Christian Rätsch
Christian Rätsch, Ph.D. (1957 – 2022), was a world-renowned anthropologist and ethnopharmacologist who specialized in the shamanic uses of plants for spiritual as well as medicinal purposes. He studied Mesoamerican languages and cultures and anthropology at the University of Hamburg and spent, altogether, three years of fieldwork among the Lacandone Indians in Chiapas, Mexico, being the only European fluent in their language. He then received a fellowship from the German academic service for foreign research, the Deutsche Akademische Auslandsdienst (DAAD), to realize his doctoral thesis on healing spells and incantations of the Lacandone-Maya at the University of Hamburg, Germany.
In addition to his work in Mexico, his numerous fieldworks have included research in Thailand, Bali, the Seychelles, as well as a long-term study (18 years) on shamanism in Nepal combined with expeditions to Korea and the Peruvian and Colombian Amazon. He also was a scientific anthropological advisor for expeditions organized by German magazines such as GEO and Spektrum der Wissenschaften (Spectrum of Sciences).
Before becoming a full-time author and internationally renowned lecturer, Rätsch worked as professor of anthropology at the University of Bremen and served as consultant advisor for many German museums. Because of his extensive collection of shells, fossils, artifacts, and entheopharmacological items, he had numerous museum expositions on these topics.
He is the author of numerous articles and more than 40 books, including Plants of Love, Gateway to Inner Space, Marijuana Medicine, The Dictionary of Sacred and Magical Plants, and The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants. He is also coauthor of Plants of the Gods, Shamanism and Tantra in the Himalayas, Witchcraft Medicine, Pagan Christmas, and The Encyclopedia of Aphrodisiacs and was editor of the Yearbook of Ethnomedicine and the Study of Consciousness. A former member of the board of advisors of the European College for the Study of Consciousness (ECSC) and former president of the Association of Ethnomedicine, he lived in Hamburg, Germany.
In addition to his work in Mexico, his numerous fieldworks have included research in Thailand, Bali, the Seychelles, as well as a long-term study (18 years) on shamanism in Nepal combined with expeditions to Korea and the Peruvian and Colombian Amazon. He also was a scientific anthropological advisor for expeditions organized by German magazines such as GEO and Spektrum der Wissenschaften (Spectrum of Sciences).
Before becoming a full-time author and internationally renowned lecturer, Rätsch worked as professor of anthropology at the University of Bremen and served as consultant advisor for many German museums. Because of his extensive collection of shells, fossils, artifacts, and entheopharmacological items, he had numerous museum expositions on these topics.
He is the author of numerous articles and more than 40 books, including Plants of Love, Gateway to Inner Space, Marijuana Medicine, The Dictionary of Sacred and Magical Plants, and The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants. He is also coauthor of Plants of the Gods, Shamanism and Tantra in the Himalayas, Witchcraft Medicine, Pagan Christmas, and The Encyclopedia of Aphrodisiacs and was editor of the Yearbook of Ethnomedicine and the Study of Consciousness. A former member of the board of advisors of the European College for the Study of Consciousness (ECSC) and former president of the Association of Ethnomedicine, he lived in Hamburg, Germany.
Books By Christian Rätsch
Shamanism and Tantra in the Himalayas
By Claudia Müller-Ebeling, Christian Rätsch, Surendra Bahadur Shahi
$49.95
The result of eighteen years of field research, this book presents for the first time, a comprehensive overview of shamanism that is based on the knowledge and experience of the different tribes from the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal.
save
$50.00
The Encyclopedia of Aphrodisiacs
By Christian Rätsch, Claudia Müller-Ebeling
Special Price
$75.00
Regular Price
$125.00
This stunning encyclopedia examines the botany, pharmacology, history, preparation, dosage, and practical use of more than 400 erotically stimulating substances from antiquity to the present day. Richly illustrated with more than 800 color photographs.
save
$11.98
Pagan Christmas
By Christian Rätsch, Claudia Müller-Ebeling
Special Price
$17.97
Regular Price
$29.95
The day on which many commemorate the birth of Christ has its origins in pagan rituals that center on tree worship, agriculture, magic, and social exchange. The botanical elements of Christmas provide a unique view of the religion that existed in Europe before the introduction of Christianity.
Witchcraft Medicine
By Claudia Müller-Ebeling, Christian Rätsch, Wolf-Dieter Storl, Ph.D.
$24.95
In Witchcraft Medicine the authors examine the women who mix the potions and become the healers, the legacy of Hecate, the sorceress as shaman, and the plants associated with the solstice and Halloween. They also look at the history of forbidden medicine and how the sacred plants of our forebears can be used once again.
save
$31.25
The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants
By Christian Rätsch
Special Price
$93.75
Regular Price
$125.00
In the traditions of every culture, psychoactive plants--those known to transport the mind to other dimensions of consciousness--have been regarded as sacred. This book details the history, botany, and use of psychoactive plants and is lavishly illustrated with color photographs of the people, ceremonies, and art related to the ritual use of the world’s sacred psychoactive plants.
LSD and the Divine Scientist
By Albert Hofmann
$14.95
Best known as the person who discovered LSD, Albert Hofmann was more than just a chemist. His insights into the human psyche and the nature of reality earned him a reputation as a visionary philosopher. This book--Hofmann’s last work before his death at the age of 102--offers his personal insights on mind-altering drugs, the soul, and the search for meaning in life.
Marijuana Medicine
By Christian Rätsch
$24.95
Cannabis has accompanied the development of human culture from its very beginnings. Christian Ratsch profiles the medicinal, historical, and cultural uses of cannabis throughout the world and includes remedies and recipes for using cannabis to treat specific conditions.
Plants of the Gods
By Richard Evans Schultes, Albert Hofmann, Christian Rätsch
$29.95
A complete revision of the classic text on the ritual uses of psychoactive plants. The authors detail the uses of hallucinogens in sacred shamanic rites while providing lucid explanations of the biochemistry of these plants and the cultural prayers, songs, and dances associated with them.