Why are psychedelic substances which invoke mystical states outlawed, while established religious groups which lack nearly all mystical elements are given freedom and benefits? That’s the question raised in a recent article in Reason magazine, which features a brief historical overview on scientific research into mystical states brought about by psychedelics, including the ‘Good Friday experiment’. Also at Reason is a related article titled “Spiritual Highs and Legal Blows“, which compares the UDV and similar ‘indigenous religions’ – which do have legal access to these substances (peyote and ayahuasca) – to similar requests from other groups and individuals. An interesting topic for discussion, perhaps most especially the reasoning that you can’t have your own personal religion or mystical meetings with ‘God’ (gnosis), at least when it comes to the legal use of entheogenic sacraments.
Are Psychedelics Religious in Nature?
