Acknowledgements

The Sacred Plants and Fungi of the Americas project is the result of collaborative work by many individuals who contributed their talents and efforts to its completion. First and foremost, we must acknowledge the wisdom and knowledge of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. If we are now able to conduct scientific experiments, clinical studies, and academic research, it is thanks to them: the guardians of this knowledge for centuries and even millennia.

In this project, Mazatec artist Asunción Alvarado Martínez, a native of San Andrés Hidalgo, Oaxaca, has contributed four paintings of his own creation: Nindo Ngan´íó The Mountain of Great energy (2025), The Birth of the Rainbow and the Shepherdess Mother (2023), Medicine Grandmother (2023), and Jaguar´s Memory (2025). He contributed significant explanations regarding the symbolism of these works for the entries on Psilocybe caerulescens, Salvia divinorum, and Morning Glory, and also contributed photographs of the latter plant. He participated in discussions to verify that the content of the entries was culturally relevant and accurate. Asunción Alvarado is co-founder of the Casa Adobe Galería project in Huautla de Jiménez, Oaxaca.

Mazatec artist René Alvarado Martínez contributed by sending a catalog of his work. For this project, three paintings were selected: The Sheperdess Mother (2023), Psychomagic (2023) and Entheogenic Manifestation (2023). His work focuses on sharing ancestral knowledge regarding holy mushrooms, spreading awareness of the value of the Mazatec language and culture, and promoting the understanding of holy mushrooms through symbols that immerse us in the Mazatec worldview. He also provided feedback to better understand the meaning and scope of the xábase or community work and to verify that the content of the entries was culturally relevant. René Alvarado is co-founder of the Casa Adobe Galería project in Huautla de Jiménez, Oaxaca.

Likewise, the collaboration of several Center for the Study of World Religions (CSWR) members has been significant in the project’s completion. Deborah Blackwell’s work has been essential, especially in proofreading, as well as in communication and dissemination on various digital platforms. This project has been supported by Professor Charles M. Stang, Director of the CSWR, through the Transcendence & Transformation initiative.

 Cambridge, Massachusetts. September 2025

René Alvarado Martínez

Entheogenic Manifestation, 2023

Acrylic on Canvas