A recent theory by David Spess proposes that the Soma plant is Nymphaea (water lilies and the lotus plant) deserves attention. Spess begins with the fact that India has thelargest variety of water lily and lotus plants in the world, and that some of these were known as Soma and called so in Sanskrit texts. The psychoactivity of these plants is discussed. Certain indigenous varieties of the plants are known to be visionary and auditory entheogens when properly processed. In particular, the flowers of Nymphaea induce ecstatic states as...