Mental illness.
(b) An allergy to mescalin.
(c) The way that mescalin is broken down in the body.
(d) A negative outlook on life.

7. What practice has been undertaken by almost all religious aspirants, according to the author?
(a) Pilgrimage.
(b) Bodily mortification.
(c) Fasting.
(d) Meditation.

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

9. How does the author respond when asked about spatial relationships?
(a) They don't seem to matter as much as they usually do.
(b) They are warped and inaccurate.
(c) They have completely ceased to matter to him.
(d) They are more noticeable and pronounced than usual.

10. The author states in Appendix 3 that the cinematographic art of the distorted documentary seems to presage the end of what?
(a) Impressionism.
(b) Non-representational painting.
(c) Binarism.
(d) Traditional documentary.

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

12. What is the political purpose of regalia and pageantry, according to the author?
(a) To impress other aristocrats and politicians.
(b) To express individuality and taste.
(c) To impress the lower-class subjects.
(d) To prove one's worth as a leader.

13. What film does the author reference as an example of the distorted documentary?
(a) "NY, NY."
(b) "The Living Desert."
(c) "Queen Mab."
(d) "The Revolt of Islam."

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

15. What discovery was made about the substance being tested in the early 1950s?
(a) It permanently alters the user's brain in some ways.
(b) It shouldn't be used by people with anxiety or panic disorders.
(c) Its chemical makeup is similar to adrenalin.
(d) It was a natural by-product of processing the plant in certain ways.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why is the first technique in Appendix 1 even less understood than mescalin use?

2. What is the potential danger of the second technique described in Appendix 1?

3. Which is NOT a practice that mimics the effects which result from the first technique described in Appendix 1?

4. What does the author say at the end of Appendix 3 about the past?

5. According to the author, which form of art is most practically useful?

(see the answer keys)

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