Hallucinogens and Shamanism: A Brief Article West Chester 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.

Gaudenzia Inc
(610) 399-6571
1030 South Concord Road
West Chester, PA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Halfway house
Types of Care
Residential short-term treatment (30 days or less), Residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days)
Special Programs/Groups
Pregnant/postpartum women, Women, Residential beds for clients' children

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Center for Addictive Diseases
(610) 648-1130
479 Thomas Jones Way
Exton, PA
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Substance abuse , Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Outpatient
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Adolescents, Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Seniors/older adults, Women, Men, DUI/DWI offenders, Criminal justice clients
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired

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St John Vianney Center
(610) 269-2600
151 Woodbine Road
Downingtown, PA
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Substance abuse
Types of Care
Hospital inpatient, Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Criminal justice clients
Language Services
Spanish

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Rehab After Work
(610) 889-9939x227
1440 Russell Road
Paoli, PA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Detoxification, Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Adolescents, Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Women, DUI/DWI offenders

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Mirmont Treatment Center
(610) 744-1400
100 Yearsley Mill Road
Media, PA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Detoxification
Types of Care
Residential short-term treatment (30 days or less), Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Women, Men

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Pathway Counseling Services
(610) 269-8396
811 West Chester Pike
West Chester, PA
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Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Adolescents, Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, DUI/DWI offenders, Criminal justice clients

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Malvern Institute
(610) 647-0330
940 King Road
Malvern, PA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Detoxification, Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Residential short-term treatment (30 days or less), Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Women, Men, DUI/DWI offenders
Language Services
Spanish

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NHS Help Counseling Division
(610) 444-0555
503 North Walnut Street
Kennett Square, PA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Outpatient, Partial hospitalization/day treatment
Special Programs/Groups
Adolescents, DUI/DWI offenders
Language Services
Spanish

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Bowling Green Inn
(610) 268-3588
1375 Newark Road
Kennett Square, PA
Services Provided
Substance abuse , Detoxification, Methadone Maintenance, Methadone Detoxification, Buprenorphine Services
Types of Care
Residential short-term treatment (30 days or less), Residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days), Partial hospitalization/day treatment
Special Programs/Groups
Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Pregnant/postpartum women

Data Provided by:
Focus Psychological Associates Inc
(610) 566-4330
700 North Jackson Street
Media, PA
Services Provided
Substance abuse
Types of Care
Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups
Adolescents, DUI/DWI offenders
Language Services
ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired, Spanish

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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...

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