Over 30 contributors share their expertise on the chemical, biological, cultural, psychological & experiential dimensions of psilocybin mushrooms. Teonanácatl was the name given to the visionary mushrooms used in ancient Mesoamerican shamanic ceremonies, mushrooms that contain psilocybin, the psychoactive agent identified by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann, the discoverer of LSD. The rediscovery of these visionary mushrooms thru the Mazatec healer Maria Sabina by mycologist R. Gordon Wasson ignited a worldwide mushroom culture that inspired the consciousness revolution of the 60s. This book describes the consciousness-expanding experiences of psychoactive mushroom users--from artists to psychologists--& the healing visionary inspiration received. It provides 1sthand accounts of studies performed in the Harvard Psilocybin Project, including the Concord Prison study & the Good Friday study. It describes how the use of the psilocybe mushroom spread from the mountains of Mexico into the USA, Asia & Europe by seekers of consciousness-expansion. It also details how psilocybin has been used since the 60s in psychotherapy, prisoner rehabilitation, the enhancement of creativity & the induction of mystical experiences & is being studied as a treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder.

Park Street Press, 2005.
ISBN: 9781594770449. 293 pp.
Softcover. Near fine.