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.