Entheogen is a word created to be a replacement to the words
psychedelic and
hallucinogen by the
classical studies professor
Carl A. P. Ruck of
Boston University. From the man himself, entheogen means "
god generated within," and is used to describe any substance that alters perception of reality in such a way that is often perceived as a
mystic or
religious experience.
Examples of entheogens include:
-amanita muscaria, a mushroom that is hypothosized to be the SOMA of the ancient Hindu religion, and used in cultures all over the world as a way to connect to the gods.
-Ergot and its derivatives, most famously the basis for Albert Hoffman's LSD, but also known to the ancient Greeks as the Mystery of Eleusis.
-Salvia Divinorum, a member of the mint family, used by the Mazatec indians.