Entheogens - Return of the Ostracized.

This paper explores the roles that "entheogens" have played in religions from early shaman times to contemporary indigenous and syncretic practices. The word "entheogen" was coined to denote pschyoactive chemicals and botanicals which engender the experience of God within (Ott, 1993). Part 1 of the paper points to three background changes that provide a more supportive climate for investigating entheogens than has occurred for many years. Part 2 discusses entheogens' possible contributions to religious and educational research. Part 3 describes provocative pilot studies and research questions which can guide additional research. Some of these topics are: the nature of the human mind; pastoral counseling; experimental mysticism; and the dispute over drug-assisted primary religious experience. Contains 95 references. (EH)