Plantes psychotropes. Initiations, thérapies et quêtes de soi

Fly agaric, peyote, ayahuasca, San Pedro, iboga, tobacco, and absinthe: all these psychotropic plants and others are consumed in many societies, in South America, Africa, and right in the heart of Europe and the USA. This book unites international experts from several disciplines, such as anthropology, ethnopharmacology, philosophy, psychology and medicine, to address the historical usages of these plants in various settings. These include initiations specific to the traditional shamanic cultures, therapies and experiments conducted with drug addicts, and spiritual quests and courses for people in search of new spiritualities, characteristic of the reappropriation logic of the New Age movement. The authors analyze the somatic and psychic effects of these psychotropic plants as well as the circumstances and motivations of people involved in these activities. Without censorship or taboos, with rigor and a constant concern for objectivity, the 16 chapters of this collection offer an original reflection to a sensitive and highly debated topic. This effort represents a dense contribution to the French speaking world.