Entheogens: The interaction of biology and culture
Bernard R. Ortiz de Montellano
Reviews in Anthropology September 1, 1981 DOI: 10.1080/00988157.1981.9977562 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA 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.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Book review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 3 |
| Key finding | The reviewed books collectively argue that hallucinogenic plants have played a significant role in the cosmology, religion, and social practices of various indigenous cultures, particularly in the Americas. |
Abstract
Abstract G. Reichel‐Dolmatoff. Beyond the Milky Way: Hallucinatory Imagery of the Tukano Indians. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1978. x + 159 pp. Index, illustrations. $25.00, cloth. Richard Evans Schultes and Albert Hofmann. Plants of the Gods: Origins of Hallucinogenic Use. New York: McGraw‐Hill, 1979.192 pp. Index, illustrations. $34.95, cloth. R. Gordon Wasson. The Wondrous Mushroom: Mycolatry in Mesoamerica. New York: McGraw‐Hill, 1980. xxvi + 248 pp. Index, illustrations. $12.95, paper.