Are there any practices based on a carnivore diet?

[Nagaram]

I am fascinated with Esoteric practices from the Near East, Greece, Egypt and Eruope, but I'm not super aware of anything outside of the influence of the Greek Magical Papyri honesty. And within this context, a vegan diet is almost always prescribed to help facilitate altered states, increase effectiveness, or as a general mindfulness practice (it's usually worded as "avoid animal flesh and milk" or something, but it's basically a vegan diet). I'm also aware of the Hindu and Buddhist preference for at least Vegetarian diets as part of a path to enlightenment.

But are there any traditions that claim their form of ascension can come through the consumption of animal flesh?

Arguably, I think there's a claim within a modern esoteric moment that this is the case if you are of the mind to claim vague "New Age" tiktok trends as esoteric practices (I do in a way), but I want to know if there's any historic precedent to this?

 

[rodgers2rodgers]

I am fascinated with Esoteric practices from the Near East, Greece, Egypt and Eruope, but I'm not super aware of anything outside of the influence of the Greek Magical Papyri honesty. And within this context, a vegan diet is almost always prescribed to help facilitate altered states, increase effectiveness, or as a general mindfulness practice (it's usually worded as "avoid animal flesh and milk" or something, but it's basically a vegan diet). I'm also aware of the Hindu and Buddhist preference for at least Vegetarian diets as part of a path to enlightenment.

But are there any traditions that claim their form of ascension can come through the consumption of animal flesh?

Arguably, I think there's a claim within a modern esoteric moment that this is the case if you are of the mind to claim vague "New Age" tiktok trends as esoteric practices (I do in a way), but I want to know if there's any historic precedent to this?

Moses said no pork for Jews in The Torah. Crowley said this was because trichonosis was an issue in pigs back then. Lots of different opinions on this subject .

 

[TraffyLawwhereVee]

TLDR: not that I have heard. I only heard about fasting and vegetarian diets as a practice.
It's an interesting question. The "New Age" movement was a funny concept for me. The global exchange of Ideas, causing some of the west to realize some different philosophies, sciences and religions. I include science because Taoist Ideas of consciousness and philosophy. Mostly vegetarian diets are talked about in the concept of the Tao (Dao), as a tool towards a path to ascension. Especially Bigu (Pi Gu)- a concept of fasting. I won't go into further detail because it goes off topic towards what you are asking.
I apologize in wasting your time reading the extra details.
Thanks for the curiosity.

 

[HoldAll]

The only example for the ritual consumption of meat that comes to my mind is the ganapuja feast of the Dzogchen school of Tibetan Buddhism where small quantities of meat and alcohol were consumed. I read about it in an older book but was surprised it's not practiced so widely anymore since many prominent Dzogchen masters insist on strict vegetarianism now - it used to be considered a violation of a monk's vows to refuse to take part in this practice but apparently not anymore. The rationale is tantric: breaking down the practitioner's attachment to pure and impure, holy and profane. The Indian aghoris (who aren't Buddhist, see Aghora Trilogy by Robert A. Swoboda) carry the idea to an extreme and would sometimes even consume human flesh, faeces, or urine - "If one thing is sacred, everything is sacred", a pretty radical notion.

In African and African-American traditions that practice animal sacrifice, the offering (typically a chicken) is consumed after the ritual as part of a feast afterwards so it won't go to waste; I've never heard of consuming the lifeforce of an offering in this context but I guess it's possible.

In Kabbalism, it's often a bread fast (= bread baked by the Kabbalist's own hand because of the risk of outside pollution). If it's not bread-only, you'll often find a prohibition against garlic and spices because the angels will object to smelly humans.

Let's not forget that for many cultures vegetarianism isn't an option because meat is the only source of nourishment where they live, e.g. for nomadic cattle herders or (historically) the Innuit. Mongolia is a special case - here's what a Mongol explained to me a long time ago (I haven't done any research on the matter yet): for Mongolian nomads, it's meat three time a day. Although much of the steppes would actually be arable, they nevertheless refuse to till the land because to them it would be tantamount to violating Mother Earth. As a result, they're big meat eaters on spiritual grounds while at the same time being devout Buddhists.

Post automatically merged: May 24, 2026

Dzogchen is a tradition of the Tibetan Buddhist Nyingma sect, not a school, my mistake.

 

[Nagaram]

Moses said no pork for Jews in The Torah. Crowley said this was because trichonosis was an issue in pigs back then. Lots of different opinions on this subject .

There's lot's of practical reasons to avoid meat for sure, but I'm mostly curious if there's any practices claiming another type of diet is the path to ascension and I guess Judaism and Islam kinda claim that.

I've never kept Kosher or Halal, so I couldn't tell ya if there's an experiential aspect to it, but that's what I'm looking for. Diets that promise some kind of experience other than Veg.

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 2:37 AM

TLDR: not that I have heard. I only heard about fasting and vegetarian diets as a practice.
It's an interesting question. The "New Age" movement was a funny concept for me. The global exchange of Ideas, causing some of the west to realize some different philosophies, sciences and religions. I include science because Taoist Ideas of consciousness and philosophy. Mostly vegetarian diets are talked about in the concept of the Tao (Dao), as a tool towards a path to ascension. Especially Bigu (Pi Gu)- a concept of fasting. I won't go into further detail because it goes off topic towards what you are asking.
I apologize in wasting your time reading the extra details.
Thanks for the curiosity.

In a way, I'm arguing that the TikTok Carnivores are promising some kind of experience with maintaining Carnivore. I'm not convinced it's a good experience because I don't consider liver king the "picture of health" as it were, but that doesn't make it invalid as a practice if I'm keeping an open mind.

That said, I fundamentally disagree with the origin and thus reasoning for the Tiktok Carnivores and Jordan Peterson's of the world. It is almost exclusively a reaction to the Vegans in a "Let's own the Libs" kinda way and not a positive experiential way.

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 3:14 AM

The only example for the ritual consumption of meat that comes to my mind is the ganapuja feast of the Dzogchen school of Tibetan Buddhism where small quantities of meat and alcohol were consumed. I read about it in an older book but was surprised it's not practiced so widely anymore since many prominent Dzogchen masters insist on strict vegetarianism now - it used to be considered a violation of a monk's vows to refuse to take part in this practice but apparently not anymore. The rationale is tantric: breaking down the practitioner's attachment to pure and impure, holy and profane. The Indian aghoris (who aren't Buddhist, see Aghora Trilogy by Robert A. Swoboda) carry the idea to an extreme and would sometimes even consume human flesh, faeces, or urine - "If one thing is sacred, everything is sacred", a pretty radical notion.

In African and African-American traditions that practice animal sacrifice, the offering (typically a chicken) is consumed after the ritual as part of a feast afterwards so it won't go to waste; I've never heard of consuming the lifeforce of an offering in this context but I guess it's possible.

In Kabbalism, it's often a bread fast (= bread baked by the Kabbalist's own hand because of the risk of outside pollution). If it's not bread-only, you'll often find a prohibition against garlic and spices because the angels will object to smelly humans.

Let's not forget that for many cultures vegetarianism isn't an option because meat is the only source of nourishment where they live, e.g. for nomadic cattle herders or (historically) the Innuit. Mongolia is a special case - here's what a Mongol explained to me a long time ago (I haven't done any research on the matter yet): for Mongolian nomads, it's meat three time a day. Although much of the steppes would actually be arable, they nevertheless refuse to till the land because to them it would be tantamount to violating Mother Earth. As a result, they're big meat eaters on spiritual grounds while at the same time being devout Buddhists.

Post automatically merged: May 24, 2026

Dzogchen is a tradition of the Tibetan Buddhist Nyingma sect, not a school, my mistake.

Interesting. I like the idea of a sort of annual breaking of the fast to remind one's self of why there is a fast to begin with.

There's an idea of Slavoj Zizek I always enjoyed, this idea that we cannot appreciate constant good and we need some bad to remind us why the good is so good. I think his story goes that people were happier under communism because the supply lines were shit. You'd go to the grocery story and often there was meat and sausage to eat, but frequently they would go without meat. This time of lacking lets us appreciate time of having.

It's like the Stoics as well. Spending a week or two every so often eaten a single portion or porridge a day just to remember that it can get worse. There is no guarantee of a plentiful tomorrow.

 

[TraffyLawwhereVee]

It's like the Stoics as well. Spending a week or two every so often eaten a single portion or porridge a day just to remember that it can get worse. There is no guarantee of a plentiful tomorrow

this reminded me of the fasting principles the Greeks would incorporate for both physical and mental training.

 

[Jsinclair]

It could be effectively argued that prehistoric man did this very thing. You could delve into the study of cave paintings and their connection to the rituals and beliefs of early man. (Sacred Darkness PDF now in Book Shares)

One could take things a powerful leap forward and try something like simulating one's own cave with personal illustrations on the "walls", depicting animals sacred to a particular deity. One could then, in solemn and sacred ritualistic fashion consume said animal as part of a ceremony.

Etc.

Then, of course, there is ritualistic cannibalism. But, nowadays, this is rather frowned upon.

 

[Morell]

But are there any traditions that claim their form of ascension can come through the consumption of animal flesh?

I'm not sure if there is tradition with this exact claim, but the tradition of sacred animals is very ancient. Some animals were forbidden to eat except on very special occasions. I also remember that we have in our fairytales possible remnant of tradition of eating animals to gain abilities: Eat snake to understand animal language. So the concept of eating some animal as rite of passage or in attempt to get in contact with the spirit of that animal feels quite likely.