Maya Ritual Drugs

OCTOBER 19, 2022

Heritage Daily has published a report on the kinds of hallucinogens the Maya used in ritual ceremonies to provide altered states of consciousness.

“They made a drink called balché from the bark of the leguminous tree soaked in honey, water, and then fermented consumed in large quantities to induce vomit, which would be collected in bags and hung around the users neck.”

“Chih made by fermenting the sap of the maguey plant. Ceramic works from the Maya Classic Period produced vessels marked with the glyph ‘chi’. References to the use of the beverage also appear in the Dresden, Borgia, Florentine, and Borbonicus codices.”

“Wild tobacco mixed with the leaves of Datura to enhance the hallucinogenic effect.” The tobacco would be selected out for very high nicotine content.

“Liquids and gas would often be used for enemas, using syringes made of gourd and clay into the rectum to intensify the effect of the drug. Maya ceramics images in which psychedelic enemas were utilised in rituals; some figures are vomiting while others receive enemas and depict individuals as they receive enemas.”

“Hallucinogenic mushrooms that contain psilocybin and psilocin”

“Nymphaea ampla causes opiate-like effects.

The Ololiuqui plant contains seeds with different alkaloids of the LSD ground into powder and then blended into a cacao beverage.”

“Bufo marinus frogs have skins which emit psychedelic properties added to beverages.”

Heritage Daily has the report here:

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/09/the-ritual-drug-habits-of-the-maya/144651