A Comprehensive Study of THC and Other Psychoactive Substances Across Cultures and Time
The ritual drink Soma, mentioned in the Rigveda, may have contained psychoactive compounds like Amanita muscaria or ephedra.
Some Tibetan Buddhist traditions used cannabis to facilitate meditation and enhance spiritual awareness.
Rastafarians use cannabis as a sacrament in religious ceremonies, viewing it as the "wisdom weed."
Peyote is used sacramentally in religious ceremonies, protected under US law for religious purposes.
Ayahuasca has been used for centuries in healing ceremonies and spiritual practices.
The Eleusinian Mysteries likely involved a psychoactive brew called kykeon in initiation rituals.
Swiss chemist who discovered LSD's psychoactive properties and later isolated psilocybin from magic mushrooms.
Israeli chemist who first isolated and synthesized THC, later discovering the endocannabinoid system.
American ethnobotanist who popularized the "stoned ape" theory and advocated for psychedelic exploration.
Mazatec curandera who introduced Westerners to psilocybin mushrooms, leading to their popularization.
Harvard psychologist who became a major advocate for LSD before its prohibition, famously urging people to "turn on, tune in, drop out."
American chemist who synthesized and tested hundreds of psychoactive compounds, documenting them in PiHKAL and TiHKAL.