The Spanish edition of Plantas de los dioses (originally Plants of the Gods by Richard Evans Schultes and Albert Hofmann) is a comprehensive ethnobotanical survey of psychoactive plants used by indigenous peoples of the Americas and elsewhere. The work opens with a historical overview of hallucinogenic plant use, tracing evidence from pre‑historic archaeology through colonial accounts to modern fieldwork. It then presents detailed botanical classifications, phytochemical profiles, and geographic distributions for the major genera (e.g., Lophophora (peyote), Banisteriopsis (ayahuasca), Psilocybe (magic mushrooms), Datura, Salvia divinorum, Tabernanthe iboga, Cactaceae). Each species is accompanied by ethnographic case studies that describe ritual contexts, shamanic practices, and sociocultural meanings – notable examples include María Sabina’s Mazatec mushroom ceremonies, Huichol peyote pilgrimages, and Amazonian ayahuasca shamanism. The book also discusses the pharmacology of key alkaloids (mescaline, DMT, psilocybin, ibogaine, etc.), the legal status of these substances in various jurisdictions, and ethical considerations for researchers and users. Interwoven throughout are biographical sketches of the authors – Schultes as the founder of modern ethnobotany and Hofmann as the discoverer of LSD – highlighting their collaborative field expeditions and laboratory work. A substantial lexicon lists over sixty psychoactive species with common names, botanical descriptions, and cultural uses. The volume is richly illustrated with photographs of plants, rituals, and archival material, and concludes with an extensive bibliography and reference list documenting the scholarly foundation of the study. The overall purpose is to document, classify, and contextualize the role of hallucinogenic plants in human culture, providing a scientific yet accessible resource for scholars, clinicians, and interested readers.
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Historical Survey of Hallucinogenic Plant Use in Indigenous Cultures
A chronological overview from prehistoric evidence, through early colonial reports, to 20th‑century fieldwork, showing how psychoactive plants have shaped religious and social practices across the Americas and beyond.