The Sanctuary of Eleusis, near Athens, was the center of a religious
cult that endured for nearly two thousand years and whose initiates came
from all parts of the civilized world. Looking at the tendency to "see
visions, " C. Kerenyi examines the Mysteries of Eleusis from the
standpoint not only of Greek myth but also of human nature. Kerenyi
holds that the yearly autumnal "mysteries" were based on the ancient
myth of Demeter's search for her ravished daughter Persephone--a search
that he equates not only with woman's quest for completion but also with
every person's pursuit of identity. As he explores what the content of
the mysteries may have been for those who experienced them, he draws on
the study of archaeology, objects of art, and religious history, and
suggests rich parallels from other mythologies.