The History Of: Hallucinogens, Psychedelics & Entheogens

Hallucinogens, psychedelics, and entheogens have been around since prehistory. Still, the use of psychoactive plants and fungi continues in the modern day. This post discusses all the insights into psychedelics and natural hallucinogens and how they influence the world.

Hallucinogens, psychedelics, and entheogenic have been around for the longest time. While they are banned in many places worldwide, some countries embrace its healing and spiritual abilities.

Psychoactive drugs from plants include peyote, LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide), Psilocybin, San Pedro, Ayahuasca, MDMA (Methylenedioxy-methamphetamine) ,and DMT (Dimethyltryptamine) to name a few.

Each psychoactive possesses profound abilities to result in healing and health restoration. Yet, while it bears all these health benefits, it isnt legal everywhere. Psychedelics from plants can often be replicated synthetically and reproduced.

Hallucinogens are psychoactive substances also referred to as psychedelics. These substances can alter the mind, leading to a different state of consciousness. Psychedelics and entheogens can cause hallucinations, perceptual distortions, shifts in conscientiousness and spiritual experiences.

Ancient civilizations used hallucinogens many years ago. Priests, shamans, and select people acquired psychedelic drugs found in nature for religious and ceremonial purposes and recreation.

More recently in the US, they were used in psychotherapy because they can produce profound changes in perception, mood, and thought patterns.

Psychedelics and entheogens have been used for spiritual purposes throughout human history. In the 1950s and 1960s psychedelics were the focus of a new generation of psychologists exploring the therapeutic potential of LSD, psilocybin, mescaline, MDMA (ecstasy), ketamine and other substances.

The term entheogen is a compound word derived from two Greek words, (entheos) meaning god within or inner divine and (genesthai) meaning to come into being. Ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes coined the term in the 1960s to denote a class of drugs whose primary effect is to alter ones consciousness.

In the pre-Socratics philosophy and religions, there were no strict definitions of what constituted an entheogen. As a result, the use of entheogens in pre-Socratic philosophy is unclear.

It is possible, though, that some of the substances used for healing by ancient priests, such as opium, cannabis, and the coca leaf may have been used in religious rites. In the ancient world, some people believed that the soul is immortal and will be reborn repeatedly until it reached perfect enlightenment. Psychoactive drugs helped priests and healers reach enlightened states of mind when used.

The Greeks left us clues about their beliefs about what happens after death. Plutarch recorded the following thought in his theory of Isis and Osiris: Plutarch was an ancient Greek philosopher and Platonist who recorded some of the events regarding the myth about Isis and Osiris. In a word, the legend is shrouded in a life and death experience.

The legend speaks of the queen Isis who resurrects her husband Osiris, after which she then takes on the form of another non-human facet and later bears their son Horus. In a word, the theory of Isis and Osiris is symbolic of reincarnation in other beliefs.

Psychedelics and hallucinogenics became very popular in later years after their successful synthesis. In the late 1930s, a Swiss chemist named Albert Hofmann was experimenting with LSD and synthesized the drug to help stabilize mental conditions like postpartum depression.

Hofmann had accidentally ingested the drug residue and he was the first recorded human trial to experience the hallucinogenic effects of LSD.

In the 1940s, the production of LSD helped in the medical assistance of patients suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) which was commonly seen amongst the soldiers who fought in the war. LSD was also known to help treat anxiety and depression and medical doctors were confident in the process and the ability to outweigh the side effects.

Many people embraced psychedelics, especially those classified as hippies. In fact, the iconic Timothy Leary, a psychologist from Harvard University, was an advocate for psychedelic drugs. He believed that it had the power to open ones mind in an altered state. Because of Timothys attitude towards psychedelics, he would be later arrested by the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) and imprisoned for crimes related to drugs.

In the 1950s and the 1960s, drugs were still freely available. Despite claims and research by medical professionals like Hofmann, there was still great skepticism about the benefits of psychedelics.

Despite how well the drug was doing medically, the government would later ban drugs. The banned drugs included LSD, which was classified as a Schedule I. A Schedule I drug means the drug is not useful for medical research and medical use and has a high risk for abuse according to the government.

LSD along with psilocybin, marijuana, opium, and many others were revoked and completely banned by the 1970s.

LSD proved to be a very popular solution to combat PTSD but after the 1950s and 1960s, the use of psychedelics became wild as folks started using it simply for recreational purposes. But, since its inception and the discovery of other psychedelics like psilocybin, it changed how people used the drug.

People werent as much interested in the health benefits of the drugs, but instead, the high and the magical, spiritual and change in perception it gave the user. Drugs were also used as a common way to escape societys oppression at the time.

Timothy Leary was known to encourage students to use psychedelics like LSD as it allows them to turn on, tune in, and drop outa phrase often used by Leary.

Its clear drugs were negatively impacting society; meanwhile, the government and army feared that they could be used as biochemical weapons. Or as a means of control.

In later years, the continued free use and availability of cocaine and other drugs with psychedelic effects became a problem. This would later spark the popular war on drugs as issued by the United States president at the time, Richard Nixon, as it took place in the 1970s.

The War on Drugs became an international campaign with every country stepping in towards the same goals as Nixon. The famous Say no to drugs became a popular slogan plastered in the media.

The use ofpsychedelics as a means of therapeutic medicine has evolved since its first official inception. In fact, its more respected for its true healing nature. When we track back to our ancestors and prehistoric times and native tribes, we realize that these folks have always used these powerful plants for the true purpose it was made for.

Reaching a higher spiritual level is just part of the whole experience. Drugs like LSD, DTM, THC, and psilocybin are all breaking the counterdrug campaign stereotypes.

These drugs have been and are continued to be researched and used for their medicinal advantages that are proven to manage and cause remission of disorders like severe depression, suicidal attempts, anxiety, and more.

In highly regulated facilities where psychedelic retreats are permitted, people are already starting to lead better lives thanks to the mind-altering changes of psychoactive drugs.

Yes, entheogens are psychedelics. The name entheogen is from the Greek word that means come into being.

Psychedelics usually alter the minds consciousness and are often used for the psychoactive ability, as seen in religious ceremonies and rituals of native tribes and religious groups tribes. It also aids transcendence.

Many religions use entheogens since ancient times, including but not limited to Santo Daime, Rastafarian, Buddhism, and Hinduism to name a few.

Entheogens assist in religious experiences and transcendence by altering the minds perception.

With regulations slowly relaxing regarding drugs, the chances are we may be able to receive long-lasting treatment for many health conditions. This is especially since psychoactive drugs can work even better than antidepressants in the longevity and efficacy of the treatment. We see a lot of evidence of the effectiveness of psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs by the Johns Hopkins research institute.

Content on OmYourEnergy.com is for educational purposes only and is not meant to be medical or therapeutic advice. Consult your qualified healthcare practitioner when it comes to your personal health or before you start any treatment.

Additionally, psychedelics and other substances featured on this site are illegal in many locations. We do not condone the use of substances in locations where they are prohibited by the law.

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The History Of: Hallucinogens, Psychedelics & Entheogens