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Psychoactive Plants & Fungi
A cultural guide to 42 plants and fungi that shift the mind
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From biochemistry to myth, medicine and meaning - discover the species that shaped rituals, rewired minds and transformed societies.
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.
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.
Extent: 228 pp
Format: Hardback
Illustrations: approx 330 images
Publication date: 2026-03-03
Size: 25.9 x 19.6 cm
ISBN: 9781760764876
Praise for Psychoactive Plants & Fungi
This handsomely illustrated and scientifically informed work on psychoactive plants and fungi is a testament to how mainstream interest in these botanicals has become... While we are increasingly familiar with the therapeutic and recreational uses of magic mushrooms, peyote cactus and ayahuasca, this book introduces a fascinating selection of the many other psychoactive plants that have played a role in shaping cultures and consciousness around the world.
The Sydney Morning Herald
About the Author
Dr Liam Engel is an ethnobotanist, natural products chemist and science communicator specialising in psychoactive plants. Based in Sydney, Liam's work spans chemistry, pharmacology, botany and social science, and is underpinned by advocacy for drug law reform. Liam conducts research at the National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, and is co-founder of The Mescaline Garden educational nursery.
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