In the traditions of every culture, plants have been highly valued for their nourishing, healing, and transformative properties. 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. The text is lavishly illustrated with 797 color photographs, showing the people, ceremonies, and art related to the ritual use of the world's sacred psychoactives. This book:
- 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
- 944-pages book. Size: 11 in x 8.5 in
