Luigi Zoja argues that the pervasive abuse of drugs in our society can in large part be ascribed to a resurgence of the collective need for initiation and initiatory structures: a longing for something sacred underlies our culture’s manic drive toward excessive consumption. In a society without ritual, the drug addict seeks not so much the thrill of a high as the satisfaction of an inner need for a participation mystique in the dominant religion of our times: consumerism. A far-reaching yet incisive cultural analysis, The Modern Search for Ritual is a vigorous exposé, drawing its methodology from history, literature and anthropology, as well as Analytical Psychology. From its critique of drug cures based on detoxification to its discussion of the esoteric-terrorist cult of the Assassins, Zoja’s work is a classic in the field of psycho-anthropology.

A native of Italy and graduate of the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich, Luigi Zoja lectures, teaches and maintains an active clinical practice. This book, first published in Italian and then German, has received wide acclaim. Dr. Zoja, current President of the International Association for Analytical Psychology, has recently established his home and his practice in New York City.