![Cover of The Twelve Gates: A Spiritual Passage Through the Egyptian Books of the Dead [With Tarot Cards]](/img/the-twelve-gates-a-spiritual-passage-through-the-egyptian-books-of-the-dead-with-tarot-cards-scene.webp)
About the author
John Rush, described in his publisher's materials as a clinical anthropologist, writes on death ritual, shamanic practice, and the role of psychoactive substances in human cultural history. "The Twelve Gates," published by North Atlantic Books with an accompanying tarot deck, examines death rituals across cultures through the lens of the ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead, treating the material as both historical study and a structured spiritual passage for the reader. "Entheogens and the Development of Culture" makes a more argumentative case, proposing that mind-altering plant substances shaped not only cultural development but human brain evolution, drawing on anthropology and neurobiology. Both books combine academic disciplinary framing with material aimed at a general audience interested in comparative religion, ritual, and the anthropology of altered states, rather than presenting narrow clinical or laboratory research. No further independent biographical detail accompanies the catalogue listing.
📖 Where to start with John Rush
💬 What our editors say about John Rush's books
“John Rush delivers a compelling expedition into ancient death rituals, successfully reimagining them as pathways for personal growth rather than mere historical artifacts. The integration of a bespoke tarot deck enhances the…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on The Twelve Gates: A Spiritual Passage Through the Egyptian Books of the Dead [With Tarot Cards]
“Rush presents a bold thesis that psychoactive plants were foundational to neural evolution, arguing that ancestors modified their brains to survive by enhancing dopamine and serotonin receptors. The text successfully bridges…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Entheogens and the Development of Culture: The Anthropology and Neurobiology of Ecstatic Experience
