Soma

The plant which was the original source of Soma is a mystery that has been debated by scholars and theologians for centuries.The identity of the ancient plant known as Soma is one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in the field of religious history. The origins of Soma go back into the shadowy time of prehistory – back to the common Aryan ancestors of both the Vedic Hindu religion of India and the Persian religion of Mazdaism. This common ancestry accounts for the many similarities in the Hindu and Mazdean religions and language, as can be seen in surviving religious texts such as the Hindu Rig Veda and the Persian Avesta. A major connection is their use of a sacred plant, known in India as Soma, and in Persia as Haoma.The mountain top location for the ancient Soma has been identified as the Hindu-Kush Mountains.

The descriptions and praises of the plant left to us by antiquity have led numerous scholars to speculate on the botanical identity of the original plant. TThe late psychedelic guru Terrence McKenna put forth the Stropharia cubensis mushroom as a likely candidate for the mysterious entheogen. Other suggestions have included Peganum harmala, Asclepias syriaca, Sarcostemma acidum, Ephedra distachya,Ephedra gerardiana, Ginseng, Cannabis sativa and Papaver somniferum (Opium).The Amanita muscaria mushroom is however established as the most popular candidate.