Wasson's alternative candidates for soma

Area of Science:

• Ethnomycology
• Ethnobotany
• History of Science

Background:

• R. Gordon Wasson identified Vedic soma with Amanita muscaria.
• Recent scholarship challenges this identification.
• Wasson's own correspondence reveals consideration of alternative candidates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review Wasson's unpublished correspondence regarding Vedic soma candidates.
• To analyze Wasson's deliberations on alternative psychoactive substances.
• To assess Wasson's openness to refining his soma theory.

Main Methods:

• Review of unpublished letters by R. Gordon Wasson.
• Analysis of correspondence within the Tina and Gordon Wasson Ethnomycological Collection.
• Examination of Wasson's documented rejections of alternative psychoactive plants.

Main Results:

• Wasson considered and rejected several psychoactive plants, including Lagochilus inebrians, morning glory seeds, and ergot.
• Wasson specifically considered and rejected the psilocybin mushroom Stropharia cubensis (Psilocybe cubensis).
• These letters demonstrate Wasson's continued engagement with the Vedic soma identification.

Conclusions:

• Wasson's unpublished letters provide historical insight into his ethnomycological research.
• The correspondence indicates Wasson remained receptive to alternative theories and refinements.
• The findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of Wasson's legacy in the study of Vedic soma.