The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants : Ethnopharmacology and Its Applications

The most comprehensive guide to the botany, history, distribution, and cultivation of all known psychoactive plants • Examines 414 psychoactive plants and related substances • Explores how using psychoactive plants in a culturally sanctioned context can produce important insights into the nature of reality • Contains 797 color photographs and 645 black-and-white illustrations In the traditions of every culture, plants have been highly valued for their nourishing, healing, and transformative properties. The most powerful plants--those known to transport the human mind into other dimensions of consciousness--have traditionally been regarded as sacred. In The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants Christian Rätsch details the botany, history, distribution, cultivation, and preparation and dosage of more than 400 psychoactive plants. He discusses their ritual and medicinal usage, cultural artifacts made from these plants, and works of art that either represent or have been inspired by them. The author begins with 168 of the most well-known psychoactives--such as cannabis, datura, and papaver--then presents 133 lesser known substances as well as additional plants known as “legal highs,” plants known only from mythological contexts and literature, and plant products that include substances such as ayahuasca, incense, and soma. The text is lavishly illustrated with 797 color photographs--many of which are from the author’s extensive fieldwork around the world--showing the people, ceremonies, and art related to the ritual use of the world’s sacred psychoactives.

The most comprehensive guide to the botany, history, distribution, and cultivation of all known psychoactive plants

• Examines 414 psychoactive plants and related substances

• Explores how using psychoactive plants in a culturally sanctioned context can produce important insights into the nature of reality

• Contains797 color photographs and 645 black-and-white illustrations

In the traditions of every culture, plants have been highly valued for their nourishing, healing, and transformative properties. The most powerful plants--those known to transport the human mind into other dimensions of consciousness--have traditionally been regarded as sacred. In The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants Christian Rätsch details the botany, history, distribution, cultivation, and preparation and dosage of more than 400 psychoactive plants. He discusses their ritual and medicinal usage, cultural artifacts made from these plants, and works of art that either represent or have been inspired by them. The author begins with 168 of the most well-known psychoactives--such as cannabis, datura, and papaver--then presents 133 lesser known substances as well as additional plants known as “legal highs,” plants known only from mythological contexts and literature, and plant products that include substances such as ayahuasca, incense, and soma. The text is lavishly illustrated with797 color photographs--many of which are from the author’s extensive fieldwork around the world--showing the people, ceremonies, and art related to the ritual use of the world’s sacred psychoactives.

Library Journal

Hefty and handsome, this superb academic reference is the first comprehensive work devoted to psychoactive plants. Ratsch, an anthropologist, ethnopharmacologist, and author of numerous books, includes more than 400 traditional and modern substances that "affect the mind or alter the state of consciousness." While his focus may seem narrow, he includes entries for cocoa, wine and beer, energy drinks, snuff, honey, and even "Mormon tea." Arranged by sections on psychoactive plants, psychoactive fungi, products, and active chemical constituents, the book features an introduction setting out historical background, including cultural and ceremonial-particularly shamanic-use, as well as the fears associated with these substances. Each major monograph contains the plant's scientific and common names, chemical structure, history, distribution, cultivation, appearance, preparation and dosage, ritual and medicinal uses, commercial forms and regulations, and effects, as well as research literature references. A taxonomy, bibliography, and daunting index (opium, for example, lists 65 different page citations) complete the work. Illustrations include woodcuts, drawings, and over 800 of Ratsch's own stunning color photographs. Because monographs are arranged by scientific rather than common name, a page comparing the two might have been useful, as would more delineation between sections. Measurements are in metric. Bottom Line Though other reference books on medicinal plants overlap with some of the material found here, they often lack Ratsch's rich anthropological information. This book offers something for everyone, even though the focus is academic. Highly recommended for academic and larger public libraries.-Andy Wickens, King Cty. Lib. Syst., WA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

The most comprehensive guide to the botany, history, distribution, and cultivation of all known psychoactive plants• Examines 414 psychoactive plants and related substances• Explores how using psychoactive plants in a culturally sanctioned context can produce important insights into the nature of reality• Contains 797 color photographs and 645 black-and-white illustrationsIn the traditions of every culture, plants have been highly valued for their nourishing, healing, and transformative properties. The most powerful plants--those known to transport the human mind into other dimensions of consciousness--have traditionally been regarded as sacred. In__The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants__Christian Rätsch details the botany, history, distribution, cultivation, and preparation and dosage of more than 400 psychoactive plants. He discusses their ritual and medicinal usage, cultural artifacts made from these plants, and works of art that either represent or have been inspired by them. The author begins with 168 of the most well-known psychoactives--such as cannabis, datura, and papaver--then presents 133 lesser known substances as well as additional plants known as “legal highs,” plants known only from mythological contexts and literature, and plant products that include substances such as ayahuasca, incense, and soma. The text is lavishly illustrated with 797 color photographs--many of which are from the author’s extensive fieldwork around the world--showing the people, ceremonies, and art related to the ritual use of the world’s sacred psychoactives. Acknowledgments 4 Foreword 7 Preface 9 Introduction 11 What Are Psychoactive Plants? 12 The Use of Psychoactive Plants 14 Psychoactive Plants and Shamanic Consciousness 22 The Fear of Psychoactive Plants 25 The Study of Psychoactive Plants 29 Psychoactive Plants as Factors in the Development of Culture 34 THE PSYCHOACTIVE PLANTS 37 On the Structure of the Major Monographs 39 The Most Important Genera and Species from A to Z 43 Major Monographs 43 Little-Studied Psychoactive Plants 1352 Minor Monographs 1352 Reputed Psychoactive Plants 1462 “Legal Highs” 1462 Psychoactive Plants That Have Not Yet Been Identified 1484 PSYCHOACTIVE FUNGI 1515 The Archaeology of Entheogenic Mushroom Cults 1521 Cultivating Mushrooms 1531 The Genera and Species from A to Z 1535 Purported Psychoactive Fungi 1668 General Literature on Psychoactive Fungi 1680 PSYCHOACTIVE PRODUCTS 1691 ACTIVE CONSTITUENTS OF PLANTS 1961 Active Plant Constituents and Neurotransmitters 1964 The Active Plant Constituents from A to Z 1968 Botanical Taxonomy of Psychoactive Plants and Fungi 2113 Footnotes 2134 General Bibliography 2168 Bibliographies 2169 Periodicals 2169 About the Author 2166 About the Inner Traditions 2167 Books of Related Interest 2249 Copyright 2251 "In The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants Christian Ratsch details the botany history, distribution, cultivation, and preparation and dosage of more than 400 psychoactive plants. He discusses their ritual and medicinal usage, cultural artifacts made from these plants, and works of art that either represent or have been inspired by them." "The text is illustrated with 670 black-and-white illustrations and 800 color photographs - many of which come from the author's extensive fieldwork conducted around the world. They show the people, ceremonies, and art related to the ritual use of the world's sacred psychoactives."--BOOK JACKET