Ritual consumption of psychoactive fungi and plants in ancestral Costa Rica
José M. Rodríguez Arce, Marco A. Arce Cerdas
Journal of Psychedelic Studies April 5, 2019 DOI: 10.1556/2054.2019.010 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | 46 artifacts from the Museums of the Central Bank of Costa Rica and the National Museum of Costa Rica |
| Key points | The authors argue that pre-Columbian societies in present-day Costa Rica used tobacco, morning glory, cohoba, Amanita muscaria and Psilocybe fungi, and alcoholic and invigorating beverages, based on integrating historical, ethnographic, archaeological, and paleobotanical evidence with analysis of 46 artifacts. They propose this use was connected to shamanistic healing practices, social-ceremonial events, and rituals of people holding religious and political importance. |
Abstract
Not much is known from an ethnohistorical perspective about the use of psychoactive substances in southern Central America; it is mainly through the archeological record that their presence in the past has been inferred. This article reviews evidence for the use of mind-altering plants and mushrooms in the societies that inhabited the current Costa Rican territory during pre-Columbian times, and explores the cultural significance of this activity. Historical, ethnographic, archeological, and paleobotanical information was examined and integrated with the data obtained from the analysis of 46 artifacts with a presumed linkage to psychoactive drug use that were selected from an exhaustive search in the collections of the Museums of the Central Bank of Costa Rica and the National Museum of Costa Rica. Preliminary results suggest the consumption of tobacco (Nicotianaspp. L.), morning glory (Ipomoeaspp. L.),cohoba[Anadenanthera peregrina(L.) Speg.], psychedelic fungi [Amanita muscaria(L.) Lam. andPsilocybe(Fr.) P. Kumm. species], as well as various alcoholic and invigorating beverages was present in ancient times. This use was likely connected to shamanistic healing practices, social–ceremonial events, and the ritual activities of people who held positions of religious and political importance within society.