Peak-experience and the entheogenic use of cannabis in world religions
Journal of Psychedelic Studies January 15, 2021 DOI: 10.1556/2054.2020.00122 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Cannabis Mystical experience |
| Citations | 24 |
| Key points | Argues that cannabis can evoke peak-experiences when used alongside traditional religious practices, and has been utilized as a mild entheogen across cultures for millennia. |
Abstract
AbstractThis paper demonstrates that cannabis can evoke “peak-experiences”—the name psychologist Abraham Maslow gave to fleeting moments of expanded perception indicative of self-transcendence—when used alongside more traditional religious practices such as meditation, fasting, contemplative prayer, and sacramental ritual. For that reason, religious seekers around the globe have deployed cannabis as a deliberate psychoactive to trigger the peak-experiences that stir feelings of ecstasy, wonder, and awe and resolve the “dichotomies, polarities, and conflicts of life.” As such, peak-experiences exemplify a form of spiritual revelation that has played a pivotal role in the history of religion, and because of its ability to elicit unitive consciousness at the heart of mystical insight, cannabis has been utilized as a mild entheogen across culture and tradition for millennia.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta-8, Delta-10, HHC, THC-O, THCP, and THCV: What Should We Call These Products? | 2023 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Model Psychoses Induced by LSD-25 in Normals | 1956 | Historical analysis | |
| Is there a specific ‘cannabis psychosis’? | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Out of Harm's Way?: Illicit Drug Use, Medicalization and the Law | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| [The political uses of prohibitionist "science:" The case of cannabis and psychedelics]. | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 11
- Classic and non‐classic psychedelics for substance use disorder: A review of their historic, past and current research Addiction Neuroscience June 22, 2022
- Cannabis-induced oceanic boundlessness Journal of Psychopharmacology March 28, 2021
- The psychedelic effects of cannabis: A review of the literature Journal of Psychopharmacology November 10, 2023
- Psychedelic risks and benefits: A cross-sectional survey study. Journal of Psychopharmacology May 1, 2025
- ‘Mind-Revealing’ Psychedelic States: Psychological Processes in Subjective Experiences That Drive Positive Change Psychoactives September 27, 2024
and 6 more in the library
Cites 6
- Rediscovering the Later Version of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Self-Transcendence and Opportunities for Theory, Research, and Unification Review of General Psychology December 1, 2006
- N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), an Endogenous Hallucinogen: Past, Present, and Future Research to Determine Its Role and Function Frontiers in Neuroscience August 6, 2018
- “It Is The Weed Of Lovers” The Use Of Cannabis Among Turkic Peoples Up To The 15th Century Acta Orientalia June 1, 2016
- Abraham Maslow’s Interest in Psychedelic Research: A Tribute Journal of Humanistic Psychology July 1, 2017
- Endogenous hallucinogens as ligands of the trace amine receptors: a possible role in sensory perception. Medical Hypotheses September 20, 2008
and 1 more in the library