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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the main quality of the drug being tested?
(a) Stimulant.
(b) Sedative.
(c) Hallucinogenic.
(d) Psychedelic.

2. 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 can only have the visions when they are in the right frame of mind to do so.
(c) They are unable to recall the experience in anything approaching its original intensity.
(d) They are unable to produce the visions at will, regardless of the methods they try.

3. What does the author wonder about the neurological patterns produced during visionary experiences at the end of Appendix 1?
(a) Why people are so fond of experiencing these patterns.
(b) How the experiencer's brain is affected by the experience.
(c) What happens to these patterns when the experience is over.
(d) How these patterns can be reproduced at the user's will.

4. To what field of science does the author compare the human mind at the beginning of "Heaven and Hell"?
(a) Etymology.
(b) Physiology.
(c) Ornithology.
(d) Zoology.

5. What is Heaven, according to the author?
(a) A vantage point for viewing divinity.
(b) A fallacy, created by those who misinterpreted visionary experiences.
(c) A place of rest and repose, where no one is doing anything.
(d) A concept invented by humanity because of our desperate need for hope.

6. How does mescalin affect the user's brain function?
(a) It blocks the brain's ability to filter sensory input.
(b) It affects the brain's enzymes and absorption of glucose.
(c) It affects the user's ability to react appropriately to potentially dangerous situations.
(d) It makes users unable to recognize or remember familiar people, places and objects.

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

8. How does the author feel about the passage of time during the experiment?
(a) He feels that time speeds up at times, and slows down at others.
(b) His perception of time is unchanged.
(c) He is keenly aware of, and saddened by, each passing second.
(d) It doesn't matter to him at all.

9. Which of these is NOT a vision which the author thinks might be produced by prodding the brain with an electrode?
(a) Nostradamus's visions of the future.
(b) Weir Mitchell's visions of the Gothic tower.
(c) The author's friend's vision of a colorful Japanese landscape.
(d) Blake's visions of the Cherubim.

10. What substance is the author testing in the experiment?
(a) Cocaine.
(b) Acid.
(c) Angel dust.
(d) Mescalin.

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

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

13. What is the Dharma-body?
(a) Truth, mind, and nature.
(b) Body, mind and spirit.
(c) Freedom from suffering, enlightenment and transcendence.
(d) Truth, joy and enlightenment.

14. What topic does the author explore in Appendix 2?
(a) The role of visionaries and mystics in the modern Western world.
(b) The uncommon accuracy with which most visionaries are able to recall their visions.
(c) The personality traits common to most visionaries and mystics.
(d) The availability and safety of various vision-inducing techniques.

15. When did fireworks re-enter the world of popular entertainment, according to the author?
(a) In the mid-18th century.
(b) During the Industrial Revolution.
(c) During the Renaissance.
(d) During the reign of Elizabeth I.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. What development contributed greatly, according to the author, to pageantry and theatrical spectacle?

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

4. According to the author, why do religious devotees participate in practices to atone for their sins?

5. Artificial lighting gave, according to the author, a new visionary quality to what form of ancient art?

(see the answer keys)

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