A strong stigma in the West bullies our idea of drug culture, fueled by perceptions of mind-altering substances, man-made chemical compounds, and destroyed communities. But throughout the world, spiritual practitioners' use of entheogenspsychoactive substances applied in religious or shamanic contextsis nothing short of a learned art, unique to the people and regions whove studied it for centuries.
Their ultimate goal isnt a supreme high but a realisation of the supreme, wherein an individual ingests a plant with psychoactive properties in order to have a conversation with or listen to it. Its a captivating notion, to be one with nature, driven by the need to sustain a relationship with an ancient voice and to absorb its knowledge.
Outgrowths of corruption and violence are evidence of high human costs. But the draw to the substances is so powerful that its also compelled interested outsiders to become active partakers, creating a whirlwind of well-documented drug tourism, and, consequently, the commercialization and commodification of religion, threatening not only the practices themselves but also, in some cases, the plants central to them.
Its tricky to toe the line when travelinghow to experience a place without actually reaching out and swallowing it whole. We have the inclination to stay in neighbourhood apartments over chain hotels, to seek out street food in lieu of pricey restaurants, to do as the locals dowhatever it is that theyre doing. Somewhere therein, lines of responsible tourism blur. Some might say its the difference between sipping pisco sours in Cusco and cupping ayahuasca tea in Iquitos: Both give you a taste for the lands traditions, but only one has the potential to disrupt a delicate cultural ecosystem.
Here are five such ecosystems around the world, each imbued with its own tradition of entheogenic practices that have drawn curious eyes to peek through the mainstream veil. And while we cant endorse a next-level trip to Mexico to meet Mescalito in a cloud of peyote, we can say that the deserts sparkling mirages have captured our attention, too.
In Gabon, a country nearly Colorados size that straddles the equator on the west coast of Central Africa, theres a shrub that blossoms with white and pink flowers and tasteless orange fruit. It isnt particularly prettyits produce nutritionally unremarkableand yet, the iboga plant is sacred, worshipped by the Babongo tribe (among others) that discovered its uniquely powerful properties some thousand years ago, when a religion called Bwiti formed around its bark.
ILLUSTRATION BY MIKE DUTTON
Loosely translated, Bwiti means simply otherworldly tree medicine or the being who calls. Bwiti adherents eat the psychedelic bark for both individual spiritual growth and community fortificationbut first, its a rite of passage, an initiation into the plants spiritual wisdom and a connection to ancestral knowledge.
Revered and intense as it isthe closed-eye and waking-dream hallucinations, with effects lasting up to 48 hoursiboga requires a complex courtship. Once the root bark has been scraped off and crushed into chips or a fine powder, a ceremony unfolds under the stewardship of a Nganga, or shaman, with clapping, chanting, and complex music thats heavy on percussion. Its a communal event, with elders, healers, and even children sitting on the sidelines to pay witness to whatever message might surface as iboga reveals itself, the initiate unfolding into its guidance and recounting visions aloud in real time so that the Nganga can interpret and direct the proceedings in real time.
ILLUSTRATION BY MIKE DUTTON
Skin covered in a slippery film of sweaty heat, sitting in a platform hut deep in the Amazon rainforest, a shaman sings icaros, or ceremonial songs, as Pachamama, or Mother Earth, takes hold of your intestines and gives a good squeeze. And so begins the period of intense vomiting (and bouts of diarrhoea) found in most ayahuasca ceremonies, wherein physical and emotional bile is released to induce a mystifying haze of transcendental healing, characterised by wild visual and aural hallucinations that challenge limits of both love and fear for the next four to six hours.
The plant decoction is murky to the eye and not so pleasing to the tongue, made from mashed ayahuasca vine and chacruna leaves (often with jimson weed and pure jungle tobacco, called mapacho, added to incite the purge), boiled for 12 hours and blessed with sacred tobacco smoke blown over and into the cauldron by a shaman. The compound of two Quechua words (though with Spanish spelling), ayahuasca means vine of souls or rope of the dead, depending on interpretation. As the name suggests, its a powerful entity calling to Pachamama, a central figure to the indigenous and mestizo populations who have invited herin all her formsinto their bodies for centuries.
In the torrid deserts of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas, people dig the land for a small, thornless cactus said to have untold powers of sight that it shares with those brave and strong enough to greet it. You dont take peyoteit takes you.
ILLUSTRATION BY MIKE DUTTON
Mescalito, as the hallucinogenic cactus was later personified, has shown himself to Aztecs, Mexican Indians, and Native Americans for more than 5,000 years as a centrepiece in cultural and religious practices. While the ceremonies may vary, theyre often communal, with a shaman guiding a group through special peyote songs as together they ingest the dried cactus buttons. Over the course of 10 to 12 hours, hallucinations (and bouts of violent vomiting for novices) transport the user through both space and time and across a range of emotions, where challenging or fearful interactions might linger in the shadows. The reverence it commands borders on fearful, the promise of enlightenment and respect for peyotes power neither dramatised nor undersold.
ILLUSTRATION BY MIKE DUTTON
Arguably one of the most mellow entheogens, kava (also known as kava-kava or yaqona, nourishment of the gods) is the only substance in this article thats legal in the United States for use outside of religious contexts. Known for its peacemaking properties across the Pacific Islands, including Hawaii, Vanuatu, and Fiji, kava is an intrinsic part of traditional Polynesian life, used in everything from the sacred to the social. It acts as a mediator or spiritual messenger between people and the Vu, or spirit forcewithout kava, its said, the Vu wont show up.
The leafy plants long, gnarled roots can be fresh or dried then pounded, chewed, or otherwise pulverised to make the opaque, milky drink. It purrs in the belly, stoking an odd mix of tranquility and euphoria while sustaining a sharp mind. Prolonged consumption, however, engulfs the kava drinker in a canopy of mental stillness, a sort of amiable waking sleep. But one needs to approach the kava stupor in the right mindsetlike asking it for directions or meditating on a questionto be guided purposely by its warmth.
In the 1950s, a centuries-old Mazatec tradition in Oaxaca trickled through its historic guard and into the mouths of two Americans, who brought word of their profound experiences back home in a now-famous Life photo essay. And thus began a widespread, tempestuous affair with psilocybin mushrooms, the psychedelic fungi that Timothy Leary so famously championed for its psychological and religious properties in the Harvard Psilocybin Project and beyond.
ILLUSTRATION BY MIKE DUTTON
In its unadulterated form, the Mazatec custom, which is shared by other pre-Columbian Mesoamerican peoples, serves a medicinal purpose, healing physical, mental, and ethical maladies. Like ayahuasca and peyote, the mushrooms are honoured for their capacity to guide users beyond their prescribed realities, to break open convention and incite perspective, introducing novel conduits for compassion and empathy for both themselves and the world. The sacred ritual is communal in Mazatec practice, the mushrooms bathed in smoke from copal incense then eaten two at a time to represent the duality and power of the unified sexes. Together, participants share the darkness and silence of a hut, the shaman the groups designated voice, a channel through which the mushrooms issue their chatterand as it happens, they have a lot to say.
Read the original:
5 of the World's Most Mind-Bending Drug Cultures - National Geographic Australia
- Vermont Senate Passes Psychedelic Working Group Bill To Study How Entheogens Might Benefit Physical And Mental ... - Marijuana Moment - March 31st, 2024 [March 31st, 2024]
- Melissa Etheridge's New Book and Play Delve Into Her Son's Opioid ... - CelebStoner - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Walking the poison path: An interview with Coby Michael - The Wild Hunt - October 29th, 2023 [October 29th, 2023]
- Entheogenic drugs and the archaeological record - Wikipedia - April 14th, 2023 [April 14th, 2023]
- Learn All About The Top 10 Entheogens - Zamnesia Blog - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- Entheogens and Psychedelics (including Ayahuasca, LSD, Peyote ... - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Terence McKenna - Wikipedia - October 23rd, 2022 [October 23rd, 2022]
- Enlightenment (spiritual) - Wikipedia - October 21st, 2022 [October 21st, 2022]
- Shamanism - Wikipedia - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- The History Of: Hallucinogens, Psychedelics & Entheogens - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- How Does Sound Therapy Enhance the Psychedelic Experience? - Psychedelic Spotlight - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Could we please have some consistency in our drug laws - Mail and Guardian - July 3rd, 2022 [July 3rd, 2022]
- Filament Health and Jaguar Health Sign Letter of Intent to Develop Botanical Prescription Drugs for Specific Mental Health Indications - Yahoo Canada... - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- 5 Next-Generation Psychedelics Entering Clinical Trials This Year - Psychedelic Spotlight - May 28th, 2022 [May 28th, 2022]
- Mental Health Startup Journey Colab Aims To Develop Mescaline As An FDA-Approved Treatment For Alcohol Use Disorder - Forbes - April 29th, 2022 [April 29th, 2022]
- Breaking down the decrim movement: Discoveries, doubts and personal ins & outs - Aspen Daily News - April 29th, 2022 [April 29th, 2022]
- Aztec use of entheogens - Wikipedia - March 29th, 2022 [March 29th, 2022]
- The Michigan Decriminalization of Psilocybin Mushrooms and Other Plants and Fungi Initiative Has Been Approved For Circulation As A Ballot Initiative... - February 24th, 2022 [February 24th, 2022]
- 5 Black Pioneers Combatting the Whitewashing of Psychedelics - Psychedelic Spotlight - February 17th, 2022 [February 17th, 2022]
- From Mycophobia to Mycophilia - The McGill Daily - The McGill Daily - February 17th, 2022 [February 17th, 2022]
- Entheogens and Plant Medicine: An Introduction Microdose - Microdose Psychedelic Insights - February 9th, 2022 [February 9th, 2022]
- Schumer Gives Update On Federal Marijuana Legalization And Banking In Meeting With Equity Advocates - Marijuana Moment - February 1st, 2022 [February 1st, 2022]
- USDA Teams Up With Cornell University For Hemp Education Webinar Series - Marijuana Moment - February 1st, 2022 [February 1st, 2022]
- Ohio Lawmakers Will Be Forced To Consider Marijuana Legalization As State Validates Activist Signatures - Marijuana Moment - February 1st, 2022 [February 1st, 2022]
- Psilocybin: Following in the Footsteps of Cannabis Along the Path to Legality - JD Supra - January 29th, 2022 [January 29th, 2022]
- What ketamine therapy taught me about my Jewish intergenerational trauma - Forward - January 29th, 2022 [January 29th, 2022]
- Debunking Myths and Misconceptions of the Psychedelics Industry - Rolling Stone - January 9th, 2022 [January 9th, 2022]
- What are you most excited for in Washtenaw County in 2022? - Concentrate - December 15th, 2021 [December 15th, 2021]
- Looking Into The Florida Bill That Proposes Decriminalization Of Psychedelics (And Every Other Illegal Dr - Benzinga - December 15th, 2021 [December 15th, 2021]
- The Wisdom of Agnosticism - The Humanist - December 15th, 2021 [December 15th, 2021]
- What Are Psychedelic Drugs (Hallucinogenics)? | Leafly - November 28th, 2021 [November 28th, 2021]
- Cannabis & Marijuana Education: Learn All About Weed | Leafly - November 28th, 2021 [November 28th, 2021]
- Vex - Destinypedia, the Destiny wiki - November 11th, 2021 [November 11th, 2021]
- Seattle City Council wants to decriminalize 'magic ... - November 11th, 2021 [November 11th, 2021]
- Tonight at 11: The unseen side of magic mushrooms, from moms to home growers - KIRO Seattle - November 11th, 2021 [November 11th, 2021]
- Guide to Entheogens: Plants, Therapy, Medicine - October 30th, 2021 [October 30th, 2021]
- What are entheogens and which are the best ones - October 30th, 2021 [October 30th, 2021]
- An upcoming election, pay requirement, and holiday, this week - KUOW News and Information - October 30th, 2021 [October 30th, 2021]
- Congressman Says He'll Bring The Psychedelics Reform Movement To Capitol Hill 'This Year' - Marijuana Moment - October 7th, 2021 [October 7th, 2021]
- From Cannabis MSO To Drug Development: Goodness Growth Wants To Understand Traditional Psychedelics Use - - Benzinga - September 16th, 2021 [September 16th, 2021]
- Jarvis Brookfield on his psychedelic paintings, dream-like states and what it means to be human - Creative Boom - September 12th, 2021 [September 12th, 2021]
- Oregon Psilocybin Panel Teams Up With Harvard To Research Psychedelic History And Impacts Of Reform - Marijuana Moment - September 12th, 2021 [September 12th, 2021]
- National Hemp Association Asks Congress To Budget $1 Billion To Support Industry Innovation - Marijuana Moment - September 12th, 2021 [September 12th, 2021]
- Psychedelic Drug Therapy: Tips and Support for the Experience - Greatist - August 28th, 2021 [August 28th, 2021]
- University of Michigan police say safety will be top priority at psychedelic shroom festival - MLive.com - August 22nd, 2021 [August 22nd, 2021]
- Two Years After Oakland's Psychedelic Decrim, What's Been the Impact? - Filter - August 4th, 2021 [August 4th, 2021]
- Psychedelics Decriminalization Advancing In Three More Cities, Spanning From Coast To Coast - Marijuana Moment - August 4th, 2021 [August 4th, 2021]
- Witch City Tarot & Divination Gathering | Coby Michael Ward - Patheos - July 29th, 2021 [July 29th, 2021]
- With Push From New Nonprofit, Arcata City Council Will Soon Consider a Resolution That Would Decriminalize Psychedelic Plants and Fungi in Arcata -... - July 7th, 2021 [July 7th, 2021]
- Group Hopes to Decriminalize Entheogens (Psychoactive Plant Substances) Within Arcata City Limits Redheaded Blackbelt - Redheaded Blackbelt - July 5th, 2021 [July 5th, 2021]
- Winners of Columbia@Roundabout's 2021 New Play Reading Series Announced - Broadway World - June 24th, 2021 [June 24th, 2021]
- Biden said he'd cut down on unemployment benefits, but he really might reinstate a pre-pandemic job-seeking policy The Madison Leader Gazette - The... - May 11th, 2021 [May 11th, 2021]
- The psychedelic revolution is coming. Psychiatry may never be the same - bdnews24.com - May 11th, 2021 [May 11th, 2021]
- Native Tribes Should Have More Say in the Psychedelic Movement - Green Entrepreneur - April 29th, 2021 [April 29th, 2021]
- Red Light Holland and Headland West Indies Lead #SVGStrong, a Relief Effort in St. Vincent and the Grenadines - InvestorIntel - April 29th, 2021 [April 29th, 2021]
- Jews, Christians, and Muslims Are Reclaiming Ancient Psychedelic Practices, And That Could Help With Legalization - Rolling Stone - April 25th, 2021 [April 25th, 2021]
- Psychedelic Experience launches new website to help navigate the world of psychedelics - PRNewswire - April 25th, 2021 [April 25th, 2021]
- Zide Door Oaklands Church of Entheogenic Plants - April 15th, 2021 [April 15th, 2021]
- Opinion | Is it time for Seattle to decriminalize shrooms and psychedelics? - Crosscut - April 15th, 2021 [April 15th, 2021]
- Following Local Successes, Cambridge State Rep. Puts Forward Bills on Controlled Substance Reform | News - Harvard Crimson - March 29th, 2021 [March 29th, 2021]
- The Potential (and Peril) of Legalizing Psychedelics - Progressive.org - January 1st, 2021 [January 1st, 2021]
- Oakland continues move to protect entheogen plants - The Leaf Online - September 18th, 2020 [September 18th, 2020]
- The Only Obstacle To A Healthy World Is Government Secrecy And Propaganda - Scoop.co.nz - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- There's More to the CHOP Than What the Media Will Have You Believe - Study Breaks - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Entheogens | Sacred Geometry - June 15th, 2020 [June 15th, 2020]
- Entheogen - Wikipedia - May 4th, 2020 [May 4th, 2020]
- The Return Trip: Psychedelics may come back from the abyss of illegality - Valley Advocate - November 23rd, 2019 [November 23rd, 2019]
- How San Francisco's Summer of Love sparked religious movements - The Oakland Press - August 25th, 2017 [August 25th, 2017]
- Outside the Box - HuffPost - August 13th, 2017 [August 13th, 2017]
- 'Summer of Love' shaped American lives, spiritual expression - Houston Chronicle - July 29th, 2017 [July 29th, 2017]
- The Summer of Love was more than hippies and LSD it was the start of modern individualism - The Independent - July 24th, 2017 [July 24th, 2017]
- How San Francisco's Summer of Love sparked today's religious movements - Religion News Service - July 22nd, 2017 [July 22nd, 2017]
- The Poisoner: Pharmakos and Veneficus-Poisoner's Apothecary - Patheos (blog) - July 19th, 2017 [July 19th, 2017]
- The Summer of Love was more than hippies and LSD it was the start of modern individualism - Metro Newspaper UK - July 8th, 2017 [July 8th, 2017]
- The Summer of Love was more than hippies and LSD it was the ... - The Conversation UK - July 7th, 2017 [July 7th, 2017]
- Entheogen - PsychonautWiki - July 1st, 2017 [July 1st, 2017]
- The History and Possibilities of Putting Weed in Your Witchcraft - Seattle Weekly - June 29th, 2017 [June 29th, 2017]
- Entheogens : Al-Kemi : spagyrics and alchemy - June 27th, 2017 [June 27th, 2017]
- Virtual Reality Takes Consciousness Research into Mystic Realms of the Divine Play - The Sociable - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- Entheogen - June 15th, 2017 [June 15th, 2017]