Page "The Doors of Perception" Paragraph 23

It was probably the criticisms of The Doors of Perception put forward by Robert Charles Zaehner, a professor at Oxford University, that formed the fullest and earliest critiques from a religious and philosophical perspective.

In 1954, Zaehner published an article called The Menace of Mescaline, in which he asserted that " artificial interference with consciousness " could have nothing to do with the Christian " Beatific Vision ".

Zaehner expanded on these criticisms in his book Mysticism Sacred and Profane ( 1957 ), which also acts as a theistic riposte to what he sees as the monism of Huxley ’ s The Perennial Philosophy.

Although he acknowledged the importance of The Doors of Perception as a challenge to people interested in religious experience, he pointed out what he saw as inconsistencies and self-contradictions.

Zaehner concludes that Huxley ’ s apprehensions under mescaline are affected by his deep familiarity with Vedanta and Mahayana Buddhism.

So, the experience may not be the same for others who take the drug and do not have this background, although they will undoubtedly experience a transformation of sensation.

Zaehner himself was a convert to Catholicism.