Psychedelics and Spiritual Practice

<p>To a lot of people, the words psychedelic and spiritual are paradoxical. But the use of psychoactive substances in shamanic, religious, and spiritual practices is found throughout history, with evidence from <i>thousands</i> of years ago. In this episiode, we will be talking about psychedelics and spiritual practice and if there is a helpful role for them…or the potential harm.</p><p> </p><p>Let’s start with some definitions:</p><p> </p><p><i>Psychedelics</i> are a class of psychoactive substances that produce changes in perception, mood and cognitive processes. They affect all the senses, altering a person's thinking, sense of time and emotions.</p><p> </p><p>There are also <i>entheogens</i>, which are typically of plant origin, that are ingested to produce a non-ordinary state of consciousness for religious or spiritual purposes.</p><p> </p><p>Some examples of both are psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca, ketamine, 5-MeO-DMT, cannabis,, LSD, MDMA… and many more.</p><p> </p><p>I’ve used psychedelics in clinical settings and have found them to have a unique place in the treatment of mental health disorders. But I’m <strong>personally</strong> very interested in their use for spiritual purposes. Especially because, in my own clinical experience, many mental health issues have a strong root in spiritual and existential challenges.</p><p> </p><p>So when we really look at the <strong>intention</strong> for spiritual practice or use of psychedelics, Buddhism and psychedelics share something in common: <strong>finding that which frees the mind</strong>. There are probably a good amount of Buddhists who would say it’s a <strong>gateway</strong> to a spiritual path, which I certainly agree with (and there’s also many who would disagree).</p><p> </p><p>At my <i>alma mater</i>, Johns Hopkins University, there has been decades of research in the use of psychedelics for a variety of purposes, showing promising results in many areas. They’ve done studies with long-time meditators as well as those who didn’t have a previous spi