noun
- Psychoactive substances, typically plants or fungi, that are used in religious or spiritual contexts to produce altered states of consciousness believed to facilitate communion with the divine.
Usage: plural form; used in anthropology, religious studies, and ethnobotany; often refers to naturally occurring compounds like psilocybin mushrooms or ayahuasca
Examples
- Many indigenous cultures have used entheogens in ceremonial rituals for thousands of years.
- Researchers study entheogens to understand their role in shamanic and religious practices.
- The term 'entheogen' comes from Greek words meaning 'god within' or 'generating the divine.'
- Anthropologists document how different societies incorporate entheogens into their spiritual traditions.
- Some scholars argue that entheogens played a significant role in the development of ancient mystery religions.