Entheogens: The interaction of biology and culture
Reviews in Anthropology September 1, 1981 Bernard R. Ortiz de Montellano 3 citations
A review of three books on hallucinogenic plants and their cultural uses. Reichel-Dolmatoff examines the hallucinatory imagery of the Tukano Indians of the Northwest Amazon, linking it to their cosmology and social structure. Schultes and Hofmann provide a broad survey of the origins and uses of hallucinogenic plants across cultures, emphasizing their botanical and chemical properties. Wasson focuses on the ritual use of psychoactive mushrooms in Mesoamerica, arguing for their central role in indigenous religion and mythology. Together, these works offer anthropological, botanical, and historical perspectives on the significance of hallucinogens in human societies.