Drugs of the Dreaming: Oneirogens: Salvia divinorum and Other Dream-Enhancing Plants

by Gianluca Toro

The first comprehensive guide to oneirogens--naturally occurring substances that induce and enhance dreaming

• Includes extensive monographs on dream-enhancing substances derived from plant, animal, and human sources

• Presents the results of scientific experiments on the effects of using oneirogens

• Shows how studies in this area of ethnobotany can yield a scientific understanding of the mysterious mechanism of dreams

Oneirogens are plant and animal substances that have long been used to facilitate powerful and productive dreaming. From the beginning of civilization, dreams have guided the inner and outer life of human beings both in relation to each other and to the divine. For centuries shamans have employed oneirogens in finding meaning and healing in their dreams.

Drugs of the Dreaming details the properties and actions of these dream allies, establishing ethnobotanical profiles for 35 oneirogens, including those extracted from organic sources--such as Calea zacatechichi (dream herb or “leaf of the god”), Salvia divinorum , and a variety of plants from North and South America and the Pacific used in shamanic practices--as well as synthetically derived oneirogens. They explain the historical use of each oneirogen, its method of action, and what light it sheds on the scientific mechanism of dreaming. They conclude that oneirogens enhance the comprehensibility and facility of the dream/dreamer relationship and hold a powerful key for discerning the psychological needs and destinies of dreamers in the modern world.

Genres: Nonfiction

149 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2007

Reviews

[Spider Goddess · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is enjoyable and a good primer for those beginning their research into this topic. However, if you have already been considering, experimenting, and studying this subject for any length of time, this book is much too elementary. It is evident that the authors are rather knowledgeable, and it would be great if they were to write a second, thicker, more advanced book on this subject.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erm... This book gives a lot of scientific info about a subject matter that is very subjective. i am glad to have read it, because it gave me new incite into herbs i already know and i learned about some new herbs i'd like to meet. still i very much wish they had taken the time to get some better first hand accounts. they are sorely lacking, giving time frames of nausea, fatigue and nothing exciting very frequently. why even bother putting them in if they aren't going to illuminate us?

[Ayu Rem · Rating 4 out of 5]

not your typical psychonaut manual.this book goes deep into oneirogens, the dream-inducing plants and substances that dont blow your ego to bits like DMT or LSD, but instead pull you gently sideways into altered hypnagogic zones.

its more underground herbalist than rave shaman. lots of lesser-known plants: calea zacatechichi, silene capensis, sacred datura, and weird dream-enhancing fungi. the vibe is research meets folklore meets practical guide.
and they treat these substances with respect, not hype. like: heres whats known, here’s the history, heres how it might affect you.

what makes it special? it expands the map. reminds you that altered states arent just about peak experiences. sometimes the most potent work happens in the soft, symbolic, liminal layers of sleep and reverie.

not all of it will apply. some compounds are obscure or hard to access. but even just reading about the diversity of dream traditions, rituals, and plants opens something in you.

read this when you want to walk the quiet roads of consciousness, not explode into space, but slip between the walls.

[Vale Vs · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an ok book. It has some interesting concepts.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a real disappointment. Which is a shame since it had the potential of greatness. As it stands today however it's far from great. It's more like reading an early draft than a finished book. The foundation is there but the execution leaves a lot to be desired.
Still for those fascinated by the subject and not turned off by doing their own research it is still worth picking up despite its many faults (the worst offender is the often lacking references).

A revised reworked edition would be a blessing.

[Bob · Rating 1 out of 5]

The authors are far two ambitius in the amount or material they try to cover in this slim volume. It reads like the Reader's Digest of Oneirogens. The coverage on Salvia Divinorum for example is three lines more than a full page. Very disappointing!

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ordered this book and will be reading it soon.