View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

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

2. What is the main reason for conducting the experiment in which the author participates?
(a) A need to understand why the drug has been used in religious and secular ceremonies.
(b) A need to understand the so-called "visionary" experiences associated with the drug.
(c) A need to catalogue the psychological effects of the drug on someone who already has a psychiatric illness.
(d) A need for more comprehensive information regarding the drug's long-term side effects.

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

4. What does the author say about vision-inducing devices and effects at the beginning of Appendix 3?
(a) They have played a greater role in popular entertainment than in fine arts.
(b) They have played a greater role in fine art than in popular entertainment.
(c) They have played a greater role in popular entertainment than in religion.
(d) They have played a greater role in religion than in fine art.

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What topic does the author explore in Appendix 2?

2. In what type of plant is the substance being tested commonly found?

3. Why is it important that people can sometimes be hypnotized by gemstones?

4. According to the author, what is one example of the importance of colors and light to many cultures?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is the author eager to participate in the study of peyote and mescalin?

2. How did movies evolve, according to the information presented in Appendix 3?

3. What are the author's expectations regarding what he will experience during the mescalin trial?

4. What does the author say about the history of fireworks, in Appendix 3?

5. How does light affect the art of sculpture?

6. How does the author feel about the explanations for visions which he presents in Appendix 2?

7. What is known about peyote before the author participates in his experiment with it?

8. What other practices commonly incorporated into religious ceremonies produce results similar to the first vision-inducing method discussed in Appendix 1?

9. What is the main difference between "The Doors of Perception" and "Heaven and Hell"?

10. What types of art have the most transportative properties, according to the author?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,116 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample