Brugmansia suaveolens Jill Pflugheber and Steven F. White
From ayahuasca and cannabis to psilocybin mushrooms and tobacco, people have been using mind-altering plants and fungi in spiritual rituals and ceremonies for thousands of years to filter and change their view of the world.
Justicia pectoralis Jill Pflugheber and Steven F. White
Now the lens has been flipped, with a new book revealing these psychoactive and medicinal plants and fungi in a new light, thanks to cutting-edge microscopy techniques.
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Virola theiodora Jill Pflugheber and Steven F. White
Confocal microscopy uses laser scanning at multiple depths to create detailed, sharply-focused images of a specimen. The technique is normally used for academic research.
Neltuma pallida Jill Pflugheber and Steven F. White
Jill Pflugheber at the University of Kentucky trained her confocal microscopes on 50 sacred plant and fungal species from across the Americas. Her work is featured in , a book she has written with independent historian Steven F. White.
Cannabis Jill Pflugheber and Steven F. White
The result is a glittering journey into the inner life of some of the world’s most revered plant species, says White. He says they were looking for a way to create “botanical art” that upends people’s perceptions of sacred plants. “We’re hoping the people who look at Microcosms can learn to respect these plants in new ways.”
Theobroma cacao Jill Pflugheber and Steven F. White
Working from the main picture down, the images show some of the results of their work: Brugmansia suaveolens; Justicia pectoralis; Virola theiodora; Neltuma pallida; cannabis; and Theobroma cacao.
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