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Hymns dedicated to Soma: sacred intoxication?

—

by

Hervé Le Bevillon
in

In Vedic hymns, Soma occupies a central place.
It is drunk, sung, pressed, and filtered.
It illuminates the mind and dissolves fears.

But one question remains, still avoided by many:
who was Soma really?

Hymns provide more clues than one might think.

1. Soma was not an ordinary drink

In the Rig Veda, Soma is never described as a classic plant.

It is said:

  • without leaves ,
  • without flowers ,
  • seedless ,
  • without visible roots .

It does not grow like a shrub.
It is not cultivated like a field of grain.

One term often comes up to refer to it: amśu .

Amśu means fiber , filament , thin stem .
This word perfectly describes a fungus , not a plant.

2. Soma and psilocybe

The Vedic descriptions agree with an entheogenic mushroom , most likely a psilocybe .

For what ?

  • rapid growth after rain,
  • absence of leaves and seeds,
  • fibrous structure (amśu),
  • direct effects on consciousness.

The hymns describe typical effects:

  • dissolution of the ego,
  • luminous visions,
  • feeling of unity,
  • disappearance of the fear of death.

This is not about alcoholic intoxication.
It is about an expansion of consciousness , clear and lucid.

3. A sacred intoxication, not a stupefaction

Yes, the hymns speak of intoxication.
But this intoxication is sacred .

It doesn’t confuse the mind.
It makes it clear.

Under Soma:

  • The speech becomes inspired.
  • Thought becomes simpler.
  • The understanding is immediate.

The rishis do not « compose » the hymns:
they receive them in this state of open consciousness.

4. Soma for all, not for an elite

Contrary to what has long been claimed, Soma was not reserved for a caste.

The wealthy and the priests had public rituals.
But ordinary people could consume Soma at home , with or without a priest.

Enlightenment was not a privilege.
It was part of normal life in the Seven Rivers civilization.

5. The disappearance of Soma: around 2200 BCE

Soma doesn’t disappear by chance.

Around 2200 BC , a major intertropical drought struck all of Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.

This climate crisis is causing:

  • the drying up of numerous rivers,
  • the collapse of entire cultures,
  • the gradual disappearance of Soma in its natural state.

Without Soma:

  • the direct experience of enlightenment recedes,
  • The rituals become mechanical.
  • Spirituality is becoming rigid.

This is a major turning point.

Conclusion

So, was Soma a form of intoxication?

Yes.
But a sacred intoxication ,
linked to an entheogenic mushroom ,
integrated into a civilization where consciousness mattered more than power.

His disappearance, around 2200 BCE , marks the end of a world:
one where enlightenment was experienced, not theorized.

The Rig Veda is not a myth.
It is the memory of a real human experience —
now largely forgotten.

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