Many traditions throughout history have employed the use of plant sacraments to achieve a level of intense spiritual awareness, the mystical experience. This paper examines a few of the most prominent traditions, and compares the experience with that of the classical mystical experience. Much controversy has arisen concerning the validity of the chemical-induced mystical experience, and whether or not the subject is having a •trueę experience. Far too often, prejudices become involved when discussing the authenticity of one tradition or another. The important thing to remember is that the mystical state is currently not well understood. Those experiences found outside of the ordinary spectrum of existence tend to be illogical and often paradoxical, leaving their meanings shrouded in a veil of mystery.

Entheogen Use in Religious Traditions

The most prominent example of entheogen use today is the Native American Churchęs use of the peyote cactus. The dried heads, whose chief active principle is mescaline, are taken in ceremonies by Indians holding membership in the church. The peyote cactus is central to the religious ceremony, and the Indians who use it say it is a gift from God. Mescaline use goes back as far with the Aztecs as 300 B.C. The morning glory vine, in which lysergic acid amines can be found, and the psilocybin mushroom (teonanacatl, or flesh of the gods), whose active compounds are psilocybin and psilocin, were also utilized in divinatory ceremonies by the Aztecs, and are still put to use today by many tribes in Mexico. The amanita muscaria mushroom was used in India and known as the Vedic soma – its primary active compound is muscarine. Siberian tribesmen still ingest this mushroom today. Tibor Palfai writes, "Many older cultures used and valued these visionary compounds as information of a higher order than daily reality, and put them to cultural use in art, religion, and domestic life."

All of these substances are known as hallucinogens, the most chemically heterogenous class of psychoactive drugs. But these are only a few of the many plant sacraments used throughout history. The number of different substances used is far too vast to be explored here, and more are being encountered every year. Many of our oldest religious traditions have originated with the discovery of these compounds. Whether or not the mystical experience brought about by these chemicals is authentic, their cultural and sociological influences upon the history and the development of religion are of immense interest to the philosopher.

Nonchemical Religious Traditions

Unity. There is a feeling of oneness with the universe and a loss of ego boundaries. Self is experienced as pure awareness.

Transcendence of Time and Space. There is a loss of usual references of time and space. Time seems to slow down or even stop. Experiences of eternity and infinity are common.

Deeply Felt Positive Mood. There are feelings of blessedness, joy, and peace, and a sense of unconditional love. The uniqueness of these emotions is in the level to which they are elevated, the intensity of the experience.

Sense of Sacredness. There is an intuitive sense of wonder and peace, a sense of special value, and a feeling of the holy and divine.

Subjective Nature of the Experience. The knowledge seems remarkably insightful. It is conveyed not through words, but through the experience itself, and there is a certainty that this knowledge is authentic and direct.

Paradoxicality. When attempting to explain the experience to others, there are frequently logical contradictions in explanations, such as emptiness in which one simultaneously feels full and complete, or a dissolution of self in which something of the individual remains to experience the phenomenon. There is both separateness from and unity with the surroundings.

Alleged Ineffability. The experience seems to be beyond what words can define. Logical descriptions or interpretations are incapable of accurately describing the experience, partially due to the paradoxical nature of the phenomena.

Transiency. The actual time spent in the mystical state is temporary. A return to the everyday surroundings occurs after a short period, whether through sudden awakening or a gradual shift of awareness to the immediate environment.

Persisting Positive Changes in Mood and Behavior. In many cases, the individual integrates these revelations into future life experiences. Pahnke divides these attiitude changes into four areas: toward self, toward others, toward life, and toward the mystical experience itself. The individual is more able to recognize and deal with the negative aspects of his own personality, acts more open to others and is more authentic and more tolerant. The attitude is frequently more optimistic. Purpose and meaning are more prominent in everyday life. There is a new, deeper understanding of the mystical experience and the individual feels more connected with spirituality and religion.

Discussion

The mystical experience is a powerfully transforming catalyst for change. The impact it has upon the individual is irrefutable. But how is the experience explained? Neuroscientists, philosophers, anthropologists, religious leaders, and psychologists all interpret the situation differently, as could be expected. Pharmacologically, drug-induced and non-drug induced experiences are similar: all of these states are brought about by changes in brain chemistry.

Activity of these plants is due to psychoactive alkaloids which mimic the bodyęs endogenous neurotransmitters to produce their profound effects upon consciousness. Psilocybin, LSD, and DMT – three of the most potent hallucinogens – are all indoles, belonging to the molecular class indolamines. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with sensory processing, emotion, consciousness and cognition is also an indoleamine. These compounds bind to the same receptor sites on neurons that serotonin does, modulating a response which is theorized to cause the experience. Other alkaloids resemble different neurotransmitters: such as mescaline, which closely resembles norepinephrine (NE), another important neurotransmitter, and muscarine, which acts upon acetylcholine (ACh) receptors. LSD in particular shows very strong affinity for 5-HTII (serotonin subtype two) neurons and binds to these receptors, blocking activity. This is followed by rebound overactivity or receptor hypersensitivity – theorized to account for some of effects, however, the exact mechanism by which these complex experiences occur is not clear.

Currently, experiences brought about without these psychoactive compounds are believed to be due to the bodyęs release of its own endogenous hallucinogens, which are produced naturally as a normal component of metabolism. DMT (n,n-dimethyltryptamine) is a very powerful hallucinogen found in various plant species and in the cohoba and virola snuffs of South America (ayahuasca), used by a variety of tribes for its ability to produce out-of-body experiences. It has also been found to be an endogenous neurotransmitter in the human body, possibly involved in dreaming and REM sleep. Unlike many of the hallucinogens, no tolerance is shown to its behavioral effects. Its has a relatively short onset and duration of action. When inhaled or injected, the effects come on within seconds and only last a matter of minutes before it is metabolized. Subjects frequently report contact with other dimensions and nonhuman intelligences. The correspondence between the DMT experience and the mystical experience is especially useful when attempting to understand the mystical experience from a psychopharmacological standpoint. But there is much to learn before this field reaches an understanding of the inner workings of the mind.

The many entheogenic substances found across the world and thoughout the course of history have played a key role in the development of human culture and religion. The traditions followed by these peoples have helped to elucidate the nature of the mystical experience, placing it under direct, repeatable circumstances. However useful a tool pharmacology may be in interpreting these experiences, we are left with questions often more puzzling and even more difficult to answer.

Though the scientific method has its bounds, enlightenment for the mystic lies not in explanation, but in direct experience. Mysticism is about the potentials of human experience, and the mystical journey is a lifelong path which culminates in direct encounter with the unknown. Irrespective of verification, mystical experiences remain the zenith of human endeavor into the hidden regions of the mind, opening doorways to the core of conscious experience itself.