Soma: Divine Mushroom of Immortality, (Ethno-Mycological Studies)

R. Gordon Wasson

This is the now classic attempt to identify the mysterious god / plant / substance of the Sanskrit Vedas as the fly agaric mushroom, a fungus known to have mood-altering hallucinogenic properties when properly prepared and consumed. Wasson argues that the cryptic descriptions of the Soma can be explained by the shape and colors of the mushroom, while its effects explain its association with divine powers, and its use in the sacrificial rituals to contact the gods. The conclusion has been widely accepted, and bitterly disputed, with a number of opponents returning, armed with new information, to earlier proposals.

status	Copy #1 (1040): in
genre	Drugs » Psychedelics
publisher	Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
publish date	1972
popularity	checked out popularity time(s)