Psychoactive plants & fungi

Engel, Liam2026

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Location	Collection	Call number	Status/Desc
NORTH RYDE	ADULT NON-FICTION	581.64 ENGE	Arrival Pending (Set: 20 Mar 2026)
NORTH RYDE	ON ORDER		On Order (Set: 07 Jan 2026)

What connects Siberian shamans, Amazonian healers, medieval monks and Silicon Valley biohackers? Why have humans across every culture sought out plants that alter perception, mood and consciousness? And how did humble species like the betel leaf or kanna come to shape entire rituals, economies and belief systems? Psychoactive Plants & Fungi is a vivid, accessible introduction to 42 remarkable botanicals that have captivated, healed and transformed people throughout history. From everyday stimulants like coffee and tea to rare ceremonial plants like iboga or khat leaf, each profile explores the species' cultural origins, traditional uses and mind-altering effects - many of which remain central to spiritual practices, social customs and even modern wellness trends. Richly illustrated and global in scope, the book brings together folklore, pharmacology and anthropology to show how psychoactive species have shaped human experience - both ordinary and extraordinary. This is not a field guide or a how-to manual, but a cultural companion for the curious reader: part ethnobotanical history, part celebration of our long and complex relationship with the plant and fungi kingdoms.