Psychoactivity: The Fountain of Culture - Christian Ratsch

ShaolinSubz** · 06-28-2007, 10:01 AM

Christian Ratsch is an author, an anthropologist and Germany's leading expert on ethnopharmacology. He lived for three years with the Lacandon Indians in Chiapas, Mexico and did his doctoral thesis on their spells and incantations. Ratsch works in Hamburg, Germany, as a freelance author and lecturer and conducts research into the ethnopharmacology of psychoactive plants and animals. He has published a number of books on these topics, both in German and in English, and is the founder and co-editor of The Yearbook of Ethnomedicine and the Study of Consciousness.

Psychoactivity: The Fountain of Culture
Christian Ratsch
51 min 55 sec
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Review
Andy Wickens, Library Journal, August 2005 : “. . . this superb academic reference is the first comprehensive work devoted to psychoactive plants. Ratsch, an anthropologist, ethnopharmacologist, . . . includes more than 400 traditional and modern substances that ‘affect the mind or alter the state of consciousness’. . . .Each major monograph contains the plant’s scientific and common names, chemical structure, history, distribution, cultivation, appearance, preparation and dosage, ritual and medicinal uses, commercial forms and regulations, and effects, as well as research literature references. . . .This book offers something for everyone. . . . Highly recommended.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Rätsch

childrenofbodom** · 06-28-2007, 11:25 AM

i don't like his first name, lol jk.

but its reminiscent of alexander shulgin and his books, phikal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Shulgin

ShaolinSubz** · 06-28-2007, 11:30 AM

Ahhh yes ^^^^ The father of MDMA!

childrenofbodom** · 06-28-2007, 01:38 PM

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Originally Posted by ShaolinSubz

Ahhh yes ^^^^ The father of MDMA!

speaking of which anyone going to EDC ?? imma get a f-load of mdma... and paaaaaaaarrtaaaaaaaaaaaay!!

NHB7 · 06-28-2007, 01:46 PM

I've read a couple books about psychoactive drugs done by Shamans and it just sounds like those experiences are life changing. I would love to try, but every book I have read, the western dude that experiments with them nearly shits his pants in terror. And I get paranoid if I even smell pot.

ShaolinSubz** · 06-28-2007, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NHB7

I've read a couple books about psychoactive drugs done by Shamans and it just sounds like those experiences are life changing. I would love to try, but every book I have read, the western dude that experiments with them nearly shits his pants in terror. And I get paranoid if I even smell pot.

Lol! You have to have an experienced 'guide' with you and make sure not only set and setting are correct, but also that your state of mind and toxicology is as clean as possible. Even then depending on your chosen magik its in the hand of the 'gods' so to speak. DMT sounds very interesting to me, I created a thread about it a while back but have not chased the idea outside a few phonecalls... **makes mental note - chase up %%%% **

Mithra · 06-30-2007, 01:55 PM

Why is it that the people who espouse these drugs all happen to look like crazy hippies?