The battle against drugs and drug usage rages on today and for good reason. However, with the near constant limelight that the ‘drug war’ receives today, it can seem like the most common drugs have only just been discovered. Although the main production process of these drugs is often carried out by farmers in some far flung corners of the world, the reality is that most modern drugs were discovered many millennia ago.Archaeological evidence shows that humans were taking opium and ‘magic

Everything we do is for the purpose of altering consciousness. We form friendships so that we can feel certain emotions, like love, and avoid others, like loneliness. We eat specific foods to enjoy their fleeting presence on our tongues. We read for the pleasure of thinking another person’s thoughts. Every waking moment—and even in our dreams—we struggle to direct the flow of sensation, emotion, and cognition toward states of consciousness that we value.Drugs are another means toward this end

Inside the backyard of a south Sydney property, a postmodern shaman grows a selection of psychedelic plants he says he uses for medicine.The shaman, who wishes to be known only as Boaz, claims to be one of many suburban healers using psychedelics to overcome mental anguish. He'd told us: “It takes away ego and makes you look deep inside your own soul, which is a very powerful tool.” Despite using psychedelic substances, Boaz doesn’t like to be considered a “druggo” with any of the

As I feel indebted to the shamans who saw themselves in me and helped me understand why I have always felt like I don’t belong in mainstream medicine, the intention of this article is to respectfully honor the shamanic tradition, and not to violate it in any way. Because modern culture doesn’t have a role for the shamanic archetype, many people who grow up outside indigenous villages are shamans and don’t know it. Many naturally wind up in overtly healing professions, such as medicine

Some spiritualists, regardless of their background, describe themselves as shamans in the same breath that they also call themselves Reiki masters, tarot readers, aura cleansers, and mediums. While these latter terms each refer to a particular type of spiritual practice, "shaman" has seemed to have lost most of its specificity. With Western spiritualists throwing around the word "shaman" as freely as "energy," "entity," and "vibrations," we decided to explore the term's roots.In short, what's

For thousands of years, medicinal herbs and plants have been used to heal and strengthen the body and mind. So much so, in fact, that researchers and scientists have taken great interest in studying their effects in recent decades. And while this has

In the past 20 years, the field of near-death studies has thoroughly documented the existence of this phenomenon. The field now appears to be evolving from a purely academic one to include an applied, clinical component. I discuss the overlap between shamanism and near-death experiences (NDEs) and suggest that the study of shamanism would be add to our understanding of NDEs and help with the development of an applied methodology. Although it may be difficult to verify subjective accounts of

Only six people in the world know how to do what Sergio Pacheco is about to do.A middle-aged man who rarely smiles, Pacheco stands in the middle of a crowd on the National Mall, wearing a feathered headdress, beaded necklace and wrinkled dress that's been hand painted with a large, maroon bird on the front. "What I'm about to show you is the way we heal in my community," Pacheco says in his native language, Harakmbut, while a translator quickly interprets. "If someone has faith, they will

So how are yoga and shamanism connected? In 2006, Kripalu presenter Ray Crist was recovering from a serious illness. A yoga teacher, martial artist, and Reiki practitioner, Ray had spent four years traveling the world seeking those who could heal him. His

Originally published in 2013 ‘Cactus of Mystery: The Shamanic Power of the Peruvian San Pedro Cactus’ is written by Ross Heaven, with additional contributions from David Luke, Eve Bruce, Morgan Maher and others. Heaven is a psychologist, healer and workshop facilitator. He has authored more than ten books, including ‘Plant Spirit Shamanism’ and ‘Shamanic Quest for the Spirit of Salvia.’The mescaline containing cactus San Pedro, Trichocereus pachanoi, has been a very little tackled subject to