Ayahuasca is an entheogenic decoction prepared from two Amazonian plants containing controlled substances, including dimethyltryptamine. Traditionally drunk ritually (and revered as a healing “plant teacher”) by Amazonian indigenous and mestizo peoples, in the 20th century ayahuasca became a sacrament for several new Brazilian religions. One of these, the Santo Daime, has expanded into Canada,...
Yoga, a philosophy of Indian descent, is becoming popular as a physical, healing, and spiritual practice adapted for diverse cultures and patient care settings. As the methods of this ancient tradition begin to influence the physical, cognitive, social, and environmental culture of the Western world, research examining how yoga affects health, disease-status, and longevity becomes integral to...
Ethnobotanical, phytochemical, and pharmacological investigations of two Amazonian hallucinogens are presented. The extant literature on the botany, chemistry, and ethnopharmacology of the Malpighiaceous and Myristicaceous hallucinogens is reviewed. The hallucinogenic beverage ayahuasca is prepared from the woody liana Banisteriopsis caapi (Malpighiaceae) and various admixture plants which...
I. Psilocybe cubensis was cultured successfully in two media. Medium A was devised by Catalfomo and Tyler and Medium B was a modification of a medium which has been used for ergot alkaloid production by Claviceps purpurea. Only when the fungus was kept on Sabouraud agar plates.did it subsequently produce psilocybin when transferred to liquid media. A quantitative time-course study of psilocybin...