There is no question that psychedelics are capable of causing profound spiritual experiences. This is the only way to bring back people together in church. [it] Could this be a way to cure societal ills?”
Pardis Madavi of University of La Verne on The Conversation
Former Governor Rick Perry (R) supported a groundbreaking law that was passed in Texas on June 20, 2025. Rick Perry, a Republican, has allocated $50,000,000 to fund research on ibogaine (one of the most potent psychedelics) for treating opioid dependence and treatment-resistant PTSD.
Arizona adopted a law similar to this one in May. It funds research into the effectiveness of ibogaine for veterans with brain injury and those who have suffered traumatic injuries.
These laws come on the heels of states such as Oregon, Colorado, Kentucky and Georgia legalizing ketamine—a psychedelic that has been used in emergency rooms as anesthesia—for therapeutic purposes in the past two years.
Broadly defined, psychedelics are psychoactive substances which alter mood, perception and cognition through the interaction of neurotransmitters like serotonin.
Medical anthropologist for 25 years, I studied the rise in alternative treatments of mental illness and focused my attention over the last 4 years specifically on the effect of psychedelics.
It is nothing new that Americans are pushing to legalize the use of psychedelic drugs. The latest advocacy is distinguished by the holy trinity: scientists, politicians, and clergy.
Many religious groups use psychedelics to heal the sacred. Some clergy have used these drugs in recent years to gain mystical insight.
What is the scientific consensus?
There are many types of psychedelics. Classic psychedelics include compounds such as lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD; psilocybin—the active component in “magic mushrooms”; and mescaline, which is derived from peyote and San Pedro cacti. Another psychedelic is N,N-dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, found in ayahuasca and other plants.
In addition to the “classic” group, there are other psychoactive chemicals that may be grouped together with psychedelics. These include substances such MDMA. MDMA belongs to a class psychoactive drugs which can cause feelings of love, compassion and connectedness. In a 2021 MDMA study, 67 percent of PTSD symptoms were reduced after just three sessions. The study, which had only 104 participants, marked a significant shift in the way psychologists viewed MDMA.
Also included in this category are dissociative substances such as the ketamine. These can induce altered states. In addition to its traditional use as an anesthetic in medicine, ketamine is now being used more and more for the treatment of mental disorders, particularly because it has antidepressant qualities.
Ibogaine is derived from the West African iboga, which produces powerful dreams and visions. In villages across Africa, traditional healers use it to treat mental disorders such as anxiety or depression. Ibogaine reduced opioid addiction, PTSD or depression in more than two-thirds of participants. This was revealed by a review of 24 studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health. It is similar to the evidence from the Stanford brain study of 2024 which found that ibogaine significantly reduced PTSD in 30 veteran military personnel.
Clergy and psychoactives
Based on the research, several mental health professionals and scientists are staunch supporters of psychedelic assisted therapy. It is a bit new that a few high-profile clergy have joined the list.
New York University’s and Johns Hopkins University’s recent study highlights religious practitioners, from Episcopal Ministers, to Catholic Priests, to Rabbis and Zen Monks. Of the 29 participants, 24 claimed that psychedelics lead to spiritual experiences.
In a May 2025 New Yorker article, it was noted that some of the clergy members who took part in the NYU/Johns Hopkins research became vocal supporters of psychedelics for spiritual medicine. The findings were notable, despite the small sample and the fact that the majority of the participants in the study were Christian religious leaders. About 96 per cent of participants in the study rated the experience of using psychedelics among the five most “spiritually significant” experiences they had.
An NIH study conducted in 2019 focused on spiritual encounters experienced through DMT, or N,N-dimethyltryptamine. According to the study, 75 percent of 42 participants experienced an “intense spiritual encounter”. They also believed it helped them get closer to God. According to their accounts, they had seen white flashes, heard angelic voices, felt tingling throughout their bodies, and experienced God’s unconditional love.
A ‘chairlift to God’
Church leaders and church members who use psychedelics to “sacramentize” their worship describe these substances’ role as one that facilitates a closer connection with God. The religious leader offers psychedelics at the start of the weekly service, then congregants begin singing, chanting, or praying. I interviewed several leaders from such churches who described how the use of psychedelics helped them to focus more on God.
Since the 1990s, the Native American Church in the Southwest has used peyote as a hallucinogen for its services.
Native American Churches are allowed to transport and use peyote under the 1994 American Indian Religious Freedom Act, even though its legality is limited to certain circumstances. Congregants in the church note that they have been using natural plants like peyote for as long as they can remember—even before it was officially legal.
Ayahuasca is now being used as a sacrament in a growing number of American churches.
The Gaia church in Spokane Washington became the first American church to be granted an exemption by the Drug Enforcement Administration for using ayahuasca during religious ceremonies in May 2025. The DEA’s exemption means that all members of a church can use the substance, as long it is used as a sacrament by their spiritual leaders and taken as a rite.
Last year I was interviewed by a shaman from Hawaii, who is the leader of an ayahuasca focused church. He described psychedelics to me as a “chairlift up to God” because many of his members report feeling God, seeing God, or sensing God when they drink ayahuasca.
A priest who became a psilocybin supporter told me, “Psychedelics have the power to induce deep spiritual experiences.” If this can help bring people together, harmonizing ancient ways with modern technology, religion, and plant medicine could be the answer to societal problems.
Proceeding with caution
Although they’re considered non-addictive and safe, there are still some dangers. The use of psychedelics may cause anxiety or panic attacks, and even paranoia. Rarely, psychedelics can lead to suicidal or psychotic thoughts and breakdowns. This is especially true for those who have a family or personal history of severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia.
The effects of psychedelics may also impair judgement and coordination temporarily, increasing the likelihood of an accident or dangerous behavior if used in a recreational setting. The risks can be increased by an uncertain dose, the use of adulterated chemicals and the absence certified and trained facilitators.
Many mental health experts and supporters of these medications suggest that the drugs be taken with medical or spiritual practitioners who are trained in administering, facilitating preparation and following-up after psychedelic usage.
These substances have been used for centuries by Shamans, Indigenous healers and other practitioners as sacred medicine. Science confirms some of the benefits of these substances in future treatment of addiction and trauma. These medicines can also offer profound mystical experiences, connecting people with the divine.
The Conversation was the first to publish this article.
Carlosemmaskype, Apollo and other photographers provided the images.
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