The following Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson,

and is narrated by Tina Lehman.

Psychedelics, a new medical frontier?

Long before humans interacted with the Numenists through Psychedelics, a new medical frontier?

Long before humans interacted with the numinous through intermediaries and holy books,

we experienced it in other ways. All-night drumming and dancing sessions, extended fasts,

exposure to extreme temperatures, steam lodges, week-long wilderness forays, and other rituals have all been used to produce visions and transcend normal waking consciousness. There's even a theory that early Christian baptisms were actually simulated drownings that produced near-death experiences and the direct sensation of being in the presence of a higher power.

But perhaps the oldest, most reliable way to directly experience the divine is through the use of psychedelics.

From rotting fruit to honey made by bees feeding on psychotropic plants to desert-toed secretions,

to the tantalizing mushrooms sprouting up from

ruminant dung to the IPA in your fridge. Humans have always pursued and consumed substances

that alter consciousness and provide different takes on reality. And yes, this can be fun. It's

certainly recreational. But in most traditions, psychedelics also offered a way to make sense of the natural world.

Investigate its mysteries in person. Visit the spiritual realm and contact lost ancestors for advice, reassurance, or resolution of disputes.

These weren't the sole province of jungle or desert tribes.

Archaeological evidence suggests that even prehistoric Europeans

used opium, cannabis, and mushrooms in religious rituals.

In a world of cold empiricism, with doctors and pills and psychiatrists

and online resources storing every bit of

knowledge and wisdom available, does a legitimate role for psychedelics remain? It turns out there is.

After a half-century of prohibition destroying the careers of any researchers seriously

considering the medical application of psychedelics,

...