From Venerable Cultural Practices to Modern Psychological Solutions: Enter Entheogens into Mainstream Medicine
European Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences May 1, 2024 Nicholas A Kerna, Kevin D. Pruitt, N.d. Victor Carsrud et al.
Entheogens are psychoactive substances with deep cultural and religious roots, used historically for healing and spiritual practices across the Americas, Africa, and India. Recent research focuses on compounds like psilocybin, DMT, mescaline, LSD, ayahuasca, ibogaine, and Salvia divinorum, which act mainly on serotonin receptors to alter perception, mood, and cognition. Clinical studies suggest promise for treating depression, anxiety, addiction, PTSD, and possibly pain and cluster headaches, but regulatory hurdles, small sample sizes, and ethical concerns limit progress. Safe use requires proper dosing, risk assessment, supportive setting, and medical supervision. Cannabis was excluded from this review due to its unique status.