Ethnobotanyjournal
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Haoma: unveiling the mysteries of Iran's sacred Zoroastrian botanical wonder
class known as the Magi. Haoma is consumed during the Yasna, symbolizing communion with the divine and facilitating
ResearchGate
researchgate.net › publication › 304156305_Psychoactive_Plants_Used_during_Religious_Rituals
(PDF) Psychoactive Plants Used during Religious Rituals
July 1, 2016 - Its consumption during religious rituals is thought to facilitate communication with the divine and foster spiritual ecstasy, enlightenment, and union with Ahura Mazda · (Sayin 2016(Sayin ,2014. Moreover, Haoma embodies the concept of righteousness and ethical living in Zoroastrianism, reminding adherents of the importance of purity, truth, and moral conduct (Mills 1907, Sarianidi 2003.
What is Homa/Soma/Haoma?
The plant Homa or Soma is not to be found and studied. It is all a matter of speculation. At the same time ancient documents are not complete to shed light on it. So everything we say is speculative. Moreover teachings of Zarathustra advices us to progress and not be stuck in the Past. More on reddit.com
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January 18, 2024a silly question on smoking
Historically, Zoroastrianism has condemned the use of tobacco due to its perceived misuse of fire, which is sacred. If you agree with this interpretation, then all smoked drugs are equally sinful because they are smoked, not because they are made with tobacco, cannabis, etc. More on reddit.com
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November 22, 2017Ancient Zoroastrian rituals used psychedelics. So interesting!
Unexpected r/joerogan
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September 11, 2019AKJournals
akjournals.com › view › journals › 2054 › 3 › 2 › article-p104.xml
Soma and Haoma: Ayahuasca analogues from the Late Bronze Age in: Journal of Psychedelic Studies Volume 3 Issue 2 (2019)
June 1, 2019 - These considerations are what initially led me to the ayahuasca analogue hypothesis, as the structure and performance of the ritual during which ayahuasca is drunk by members of one the churches that use it as a sacrament, namely the church ...
Encyclopedia.com
encyclopedia.com › environment › encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps › haoma
Haoma | Encyclopedia.com
What is certain, however, is that the Indo-Iranian form serves as evidence of a common ritual background in Iran and India. We also know that in both countries the original substance has been substituted with another; for centuries Zoroastrians have continued to use a species of Ephedra in their ritual sacrifices.
Cannabis Culture
cannabisculture.com › home › the herb of the magi: zoroaster’s good narcotic
The Herb of the Magi: Zoroaster's Good Narcotic | Cannabis Culture
July 12, 2025 - In reference to Zoroastrian expeditions into the world of the afterlife, Shaul Shaked noted that “The preparation of this journey was done… by administering to the officiant a dose of mang (hemp), mixed with wine” (Shaked, 1999). “Zoroaster is commonly said to have spiked the haoma with mang, which was probably hashish.
ResearchGate
researchgate.net › publication › 263735111_PSYCHOACTIVE_BOTANICALS_IN_RITUAL_RELIGION_AND_SHAMANISM
(PDF) PSYCHOACTIVE BOTANICALS IN RITUAL, RELIGION, AND SHAMANISM
January 1, 2005 - traditions of Iran (Zoroastrianism, Mithraism, Manichaeaism) may also derive from this
Harvard Center for the Study of World Religions
cswr.hds.harvard.edu › publications › psychedelic-intersections › soma-question-gerety
The Soma Question: Interrogating the History of Psychedelics with Sanskrit Mantras | Center for the Study of World Religions
Drawing on the exhaustive surveys of Wendy Doniger and Matthew Clark,14 I consider below the most prominent of these candidates, including the psychoactive constituents in play. In the late nineteenth century, soma was presented as an Indian substitute for mead, an alcoholic drink made from fermented honey, evoking the Indo-European past.15 This same period saw advances in the study of Zoroastrian traditions, the leading pre-Islamic religion of early Iran, which emerged from the same Indo-Iranian background as Vedic traditions.
UC Berkeley
psychedelics.berkeley.edu › home › religion/spirituality
Psychedelics, Religion and Spirituality - UC Berkeley BCSP
July 2, 2024 - Pre-Incan civilizations consumed the San Pedro cactus, which contains mescaline; Vedic and Zoroastrian traditions consumed soma, which some scholars believe may have been based on mushrooms containing psychoactive ingredients; Bantu diviners ...
DoubleBlind Magazine
doubleblindmag.com › home › the mystery of the dream-inducing plants of ancient iran
The Mystery of the Dream-Inducing Plants of Ancient Iran
January 11, 2024 - Still, Syrian rue isn’t often thought of as a psychoactive plant. The herb’s connection to altered states is largely unknown by laypeople. “There hasn’t been a continuous connection, I guess, to this realm of dreams or the archetypal ...
Qeios
qeios.com › read › IFKWO7
Sacred Plants and Their Miraculous or Healing Properties - Article (Preprint v1) by Ana Maria Rosso | Qeios
January 17, 2024 - The purpose of this article is to study the 'sacred' plants, diverse from those exclusively medicinal but with an unquestionable ethnobotanical value because, added to their healing properties, they develop mystical experiences and altered states of...
Iresearchnet
transpersonal-psychology.iresearchnet.com › home › sacred plants and their role in cross-cultural spiritual practices
Sacred Plants and Their Role in Cross-Cultural Spiritual Practices - iResearchNet
February 17, 2025 - For example, the ancient Sumerians used cannabis in their religious rites, as noted in cuneiform texts that highlight its psychoactive properties (Clarke & Merlin, 2013). Similarly, archaeological findings in the Americas indicate that indigenous cultures employed peyote and other entheogenic plants in rituals aimed at invoking spiritual guidance and healing (Anderson, 1993). These practices underscore the historical significance of sacred plants as tools for communion with the divine and as facilitators of altered states of consciousness.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/zoroastrianism › what is homa/soma/haoma?
r/Zoroastrianism on Reddit: What is Homa/Soma/Haoma?
January 18, 2024 -
What is Homa?
is it intoxicating? Does it alter your state of consciousness? if not, what does it do physically?
When is it used? for what spiritual/ritual purpose?
Can only priests use it?
How did Sassanians use Homa?
I have heard mostly approving opinions from Zoroastrians. I have not read many sources, but am have been confused why this Oxford Reference link cited from Sociologist/Mythologist Arthur Cotterell says Zoroaster disapproved of Homa's "filthy drunkenness?"
- Does anyone know the nature of this dispute?
https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095919919?p=emailA0NrtDKoQrx32&d=/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095919919
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The plant Homa or Soma is not to be found and studied. It is all a matter of speculation. At the same time ancient documents are not complete to shed light on it. So everything we say is speculative. Moreover teachings of Zarathustra advices us to progress and not be stuck in the Past.
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It is a polular assumption that Haoma and Soma are the same substance of proto-indoiranian tribes, which separeted into Vedas and Mazda teachings respectively. No one can tell for sure what plant were used for it, and it can totally be extinct (we saw it before like many plant species go extinct due to overharvest). All we know is that this plant was common in the region of Sogdiana and Bactria (Tajikistan and Eastern Afghanistan), specifically in the mountainous terrain. According to some notes, Haoma might be alcoholic (to unknown degree) in nature, made of barley, milk and water plus the juice of this plant. It is also noted, that process involved squeezing the juice out of the plant and no mention of boiling the plant, which suggests that the plant might be shrubs or herbs with high percentage of liquid in stems. There is a notion that in modern (vedic) Soma this plant is Sarcostemma/Cynanchum Viminalis, however it is explicitly stated that it is not what was used originally. Some say this shrub might be ephedra, but I have two doubts about it. First, you are not getting high on ephedra. It's more like a coffee or khat. Increases heartbeat and blood pressure. So while I enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning, but no so much to proclaim it is godlike. Second, its effects basically opposite to many effects of alcohol. So if we assume that haoma had alcohol in it, it makes no sense to put ephedrine in there too.
Sacred Sites
sacredsites.com › home › content › sacred places
Psychoactive Plants - World Pilgrimage Guide
March 13, 2025 - The insights gained from the marijuana high by the ancient worshippers were considered to be of divine origin and the plant itself an "angel" or messenger of the gods. The sacramental use of marijuana predates written history and this tradition continues with diverse tribes in Africa, certain Hindu sects, Muslim fakirs and Sufis, Rastafarians, as well as modern Occultists and Pagans.
Psychedelicsociety
psychedelicsociety.org.uk › read › 15-sacred-plants-for-healing
Ancient Wisdom: 15 Sacred Plants From Around the World — The Psychedelic Society
September 15, 2025 - From ancient China and India to early Christian and Islamic traditions, cannabis has been revered as a powerful healing ally and spiritual teacher. In Hinduism, cannabis is associated with Lord Shiva and is consumed during religious festivals as a sacrament. The plant appears in the Atharva Veda as one of the five sacred plants, where it's described as a source of happiness and liberation. Traditional Ayurvedic medicine recognizes cannabis as having profound healing properties for both body and mind. The plant's psychoactive compounds, particularly THC and CBD, interact with the human endocannabinoid system—a network that regulates everything from mood and memory to pain and inflammation.
The Atlantic
theatlantic.com › health › archive › 2013 › 12 › religion-as-a-product-of-psychotropic-drug-use › 282484
Religion as a Product of Psychotropic Drug Use - The Atlantic
January 8, 2018 - Allegro also suggested that the information concerning the use of Amanita muscaria as a religious fertility sacrament was subject to great secrecy, the provenance of a priestly sect.
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Haoma
Haoma - Wikipedia
March 1, 2026 - Haoma (/ˈhoʊmə/; Avestan: 𐬵𐬀𐬊𐬨𐬀) is a divine plant in Zoroastrianism and in later Persian culture and mythology. Haoma has its origins in Indo-Iranian religion and is the cognate of Vedic soma. Both Avestan haoma and Sanskrit soma derived from proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma.
ScienceDirect
sciencedirect.com › science › article › pii › B9780128006344000020
Psychoactive Plants Used during Religious Rituals - ScienceDirect
April 29, 2016 - Some of the psychoactive ingredients ... were opium, cannabis (tetrahydrocannabinol), psilocybin, mescaline, ibogaine, dimethyltryptamine, Peganum harmala, bufotenin, muscimol, thujone, ephedra, mandragora, Salvia divinorum, ...
Matador
matadornetwork.com › bnt › 15-sacred-plants-around-world
15 Sacred Plants From Cultures Around the World
July 28, 2014 - Several mesolithic rock paintings from Tassili n’Ajjer, a prehistoric North African site of the Capsian culture, depicted the shamanic use of mushrooms. Mushroom motifs have been found in Mayan temple ruins in Guatemala, and there’s a long history of use among the native peoples of Mesoamerica for religious communion, divination, and healing.
ResearchGate
researchgate.net › publication › 269526783_The_Consumption_of_Psychoactive_Plants_in_Ancient_Global_and_Anatolian_Cultures_During_Religious_Rituals_The_Roots_of_the_Eruption_of_Mythological_Figures_and_Common_Symbols_in_Religions_and_Myths
(PDF) The Consumption of Psychoactive Plants in Ancient Global and Anatolian Cultures During Religious Rituals: The Roots of the Eruption of Mythological Figures and Common Symbols in Religions and Myths
June 10, 2014 - absinthium, Salvia divinorum, Dionysian ritual, mandragora
USDA Forest Service
fs.usda.gov › wildflowers › ethnobotany › Mind_and_Spirit
Plants of Mind and Spirit
Psychoactive plants, particularly ... often referred to as plants of the gods, plant teachers, or magical and healing plants. These plants are sacred because they allow the living to contact and commune with gods (entheogens) or drive out evil spirits....