Plant-based potions and ecstatic state in Hittite rituals

Altered states of consciousness (ASCs) include non-ordinary mind states that may be induced by external agents or occur spontaneously. Among them is ecstasy, which Harry Hoffner (1992: 103) describes in his study on the Syrian cultural influence in the Hittite world as “a mental state appropriate for reception of a divine revelation.” The aim of this study is to determine whether such states are mentioned in the Hittite texts, how they were achieved, in what context and by whom. It begins with an examination of the (LÚ)siuniyant-, a figure who some scholars identify as an ecstatic or a prophet, and it then considers some of the literary passages that appear to describe ASCs in order to determine which techniques, such as alcohol, drugs or other psychoactive substances, may have been used to trigger or enhance the experience.