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Mushroom Pioneers
by John W. Allen
A Bibliography of R. Gordon Wasson

With Some Annotations

Wasson, R. Gordon. 1956. Lightning bolt and mushrooms: an essay into early cultural exploration. In: For Roman Jakobson: Essays on the Occasion of his Sixteenth Birthday:605-612. The Hague. Mouton & Co.
Reprinted in Dutch in: Antiquity and Survival vol. 3(1):59-73. 1960.

------. 1957a. Seeking the magic mushroom. Life:100-102, 109-120. May 13.
Letters written to the editor regarding this special issue which appeared in the June 3, 1957 issue of Life. The international edition is dated June 10, 1957. (For letters written in response to the above noted article see Carpenter, 1957; Lee, 1957, Ross, 1957, Rowley, 1957; Snyder, 1957; and Stokes, 1957).

------. 1957b. En busca de los hongos mágicos. Life en Español.
A Spanish version of above entry. June 3.

------. 1958a. J'ai mangé les champignons magiques. Lectures Pourtous #49:30-35. January. Unsigned.
French translation of the May 13, 1957 article "Seeking the magic mushroom."

------. 1958b. The divine mushroom: Primitive religion and hallucinatory agents. Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc. vol. 102(3):221-223. Philadelphia. June 24.
R. Gordon Wasson's journal report on the use of entheogenic mushrooms in primitive societies and his interpretation and description of their overwhelming effects on one's soul.

------. 1958c. Les premier sources. In: Les Champignons Hallucinogenes du Mexique:15-44.

Wasson, R. Gordon. 1958d. Les champignons sacre au Mexique Contaemporain. In: Les Champignons Hallucinogenes du Mexique:45-100.

------. 1958e. Les champignons dan l'Archeologie Meso-Americaine. In: Les Champignons Hallucinogenes du Mexique:101-122.

------. 1959a. The hallucinogenic mushrooms of Mexico: An adventure in ethnomycological exploration. Trans. New York Acad. Sci .Series II, vol. 21(4):325-339.
R. Gordon Wasson recalls his discovery in México of the use of sacred mushrooms and describes the use of entheogenic mushrooms in past and present cultures. Also in: The Drug Experience, First Personal Accounts of Addicts, Writers, Scientists and Others:311-324. 1961. Edited by David Ebin, Orian Press. New York.

------. 1959b. Wild mushrooms: A world of wonder and adventure. Herbarist vol. 24:13-28. Boston.
Three reports concerning the effects caused after the accidental ingestion of entheogenic mushrooms which occurred in Poland, Colorado, and the Fiji Islands. These effects are reported by three individuals who read R. Gordon Wasson's article in Life magazine (May 13, 1957).

------. 1960. The hallucinogenic mushrooms of Mexico: An inquiry into the origins of the religious idea among primitive peoples. Annual Lecture of the Mycological Society of America. Lecture at Stillwater, Oklahoma. August 30.
Appended to this article is a list of psilocybian fungi from México; including three other non-psychoactive species which are reportedly used ceremoniously as well as the auditory hallucination producing puffballs.

------. 1961a. The hallucinogenic mushrooms of Mexico: An inquiry into the origins of the religious idea among primitive peoples. Botanical Museum Leaflets of Harvard vol. 19(7):137-162. February.
Also in: Psychedelic Reader vol. 1(1):27-42. Spring 1963. Edited by Gunther Weil, Ralph Metzner and Timothy Leary. University Books 1965. New Hyde Park, New York.

Wasson, R. G. 1961b. Notes on the present status of Ololiuqui and other hallucinogens of Mexico. Botanical Museum Leaflets of Harvard vol. 20(6):161-212.
Also in: Psychedelic Review Vol. 1(3):27-42. 1963.

------. 1962a. The hallucinogenic mushrooms of Mexico: An inquiry into the origins of the religious idea among primitive peoples. International Journal of Parapsychology vol. 4(4):41-58. Autumn.
An abbreviated version of Wasson, 1960, 1961a.

------. 1962b. Salvia Divinorum: A new psychotropic drug from the mint family. Botanical Museum Leaflets of Harvard vol. 20:77-84.

------. 1962c. Personal communication with Robert Graves. June 5.
In a letter to Robert Graves, R. Gordon Wasson reports on the presence of Psilocybe cubensis "in the Philippine [Islands] where it is not eaten [by native peoples]."

------. 1963. Mushroom rites of Mexico. Harvard Review vol. 1(4):7-17. Summer.
A second abbreviated version of the hallucinogenic fungi of Mexico.

------. 1965. Rite of the magic mushroom. In: The Drug Takers. Time-Life (authors) special report. New York.

------. 1969. (Bk. Rev.). Economic Botany vol. 23(2):197.
A review of Carlos Castaneda's "The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge."

------. 1970a. (Letter). Times Literary Supplement. August 21.
Letter to the editor.

Wasson, R. G. 1970b. Comments inspired by Professor Kuiper's review. Indo-Iranian Journal vol. 12(4):286-298.
Professor Kuiper's review is in the same issue.

------. 1970c. (Letter). Times Literary Supplement. September 29.
Letter to the editor.

------. 1970d. (News Item). Drugs: The sacred mushroom. New York Times. September 29.
Guest editorial.

------. 1970e. Les champignons dan la culture: A propos d'un livre de M. R. Wasson. L'Homme vol. 10(1):5-16.

------. 1972a. (Bk. Rev.). Economic Botany vol. 26(1):98-99.
A review of Carlos Castaneda's "A Separate Reality: Further Conversations with Don Juan."

------. 1972b. The death of Claudius or mushrooms for murderers. Botanical Museum Leaflets of Harvard vol. 23(3):101-128.

-----. 1973a. (Bk. Rev.). Economic Botany vol. 27(1):151-152.
A review of Carlos Castaneda's "Journey to Ixtlan: The Lessons of Don Juan."

------. 1973b. The role of flowers in Nahuatl culture: A suggested interpretation. Botanical Museum Leaflets of Harvard vol. 23(8):305-324. November 30.
Also in: Journal of Psychedelic Drugs vol. 6(3):351-360. July-September 1974.

------. 1973c. Mushrooms and Japanese culture. Trans. Asiatic Soc. of Japan vol. 11:5-25. December.
R. Gordon Wasson explores the etymology of Japanese mushroom names and reports on several historical tales of accidental ingestion of entheogenic mushrooms in Japan.

Wasson, R. G. 1974. (Bk. Rev.). Economic Botany vol. 28(3):245-246.
A review of Carlos Castaneda's "Tales of Power."

------. 1977a. (Bk. Rev.). Head vol. 2(4):52-53, 88-94. November.
Reprints of R. Gordon Wasson's reviews of Carlos Castaneda's first four books. With an unsigned introduction by Jonathan Ott. Originally published in Economic Botany.

------. 1977b. María Sabina y los hongos. Vuelta Vol. 1:(8):24-27. July.
A reprint of Wasson's "Presentación" in Alvaro Estrada's "Vida de María Sabina."

------. 1978a. (Mag.). Wasson's velada with María Sabina. Head vol. 2(7):52-56.
This article has been edited from several of Wasson's previously published papers describing his rediscovery of the sacred Mexican mushrooms.

------. 1978b. The hallucinogenic fungi of Mexico. In Teonanácatl:63-84. Edited by Jonathan Ott and Jeremy Bigwood. Madrona Publ. Seattle, Washington.

------. 1979. Foreword. In: Phantastica: Rare and Important Psychoactive Drug Literature from 1700 to the present. Privately published by William and Victoria Dailey. Antiquarian Books and Fine Prints. 8216 Melrose avenue, Los Angeles, California 90046.

------. 1980. The Wondrous Mushroom: Mycolatry in Mesoamerica. Ethnomycological Studies No. 7. McGraw-Hill Book Co. New York, St. Louis and San Francisco.
R. Gordon Wasson retraces the history of the sacred magic mushrooms during the pre-Columbian conquest and their present-day use in Mesoamerica.

Wasson, R. G.. 1982a R. Gordon Wasson's Rejoiner to Dr. Rolf Singer. Ethnomycological Studies No. 9. Botanical Museum of Harvard. Cambridge, Massachusetts.
See separate entries by Alexander H. Smith, Jonathan Ott, and Rolf Singer regarding related papers.

------. 1982b. The last meal of Buddha. Journal of the American Oriental Society vol. 102(4):591-603. October-December.
See next entry.

------. 1983a. The last meal of Buddha. Botanical Museum Leaflets of Harvard vol. 29(3):219-249. Summer.

------. 1983b. El Hongo Maravilloso Teonanácatl: Micolatria en Mesoamerica. Fondo de Cultura Económica. Mexico.
Spanish version of The Wondrous Mushroom.

------. 1985. (Mag.). In pursuit of mushrooms. Discover vol. 18(2):9-15.

------. 1990. Gordon Wasson's account of his childhood. In: Thomas J. Riedlinger (ed.) The Sacred Mushroom Seeker: Essays for R. Gordon Wasson:239-246. Dioscorides Press. Portland, Oregon.

Wasson, R. G. and S. S. Pau. 1962. The hallucinogenic mushrooms of Mexico and psilocybin: A bibliography. Botanical Museum Leaflets of Harvard vol. 20(2):25-73. September.
See next entry.

------ and ------. 1963. The hallucinogenic mushrooms of Mexico and psilocybin: A Bibliography. Botanical Museum Leaflets of Harvard vol. 20(2a):25-73c. March 10.
A second printing offers corrections and addenda with more new listings.

Wasson, R. G. and V. P. Wasson. 1956. (Record). Mushroom Ceremony of the Mazatec Indians of Mexico. Recorded by R. Gordon Wasson, with translations by Eunice V. Pike and Sarah C. Cudschinsky. Folkway Records and Service Corporation, 121 West 47th Street, New York, New York. Record Listing no. Fr8975.
Extracts of a mushroom ceremony recorded in Huautla de Jiménez.

Wasson, R. G., Hofmann, A., and C. A. P. Ruck. 1978. The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries. Ethnomycological Studies No. 4. Harcourt.

Wasson, V. P. 1958. (Mag.). I ate the sacred mushroom. This Week:8-10, 36. May 19.
This article, originally published in a Boston Newspaper magazine which appeared in eastern Sunday editions of local newspapers. The article, written by R. Gordon Wasson's wife Valentina, describes her experience eating the sacred mushrooms. This was the first mushroom intoxication outside and away from an official ceremony. Gordon's daughter Masha also took part in the mushroom velada. Also in: Shaman Woman, Mainline Lady: Women's Writings on the Drug Experience:182-186. Compiled by C. Palmer and M. Horowitz. William Morrow and Company, Inc. New York and London.

Wasson, V. P. and R. G. Wasson. 1957. Mushrooms, Russia, and History. Two volumes. 85 plates. 26 water colors. Pantheon Books. New York.
Limited to 512 numbered copies. Two are numbered A and B. Others are from 1-510.

------ and ------. 1958. (Mag.). The hallucinogenic mushrooms. Garden Journal:1-5, 31. January.
An historical critique in which the Wassons describe worldwide attitudes concerning four centuries of mushroom use in Mesoamerica.


A complete listing of the Wasson's research and collected data papers can be found at: http://www.huh.harvard.edu/Libraries/wasson.html