Christian Rätsch, Ph.D. (1957 – 2022), was a world-renowned anthropologist and ethnopharmacologist who specialized in the shamanic uses of plants. He is the author of The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants and Marijuana Medicine, and coauthor of Shamanism and Tantra in the Himalayas and Witchcraft Medicine. He lived in Hamburg, Germany, and lectured around the world. Richard Evans Schultes (1915-2001) was a Jeffrey Professor of Biology and Director of the Botanical Museum at Harvard University, considered by many to be the father of modern ethnobotany. Albert Hofmann (1906-2008), discoverer of LSD, was a world renowned research biochemist.

• Plants of the Gods Their Sacred, Healing and Hallucinogenic Powers Preface Introduction 1. What are Plant Hallucinogens 2. The Plant Kingdom 3. Phytochemical Research on Sacred Plants 4. Geography of Usage and Botanical Range 5. Plant Lexicon 6. Users of Hallucinogenic Plants 7. Overview of Plant Use 8. Fourteen Major Hallucinogenic Plants 9. Mainstay of the Heavens 10. The Hexing Herbs 11. The Nectar of Delight 12. St. Anthony's Fire 13. Holy Flower of the North Star 14. Guide to the Ancestors 15. Beans of the Hekula Spirit 16. Seeds of Civilization 17. The Magic Drink of the Amazon 18. Ayahuasca Analogs 19 Trumpets of the Angels 20. The Tracks of the Little Deer 21. Little Flowers of the Gods 22. Diviner's Sage 23. Cactus of the Four Winds 24. Vines of the Serpent 25. Semen of the Sun 26. Gateway to Dreamtime 27. Chemical Structures of Hallucinogens 28. Uses of Hallucinogens on Medicine Epilogue Picture Credits Bibliography Acknowledgments Index

"This superbly illustrated, encyclopedic volume provides a much needed, well-balanced scientific perspective on the use of hallucinogenic plants. Richard Evans Schultes, the worlds most eminent ethnobotanist, and Albert Hofmann, the former research director at Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, emphasize the need for continued education about both the potential benefits and the inherent dangers involved in the use of hallucinogens."