Aztec Gods Magic mushrooms: oz

Hallucinogenic cacti, plants, and mushrooms were used to induce altered states of consciousness in rituals and healing ceremonies. The Maya ingested balché (mead and Lonchocarpus extract ) in group ceremonies to achieve intoxication. They also used ritual enemas containing psychoactive substances to induce trance states. The Olmecs, Zapotecs, Maya, and Aztecs used peyote, hallucinogenic mushrooms (teonanacatl: Psilocybe spp.), and ololiuhqui seeds ( Turbina corymbosa ), which contain mescaline, psilocybin, and lysergic acid amide, respectively. The skin of the toad Bufo spp. contains bufotoxins, with hallucinogenic properties, and has been used since the Olmec period. Datura stramonium ( Datura estramonio ), wild tobacco ( Nicotiana rustica ), water lily ( Nymphaea ampla ), and shepherd’s leaf ( Salvia divinorum ) were used for their psychotropic effects. Fungal stones dating back 3,000 years have been found in ritual contexts in Mesoamerica. Archaeological evidence of peyote use dates back more than 5,000 years. Various chroniclers, including Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, reported its effects in the 16th century.