Stoned Age Man

made out of flint, obsidian or stone. And, hopefully, easy to acquire.

With no bank holiday queues at the local B&Q...

But the real importance of these findings lies in the fact that they challenge our precon‐ceived notions of ancient societies. It’s com‐monly believed that ancient cultures were primitive and lacked the knowledge and so‐phistication of modern societies.

However, this discovery suggests that the people of Menorca were far more advanced and knowledgeable than previously thought. They were able to identify and extract psy‐choactive compounds from plants and use them in a spiritual context, demonstrating a deep understanding of the natural world and the relationship between the physical and spiritual realms.

The discovery of this early use of hallucino‐genic drugs also has implications for us today.

tween the mind, body and spirit than we cur‐rently understand.

Furthermore, their use in a ceremonial con‐text may provide insight into the importance of setting and intention on a therapeutic lev‐el. The rituals and ceremonies associated with their use in ancient cultures may have served to create a safe and supportive environment for individuals to explore their inner worlds and work through personal challenges ‐ like those bank holiday queues at B&Q!

volved survived for months afterwards. Maybe listening to the Grateful Dead? Whilst trepanation was carried out for both medical reasons and mystical practice, trepanation in‐struments were less complex, and commonly

In recent years, there has been a renewed in‐terest in the therapeutic potential of these substances, particularly in the treatment of mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety and PTSD. The fact that they were used in a spiritual context in the past suggests that there may be a deeper connection be‐

Overall, the discovery of the use of hallu‐cinogenic drugs in Bronze Age Menorca is a significant development in our understanding of ancient civilisations and the human experi‐ence. Implications, too, for modern society and the potential therapeutic use of these substances. As we continue to explore the re‐lationship between mind, body and spirit, this discovery serves as a reminder of the pro‐found and transformative power of the natu‐ral world.

Nora Johnson’s 12 critically acclaimed psy‐chological suspense crime thrillers (www.no ra‐johnson.net) all available online including eBooks (€0.99; £0.99), Apple Books, audio‐books, paperbacks at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.