The Entheogen Debate

Question Addressed

Review rough of the key controversies around entheogens: what atomic number 18 some of the prevailing understandings of the intake of these kinds of cores in ritual? How guard much(prenominal) drugs been considered sacred and/or profane?

For thousands of years, humans nurse tack ways to alter their state of sureness and hold psychedelic and hallucinogenic experiences. These experiences are usually provided through the physical exercise of substances that puddle today been termed as drugs. Simply, a drug is a substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters prevalent bodily function (Kaffeeverband, 2001). In many cases, these drugs alter the conscious state of the user by affecting the central nervous system. These substances can occur naturally in certain plants and mushrooms, such as cannabis, while more recent chemical advances declare refined synthetic substances designed specifically to act as hallucinogens. Examples of such substances include LSD and heroin.

The use of drugs and other substances at heart a religious context is certainly not a new concept. When used in context with religious rites of passing play or practices, these substances become known as entheogens. Etymologically, entheogen translates literally as God inside us(Poir, 2009).



The term entheogen is given to substance used in a religious context, so as to differentiate it from recreational drug use. Strictly speaking, entheogens are preponderantly psychoactive substances, although there is evidence of the use of depressants and stimulants by some cultures in religious practices. Entheogens can be used in spiritual, religious or shamanic contexts, depending on the belief systems of those using the substances. The use of entheogens can be dated back as furthest as 8000 BC, as stated by Giorgio Samorini who supports this theorem with cave paintings found in Algeria depicting a man who appeared to be tie in with a mushroom.

A diverse range of cultures use and have used...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay



If you want to get a full essay, wisit our page: write my essay .