Entheogen

12th-century frescoes depicting alleged entheogenic mushrooms in Christian art

Entheogens are psychoactive substances used in spiritual and religious contexts to induce altered states of consciousness. Hallucinogens such as the psilocybin found in so-called "magic" mushrooms have been used in sacred contexts since ancient times. Derived from a term meaning "generating the divine from within", entheogens are used supposedly to improve transcendence, healing, divination and mystical insight.

Entheogens have been used in religious rituals in the belief they aid personal spiritual development.^[1][2] Anthropological study has established that entheogens are used for religious, magical, shamanic, or spiritual purposes in many parts of the world. Civilizations such as the Maya and Aztecs used psilocybin mushrooms, peyote, and morning glory seeds in ceremonies meant to connect with deities and perform healing. They have traditionally been used to supplement diverse practices, such as transcendence, including healing, divination, meditation, yoga, sensory deprivation, asceticism, prayer, trance, rituals, chanting, imitation of sounds, hymns like peyote songs, drumming, and ecstatic dance.

In ancient Eurasian and Mediterranean societies, scholars hypothesized the sacramental use of entheogens in mystery religions, such as the Eleusinian Mysteries of ancient Greece. According to The Road to Eleusis, psychoactive kykeon brews may have been central to these rites, aimed at inducing visionary states and mystical insight.^[3] These interpretations emphasize entheogens as central to religious practices in antiquity.

In recent decades, entheogens have experienced a resurgence in academic and clinical research, particularly in psychiatry and psychotherapy. Preliminary clinical research indicates that substances such as psilocybin and MDMA may be useful in treating mental health conditions like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety, especially in end-of-life care.^[4] These developments reflect a broader reevaluation of entheogens not only as sacred tools but also as potentially transformative therapeutic agents.

The psychedelic experience is often compared to non-ordinary forms of consciousness such as those experienced in meditation,^[5] near-death experiences,^[6] and mystical experiences.^[5] Ego dissolution is often described as a key feature of the psychedelic state often resulting in perceived personal insight spiritual awakening, or a reorientation of values.^[7] Though evidence is often fragmentary, ongoing research in fields like archaeology, anthropology, psychology, and religious studies continues to shed light on the widespread historical and contemporary role of entheogens in human culture.