Entheogens
An Overview
Often when people hear about someone experimenting with psychedelics, their mind travels to something they’ve seen or heard that has overdramatized and miscategorized entheogenic experiences and the associated substances — perhaps images of rebellious youths and anti-establishment protests flash before their eyes as they hear Richard Nixon declare a war on drugs or conceivably have negative thoughts because of some hyperbolic anecdote. It’s these misconceptions that often lead people to believe that all psychedelic substances are dangerous drugs that produce intense hallucinations that the user has no control over. This is far exaggerated from the truth. Propaganda from medical doctors during the War on Drugs’ founding years set the stage for an entire nation to be misinformed enough to collectively bastardize therapeutic holistic treatments and instead develop a healthcare system devoid of any natural, or non-invasive interventions.
The stigma surrounding mental health has also created misconceptions concerning scientific accuracy regarding the fear of long-term negative consequences of experimenting with psychedelics even once. These lies, of course, have caused societal division and a rift beyond the counterculture movement and into the systemic organizational structure of the US and much of the Western world. With credibility dwindling and unrest rising, the seeds of doubt were planted as time and again any slight possibility of research that would validate a psychedelic’s medicinal benefits was scoffed at while pharmaceuticals operated legally, were less scrutinized and overall much more available, potentially abused, and integrated directly into US culture. All of this prompted clandestine psychonauts and devoted laymen researchers to gather information in symposia on the internet and to congregate in these arcane communities. It is only recently that it has become possible to come back into the light and rekindle the research and enthusiasm that was dismissed over a generation ago.
MushMaps is committed to redirecting the narrative by providing accessible, credible, and unbiased information and scientific medical research that pertains to natural and synthetic psychedelics as psychiatric tools. It is our mission to educate, support, and empower those who want to integrate psychedelics into their life, whether for medicinal, personal or entheogenic reasons.
We believe it to be everyone’s personal freedom and right to have access to up-to-date knowledge and resources concerning the history, events, research, activism, and legislation shaping this emerging sector. Our views reflect that unbiased peer-reviewed science concerning psychedelic substances can help people heal individually and as a society. By adopting new perspectives through balanced research findings, clinical development, and education, we believe psychedelics can become a valued part of our social, legal, and healthcare systems.
To help users on their psychedelic journey, our LEARNING resources aim to develop an encompassing and scientifically pragmatic perspective on the medical, legal and cultural context of entheogenic integration and safe, responsible usage. We are in the partnership of helping to create a world where patients have access to the medicinal values of psychedelics and entheogens, where they have finally been allowed to be meticulously researched by leading scientists and academic organizations.
These curated resources are meant to serve as supplemental learning materials and to provide harm-reduction practices. This is not an exhaustive guide, nor is it meant to be fully extensive. As the industry evolves we will update LEARNING accordingly. That being said, we do not offer medical advice, nor do we support illegal activities. The information provided in our guides are for education and information-sharing purposes only. Please speak to a healthcare professional regarding medical concerns. As with all substances, practice safety, care, and respect.