Hallucinogens and Shamanism: A Brief Article Bethlehem PA

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.

New Directions Treatment Services
(610) 758-8011
2442 Broadhead Road
Bethlehem, PA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Detoxification, Methadone Maintenance, Methadone Detoxification, Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Persons with HIV/AIDS, DUI/DWI offenders
Language Services
Spanish

Data Provided by:
Valley Counseling Group
(610) 974-8500
65 East Elizabeth Avenue
Bethlehem, PA
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, Portugese, Spanish

Data Provided by:
Mid Atlantic Rehabilitation Services
(610) 419-3101
2045 Westgate Drive
Bethlehem, PA
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Adolescents, Women

Data Provided by:
Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse
(610) 437-0801
1031 West Linden Street
Allentown, PA
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, DUI/DWI offenders, Criminal justice clients
Language Services
Spanish

Data Provided by:
Step By Step Inc
(610) 776-1224
375 Linden Street
Allentown, PA
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders

Data Provided by:
Community Service Foundation Inc
(215) 348-8881
544 Main Street
Bethlehem, PA
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Partial hospitalization/day treatment

Data Provided by:
Solutions Counseling and
(610) 865-1303
35 East Elizabeth Avenue
Bethlehem, PA
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient

Data Provided by:
Hogar Crea Women''s Center
(610) 866-3442
1409 Pembroke Road
Bethlehem, PA
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days)
Special Programs/Groups
Women
Language Services
Spanish

Data Provided by:
Phoenix Training Institute
(610) 434-3202
1147 West Liberty Street
Allentown, PA
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, DUI/DWI offenders, Criminal justice clients
Language Services
Spanish

Data Provided by:
Treatment Trends Inc
(610) 433-0148
1130 Walnut Street
Allentown, PA
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Adolescents, Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Pregnant/postpartum women, Women, DUI/DWI offenders

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