Category: Psychoactive substances

In a 2021 study, two-thirds of participants rated a psilocybin experience as among the top five most spiritually significant of their lives [1.10.4]. The term for substances used in this context is entheogenic drug, a class of psychoactive compounds used for spiritual or religious purposes [1.2.1, 1.2.4].

An estimated 8 million American adults used psilocybin in 2023, making it the most popular psychedelic substance [1.11.1]. The term 'mushroom looking drugs' most often refers to psychoactive fungi, primarily psilocybin-containing mushrooms ('magic mushrooms') and *Amanita muscaria*.

Depictions of the sacred Blue Lotus appear on the walls of ancient Egyptian tombs dating back to the 14th century B.C.. Often asked 'What is the blue flower drug?', the answer refers to *Nymphaea caerulea*, a water lily with psychoactive properties that has been used medicinally and recreationally for millennia.