This is copied w/out permission from the book Plants of the Gods: (Schultes/Hoffman)<- yes, the Hoffman Kaempferia galanga is used as an hallucinogen in New Guinea. Throughout the range of this species, the highly aromatic rhizome is valued as a spice to flavor rice, and also in folk medicine as an expectorant and carminative. A tea of the leaves is employed for sore throat, swellings, rheumatism, and eye infections. In Malaysia, the plant was added to the arrow poison prepared from Antians toxicaria. This short-stemmed herb has flat-spreading, green, round leaves measuring 3-6 in. (8-15 cm) across. The white flowers (with a purple spot on the lip), which are fugacious, appear singly in the center of the plant and attain approximately 1 in. (2 1/2 cm) in breadth. Beyond the high content of essential oil in the rhizome, little is known of the chemistry of the plant. Hallucinogenic activity might possibly be due to constituents of the essential oils. another place in the book said this: common names: Galanga Maraba There are vague reports that Galanga is employed as an hallucinogen in New Guinea. The highly aromatic rhizome is valued locally as a condiment, a tea from the leaves is employed in folk medicine. Please let us know what you find out if you try this. p.s. I would not try this, although it appears the natives eat it to flavor their rice, so it is probably safe to try. ->- Chris Hooten (chooten@atlas.sdsu.edu)