Investigating the psychedelic hypothesis of kykeon, the sacred elixir of the Eleusinian Mysteries
Romanos Konstantinos Antonopoulos, Evangelos Dadiotis, Kostas Ioannidis, Antigoni Cheilari, Vangelis Mitsis, Ana M. Garcia-Campaña, Laura Gámiz-gracia, Maykel Hernández-mesa, Alfonso Narváez, Mark Anthony Hoffman, Carl A. P. Ruck, Zacharoula Gonou‐zagou, Aligiannis Nektarios, Prokopios Magiatis
Scientific Reports February 13, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-39568-3 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractErgot alkaloids from the fungus Claviceps purpurea can be converted into psychoactive compounds using a simple lye solution, supporting the hypothesis that kykeon, the sacred drink of the Eleusinian Mysteries, was psychedelic. Pulverized ergot sclerotia were boiled in lye (pH 12.5) and distilled water. Nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry showed that toxic ergopeptides were absent after treatment, while lysergic acid amide (LSA) and isolysergic acid amide appeared. Quantification yielded 0.54 mg LSA and 0.48 mg iso-LSA per gram of ergot after 120 minutes. The transformation using ancient technology demonstrates a plausible chemical pathway for producing psychoactive compounds in ancient Greece.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Keywords | Lysergic acid Amide Elixir programming language Claviceps purpurea Transformation genetics |
| Key finding | Boiling ergot in lye converts toxic ergopeptides into psychoactive lysergic acid amide and isolysergic acid amide, supporting the psychedelic Eleusis hypothesis. |
Abstract
This study revisits the hypothesis that Claviceps purpurea (Fr.) Tul., a fungus infecting cereals and producing ergot alkaloids (EAs), was the psychedelic agent in kykeon, the sacred elixir of the Eleusinian Mysteries. Although archaeological evidence supports this link, experimental data confirming the transformation of toxic ergopeptides into psychoactive lysergic acid amide derivatives in putative ancient preparations remain limited. The potential hydrolysis products of ergot were investigated using a technique that could have been readily applied by the priestesses of Eleusis, notably reacting in lye. Pulverized sclerotia were refluxed in solutions of lye and in distilled water. Samples obtained after liquid-liquid extractions were analyzed with 1H-NMR and UHPLC/Q-TOF-HRMS. The 1H NMR spectra demonstrated conversion of toxic ergopeptides, present in control samples but absent at all reaction times in 5% w/v ergot treated with pH 12.5 lye, where characteristic peaks for lysergic acid amide (LSA; ergine) and isolysergic acid amide (iso-LSA; isoergine; erginine) appeared. UHPLC/Q-TOF-HRMS quantitation confirmed this conversion, yielding 0.54 mg LSA and 0.48 mg iso-LSA per gram of ergot at 120 min. The chemical transformation of toxic EAs to psychoactive compounds, utilizing ancient technology, was demonstrated and supports the “psychedelic Eleusis” hypothesis.