The Tawny One

Dr. Matthew Clark is a Research Associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London), where he has taught courses on Hinduism. He has spent many years in India, which he first visited in 1977. He first engaged with yoga in the mid-1970s and lectures regularly on yoga and philosophy. His publications include 'The Dasanami-Samnyasis: The Integration of Ascetic Lineages into an Order (2006)', which is a study of a sect of sadhus, and a short book on the origins and practices of yoga (2007). He is also a song-writer and musician (Mahabongo).

• 1. Introduction2. Soma in the Vedas and yoga texts3. Haoma in the Avesta4. ‘Substitutes’ for soma in South Asia5. What are the effects of soma/haoma?6. The botanical identification of soma/haoma: an overview7. Cannabis/hemp8. Altered states of consciousness and demarcation criteria9. Diverse theories about soma/haoma10. Ephedra11. Fly-agaric mushrooms (Amanita muscaria)12. Syrian rue (Peganum harmala)13. Many plants are soma/haoma14. A renewed case for a psychedelic: ayahuasca15. Vedic and ayahuasca rituals16. Greek mystery rites17. Kykeōn and the ergot hypothesis18. Bronze Age origins of entheogenic cults19. Rejoinders to the ayahuasca thesis20. Concluding remarksReferencesList of abbreviationsAppendix 1: The Vedic sacrificial arena for agniṣṭoma ritesAppendix 2: Arundo donax (giant reed)Appendix 3: Darbha/Kuśa grassAppendix 4: Brief outline of the three largest Brazilian ayahuasca churchesAppendix 5: States of consciousness (diagram from METZNER 2009: 64)Appendix 6: Pre-Columbian trans-Pacific contact?Index