Christian Rätsch

Christian Rätsch ( * 1957 in Hamburg ) is a German Altamerikanist and ethnopharmacologist. His area of ​​expertise is the study of ethnomedical and ritual use of plants, especially the cultural use of psychoactive plants in shamanism.

Life

Rätsch studied Ancient American Studies, Anthropology and Folklore at the University of Hamburg. With a dissertation on the spells and incantations of the Lacandon Indians, a Mayan people in Chiapas / Mexico he completed his PhD, funded by the German Academic Exchange Service, Dr. phil. He also did field research in the Himalayas.

Rätsch is a freelance writer, freelance ethnopharmacologist and speaker in Hamburg. He is married to the art historian Claudia Müller- Ebeling, with whom he also published several books together.

His 1998's Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants considered as a standard work. He is the editor of the Yearbook for Ethnomedicine and consciousness research. Rätsch was board member of the European Collegium for the Study of Consciousness ( ECBS ) and President of the Association for Ethno Medicine ( ARGEM ).

Writings (selection )

  • With K'ayum Ma'ax: A cosmos in the rainforest. Myths and visions of the Lacandon Indians. Diederichs, Cologne, 1984; 2nd revised edition 1994, ISBN 3- 424-00748 -X.
  • The learning of spells. A contribution to the ethno-medicine of the Lacandon of Naha '(= Ethnomedicine and Consciousness Research ) Express, Berlin 1985, ISBN 3-88548-362-9 (Dissertation, University of Hamburg).
  • Indian medicinal herbs: Tradition and application. A plant encyclopedia. Diederichs, Cologne 1987, ISBN 3-424-00921-0; 7, auktualisierte 1999 edition, ISBN 3-424-00921-0.
  • Hemp as a remedy: The ethno- medical inventory ( = The Green branch Vol 154. ). Werner Pieper 's media experiments and Nachtschattenverlag, Solothurn 1992, ISBN 3-925817-54-9.
  • Children of the Rainforest: Over the life of the children of the Lacandon Indians. Coppenrath, Münster, 1987; revised edition ( = The Green branch Vol 157. ): Werner Pieper 's media experiments, Löhrbach, ISBN 3-925817-57-3.
  • Incense: The breath of the dragon. 72 plant portraits. Ethnobotany, rituals and practical applications. AT, Aarau 1996; 6th edition 2012, ISBN 978-3-03-800302-1.
  • Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Botany, Ethno pharmacology and application. AT, Stuttgart, 1998; 10th edition: AT, Aarau 2012, ISBN 978-3-03-800352-6 ( Review ).
  • Beer: Beyond hops and malt. Of the potions of the gods to the psychedelic beers of the future. Orbis, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-572-01343-7.
  • Claudia Müller- Ebeling with: Lexicon of Love means: vegetable, mineral, animal and synthetic aphrodisiacs. AT, Aarau 2003, ISBN 3-85502-772-2 (reviews in Perlentaucher.de ).
  • The sacred grove: Germanic magic plants, sacred trees and shamanic rituals. AT, Baden 2005, ISBN 3-03-800204-6.
  • Arno Adelaars, Claudia Müller- Ebeling: Ayahuasca: rituals, potions and visionary art from Amazon. AT, Baden 2006, ISBN 3-03-800270-4.
  • Walpurgis Night: from flying witches and ecstatic dances. AT, Baden 2007, ISBN 978-3-03800-312-0.
  • From researcher who set out to learn the spells: My experiences with the heirs of the Maya. Kosmos, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-440-11240-3.
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