An entheogen is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as:
“a psychoactive, hallucinogenic substance or preparation (such as psilocybin or ayahuasca) especially when derived from plants or fungi and used in religious, spiritual, or ritualistic contexts.”
I never would expect to find credible information about them at the web site for a conservative political organization. But an article by Wayne Hoffman at the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) on May 15, 2023 titled Time to reconsider Idaho’s involvement in Medicaid has this gem near the end:
“Medicaid, like much of the medical-industrial complex, refuses to acknowledge the therapeutic value of improved nutrition, exercise, and human interaction. And because Medicaid is controlled by the medical-industrial complex, entheogens and other earth-based medicines and treatment modalities are completely off the table, despite having been demonstrated to help with an array of conditions.”
Two of those links, for demonstrated and conditions are about ayahuasca, which according to Wikipedia is:
“… a South American psychoactive and entheogenic brewed drink traditionally used both socially and as a ceremonial or shamanic spiritual medicine among the indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin, and more recently in North America and Europe.”
The second link (for conditions) is to an article from 2013 at PubMed Central titled Ayahuasca and cancer treatment. The bottom line is that it has not been demonstrated to help. The last paragraph begins:
“In conclusion, the data available so far is not sufficient to claim whether ayahuasca indeed helps in cancer treatment or not.”
What about side effects? Another article at PubMed Central from November 2022 is titled Adverse effects of ayahuasca: Results from the Global Ayahuasca Survey. It looked at 10,836 people, with the following results:
“Acute physical health adverse effects (primarily vomiting) were reported by 69.9% of the sample, with 2.3% reporting the need for subsequent medical attention. Adverse mental health effects in the weeks or months following consumption were reported by 55.9% of the sample, however, around 88% considered such mental health effects as part of a positive process of growth or integration. Around 12% sought professional support for these effects.”
Acute adverse effects for 70% of users is awful. You just might choke on your vomit and die, like Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham did.
Back in October 2022 the About web page for IFF used to list surgeon Dr. John M. Livingston as their Medical Policy Adviser, but it does not currently. The only person now listed with some medical background is their Policy Analyst, Niklas Kleinworth, who had a minor in pre-health professions studies.
An image of a shaman mask from Wellcome at Wikimedia Commons was modified via Photoshop.
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