Definition
Entheogens, also called psychedelics or hallucinogens, are naturally and chemically produced substances originating from plants or certain species and used as tools for greater self-awareness, healing, spiritual awakening, and bringing clarity to life.
- They produce altered states of consciousness or mystical states (meaning beyond our five-sensory perception), going beyond the 3rd dimension, into spiritual realms, into the supernatural, mysterious, metaphysical, otherworldly, or having a transpersonal or transcendent experience.
- These substances contain psychoactive components; when used in a spiritual, mystical, and ceremonial context, they produce a beyond-our-default-world perceptual experience.
- They are known to have great power over the ego, shattering areas of denial, blind spots, and conditioned patterns of the mind and personality that are not serving the individual in their relationships and life. This allows for self-awareness and self-growth to happen much faster than ordinary methods.
- Work with entheogens includes intention, surrender, trusting the process, staying in process, facing the truth, discovering purpose, and engaging the personal integration work “to come into being.” These are not “cure-all” medicines or “panaceas” that do the work for people. A person must do the work within themselves and for themselves with any kind of tools for transformation they choose.
- Entheogens are not drugs (they are not toxic in their pure form, they are not generally found to be addictive, and they do not numb feelings; they enhance feelings). They are known for interrupting addictive patterns of any kind. There is a sense of freedom from one’s own inner prison under the effects of these medicines, so it is hard to lump them in with the word “drug,” which refers more to a numbing agent used to relieve psychological and physical pain and discomfort, known for its maintenance and addictive use, and for being often highly toxic to the human system.
- Entheogenic medicine journeys can be very intense experiences that bring up deep work. They have a tendency to catch people by surprise and create a good deal of discomfort as one stares into the truth about themselves and gets real about what changes they need to make in their life.
Hallucinogens
To hallucinate means to have a sensory experience of the mind that does not match the external world, including altered states or changes in consciousness foreign to everyday sensory experiences.
A psychedelic is a substance that reveals the truth of the soul. Broken down into its roots, the word “psyche” means “soul” and “delos” means “to reveal.” Psychedelic substances are increasingly being recognized as sacred, medicinal, safe, and powerfully transformational when used in the right set and setting with proper preparation and integration.
Ibogaine
Ibogaine has been categorized as a hallucinogen and entheogen, though a more accurate description would be that it is a dream-creating or oneirogenic medicine. This is because ibogaine can simulate REM sleep, where participants experience a dream state that they can enter while awake, comparable to lucid dreaming. Iboga and ibogaine have profound effects on a person’s psychological and physical state. In just one journey, a person can witness their entire life review, locate and heal their core trauma, identify the blocks holding them back in life, connect with what is most real and true for them, get clarity on next steps, detox their body, and come out a whole new person.
Ibogaine is administered in a medical facility. Ibogaine HCL comes as a powder and is most often put into capsules. Dosage may depend on weight, gender, reason for taking ibogaine (such as opiate addiction), heart health, and overall health. It is deemed safe under the right medical care.