Wine in India and Other Substances An Anthropology of ‘Entheogens’
Wine Cultures Gandhāra and Beyond October 8, 2024 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.30687/978-88-6969-816-3/004
Summary
The history of studies on psychotropic and psychoactive substances, particularly hallucinogens and their connection to religious experiences, has been influenced by socio-economic and cultural trends. This overview highlights shifts in academic perspectives from Prohibition to the psychedelic revolution and focuses on South Asia's historical context, including the mystery of Soma/Amṛta and archaeological evidence of wine production in Gandhāra. It proposes an ethnographic study on traditional fermentation practices among indigenous ādivāsī communities in India.
Study at a glance
| Population | indigenous ādivāsī communities of India |
|---|---|
| Key finding | There is a significant historical and cultural influence on the study of psychotropic substances, particularly in relation to religious experiences and traditional practices. |
Abstract
The history of studies on psychotropic and psychoactive substances in general and on hallucinogens concerning the religious experience and altered states of consciousness is undoubtedly wide and intriguing. Today, it clearly emerges that the scientific perspective has too often been shaped, or even spoiled, by socio-economic trends, political backgrounds, fashions and pop culture of the times. From Prohibition to the psychedelic revolution, reported academic positioning shifts dramatically regarding these substances, which eventually were defined as entheogens in the 1970’s. This contribution traces the history of these studies with a particular focus on South Asia, from the still largely unsolved mystery of Soma/Amṛta to the first archaeological evidence of wine production in Gandhāra. Via a comparative perspective, an ethnographic study is proposed on the production of alcoholic, fermented products and traditional fermentation starters (and their related ritual uses) among the indigenous ādivāsī communities of India.