Soma (Brave New World)

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The term Soma was used in Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World (1932) in which it describes a mass-produced drug.

Soma

The name of the drug in the story is based on Soma, the stimulant drink used in ancient Aryan (Indo-Iranian) rituals, in particular those of Vedic India.

Synopsis

In the novel, soma is an 'opiate of the masses' that replaces religion and alcohol in a peaceful, but morally controversial, high-tech society far in the future. Soma, a narcotic-tranquilizer in tablet form, is regularly taken by all members of society in order to produce feelings of euphoric happiness. The name satirically refers to the revived interest in ancient Aryan culture at the time. Huxley's society is caste based, like that of Brahminical India.

Popular Culture

Huxley's soma was taken by the anti-psychiatry movement in the 1960s as a model for their claim that anti-depressants and other drugs functioned to emotionally control people whose distress and mental illness arose from the oppressive nature of modern society.

"Now—such is progress—the old men work, the old men copulate, the old men have no time, no leisure from pleasure, not a moment to sit down and think—or if ever by some unlucky chance such a crevice of time should yawn in the substance of their distractions, there is always soma, delicious soma..."

After experiencing what he called the consciousness-expanding effects of mescaline and other psychedelic drugs, Huxley wrote the novel Island (1962), in which the fictional psychedelic mushroom known as "Moksha" played a central role as an active sacrament in the spiritual lives of the citizens of a utopian society. The term 'Moksha' is also Hindu in origin, referring to the liberation of the soul from reincarnation. The social and religious roles of Soma in ancient proto-Hindu-Vedic and Persian culture were probably closer to those ascribed to Moksha than to those of the Soma of Brave New World, which was written before Huxley became closely acquainted with Hinduism and psychedelic drugs.

Additional Information

Carisoprodol is a prescription drug ironically marketed as Soma in the United States.

See also

• Soma
• Sleep-learning

 

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