Plants of the Gods: S7E1. Lost Cities, Shamans, Hallucinogens and… King Kong!

The lure of lost cities is a deep and enduring fascination that combines equal parts mystery, adventure, treasure, and the promise of forgotten knowledge. The existence and discovery of these ruins – whether it was King Tut's tomb or Machu Picchu – demonstrates the brilliance of ancient civilizations and their impermanence and mortality. In this episode, host Mark Plotkin recounts his experience as part of an expedition in search of the so-called "Lost City of the Monkey God," as well as the role that hallucinogens and shamanism played in helping us understand some of the artwork and cultures of these ancient peoples. Episode Notes Clottes, Jean, and David Lewis-Williams. The Shamans of Prehistory: Trance and Magic in the Painted Caves . Translated by Sophie Hawkes, Harry N. Abrams, 1998. Plotkin, Mark J. Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Amazon Rain Forest . Penguin Books, 1994. Preston, Douglas. The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story . Grand Central Publishing, 2017. Schultes, Richard Evans, et al. Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing and Hallucinogenic Powers . Healing Arts Press, 2001. Vaz, Mark Cotta. Living Dangerously: The Adventures of Merian C. Cooper, Creator of King Kong . Villard, 2005.

You can listen to Plants of the Gods: S7E1. Lost Cities, Shamans, Hallucinogens and… King Kong! online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Plants of the Gods: S7E1. Lost Cities, Shamans, Hallucinogens and… King Kong! is an episode from Plants of the Gods: Hallucinogens, Healing, Culture and Conservation podcast by Mark Plotkin.

This episode is 24:43 long.

This episode was published on Jun 4, 2025.

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