Laura Smith
The forbidden fruit is a term used in Abrahamic religions to refer to the fruit in the Garden of Eden that God commanded mankind not to eat. The consumption of the forbidden fruit by Adam and Eve is known as the original sin and led to their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. While the Bible does not specify the type of fruit, various theories have been proposed, including apples, grapes, and figs. Some have also suggested that the forbidden fruit could have been a reference to psychotropic plants and fungi, specifically psilocybin or magic mushrooms, which may have played a role in altering their state of consciousness and perception of reality.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Proposed by | Terence McKenna, John M. Allegro, Rob Simone, Jan Irvin |
| Type of fruit | Psychoactive mushroom, specifically psilocybin mushrooms |
| Effects | Hallucinogenic, opening of the "third eye", allowed Adam and Eve to see God |
| Relation to the Bible | May have played a role in the evolution of the human brain, caused Adam and Eve to realise they were naked, caused their expulsion from the Garden of Eden |
| Other proposed fruits | Banana, wheat, grape, fig |
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What You'll Learn
- The Bible describes the forbidden fruit as a fruit with no further details
- A fresco in Plaincourault Abbey, France depicts the forbidden fruit as a mushroom
- Terence McKenna proposed that the forbidden fruit was a psychotropic plant, specifically psilocybin mushrooms
- Rabbi Yehuda proposed that the forbidden fruit was wheat
- The Quran describes the forbidden fruit as a tree that Adam and his wife must not eat from
The Bible describes the forbidden fruit as a fruit with no further details
The Bible describes the forbidden fruit as a fruit, without providing further details about its nature. This has not stopped speculation about the type of fruit it might have been. Some have proposed that it was an apple, a view that may have arisen from a misunderstanding or an intentional pun. The Latin word for evil is "malum", while "malum" is also derived from the Greek word for apple, "mēlon".
Others have suggested that the forbidden fruit was a grape, a view supported by several Jewish traditions. The Bible also mentions that after eating the fruit, Adam and Eve realized they were naked and covered themselves with fig leaves. This has led some to propose that the forbidden fruit was a fig.
The forbidden fruit has also been theorized to be a mushroom. A fresco in the 13th-century Plaincourault Abbey in France depicts Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden with a Tree of Knowledge that resembles a gigantic Amanita muscaria, a psychoactive mushroom. Terence McKenna proposed that the forbidden fruit was a reference to psychotropic plants and fungi, specifically psilocybin mushrooms, which played a role in the evolution of the human brain. This theory is supported by the fact that hallucinogenic plants could have allowed Adam and Eve to see God, gaining knowledge that God did not want humans to have.
Other candidates for the forbidden fruit include wheat, bananas, carob, citron, and the pear. The true nature of the forbidden fruit remains a mystery, with the Bible providing no further details beyond referring to it as a fruit.
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A fresco in Plaincourault Abbey, France depicts the forbidden fruit as a mushroom
The forbidden fruit is a name given to the fruit growing in the Garden of Eden that, according to the Bible, God commanded mankind not to eat. The Biblical story of Genesis involves Adam and Eve disobeying God and committing the original sin by eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
A fresco in the 13th-century Plaincourault Abbey in France depicts Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, standing on either side of a Tree of Knowledge that resembles a gigantic Amanita muscaria, a psychoactive mushroom. The tree in the fresco has an umbrella-like cap with branches that end in smaller caps, each with a pattern of tiny white spots. This has led to speculation that the forbidden fruit was a reference to psychotropic plants and fungi, specifically psilocybin mushrooms.
The idea that the fresco depicts a hallucinogenic mushroom was first proposed in 1911 by a member of the French Mycological Society, who described the tree as a "bizarre" and "arborescent" mushroom. This theory was further popularized by John M. Allegro in his 1970 book, "The Sacred Mushroom & the Cross", and later by Terence McKenna. According to McKenna, the forbidden fruit played a central role in the evolution of the human brain, and the hallucinogenic properties of the mushroom allowed Adam and Eve to see God and gain knowledge that God did not want them to have.
The interpretation of the Plaincourault fresco has attracted supporters, including Jerry and Julie Brown. Jerry Brown, an anthropologist at Florida International University, considers the fresco to be "seminal" to the argument that entheogens (psychoactive substances) were integral to the origins of Judeo-Christianity and persisted into medieval times. However, the idea that the fresco depicts a hallucinogenic mushroom has also sparked controversy, with some debating what it may reveal about early Christians.
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Terence McKenna proposed that the forbidden fruit was a psychotropic plant, specifically psilocybin mushrooms
Terence McKenna proposed that the forbidden fruit, as described in the Book of Genesis, was a psychotropic plant, specifically the psilocybin mushroom. The forbidden fruit is the fruit growing in the Garden of Eden that God commands mankind not to eat. In the Biblical story of Genesis, Adam and Eve disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, committing the original sin and getting exiled from Eden.
McKenna's proposal is not the only theory about the forbidden fruit. Rabbi Yehuda proposes that the fruit was wheat, because "a baby does not know to call its mother and father until it tastes the taste of grain." In Hebrew, wheat is khitah, which has been considered a pun on khet, meaning "sin." A well-documented but heavily criticized study by John M. Allegro also proposed the forbidden fruit was a mushroom. Other candidates include carob, citron, and the pear.
Some proponents of the theory that the forbidden fruit was a banana date back to the 13th century. In Nathan HaMe'ati's 13th-century translation of Maimonides's work The Medical Aphorisms of Moses, the banana is called the "apple of Eden." In the 16th century, Menahem Lonzano considered it common knowledge in Syria and Egypt that the banana was the apple of Eden. Charles George Gordon identified the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge with the coco de mer.
The forbidden fruit has also been theorised to be a hallucinogenic plant or mushroom. A fresco in the 13th-century Plaincourault Abbey in France depicts Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, flanking a Tree of Knowledge that resembles a gigantic Amanita muscaria, a psychoactive mushroom. This has led to speculation that the forbidden fruit could have been a reference to 'magic mushrooms' or other hallucinogenic plants, allowing Adam and Eve to 'see God' or gain knowledge that God did not want them to have.
The phrase "forbidden fruit" is also used as a metaphor outside of the Abrahamic religions to refer to any indulgence or pleasure that is considered illegal or immoral.
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Rabbi Yehuda proposed that the forbidden fruit was wheat
The forbidden fruit is a name given to the fruit growing in the Garden of Eden that, according to the Book of Genesis, God commands mankind not to eat. The forbidden fruit is never identified in the Biblical text. However, Rabbi Yehuda proposed that the forbidden fruit was wheat. He based this on the idea that "a baby does not know to call its mother and father until it tastes the taste of grain." In Hebrew, wheat is "khitah", which has been considered a pun on "khet", meaning "sin". Wheat berries are commonly confused with seeds, but they are technically a simple fruit known as a caryopsis, which has the same structure as an apple. Just as an apple is a fleshy fruit that contains seeds, a grain is a dry fruit that absorbs water and contains a seed.
Rabbi Yehuda's proposal is one of many theories about the identity of the forbidden fruit. Other suggestions include an apple, grapes, a pomegranate, a fig, carob, an etrog or citron, a pear, a quince, a banana, coco de mer, and mushrooms. The identification of the forbidden fruit as an apple is common in Western Europe and Western lore, expressed through art, literature, and popular culture. However, the Quran describes the forbidden fruit as a tree in Paradise that Adam and his wife must not eat from, or else they will be considered wrongdoers.
Some have proposed that the forbidden fruit was a reference to psychotropic plants and fungi, specifically psilocybin mushrooms. This theory suggests that the hallucinogenic properties of the mushrooms allowed Adam and Eve to see God and gain knowledge that God did not want them to have. It also aligns with the idea that the forbidden fruit "opened their eyes" and allowed them to be like God, knowing good and evil.
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The Quran describes the forbidden fruit as a tree that Adam and his wife must not eat from
The story of the forbidden fruit in the Quran is similar to the story in the Bible, where God commands Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In both stories, Adam and Eve eat the fruit, and as a result, they are exiled from Paradise or the Garden of Eden. The Quran also mentions Shaitan (Satan) who whispers to Adam and his wife and deceives them into eating the fruit. After they eat the fruit, they realize they are naked and cover themselves with leaves.
Some people have interpreted the forbidden fruit to be a reference to hallucinogenic plants or magic mushrooms. Terence McKenna proposed that the forbidden fruit was specifically psilocybin mushrooms, which played a role in the evolution of the human brain. This theory is supported by a 13th-century fresco in Plaincourault Abbey in France, which depicts the Tree of Knowledge as a gigantic Amanita muscaria, a psychoactive mushroom.
The idea that the forbidden fruit could be mushrooms is also explored on a Reddit thread, where users discuss the potential connection between magic mushrooms and the biblical story. Some users suggest that the mushrooms could have opened the "third eye," allowing Adam and Eve to see God and gain knowledge that God did not want them to have. Others relate their personal experiences with mushrooms, stating that high doses can lead to ego death and a sense of great wisdom.
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Frequently asked questions
The forbidden fruit is a name given to the fruit growing in the Garden of Eden that God commands mankind not to eat.
There are many theories about the type of fruit. Some believe it was an apple, grape, fig, wheat, or banana. Some also believe it was a mushroom, specifically a psychoactive mushroom or psilocybin mushroom.
The forbidden fruit was forbidden because God did not want mankind to eat from it. Eating the fruit was considered the original sin and led to mankind's exile from Eden.
