Hallucinogenic plants

Ingestion of hallucinogenic plant alkaloids and allied compounds does not always result in death. Many grazing animals display paresis, ataxia, dullness, and a tendency to isolate themselves from the herd. Some animals appear to act bizarre. Observations of such animal-plant interactions could have provided man with much information about hallucinogens. 

Hamer, M. J. (1973) The role of hallucinogenic plants in European witchcraft. In Hallucinogens and Shamanism, edited by M. Hamer, pp. 125-150. Oxford University Press, New York. 

Despite the benefit of animal observation, early man developed experience with hallucinogenic plants far beyond that obtained by animals. Cultural uses of hallucinogens established efficient methods for harnessing the specific psy-... 

Naranjo, P. (1979) Hallucinogenic plant use and related indigenous belief systems in the Ecuadorian Amazon. J Ethnopharmacol., 1 121-145. 

Dennis J. McKenna, G. H. N. Towers, and F. S. Abbott. "Mono-amine oxidase inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants Tryptamine and B-carboline constituents of Ayahuasca". Journal of Ethnopharmacology 10 (1984) 195-223. 

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants. Part... 

The better-known and widely used hallucinogenic plants are San Isidro mushroom Psilocyhe cubensis), ergot Claviceps), soma Amanita muscaria), peyote Cactus lophophora), yage (or ayahuasca), the vision vine of the Amazon Banisteriopsis caapi), cannabis Cannabis sativa and indica) and perhaps coca Erythroxylum novo-gratense). 

Thomas MacDougall Ipomoea tricolor A Hallucinogenic Plant of the Zapotecs, published in... 

Roquet and Ganc reported that the Mazatecs prepared a dose of S. divinorum from 120 pairs of crushed leaves and used the plant only when the mushrooms and morning-glory seeds were not available. Roquet and his associates used the plant twice in their psychiatric investigations of Mexican hallucinogenic plants and stated that they had difficulties in working with it (Roquet, 1972). 

Schultes, R.E. (1976) Hallucinogenic Plants, Golden Press, Western Publishing Co. Inc., New York, p. 137. 

Wasson (1963) suggested that S. divinorum might be the plant the Aztecs knew as pipiltzintzintli ("most noble prince" or "venerable little children") this name has become associated with the mint in recent literature (Emboden 1979 Foster 1984 Schultes 1976). Aguirre Beltran (1973) summarized the data on pipiltzintzintli contained in the Inquisitorial Archives. It was apparently an hallucinogenic plant that had male and female varieties. All plant parts, including the roots and flowers were used medicinally (no mention was made of the seeds), and it was cultivated for such purposes. Aguirre... 

Hallucinogenic plants. Golden Press, Western, New York. 

Schultes, R. E. Hallucinogenic Plants. New York Golden Press, 1976. 

HENRY MUNN has investigated the use of hallucinogenic plants among the Conibo Indians of eastern Pern and the Mazatec Indians of the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico. Although not a professional anthropologist, he has resided for extended periods of time among the Mazatecs and is married to the niece of the shaman and shamaness referred to in this essay. 

MCKENNA D.J., 1995, Bitter brews and other abominations. The uses and abuses of some little-known hallucinogenic plants. Integration, 5 99-104. 

SCHULTES R.E., 1972, An overview of hallucinogens in the Western Hemisphere, in P.T. Furst (Ed.), Eleshofthe Gods The Ritual Use of Hallucinogens, Praeger, New York, NY, 3-54. SCHULTES R.E., 1976, Hallucinogenic Plants, Western Publ., New York, NY. 

---