Hallucinogenic drugs in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures.
Neurologia (Barcelona, Spain) 2015 DOI: 10.1016/j.nrl.2011.07.003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mescaline |
| Keywords | Alucinógenos Culturas precolombinas Hallucinogenic fungi Hallucinogens Hongos Pre-columbian cultures Psilocybe spp. Turbina corymbosa Mesoamerican rituals |
| Citations | 112 |
| Key findings | Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures widely used hallucinogenic plants and fungi in rituals, with archaeological and historical evidence spanning thousands of years. |
Abstract
The American continent is very rich in psychoactive plants and fungi, and many pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures used them for magical, therapeutic and religious purposes. The archaeological, ethno-historical and ethnographic evidence of the use of hallucinogenic substances in Mesoamerica is reviewed. Hallucinogenic cactus, plants and mushrooms were used to induce altered states of consciousness in healing rituals and religious ceremonies. The Maya drank balché (a mixture of honey and extracts of Lonchocarpus) in group ceremonies to achieve intoxication. Ritual enemas and other psychoactive substances were also used to induce states of trance. Olmec, Zapotec, Maya and Aztec used peyote, hallucinogenic mushrooms (teonanacatl: Psilocybe spp) and the seeds of ololiuhqui (Turbina corymbosa), that contain mescaline, psilocybin and lysergic acid amide, respectively. The skin of the toad Bufo spp contains bufotoxins with hallucinogenic properties, and was used since the Olmec period. Jimson weed (Datura stramonium), wild tobacco (Nicotiana rustica), water lily (Nymphaea ampla) and Salvia divinorum were used for their psychoactive effects. Mushroom stones dating from 3000 BC have been found in ritual contexts in Mesoamerica. Archaeological evidence of peyote use dates back to over 5000 years. Several chroniclers, mainly Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, described their effects in the sixteenth century. The use of psychoactive substances was common in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican societies. Today, local shamans and healers still use them in ritual ceremonies in Mesoamerica.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on mescaline, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study of a New Schizophrenomimetic Drug—Sernyl | 1959 | Review | |
| Hallucinogens and Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor-Mediated Signaling Pathways | 2017 | Review | |
| Hallucinogens in Mental Health: Preclinical and Clinical Studies on LSD, Psilocybin, MDMA, and Ketamine | 2020 | Review | |
| Legal highs: staying on top of the flood of novel psychoactive substances | 2015 | Review | |
| Psychedelic Drugs in Biomedicine | 2017 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 59
- Survey of subjective "God encounter experiences": Comparisons among naturally occurring experiences and those occasioned by the classic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT PLoS One April 23, 2019
- The Therapeutic Potential of Psilocybin Molecules May 15, 2021
- The promises and perils of psychedelic pharmacology for psychiatry. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery June 1, 2022
- Chemical evidence for the use of multiple psychotropic plants in a 1,000-year-old ritual bundle from South America. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 4, 2019
- Therapeutic use of psilocybin: Practical considerations for dosing and administration Frontiers in Psychiatry December 1, 2022
and 54 more in the library
Cites 3
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- Síndromes neurológicos asociados con el consumo de plantas y hongos con componente tóxico (II). Hongos y plantas alucinógenos, micotoxinas y hierbas medicinales Revista de Neurología 2003