Marihuana
Marijuana has historically been used as an entheogen or "sacred lamp" to achieve altered
states of consciousness. The cannabinoids present in marijuana are cognitive stimulants that allow the brain to function differently and help broaden the individual's consciousness.
In ancient cultures, the ritual use of marijuana was common to achieve deep meditative states, expand spiritual levels, and facilitate a more introspective and visionary experience. Another traditional way the plant was used was for medicinal purposes. For example, during the initial periods of the 21st century there was a lot of evidence about its medicinal use in India to combat physical ailments caused by a variety of diseases (such as arthritis).
In addition, there are testimonies collected from Native American cultures to ancient Chinese civilizations about the healing power perceived by its members when using cannabis to control problems such as chronically recurring migraines and intense pain of all kinds.
Psilocybin Mushrooms
Psilocybin mushrooms have been used in healing ceremonies for millennia. In Aztec culture,
religious leaders used these mushrooms to help release fear and have a personal experience. In the Middle Ages, the use of mushrooms was popularized by some Christian churches that sought to provoke deeply intimate spiritual experiences in order to achieve a greater human understanding and connection with God.
The entheogen has also been widely documented as an integral part of ancient shamanic tradition, where it is used for healing and ecstatic spirituality during specially designed ceremonies. There are still modern people who turn to this ancient method to explore their inner reality or enhance their philosophical perspectives on the outside world around them.
Peypeyote and Mescaline
The use of peyote and mescaline as entheogens dates back thousands of years. The ancient people of Mexico and the United States used them in religious rituals to seek spiritual connections, mental and physical healing, and prophetic vision. Mescaline is also a central element in Aztec shamanism. Peyote was revered by Native Americans for centuries as a heavenly gift that allowed them to hear divine voices and inspire sacred words. Today, many people still see Peyote and Mescaline as tools to experience altered states of consciousness, expand their lucid perception, or find answers within.
Ayahuasca
Ayahuasca has been used as an entheogen for centuries. It was originally used by indigenous peoples living in the Amazon, who believed that the hallucinogens contained in ayahuasca allowed them to establish a deep and magical connection with nature. The ancient inhabitants of the Americas also learned to prepare a concoction called "yagé" or "sacred wine", using local herbs and plants that contain DMT (dimethyltryptamine). These cultures traditionally held religious ceremonies where they shared the brew to seek inspiration and insight for social, personal, and spiritual issues.
In the West, various artists and intellectuals have discovered ayahuasca since the mid-20th century through cultural migrations from the Global South. Since then this religious ritual has been popularized in New Age or Transpersonal movements as an unconventional alternative therapy due to its ancestrally attested healing virtues.
Iboga root bark
Iboga root bark has been used for centuries as an entheogen by various cultures in Africa. The Bwiti of northwestern Congo use it as a central part of their rituals to achieve altered states of consciousness (EAC). References to Iboga have also been found in traditional circles that come from the course of time, where it is an important representative within magical and spiritual practices. In recent years, the Root Bark has been highly researched due to its therapeutic potential.
This medicinal plant acts on key neurotransmitters and neurochemicals in the brain, helping emotional and cognitive processing; regulating the sympathetic/peripheral nervous system; stimulating associative learning and inducing deeply expansive meditative states. Additionally, it offers profoundly healing benefits for those struggling with addictions or complex mental disorders.
Salvia Divinorum
Salvia Divinorum (Sage of the Seers) has been known for at least 2,000 years as a medicinal herb that has been used to treat various diseases. It has also been used as an entheogen by many cultures, especially the Aztecs, who considered it sacred and called it 'Mighty Herb', associating it with three powers of the sky deities: wind, fire and thunder. It was believed that consuming the sage facilitated mystical experiences and divine inspiration capable of giving answers to complex problems or predictions of the future. The modern use consists of inhaling steam produced by its heated leaves to experience an intense psychoactive state, temporarily losing contact with their current physical reality and receiving information from higher and spiritual forces invisible to normal human senses.
Cactus Saint Peter
The San Pedro Cactus (Trichocereus pachanoi) is a cactus plant native to the Peruvian Andes and is believed to have been used as an entheogen for thousands of years. These plants contain psychoactive alkaloids, particularly mescaline. The Andeans used it in religious ceremonies, where decoctions of the plant were drunk for medicinal or spiritual purposes.
The first documented references to the use of the San Pedro cactus date back to the 16th century by Spanish chroniclers who wrote about its ceremonial practices. Numerous clinical studies have been conducted for decades to examine the psychedelic and therapeutically useful effects of Cactro San Pedro, as well as its pharmacological potential to treat a variety of mental and physical illnesses. Since then, this entheogen has enjoyed great popularity both in Latin America and beyond thanks to its deeply hallucinogenic visual and emotional stimulant effects, making its way to this day commonly referred to under the name "teonanácatl" or divine panacea.