Product Description

World-renowned anthropologist and ethnopharmacologist Christian Ratsch provides the latest scientific updates to this classic work on psychoactive flora by two eminent researchers. * Numerous new and rare color photographs complement the completely revised and updated text. * Explores the uses of hallucinogenic plants in shamanic rituals throughout the world. * Cross-referenced by plant, illness, preparation, season of collection, and chemical constituents. * First edition sold 33,000 copies.

Three scientific titans join forces to completely revise the classic text on the ritual uses of psychoactive plants. They provide a fascinating testimony of these "plants of the gods," tracing their uses throughout the world and their significance in shaping culture and history. In the traditions of every culture, plants have been highly valued for their nourishing, healing, and transformative properties. The most powerful of those plants, which are known to transport the human mind into other dimensions of consciousness, have always been regarded as sacred. The authors detail the uses of hallucinogens in sacred shamanic rites while providing lucid explanations of the biochemistry of these plants and the cultural prayers, songs, and dances associated with them. The text is lavishly illustrated with 400 rare photographs of plants, people, ceremonies, and art related to the ritual use of the world's sacred psychoactive flora.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #102364 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Whole Earth Review
. . . Schultes has been the nexus of almost everything interesting and supportive concerned with economic and cultural uses of plants

Shaman's Drum
This superbly illustrated, encyclopedic volume provides a much needed, well-balanced scientific perspective on the use of hallucinogenic plants.

Journal of Ethnobiology
A truly exellent book.

Customer Reviews

substantial addition
a comprehensive and educated overview of the plants that are really really good for us! Schultes has done many immensely important works and, while not quite as entertaining as McKenna, contributes to the dialogue in an expert manner.

I recommend reading this one along with Timothy Leary, Christopher Hyatt and Jonathan Ott.

Great reference work on entheogens
Plants Of The Gods is a comprehensive reference work on psychoactive plants. It provides a definition of plant hallucinogens and information on phytochemical research on sacred plants, geography of usage and botanical range, the chemical structures of these substances and the use of hallucinogens in medicine.

The plant species discussed include the Amanita (Fly Agaric) mushroom, Atropa (Deadly Nightshade), Yellow and Black Henbane, Mandrake, Cannabis Ergot, Datura, Iboga, Yopo beans, Ayahuasca, Yage, Brugmansia, Peyote, the San Pedro cactus, the Morning Glory plus what the authors term "the little flowers of the gods" which include the various types of Psilocybe mushroom.

The text is enhanced by a wonderful variety of color and black & white photographs, illustrations and quite impressive paintings. The section Overview Of Plant Use consists of tables listing every plant's common name, botanical name, historical ethnography, context and purpose of usage, preparation and the chemical composition and effects.

Plants Of The Gods is a great and detailed investigation of entheogenic plants from around the world. This valuable reference book concludes with a bibliography and index.

The spiritual powers of healing and hallucinogenic plants
The spiritual powers of healing and hallucinogenic plants are surveyed anew in Plants Of The Gods, a revised and expanded edition of a true classic which paring color photos of the plants with a wealth of solid botanical details. This revision covers the traditions of different cultures which use the plants, uses of hallucinogens in sacred rites and prayers, and solid coverage of the rituals themselves.