Salvinorin A (1), a neoclerodane diterpene from the hallucinogenic mint Salvia divinorum, is the only known naturally occurring non-nitrogenous and specific κ-opioid agonist. Some oxidative modifications of the A ring in the congeners of 1 isolated from Salvia splendens salviarin, splenolide B, splendidin and in the non-natural 8-epi-salviarin gave new derivatives, some of which were tested as...
Salvinorin A (1), a neoclerodane diterpene from the hallucinogenic mint Salvia divinorum, is the only known non-nitrogenous and specific kappa-opioid agonist. Several structural congeners of 1 isolated from Salvia splendens (2 - 8) together with a series of semisynthetic derivatives (9 - 24), some of which possess a pyrazoline structural moiety (9, 19 - 22), have been tested for affinity at...
The Dattātreyayogaśāstra (DYŚ) is one of those texts that changes how we see the history of yoga. Composed in South India around 1200 CE, it is the earliest known work to call a physical yogic system Haṭhayoga and the first to weave that system together with Patañjali’s eight-limbed path. The text unfolds as a conversation between the sage Sāṃkṛti and Dattātreya, a divine yogi revered in the...
The Plants That Remembered the Sky: Sacred Landscapes, Mythic Plants and the Human Imagination Description This work explores recurring symbolic relationships between sacred plants, cosmology, landscape, memory and transformation across multiple Indigenous traditions of the Americas. Drawing upon mythological narratives, ethnographic records, archaeological findings and comparative symbolism,...
The κ-opioid receptor (κOR) represents a promising non-addictive analgesic target due to its critical role in pain and reward pathways. Despite evidence of κOR dimerization, its molecular basis and pharmacological significance remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate stable κOR dimer formation in living cells and present cryo-electron microscopy structures of salvinorin A-bound κOR dimer complexed...
Background: Little research investigates the role of rarely used drugs in criminal offending. Moreover, given research suggesting that psychedelics reduce criminal offending, more research is needed to further document connections between psychedelics and crime. Aim: This study examines the role of rarely used drugs in criminal behavior and extends previous research on psychedelics by...
Abstract This chapter concerns the psychedelic plant xka pastora, aka Salvia divinorum, which has long been used in healing rituals by Indigenous people from Mexico’s Sierra Mazateca, the one place on Earth where the plant is endemic. Recognizing that perspectives of Indigenous people are largely absent from the “psychedelic renaissance,” this research compares how Indigenous people understand...
In recent years, Sri Aurobindo—a twentieth-century Indian thinker and visionary—has attracted renewed interest across diverse fields, including spirituality, nationalism, aesthetics and the philosophy of mind. Among his many contributions, it is his metaphysical and spiritual vision, particularly articulated in The Life Divine , that continues to inspire deep engagement. Building briefly on...
While interest in the therapeutic and recreational use of hallucinogens has increased, national surveillance often reports use in aggregate, potentially masking shifting trends among pharmacologically distinct substances. This study assessed trends in specific hallucinogens from 2021 to 2023 and identified correlates of use, with particular attention to subgroup patterns in populations commonly...
Most primitive religions originated from the devout worship of celestial deities, earthly spirits, and ghosts. In oracle bone inscriptions, rituals related to praying for rain, temple worship, river deity worship, and the worship of great deities were referred to as “fang” 方 or “yi fang” 以方. The Supreme God was the paramount deity of the Yin Shang Dynasty people; by the early Zhou Dynasty, the...