Hallucinogens and Shamanism: A Brief Article Northampton 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.

Hairston House
(413) 585-8390
25 Graves Avenue
Northampton, MA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Halfway house
Types of Care
Residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days)
Special Programs/Groups
Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired

Data Provided by:
Grace House
(413) 586-8212
143 West Street
Northampton, MA
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days)
Special Programs/Groups
Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Women, Residential beds for clients' children
Language Services
Spanish

Data Provided by:
Northampton Veterans Affairs Med Ctr
(413) 584-4040
421 North Main Street
Leeds, MA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Detoxification, Halfway house, Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Hospital inpatient, Residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days), Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Persons with HIV/AIDS, Men

Data Provided by:
Providence Behavioral Health Hospital
(413) 536-5111
1233 Main Street
Holyoke, MA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Detoxification, Methadone Maintenance, Methadone Detoxification
Types of Care
Hospital inpatient, Residential short-term treatment (30 days or less), Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Persons with HIV/AIDS, Pregnant/postpartum women, Women, DUI/DWI offenders
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired, French, German, Portugese, Spanish

Data Provided by:
Sisters of Providence Hospital
(413) 493-2741
1233 Main Street
Holyoke, MA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Detoxification, Methadone Maintenance
Types of Care
Hospital inpatient, Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Pregnant/postpartum women, Women, Men
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired, Spanish

Data Provided by:
Community Healthcare Inc
(413) 584-2404
297 Pleasant Street
Northampton, MA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Methadone Maintenance
Types of Care
Outpatient

Data Provided by:
Cooley Dickinson Hospital
(413) 586-8550
10 Main Street
Florence, MA
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Adolescents, Seniors/older adults, DUI/DWI offenders, Criminal justice clients
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired

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:
Behavioral Health Network
(413) 536-5473x130
40 Bobala Road
Holyoke, MA
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient

Data Provided by:
Gandara Residential Services For Woman
(413) 540-9881
507 Appleton Street
Holyoke, MA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Halfway house
Types of Care
Residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days)
Special Programs/Groups
Women, Residential beds for clients' children
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired, Spanish

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