HALLUCINOGENS AND RITUALS IN CENTRAL MEXICO: A MILENARY TRADITION

Abstract

One of the more surprising cultural aspects of the American indigenous people and, in particular, of the pre-Colombian indigenous people for the Spanish during the conquest and subsequent colonization was the use of a large number of hallucinogens or psychotropic plants in festivities. These were considered as a simple drunkenness by the European observers. Although it is a very extensive subject, this paper outlines the importance of the ritual use of those psychotropics since ancient times, which constitutes a genuine cultural tradition. Some significant examples have been selected from different times: Teotihuacan period (100-700 A.D.), Mexica or Aztec period (1325-1521), Zapotecs from Sierra de Villa Alta (1600-1700) and at the present time. By analyzing everone of those examples, the author aims to reveal the structural aspects that have survived during the last 2,000 years and, especially, their implications on the artistic manifestations.