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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 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.

Table of contents

Foreword

Preface

Introduction
What Are Psychoactive Plants?
The Use of Psychoactive Plants
Psychoactive Plants and Shamanic Consciousness
The Fear of Psychoactive Plants
The Study of Psychoactive Plants
Psychoactive Plants as Factors in the Development of Culture

THE PSYCHOACTIVE PLANTS
On the Structure of the Major Monographs

The Most Important Genera and Species
     from A to Z
Major Monographs

Little-Studied Psychoactive Plants
Minor Monographs

Reputed Psychoactive Plants
“Legal Highs”

Psychoactive Plants That Have
    Not Yet Been Identified

PSYCHOACTIVE FUNGI
The Archaeology of Entheogenic
     Mushroom Cults
Cultivating Mushrooms

The Genera and Species from A to Z

Purported Psychoactive Fungi

General Literature on
     Psychoactive Fungi

PSYCHOACTIVE PRODUCTS

ACTIVE CONSTITUENTS OF PLANTS
Active Plant Constituents
    and Neurotransmitters

The Active Plant Constituents
    from A to Z

Botanical Taxonomy of Psychoactive
    Plants and Fungi

General Bibliography
Bibliographies
Periodicals
Books and Articles

Acknowledgments

Index