Entheogens Katie Givens Kime Institute of Practical Theology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland in D. A. Leeming (ed.), "Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion", # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2018 Doi : 10.1007/978-3-642-27771-9_200181-1 Entheogen is a term coined in the late 1970s by a group of botanists and scholars which refers to any psychoactive agent which allows for “generating the divine within” (Ruck et al. 1979). Entheogens are psychedelic substances which, in adequate dosage under supportive conditions, are known to facilitate visionary, mystical, and/or spiritual experiences. Such substances include psilocybin, peyote, LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), ibogaine, and ayahuasca. Typically of plant origin, entheogens are [...]
Lire la suiteRevisiting Wasson’s Soma : Exploring the Effects of Preparation on the Chemistry of Amanita muscaria. Kevin FEENEY Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2010, 42, (4), 499-506 In 1968 R. Gordon Wasson first proposed his groundbreaking theory identifying Soma, the hallucinogenic sacrament of the Vedas, as the classic spotted fairy tale mushroom – Amanita muscaria. While Wasson’s theory is compelling on many levels he neglected to explain how the pressing and filtering of Soma, as described in the Rig Veda, supported his theory of Soma’s identity. This omission has led to several criticisms of his theory, including: (1) that such an elaborate process of extraction [...]
Lire la suiteLes Champignons dans la culture. A propos d'un livre de M. R. G. Wasson Claude Lévi-Strauss L'Homme, 1970, 10-1, pp. 5-16 On sait que les hymnes du RgVeda font une place considérable à une plante enivrante, le Soma, dont le suc exprimé et filtré, puis coupé de lait frais ou caillé, était consommé par les prêtres au cours du rituel et principalement, semble-t-il, par ceux chargés d'incarner le dieu Indra et son cocher Vâyu. Chez les anciens Iraniens, une boisson enivrante, appelée Haoma dans l'Avesta, était sans doute la même chose que le Soma. Depuis le xvme siècle, les [...]
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