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26th November 2020 • Sticky Post

A Brief History of Psychedelics

For as long as people have existed, they have been experimenting with ways to alter their consciousness. The earliest archaeological evidence of the use of psychedelics is found traces of the San Pedro cactus, a plant with hallucinogenic properties, that were found in caves inhabited by humans in Peru and are calculated to be over 10,000 years old. Evidence abounds all over the world in cave paintings, relics, traces of plants, and religious artifacts that spirituality and psychedelics have been intimately connected for millennia. Many of those who have experimented with psychoactive substances, particularly oneirogenics and psychedelics, have found that altering their consciousness deepened their spiritual connections and connected them to universal forces larger than themselves. Let’s take a deeper look at the ancient spiritual traditions associated with the use of psychedelics.

Psilocybin And Mushroom Stones

Stone effigies in the shape of mushrooms have been found in tombs and other sites sacred to the Mayan people in Mexico, Guatemala, and other Central American countries. The stones were used to grind “magic mushrooms” into a ceremonial drink used in sacred rituals. The use of hallucinogenic mushrooms spread to the Aztecs, as reports from the Spanish Conquest state that they referred to psychoactive mushrooms as “Teonanacatl”, meaning “God’s Flesh.” As ethnobotanist and anthropologist R. Gordon Wasson states: “the use of mushrooms, if I am right, spread over most of Eurasia and the Americas, and as Stone Age Man has emerged into the light of proto-history these strange fungi may well have been the primary secret of his sacred Mysteries.”

Ayahuasca

Ayahuasca use is intimately tied to the rituals and beliefs of a myriad of tribes in South America’s Amazon basin. The earliest evidence we’ve acquired of ayahuasca use is a 1000-year-old pouch made of fox snouts which contained the ingredients for brewing the powerful drink. Ayahuasca is referred to throughout the Amazon region as a “plant teacher (or doctor)”, and the ayahuasca vine is known in some local languages as the “vine of the ancestors.” The plant’s ceremonial use was primarily for healing, though it was also used in warfare, coming of age ceremonies, to gain artistic inspiration, and “as the main theme for cultural narratives.” As anthropologist Luis Eduardo Luna writes: “In general, ayahuasca is used as an instrument to gain access to information coming from unseen realms, as well as from the social and natural environment.” It has long been the bedrock of spirituality for the indigenous people of South America.

Peyote And The Native American Church

Archaeological evidence and cave paintings indicate that the indigenous people of Mexico and the Southwestern United States have been using peyote in sacred rituals for at least 3000 years. The substance was said by members of “peyote cults” to protect initiates from danger, heal the body and spirit, enable visionary predictions, and strengthen the user. In many cultures, peyote was considered the most valuable and potent medicine, and it was believed to have the power to cure any disease if used properly. The peyote ritual is generally led by a shaman and consists of singing and dancing overnight. Peyote is usually consumed in a drink, and various tribes have different traditions for obtaining the substance, including purification rituals and pilgrimages.

In spite of the efforts of legislators and missionaries to forbid the use of peyote, traditions remain strong and it’s estimated that at least 40 tribes in North America continue to take part in peyote rituals. The Native American Church, which mixes peyote ceremonies and traditional beliefs with Christianity, won a legal victory in 1978 which protected their right to use peyote ceremonially. Many adherents feel that peyote is a “divine messenger” that enables the user to communicate directly with God, without the need of a priest to act as an intermediary.

Kykeon

In the ancient Greek city of Eleusis, an important, elaborate, and secret yearly ritual was performed to celebrate death and rebirth as symbolized by the myth of Demeter and Hades. The participants would descend into a cave, and drink a cup of kykeon, which contained ergot, a substance that mimics the hallucinatory effects of LSD. The initiates were sworn to secrecy, so little is known of what occurred, but we do know that they were profoundly influential. As one historian writes: “Virtually every ancient writer, thinker, ruler, or builder whose name we know today, from the beginnings of the Rites in c.1500 BCE until they were shut down and outlawed by the Christian emperor Theodosius in 392 CE, was an initiate into the Eleusinian Mysteries.”

Plato was deeply influenced by the ritual. In his “Phaedo” he wrote that only the initiated could “dwell amongst the Gods,” interpreted as meaning that only those who had undergone the ritual would have an understanding of life while they lived. The writer Plutarch noted that after partaking in the ritual he lost the fear of death and recognized himself as an immortal soul.

Iboga

Bwiti is a spiritual tradition common among the Babongo and Mitsogo people of Gabon, and the Fang people of Gabon and Cameroon. Contemporary beliefs are described as a mixture of animism, ancestor worship, and Christianity, and the substance of iboga is at the core of their rituals and beliefs. According to Wikipedia, iboga is used to “promote radical spiritual growth, to stabilize community and family structure, to meet religious requirements, and to resolve pathological problems.”

When Bwiti shamans take part in the iboga ceremony, they believe that they gain the ability to heal illnesses, communicate with their ancestors, and experience visions of the future. Most significantly, iboga is fundamental to the initiation rites and coming-of-age rituals of the Bwiti. According to Daniel Lieberman, an expert on Bwiti culture, “They believe that before initiation the neophyte is nothing. Through the ceremony, you become something…a Baanzi, one who knows the otherworld because you have seen it with your own eyes.” According to Lieberman, the Bwiti believe that iboga is a “superconscious spiritual entity that guides mankind.” The vast majority of the followers of Bwiti consume iboga as part of their coming-of-age ritual, and it is a fundamental building block of their culture and community.

Modern Traditions

As you can see, society, culture and spirituality have been shaped by psychedelics since the dawn of time. Psychedelics enlarge our perceptions and guide us toward a fuller understanding and greater respect for the universe, nature, our fellows, and ourselves. At Iboga Tree Healing House, we have seen profound spiritual growth and healing occur through the use of these extraordinary plants time and again. If you have any questions you’d like to ask about using iboga or other psychoactive substances as a tool for spiritual growth and healing, get in touch with us today!

6th November 2020 • Sticky Post

Understanding Psilocybin Therapy

The use of psychedelics in treating all manner of mental illnesses has been a hot topic in recent years. Scientists at prestigious institutions such as Johns Hopkins, New York University, the University of New Mexico, and Imperial College in London have conducted small but rigorous and controlled studies which have shown the immense potential of psilocybin therapy in dealing with depression, anxiety, and addiction. These studies have led to numerous books exploring the history and medical potential of psychedelics to change and heal the mind, most notably best-selling American author Michael Pollan’s “How To Change Your Mind.”

As momentum has built, a number of jurisdictions have decriminalized the cultivation and possession of psilocybin (the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms”), notably the major American cities of Oakland, California, and Denver, Colorado. 2020 will also see voters in Oregon and California decide on whether to legalize the substance throughout their states. Many psychologists, physicians, and people afflicted with mental illnesses are eager to take advantage of the benefits offered by this remarkable plant. As Mr. Pollan puts it:

a single psilocybin trip guided by trained professionals has the potential to relieve “existential distress” in cancer patients; break addictions to cigarettes, alcohol, and cocaine; and bring relief to people struggling with depression. Psychiatry’s current drugs for treating these disorders are limited in their effectiveness, often addictive, address only symptoms, and can come with serious side effects. Thus, the prospect of psychedelic medicine is raising hopes of a badly needed revolution in mental health care.

Psilocybin Treatment: The Process

While there isn’t currently an established model for psilocybin treatment, most of the studies conducted thus far have patients use the substance in a controlled environment, supervised by a psychologist who guides them through the experience. The Imperial College study on depression offered patients a 25-milligram capsule of psilocybin, which is a substantial dose. They were placed in a room with a bed, surrounded with flowers and candles, and guided through traumas, significant past events, and formative memories.

A study at the University of New Mexico on psilocybin therapy for alcohol addiction offered participants four weeks of traditional psychotherapy, before giving them a dose of psilocybin in a quiet, comfortable room with male and female “co-therapists.” In this study, the therapists did little more than direct patients to “turn their attention inward” and go where their minds took them. This was followed by four more weeks of psychotherapy, another psilocybin session, and a final bout of traditional therapy.

As one participant noted, his experience wasn’t focused on his dependence on alcohol, but rather on the stresses, guilt, and happiness which his relationship with family members created. His recovery wasn’t motivated by a desire to avoid alcohol, but rather by the prospect of improving his relationships with loved ones. He reported being effortlessly abstinent for months afterward, before beginning to drink moderately once again but with “a conscientiousness he had never experienced with alcohol before.” Two years after the study his drinking remained under control, and he had repaired his marriage and relationships with his children.

Why is Psilocybin Treatment Effective?

While many countries are accelerating research into psilocybin therapy, no one is exactly sure why the treatment has proven to be so effective. Nonetheless, there are a number of compelling theories as to why it works. Serotonin is often cited as one possible key to the effects of psilocybin, as the substance causes “downregulation” of the serotonin system, which can result in reduced impulsivity and improved mood. But changes to serotonin typically last for just one week, so the longer-term benefits of the treatment must derive from a different source.

Michael Bogenschutz, the lead investigator in the University of New Mexico alcohol trial, posits the view that exposure to psychedelics and oneirogenics can create a phenomenon that mirrors the long-tail effects of PTSD. As he puts it:

"there's a whole process that happens when a toxic memory is seared into the brain. The only physical effect is probably light hitting the eyes. It's the meaning made of that memory, and the brain and body's reaction to the meaning, that can cause lasting damage. So if there are experiences that are so toxic and so horrible that they can cause physical and psychological damage, it's not a crazy idea that there are some experiences that are so positive, so beneficial that they can have a healing effect."

Other researchers point to the concept of “ego death” that has long been associated with psychedelics. Robin Carhartt-Harris, a researcher at Imperial College, notes that psilocybin reduces activity in the brain’s “default mode network”, a collection of brain regions and neurotransmitters that are believed to construct an independent self and place it at the center of perceptions and experiences. Psychedelics help individuals to pay less attention to the self, breaking down walls and facilitating connections. Since many depressed and addicted people are plagued with a deep and abiding sense of isolation from others, this can feel like a dramatic escape from a mental prison. Many of the participants in these studies reported that psilocybin dramatically reduced their sense of alienation.

Another theory is that the therapy increases neuroplasticity, changing and reshaping neurons in the brain. This remodeling of cells is the basis of all learning, and substances like psilocybin and iboga have been proven to improve neuroplasticity. Addiction, anxiety, trauma, and depression can create negative changes in brain chemistry, as the mind learns to take pleasure or stress from external cues. Psilocybin seems to help restore the brain to a pre-addicted state.

Psilocybin Treatment: Safety Concerns

While psilocybin therapy has shown immense promise to heal mental wounds, we would strongly recommend restricting its use to a clinical setting. There are physical and psychological risks that go hand in hand with the benefits of psychedelic therapies, and in many jurisdictions, you can be arrested and incarcerated for use or possession of these substances. Michael Pollan notes that in all societies that used psychedelic substances, ranging from the Amazon to ancient Greece, they were always used with “deliberateness and care.” He writes that these substances “were not taken alone but usually in a group under the direction of an elder or shaman familiar with the mental territory, and they were used only on certain occasions, surrounded by ritual and with a clear intention. There was nothing casual about it.” All would be wise to maintain this level of caution as they experiment with their immense potential.

To find out more about what psilocybin therapy can do for you, contact us now!