Anadenanthera: Visionary Plant Of Ancient South America (Paperback)

~ Constantino Torres (Author), David Repke (Author) "The genus Anadenanthera Spegazzini is in the section Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, order Fabales..." (more)
Key Phrases: colubrina var, snuff trays, snuffing equipment, San Pedro de Atacama, Reis Altschul, South America (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"AUTHORS TORRES AND REPKE HAVE SET A NEW STANDARD FOR INVESTIGATIONS INTO NATIVE PHARMACOLOGY, INDIGENOUS MYTHOLOGIES, AND ANCIENT ART." -- Alana Cordy-Collins, PhD, Professor of Anthropology, University of San Diego

"This scholarly work is destined to be a classic and will surely grace the bookshelves of a diverse reading audience." -- Stacy Schaefer, PhD, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Co-Director, Museum of Anthropology, California State University, Chico

Product Description

A multidisciplinary study of pre-Columbian South America—centering on the psychoactive plant genus Anadenanthera

As cultures formed and evolved in pre-Columbian South America, Anadenanthera became one of the most widely used shamanic inebriants. Anadenanthera: Visionary Plant of Ancient South America is more than a comprehensive reference on shamanic visionary substances; it is a useful tool for archeologists and pre-Columbian art historians. This thorough book examines the ritual and cultural use of Anadenanthera from prehistory to the present, along with its botany, chemistry, pharmacology, anthropology, and archeology.

The earliest evidence for the use of psychoactive plants in South America is provided by remains of seeds and pods recovered from archeological sites four millennia old. Various preparations were derived from it with the intent of being a shamanic inebriant. Inhaled through the nose, smoked in pipes or as cigars, and prepared in fermented drinks, Anadenanthera served a central role in the cultural development of indigenous societies in South America. Anadenanthera: Visionary Plant of Ancient South America explores the full spectrum of information gleaned from research, covering numerous archeological sites in the Andean region, as well as discussing Amazonian shamanic rituals and lore. Analyses of the artistic expressions within the decorations of associated ceremonial paraphernalia such as ritual snuffing tubes and snuff trays are included. The text is richly illustrated with photographs and images of decorated ritual implements, and provides a comprehensive bibliography.

Anadenanthera: Visionary Plant of Ancient South America explores:

botanical aspects, taxonomy, and geographical distribution of Anadenanthera

ethnographical, historical, and traditional aspects of Anadenanthera use

chemical and pharmacological investigations of the genus and the various visionary preparations derived from it—with emphasis on the biologically active constituents

theories of the mechanisms of action of the active tryptamines and carboline alkaloids

comparisons of wood anatomy, morphology, and percentage of alkaloid content

evaluation of stylistic and iconographic traits

Anadenanthera: Visionary Plant of Ancient South America is a thorough, useful resource for archeologists, anthropologists, chemists, researchers, pre-Columbian art historians, and any layperson interested in pre-Columbian art, archeology, or visionary plants.

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (March 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789026422
• ISBN-13: 978-0789026422
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #392,349 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The most thorough piece of work on the subject, July 19, 2007

By	Baron - See all my reviews

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This is to date the most comprehensive piece of work in existence covering the Anadenanthera species of trees from the perspective of their huge influence on indigenous culture in South America. This covers the botany of Anadenanthera, archeological evidence for the past use of Anadenanthera preparations with many photos of artifacts found, current Anadenanthera usage and related rituals among many existing tribes; it also covers the many chemicals found in Anadenanthera, and finally the pharmacology of bufotenine (the main active constituent of Anadenanthera beans). There is a wealth of information gathered from many different sources.

This is purely a reference book. It is very precise and to the point. While this work is very comprehensive it does lack a few things. In chapter 5, "The Pharmacology of Bufotenine", it sites many animal and human studies, covering toxicity, effects on various neurotransmitter sites in the brain, as well as other detail, but offers little information to the reader concerning dosage, various routes of administration, and doesn't convey to the reader what a bufotenine experience is actual like first hand. These are perhaps the most important elements of the subject and they are lacking. Also, most of these studies are based on acidic salt forms of bufotenine that were never used by indigenous cultures. Different forms of bufotenine have very different effects on human beings. For example, bufotenine oxalate, bufotenine hydrochloride, etc., are acidic salts of bufotenine, and they produce stronger unpleasant side effects than free base bufotenine. Because of the addition of lime, most Anadenanthera bean preparations do not contain acidic salts of bufotenine.

The information from Jonathan Ott found in The Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, September 2001, Pharmanopo-Psychonautics covering dosage and various routes of administration would help fill some of the knowledge gaps of this book.

Various different Anadenanthera bean preparations for making Yopo, Vilca, etc., are given from a cultural perspective and spread all over the book. It is difficult to find them without reading the entire book. Perhaps a small chapter on preparations alone would be warranted. It would be helpful to the reader if the steps used for these preparations were outlined and each step explained in detail. For example, the wide spread use of lime as an admixture to the bean preparations is mentioned, but no where is the scientific reason for it given. It's known, for example, that the addition of lime causes an important chemical reaction to take place, both reducing the side effects and making the bean preparations more psychoactive, but this is not mentioned in detail anywhere in the book.

First hand, detailed descriptions of the actual effects one experiences from Anadenanthera bean preparations such as Yopo and Vilca are completely absent. It is in fact the human experience of the effects of Anadenanthera bean preparations that have dramatically shaped many South American cultures. Because the reader is left with a void concerning the actual effects one experiences from Anadenanthera bean preparations, the reader cannot fully appreciate the impact Anadenanthera has had on these cultures. The reader is left with an outsider's point of view. For this book to be a 5 star book there must be an entire chapter solely devoted to the effects of Anadenanthera bean preparations on human consciousness. Because this is sorely lacking, and is in fact the heart of the history surrounding Anadenanthera, I have to give this book 4 stars instead of 5.