Sacred Mushroom of Visions
Teonanácatl

Edited by
Ralph Metzner, Ph.D.
with Diane Conn Darling

Published by Park Street Press, 2005

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Teonanácatl was the name given to the visionary mushrooms of indigenous Mesoamerica by the Aztecs, who used them in shamanic religious ceremonies for healing and divination. Condemned by the Catholic church and driven underground, the mushroom cult re-appeared in mainstream Western culture through an article in LIFE magazine in 1957 by the legendary ethnomycologist R. Gordon Wasson, who wrote about his participation in a mushroom ceremony with a Mazatec sage woman healer named Maria Sabina. The psychoactive principle of the visionary mushroom was identified as psilocybin by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann, the discoverer of LSD. Psilocybin has beeen used as an adjunct to psychotherapy, prisoner rehabilitation, enhancement of creativity and catalyst for mystical experience; and is presently being studied as a treatment for OCD. The use of the mushroom, both wild and cultivated, spread from Mexico into North America and Europe, by seekers of consciousness expanding experiences – whether for self-understanding, spiritual exploration, creative inspiration or recreational hedonism. A worldwide mushroom culture was born that, like ayahuasca and other plant-based entheogens, still exerts, to this day, a hidden but profound influence in the worldwide renewal of a spiritual relationship with the natural world.

"This book provides an outstanding, comprehensive gathering of vital information from the psychedelic world. Experiences reported in this book permit a view of the astronomical ranges of consciousness reaching vastly beyond our ordinary understanding, revealing the incredible beauty and wonder of our universe, and the enormous potential that lies waiting for the serious seeker." Myron Stolaroff, researcher and writer, author of From Thanatos to Eros. "This is a wonderful compilation of scientific information, historical lore, and experiential reports about the magical psilocybe mushrooms. This book tells how the magic mushroom came out of humble obscurity in the mountains of Mexico, to be the focuse of a subculture in North America and around the world. It is sure to be treasured for years to come." Andrew Weil, MD, author of The Natural Mind, Spontaneous Healing.

Introduction: Visionary Mushrooms of the Americas Ralph Metzner 1. Ethnomycology and Distribution of the Psilocybian Mushrooms John Allen and James Arthur 2. Global Ecologies, World Distribution and Relative Potency of Psilocybin Mushrooms Paul Stamets 3. The Wondrous Mushroom Legacy of R. Gordon Wasson Thomas Riedlinger 4. Biochemistry and Neuropharmacology of Psilocybin Mushrooms David Presti and David Nichols 5. A History of the Use of Psilocybin in Psychotherapy Torsten Passie 6. Prisoner Behavior Change and Experimental Mysticism: Two Classic Studies from the Harvard Psilocybin Project Diane Darling, Rick Doblin and Ralph Metzner 7. A Note on Current Psilocybin Research Projects Rick Doblin, Ph.D. 8. The Mushroom Initiation of the High Priest Timothy Leary 9. Initial Experiences from the Harvard Psilocybin Project Ralph Metzner 10. Experiential Teachings of the Mushroom Spirits The Mushroom Beings Would Help Us Return to our True Nature Leila Castle The Land of Eternal Waiting - Report of a Mushroom Experience with Maria Sabina Frederick Swain A Mazatec Indian Curandero's Healing Practice Using Psychoactive Mushrooms Bret Blosser I Was Awed by the Mysterious Precision and Generosity of the Mushroom Spirits Raoul Adamson I Was Being Told to Paint with the Blood of My Heart Kate S. I Was Having a Conversation with the Sun Evan Psilo Shadow, Be My Friend Ganesha Where Ancient Spirits Dwell and the Air Hums with Magic and Mystery Cat L. My Heart was the Doorway to Greater Vision and Awareness Abraham L. It Was the Divine Play of Hide and Seek Jason Serle The Power of Heart in the Face of Darkness Mindfire Encounter and Metamorphosis with the Sirenian Leopold My Role, However Humble, was Necessary and Cosmically Inspired Phil O. Cybe I Felt the Vitality of What It was Like to Be Primitive Thirdpalissy I Saw My Entire Worldview and Value System Realign David S. Pondering the Separation between What I Experience and What Actually Is Mark Bryan I Remember What It was Like Before I had This Face Jack Silver We Are All Actors and Directors in a Giant Cosmic Drama Mark A. Schroll, Ph.D. The Little Beings Tell Me that Laughing is Also Holy Karin Riese Mushroom Magic in the Lightning Field Martin Goodman