World-renowned anthropologist and ethnopharmacologist Christian Ratsch provides the latest scientific updates to this classic work on psychoactive flora by two eminent researchers.- Numerous new and rare color photographs complement the completely revised and updated text.- Explores the uses of hallucinogenic plants in shamanic rituals throughout the world. - Cross-referenced by plant, illness, preparation, season of collection, and chemical constituents.- First edition sold 33,000 copies.Three scientific titans join forces to completely revise the classic text on the ritual uses of psychoactive plants. They provide a fascinating testimony of these andquot;plants of the gods,andquot; tracing their uses throughout the world and their significance in shaping culture and history. In the traditions of every culture, plants have been highly valued for their nourishing, healing, and transformative properties. The most powerful of those plants, which are known to transport the human mind into other dimensions of consciousness, have always been regarded as sacred. The authors detail the uses of hallucinogens in sacred shamanic rites while providing lucid explanations of the biochemistry of these plants and the cultural prayers, songs, and dances associated with them. The text is lavishly illustrated with 400 rare photographs of plants, people, ceremonies, and art related to the ritual use of the world's sacred psychoactive flora.

作者簡介

理查．伊文斯．舒爾茲 Richard Evans Schultes

1915年生。民族植物學泰鬥，美國哈佛大學知名民族植物學傢，曾歷任哈佛大學生物學教授暨植物博物館館長（榮譽退休）。特別是對於亞馬遜河流域之原住民在治療與宗教儀式上，使用精神活性植物的研究，有重大貢獻。卒於2001年。

艾伯特．赫夫曼 Albert Hofmann

1906年生。瑞士知名生化學傢，研究真菌、麥角等生物內部成分，閤成迷幻藥LSD，發現其強大的緻幻效果，卒於2008年。知名著作：《LSD：我的問題孩子》（LSD, My Problem Child）。

剋裏斯汀．拉奇Christian Ratsch

1957年生。德國民間醫療協會會長，專研精神活性植物之文化用途，緻力於全球民間用藥的研究，對於南美熱帶雨林瑪雅人的治療醫學有相當深刻的研究。著作豐富，包括《大麻醫藥》(Marijuana Medicine)、《神聖與魔法植物辭典》(The Dictionary of Sacred and Magical Plants)，以及《精神活性植物百科全書》(Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants)。

譯者簡介

金恆鑣 Hen-biau King

加拿大卡爾登(Carleton)大學地球科學博士，加拿大紐布朗瑞剋(New Brunswick)大學森林土壤學碩士，國立颱灣大學森林係學士。曾任颱灣省林業試驗所係主任、研究員、所長、亞熱帶生態學學會理事長、國際長期生態研究網指導委員會主席、颱北市生態藝術協會理事長、颱灣大學<森林生態係經營>兼任教授。