How might Amanita muscaria have been connected with Hindu soma and Zoroastrian haoma?

The identity of the ancient sacred drinks soma and haoma remains a significant pharmacological mystery, as their original botanical sources were lost over time.12

Some researchers hypothesize that Amanita muscaria—a mushroom with a long history of cultic use in Siberia—may have been the original source for both. This theory is supported by the mushroom's unique chemical properties: its mind-altering compounds pass into the urine with their potency largely intact, which aligns with ancient scriptural references to the consumption of sacred urine to achieve divine insights.2

Because Amanita muscaria does not grow in hot climates, it is suggested that Aryan invaders may have brought the mushroom to India from the north. Over time, as the mushroom became less accessible, other plants may have been substituted, eventually leading to the loss of the original identity. However, this remains a subject of debate, as other textual allusions to the "twigs and branches" of haoma suggest the use of different plants, such as hemp.2