ヒッピー達が探した聖なる薬草｢ソーマ｣の正体｜ヒマラヤと新疆でエフェドラを追う

For over 3,000 years, the ancient Indian sacred plant "Soma" has remained a mystery. In the 1960s and 70s, many hippies traveled to Afghanistan and Nepal, following the hippie trail, in search of its true identity. The plant they focused on as a strong candidate was "Ephedra" (Ma Huang). This time, we will search for Ephedra in the Himalayas and Xinjiang, observing its growing environment and characteristics to verify the basis for the Soma = Ephedra theory. The true identity of Soma remains completely unknown. However, by actually walking the Himalayas, traveling through Xinjiang, and touching Ephedra, we have gained some insight into why this plant was deeply connected to ancient religion. Through history, botany, and travel, we will approach this 3,000-year-old mystery. #Soma #Ephedra #Rigveda #Haoma #Himalaya #Xinjiang #SilkRoad #Tibet #Hippie #History #Plants #Archaeology ■ Image Credits 1. Brahmana performing fire sacrifice Author: Ilya Mauter Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... License: CC BY-SA 3.0 2. Rigveda MS2097 Author: Unknown Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... License: Public Domain 3. Soma Extraction (सोम अभिषवणम्) Author: Puranastudy Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... License: CC BY-SA 4.0 4. Yajna1 Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Author and License: See Wikimedia Commons file page 5. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum, Urumqi Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Region Museum_-_panoramio_(2).jpg Author and License: See Wikimedia Commons file page 6. Xiaohe cemetery (fourth layer) Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Author and License: See Wikimedia Commons file page 7. Ephedrine structural formula Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Author and License: See Wikimedia Commons file page 8. Kralingen1970crowd4 Author: Rob Mieremet (Anefo) Courtesy: National Archief (Dutch National Archives) Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... License: CC0 1.0 Universal (Public Domain Dedication)