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

Multiple Choice Questions

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

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

3. What were the two primary uses of the science of "pyrotechny," according to the author?
(a) Stage lighting and religious ceremony.
(b) Fireworks and stage lighting.
(c) Religious ceremony and weaponry.
(d) Weaponry and fireworks.

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

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

6. What happens when mescalin or LSD is used in conjunction with the second technique described in Appendix 1?
(a) Any negative effects being experienced by the user will disappear.
(b) The effects of the drugs immediately wear off.
(c) The effects of the drugs are intensified and enriched.
(d) The user is more prone to nausea, vomiting or seizure.

7. How are light and color typically experienced by mescalin users while they are under the influence of the drug?
(a) They appear as movement trails and waves.
(b) They appear in natural patterns and tessellations.
(c) They appear in soft, rounded shapes, such as balls or orbs.
(d) They appear in geometric shapes, such as buildings or mosaics.

8. What is the art form which is most likely to transport those who experience it?
(a) Painting.
(b) Stained glass.
(c) Jewelry.
(d) Sculpture.

9. According to the author, at the end of Appendix 1 what is one claim that is made almost universally by visionaries?
(a) They never have the same vision twice.
(b) They are unable to produce the visions at will, regardless of the methods they try.
(c) They can only have the visions when they are in the right frame of mind to do so.
(d) They are unable to recall the experience in anything approaching its original intensity.

10. What event was, according to the author, an example of ancient pageantry which was enriched and improved by technological advances?
(a) The first motion picture.
(b) The inauguration of the first President, George Washington.
(c) The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
(d) The first performance of "Romeo and Juliet" in a theater equipped with modern technology.

11. What is known about the substance being tested as of the year the experiment is performed?
(a) It can alter the subject's mental state without any noticeable side effects.
(b) It is only safe to use in small doses.
(c) It can have serious or even fatal side effects, but only in a very small percentage of people who use it.
(d) It alters one's mental state, but often induces anxiety or panic.

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

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

14. Which physiological system's tissues are more "vulnerable," according to the author, than the others?
(a) The nervous system.
(b) The gastrointestinal system.
(c) The limbic system.
(d) The cardiovascular system.

15. What two techniques, according to the author, can produce effects similar to those of mescalin?
(a) Hypnosis and fasting.
(b) Fasting and sensory deprivation.
(c) Fasting and meditation.
(d) Meditation and sensory deprivation.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Huxley, what causes negative visionary experiences?

2. What does the author say about vision-inducing devices and effects at the beginning of Appendix 3?

3. What is self-flagellation?

4. How was the drug typically used up until the 1950s?

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

(see the answer keys)

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