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Entheogens

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Entheogen is a term coined in the late 1970s by a group of botanists and scholars which refers to any psychoactive agent which allows for “generating the divine within” (Ruck et al. 1979). Entheogens are psychedelic substances which, in adequate dosage under supportive conditions, are known to facilitate visionary, mystical, and/or spiritual experiences. Such substances include psilocybin, peyote, LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), ibogaine, and ayahuasca. Typically of plant origin, entheogens are often called “psychedelics” or more commonly in medical communities “hallucinogens.” Many argue this term is a misnomer, given the exceedingly rare occurrence of true hallucinations with such substances (Richards 2015).

The relationship between psychoactive substances and religious experiences extends far into human history and across cultures and religious traditions. Entheogens may be the oldest class of psychopharmacological agents known to humanity (Nichols 2016: 268). Throughout the...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Practical Theology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Katie Givens Kime

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  1. Katie Givens Kime
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Correspondence to Katie Givens Kime .

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  1. Rhinebeck, NY, USA

    David A. Leeming

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Kime, K.G. (2018). Entheogens. In: Leeming, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27771-9_200181-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27771-9_200181-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-27771-9

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