History
~Psychoactive Sacred Medicines~
New to us does not mean new to the world.
Aztec
The Aztecs used psilocybin mushrooms in their religious ceremonies and called them "teonanácatl," which translates to "flesh of the gods." They believed the mushrooms allowed them to communicate with their gods and gain knowledge.
Native American
Various Native American tribes have used peyote, which contains the psychoactive compound mescaline, in their religious ceremonies. The use of peyote is seen as a way to connect with the spirits and gain spiritual insights.
Eleusinian Mysteries
The Eleusinian Mysteries were a series of ancient Greek religious ceremonies that involved the use of a mysterious psychoactive drink called kykeon. The rituals were meant to symbolize Persephone's journey to and from the underworld and were seen as a way of celebrating the cycle of death and rebirth. The Eleusinian Mysteries were open to all Greeks, regardless of social class or gender, as long as they spoke Greek and were free from any blood guilt
(i.e. had not committed murder).
Viking
The Vikings are known to have used Amanita muscaria mushrooms, also known as "fly agaric" in their religious rituals. They believed the mushrooms allowed them to communicate with the gods and gain strength in battle.
Maya
The Maya used psilocybin mushrooms in their religious ceremonies and called them "waxaca." The mushrooms were believed to allow the user to communicate with the gods and were used in divination rituals.
Siberia
Siberian shamans have been using Amanita muscaria mushrooms in their rituals for thousands of years, and the practice is still alive today in some parts of Siberia and other regions of northern Asia.