Lord of the Mushroom Clowns: The Story of Eunice Pike, Huautla de Jiménez, and Early Psychedelic Theology

Eunice Victoria Pike (1913-2011) was a missionary and Bible translator who worked among the Mazatec people of Huautla de Jiménez in Oaxaca, Mexico. In the 1950s, she assisted the amateur anthropologist R. Gordon Wasson in his research on the psychedelic Psilocybe mushrooms found in the area. Although Pike’s contribution was superficially acknowledged, the full extent of her involvement and thought has not been detailed. Using previously neglected personal letters in SIL Global’s Pike Special Collection, a fuller image becomes clear. This article will detail and analyze Pike’s collaboration with Wasson, theological reflection on the Psilocybe mushrooms, and the effects of this interaction on the Mazatec people. The resulting narrative provides valuable new data to reflect upon the value of ecumenical collaboration, importance of testing our theological presuppositions, and the effects of intruding upon the lives of indigenous peoples.