This work presents significant new readings in ethnomycology, a discipline that examines the role of fungi in human affairs. The greatest cultural and historical impact of mushrooms has resulted from psychoactive compounds found in certain species, and native interpretations of their mental effects in humans, as revealed through intensive multidisciplinary studies coordinated by the late R. Gordon Wasson, the father of ethnomycology. Wasson's research in the 1950s led to the elucidation of mushroom cultism in Mexico, a phenomenon dismissed as unfounded rumor by "experts" only a few decades earlier. Discoveries made by Wasson and his collaborators intersect a staggering number of disciplines, so much so that individual fields have had difficulty assimilating them. The Sacred Mushrooms of Mexico presents six texts concerning the mushrooms. Five of them are translations of relevant scholarly sources in Spanish previously unavailable in English. The sixth is a transcript of The Sacred Mushroom, a celebrated episode of the classic television series "One Step Beyond." This TV program may have been the only show in broadcast history in which the host ingested hallucinogenic mushrooms and endured their effects on camera for the viewing pleasure of the home audience.

About the Author
Brian P. Akers, Ph.D., Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, has written a number of articles on ethnomycology and fungal systematics published in scientific journals. He is a member of the Mycological Society of America and the North American Mycological Association.

Reviews
The true value of this book lies in the introductions and footnotes. These set the scene, with perceptive remarks on the diverse dramatis personae who have written about sacred mushrooms....This is a short and well-presented account of sacred mushrooms and their uses in Mexico, presenting old but fresh information that enriches the literature. * Economic Botany *



Book Information
ISBN 9780761835820
Author Brian P. Akers
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint University Press of America
Publisher University Press of America
Weight(grams) 313g
Dimensions(mm) 223mm * 152mm * 16mm