Hallucinogens and Shamanism: A Brief Article North Adams MA

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.

United Counseling Service of
(802) 442-5491
Ledge Hill Road
Bennington, VT
Hotline
(802) 442-5491
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Adolescents, Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Seniors/older adults, Women, DUI/DWI offenders, Criminal justice clients
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired

Data Provided by:
Berkshire Medical Center/Hillcrest
(413) 442-1400x9137
165 Tor Court
Pittsfield, MA
Hotline
(413) 442-1400
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Detoxification, Halfway house, Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Hospital inpatient, Residential short-term treatment (30 days or less)
Special Programs/Groups
Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Women
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired

Data Provided by:
Brighton Family Practice
(617) 254-8500
11 Henshaw Street
Brighton, MA
Hotline
(580) 770-1904
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Detoxification, Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Outpatient, Partial hospitalization/day treatment
Language Services
Spanish

Data Provided by:
McLean Hospital
(617) 855-2242
115 Mill Street
Belmont, MA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Detoxification, Methadone Detoxification, Halfway house, Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Hospital inpatient, Residential short-term treatment (30 days or less), Outpatient, Partial hospitalization/day treatment
Special Programs/Groups
Women, Men

Data Provided by:
Holyoke Hospital Inc
(413) 534-2626
575 Beech Street
Holyoke, MA
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient, Partial hospitalization/day treatment
Special Programs/Groups
Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired

Data Provided by:
Brien Center
(413) 499-0412
333 East Street
Pittsfield, MA
Hotline
(413) 499-0412
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Outpatient, Partial hospitalization/day treatment
Special Programs/Groups
Women, Men, DUI/DWI offenders
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired

Data Provided by:
Riverside Outpatient Center
(617) 969-4925
64 Eldredge Street
Newton, MA
Hotline
(800) 529-5077
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders

Data Provided by:
Harrington Memorial Hospital
(508) 765-9167
29 Pine Street
Southbridge, MA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Adolescents, Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Persons with HIV/AIDS, Women, Men, DUI/DWI offenders, Criminal justice clients
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired, Polish, Spanish

Data Provided by:
Gandara Center Inc
(413) 781-2234x104
33 Arch Street
Springfield, MA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Halfway house
Types of Care
Residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days)
Special Programs/Groups
Persons with HIV/AIDS, Men
Language Services
Spanish

Data Provided by:
South Shore Recovery Home
(617) 773-7023
10 Dysart Street
Quincy, MA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Halfway house
Types of Care
Residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days)
Special Programs/Groups
Men
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired

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