Jonathan Ott (born 1949 in Hartford, Connecticut) is an ethnobotanist, writer, translator, publisher, natural products chemist and botanical researcher in the area of

entheogen Entheogens are psychoactive substances used in spiritual and religious contexts to induce altered states of consciousness. Hallucinogens such as the psilocybin found in so-called "magic" mushrooms have been used in sacred contexts since ancie ...

s and their cultural and historical uses, and helped coin the term "''

''".

Writings

Ott has written eight books, co-written five, and contributed to four others, and published many articles in the field of

s. His comprehensive 1993 book, ''Pharmacotheon: Entheogenic Drugs, Their Plant Sources and History'' has been described as one of the important works on the subject of entheogenic drugs. It describes over 1,000 plants and chemical compounds. He has collaborated with other researchers like Christian Rätsch, Jochen Gartz, and the late ethnomycologist R. Gordon Wasson. He translated Albert Hofmann's 1979 book ''LSD: My Problem Child'' (''LSD: Mein Sorgenkind''), and ''On Aztec Botanical Names'' by Blas Pablo Reko, into English. His articles have appeared in many publications, including ''The Entheogen Review'', ''The Entheogen Law Reporter'', the ''Journal of Cognitive Liberties'', the '' Journal of Psychoactive Drugs'' (AKA the ''Journal of Psychedelic Drugs''), the ''

MAPS A map is a symbolic depiction of interrelationships, commonly spatial, between things within a space. A map may be annotated with text and graphics. Like any graphic, a map may be fixed to paper or other durable media, or may be displayed on ...

Bulletin'', ''Head'', ''

High Times ''High Times'' was an American monthly magazine (and cannabis brand) that advocates the legalization of cannabis as well as other counterculture ideas. The magazine was founded in 1974 by Tom Forcade. The magazine had its own book publishing d ...

'', ''Curare'', ''Eleusis'', ''Integration'', ''Lloydia'', ''The Sacred Mushroom Seeker'', and several Harvard Botanical Museum pamphlets. He is a co-editor of ''Eleusis: Journal of Psychoactive Plants & Compounds'', along with Giorgio Samorini.

Botanical research

Ott has experience of field collecting in Mexico, where he lives and manages a small natural-products laboratory and botanical garden of medicinal herbs. A number of his ethno-botanical products have been studied to determine their possible benefits to individuals suffering various mental aberrations. In his book ''

Ayahuasca AyahuascaPronounced as in the UK and in the US. Also occasionally known in English as ''ayaguasca'' (Spanish-derived), ''aioasca'' (Brazilian Portuguese-derived), or as ''yagé'', pronounced or . Etymologically, all forms but ''yagé'' descen ...

Analogues'', he identifies numerous plants around the globe containing the

harmala alkaloid Harmala alkaloids are several alkaloids that act as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). These alkaloids are found in the seeds of ''Peganum harmala'' (also known as harmal or Syrian rue), as well as ''Banisteriopsis caapi'' (ayahuasca), leave ...

s of ''

Banisteriopsis caapi ''Banisteriopsis caapi'', also known as, caapi, soul vine, yagé (yage), or ayahuasca (the latter of which also refers to the psychedelic decoction made with the vine and a plant source of dimethyltryptamine) is a South American liana of the fam ...

'', which are MAOIs, and plants containing

dimethyltryptamine Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), also known as ''N'',''N''-dimethyltryptamine (''N'',''N''-DMT), is a Psychedelic drug, serotonergic hallucinogen and Investigational New Drug, investigational drug of the substituted tryptamine, tryptamine family tha ...

, which together are the chemical base of the South American Ayahuasca brew.

Arson

In March 2010, Ott's home in Mexico was destroyed by

arson Arson is the act of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, watercr ...

. While most of his books survived the fire, Ott's laboratory and personal effects were destroyed in the blaze. Books given to Ott by Albert Hofmann were reportedly used as fuel.

Works

Books

* ''A Conscientious Guide to Hallucinogens: A Comprehensive Guide to Hallucinogens, Natural and Synthetic, Found in North American and the World'' with Joe E Axton and Jeremy Bigwood (1975) Do It Now Foundation, Institute for Chemical Survival * ''Hallucinogenic Plants of North America'' (1976), * ''Teonanacatl: Hallucinogenic Mushrooms of North America'' (Co-edited by Jeremy Bigwood) (1978), * ''LSD: My Problem Child'' (1980) McGraw-Hill Book Company (translation only) * ''The Cacahuatl Eater: Ruminations of an Unabashed Chocolate Addict'' (Natural Products Company) (1985) * ''Persephone's Quest: Entheogens and the Origins of Religion'' with R. Gordon Wasson, Stella Kramrisch, and Carl A. P. Ruck (1986) * ''The Sacred Mushroom Seeker: Essays for R. Gordon Wasson'' by Robert Gordon Wasson, Thomas J. Riedlinger (1990) contributor * ''Pharmacotheon: Entheogenic Drugs, Their Plant Sources and History'' (1993), * ''Ayahuasca Analogues: Pangaean Entheogens'' (1995), * ''Plant Intoxicants: a Classic Text on the Use of Mind-Altering Plants'' by Ernst Bibra and Jonathan Ott (1995) Nature * ''Age of Entheogens & the Angels' Dictionary'' (1995), * ''Pharmacophilia: The Natural Paradise'' (1997), * ''Shamanic Snuffs or Entheogenic Errhines'' (2001), * ''Ometochtzin: Las Muertes de Dos Conejos'' (2001) * ''Drugs of the Dreaming: Oneirogens: Salvia Divinorum and Other Dream-Enhancing Plants'' with Gianluca Toro and Benjamin Thomas (2007) Body, Mind & Spirit * ''The Road to Eleusis'' (2008) By R. Gordon Wasson, Albert Hofmann,

Carl A. P. Ruck Carl Anton Paul Ruck (born December 8, 1935, Bridgeport, Connecticut) is a professor in the Classical Studies department at Boston University. He received his B.A. at Yale University, his M.A. at the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. at Harvar ...

, Huston Smith (contributor)

Articles

* ''Mr. Jonathan Ott's Rejoinder to Dr. Alexander H. Smith'' by Jonathan Ott and Alexander Hanchett Smith (1978) Botanical Museum of Harvard University *
Ethnopharmacognosy and Human Pharmacology of Salvia divinorum and Salvinorin A
' (1995) *

' (1996) *

' (1997) * '' ttps://web.archive.org/web/20131118025444/http://ibogaine.mindvox.com/Articles/JO-DelphicBee.htm The Delphic Bee: Bees and Toxic Honeys as Pointers to Psychoactive and Other Medicinal Plants' - Economic Botany (1998) *
Applied Psychonautics: Ayahuasca to Pharmahuasca to Anahuasca
' (2001) *
Pharmanopo-Psychonautics: Human Intranasal, Sublingual, Intrarectal, Pulmonary and Oral Pharmacology of Bufotenine
'' (2001) *
Jonathan Ott's victim of arson, signed copies of Albert Hofmann books used to start fire
' (2010)

References

* ''The Road to Eleusis'' (2008) By R. Gordon Wasson, Albert Hofmann, Carl A. P. Ruck, Huston Smith * ''Psychedelics Encyclopedia'' by Peter G. Stafford, Jeremy Bigwood (1992) Page 379 * ''Researching Paganisms'' by Jenny Blain, Douglas Ezzy, Graham Harvey (2004) Page 87 * ''Brain Boosters: Food & Drugs That Make You Smarter'' by Beverly A. Potter, Sebastian Orfali, Potter & Orfali, Gini Graham Scott (1993) Health & Fitness - Page 191 * ''Yajé: The New Purgatory: Encounters with Ayahuasca'' by Jimmy Weiskopf (2005) Page 145 * ''Toads and Toadstools: the Natural History, Folklore, and Cultural Oddities of This Strange Association'' by Adrian Morgan (1995) Page 116

Video lecture

Jonathan Ott at the World Psychedelic Forum [part 1 of 5]

External links

Society of Ethnobotanical Studies and Modified States of ConsciousnessErowid Jonathan Ott vaultJonathan Ott - Psychedelic Pharmacopeia Lectures
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ott, Jonathan 1949 births Living people Writers from Hartford, Connecticut American psychedelic drug advocates Psychedelic drug researchers American ethnobotanists 21st-century American botanists Psychonautics researchers