Hallucinogens and Shamanism: A Brief Article Bassett VA

The use of psychoactive drugs was studied in the 1960s by Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert who looked at LSD and psilocybin who studied shamanic teachings and practices around the globe. These shamanic traditions involve non-ordinary states of consciousness induced by a variety of methods including ingesting hallucinogenic plants, but also drumming, fasting, wilderness vision questing, use of sweat lodges and others.

Piedmont Community Services
(276) 632-7128
24 Clay Street
Martinsville, VA
Hotline
(276) 632-7295
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient, Partial hospitalization/day treatment
Special Programs/Groups
Adolescents, Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Women, Men, Criminal justice clients

Data Provided by:
Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and
(276) 666-7200
320 Hospital Drive
Martinsville, VA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Detoxification
Types of Care
Hospital inpatient

Data Provided by:
Family Counseling Center For Recovery
(804) 419-0492
905 Southlake Boulevard
Richmond, VA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Detoxification, Methadone Maintenance, Methadone Detoxification
Types of Care
Outpatient, Partial hospitalization/day treatment
Special Programs/Groups
Women, DUI/DWI offenders, Criminal justice clients

Data Provided by:
Dickenson County Behavioral Services
(276) 926-1680
133 McClure Avenue
Clintwood, VA
Hotline
(276) 926-1650
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Adolescents, Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Women, DUI/DWI offenders, Criminal justice clients
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired

Data Provided by:
WTCSB Smithfield Center
(757) 357-7458
1801 South Church Street
Smithfield, VA
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
DUI/DWI offenders

Data Provided by:
Passages
(276) 632-5685
817 Starling Avenue
Martinsville, VA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Halfway house
Types of Care
Residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days), Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Men

Data Provided by:
Harrisonburg/Rockingham
(540) 434-1941
1241 North Main Street
Harrisonburg, VA
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Women

Data Provided by:
Hanover County Community Service Board
(804) 365-4222
12300 Washington Highway
Ashland, VA
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Adolescents

Data Provided by:
Women''s Home Inc
(703) 237-2822
1628 North George Mason Drive
Arlington, VA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Halfway house
Types of Care
Residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days)
Special Programs/Groups
Women

Data Provided by:
Mental Health Substance Abuse Division
(757) 385-0850
289 Independence Boulevard
Virginia Beach, VA
Hotline
(757) 437-6150
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Adolescents, Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders

Data Provided by:
Data Provided by:

Hallucinogens and Shamanism: A Brief Article

In the western area, many drugs are highly refined and attempted excessively or habitually, in ways that are addictive and harmful. However, in traditional societies powerful mind-active plants are consumed ritually for therapeutic purposes or for transcending normal, everyday reality. In this article I will look in detail at the ritual use of mind-active drugs for therapeutic mind-expansion as part of shamanic traditions in comparison to the modern abuse of pharmaceutical drugs as part of drug addictions and dependencies.

The use of psychoactive drugs was studied in the 1960s by Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert who looked at LSD and psilocybin who studied shamanic teachings and practices around the globe. These shamanic traditions involve non-ordinary states of consciousness induced by a variety of methods including ingesting hallucinogenic plants, but also drumming, fasting, wilderness vision questing, use of sweat lodges and others.

Metzner notes that indigenous people have a profound knowledge of plants and herbs and their effects on the body and mind and are well able to distinguish harmful from beneficial medicines. For this reason the vision-inducing plants that have a tradition of shamanic usage are much more likely to be safe, in contrast to newly discovered and synthesized drugs, the use of which may often involve unknown long-term risks.

Western psychotherapy and indigenous shamanism use similar psychoactive substances for healing and obtaining knowledge (call...

Click here to read the rest of this article from Sober Recovery


Featured Facilities