Hallucinogens and Shamanism: A Brief Article Portland ME

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.

City of Portland/Portland Public Hlth
(207) 874-8445
20 Portland Street
Portland, ME
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired

Data Provided by:
Serenity House Inc
(207) 774-2722
30 Mellen Street
Portland, ME
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Halfway house
Types of Care
Residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days)
Special Programs/Groups
Men

Data Provided by:
Top of the Hill Counseling
(207) 780-8999
142 High Street
Portland, ME
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
DUI/DWI offenders

Data Provided by:
Catholic Charities Maine
(207) 775-5671x5320
250 Anderson Street
Portland, ME
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, French

Data Provided by:
Crossroads for Women
(207) 773-9931
66 Pearl Street
Portland, ME
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Pregnant/postpartum women, Women, DUI/DWI offenders

Data Provided by:
Transitions Counseling Inc
(888) 773-8886
222 Saint John Street
Portland, ME
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient

Data Provided by:
Community Substance Abuse Centers
(207) 221-2292
2300 Congress Street
Portland, ME
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Detoxification, Methadone Maintenance, Methadone Detoxification
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Pregnant/postpartum women, Women
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired

Data Provided by:
Access Team
(207) 780-0020
576 Saint John Street
Portland, ME
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Women, Men, Criminal justice clients
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired

Data Provided by:
YAI
(207) 874-1060
54 Maple Street
Portland, ME
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Halfway house, Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Residential short-term treatment (30 days or less), Residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days)
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired

Data Provided by:
Portland VA Clinic
(207) 771-3500
73 Washington Avenue
Portland, ME
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Outpatient

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