Vine of the Soul: Medicine Men, Their Plants and Rituals in the Colombian Amazonia

by Richard Evans Schultes PhD, Robert F. Raffauf PhD, Wade Davis (Preface by)

Overview

Vine of the Soul is an exceptional photographic essay accompanied by detailed descriptions of the Amazonians’ use of medicinal and other sacred plant substances. 

Over 160 documentary photos, some of the most signifi cant ever taken on the subject, bring the reader along a journey to a world in which healing with plants, ritual and magic play an essential role in everyday life. Richard Evans Schultes, former Director of the Botanical Museum of Harvard University, led an extraordinary life that bridged the worlds of academia and tribal cultures. Carrying out extensive fi eld studies since 1939 as an ethnobotanist and conservationist, Schultes has received acclaim from many sources, including the Cross of Boyacá— Colombia’s highest honor, the Tyler Prize for environmental achievement, the Linnean Gold Medal, the highest prize a botanist can receive, and many more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780907791317
Publisher:	SYNERGETIC PR
Publication date:	01/01/2003
Pages:	290
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	16 - 18 Years

About the Author

Robert F. Raffauf spent 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry concentrating on the search for novel medicinal agents from natural sources, which included several expeditions to Amazon with Dr. Schultes. He was a fellow of the Linnean Society of London, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Research Associate of the Botanical Museum of Harvard University.

Richard Evans Schultes is known as the father of contemporary ethnobotany, he carried out extensive field studies, particularly in the Amazon. He received numerous awards including the Cross of Boyaca, Colombia’s highest honor, and the annual Gold Medal of the World Wildlife Fund. In 1987 he received the prestigious Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, and in 1992 he was awarded the Linnean Gold Medal, the highest award a botanist can receive. Dr. Schultes was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Linnean Society of London, three Latin American Academies, the Academy of India, and the Third World Academy of Sciences.

Table of Contents

	Dedication	iv
	Preface	v
	Foreword	1
	Introduction (including acknowledgements)	8
	Plants in Cosmic Communication	20
	Payes in the Community	64
	Plants of Secondary Importance	86
	Indian Beliefs	142
	Religion
	Superstitions
	Sacred Dances	164
	Music
	Masks
	Abodes of Spirits	192
	Forests
	Rivers and Rapids
	Mountains
	Caves and Crevasses
	Sculptured Rocks
	Births and Contraception	220
	Art and Architecture	230
	Petroglyphs
	Wall Paintings
	The Maloca and the Cosmos
	Hunting and Fishing Rituals and Plants	242
	Curare
	Fish Poisons
	Epilogue	274
	Glossary	276
	Index to Quotations	280

Editorial Reviews

Quite simply a masterpiece. . . . Vine of the Soul deserves to be read by everyone interested in rainforests, indigenous peoples, shamanism, hallucinogens, ethnomedicine and conservation.” –Mark Plotkin, President, Amazon Conservation Team

“Even to look at the book’s cover . . . conjures up, well, another world! The giant Ayahuasca vine hanging the length of the Great Tree . . . with the deep green rainforest jungle as backdrop, teeming with . . . dangers and delights! Adventures! Unpredictabilities! Nothing ever standing still! Surprises teeming around every corner. Vine of the Soul contains some of the most significant photographs on this subject ever taken plus detailed descriptions of the use of plant substances, with information on their bioactive chemistry. This is a book you’ll go back to throughout your life.” –Fraser Clark, UP! magazine, Parallel University

“Vine of the Soul is replete with synergism. The inclusion of the preface by Wade Davis, a former student of Dr. Schultes, and a dedication in the fore-material is a welcome addition to the second edition. All writing in the book . . . complements the scholarship and the incredible photographs, making the whole better than the separate parts. Each segment fits the other like hand and glove, as smoothly as heavy cream pouring from a pitcher. Synergetic Press is to be commended for publishing Vine of the Soul. It will be useful and appreciated by many at all levels . . . is a highly recommended book.” –Willard Van Asdall, retired professor, University of Arizona, former editor, Journal of Ethnobiology

From the Publisher