The history and traditions of how these sacred plant medicines have been used can be traced from since before memory which is why we refer to this history as since “time immemorial”.
Video: Indigenous Use of Sacred Plant Medicines
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In the following video, we’ll learn about some of the medicines that have historically been used and continue to be used by Indigenous Peoples in ceremony and other practices.
Sacred Plant Medicines
As a summary of the medicines, we learned about, please read through the following slides. Please note that this list includes some examples of where these plant medicines are found and is not intended to be an exhaustive list.
Ayahuasca is a brew made from a vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) combined with the leaves of Chacruna (Psychotria viridis) and comes from the Amazon. The main psychoactive components include DMT and MAOIs which enhances and lengthens the effects of DMT.
Psilocybin-containing mushrooms come from all around the world, including Canada, the United States, and Europe. Archaeological records suggest human relationships to mushrooms across many continents for several thousands of years at least (Samorini, 2019). Most notably in the context of recent psychedelic history, they are found in Central America, used by the Mazatec Peoples who introduced them to Westerners during the psychedelic renaissance.
Huachuma, also known as San Pedro, is a cactus found in many parts of the world but predominantly South America. It contains the psychoactive compound mescaline.