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Natural Psychedelics

Education and research information only. This area covers the history, cultural context, research findings, risks and legal differences of psychedelic plants and fungi. It gives no guidance on finding, growing, preparing, dosing or using them.

Some of these plants are sacred in living traditions, and some carry serious medical risks. Legal status differs by country.

Start here: What Are Natural Psychedelics? Classic and Atypical Psychoactive Substances

What would you like help understanding?

Safety first

  • These topics can involve legal restrictions, medicine interactions and serious health risks. Laws differ by country and change.
  • Do not stop a prescribed medicine or delay care for a serious condition to try any of these.
  • If someone may be poisoned or in a crisis, call emergency services first. See urgent help.

Natural Remedy Safety

Overview

What this area covers

Natural psychedelics are substances from plants and fungi that can change mood, thoughts and perception. The US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) notes that many of them come from plants and fungi and that some have been used for thousands of years in traditional or religious rituals. [1] This area explains what they are, where they come from, what researchers have and have not shown, and where the risks and legal limits lie.

How the pages are organized

Education only

These pages describe and explain. They do not give amounts for personal use, tell you how to find, grow, prepare or combine anything, help identify wild plants or mushrooms, or advise self-treatment. Where a risk is documented, we describe it factually. If you take any medicine or have a health condition, talk with a clinician first: talking with a health professional.

Evidence labels

Each guide uses plain labels: approved medicine (a regulator has approved it for a stated use), established, promising but limited, mixed, insufficient evidence, preclinical (cells or animals only), no good evidence of benefit, evidence of harm and marketing claim. Where we looked and found nothing usable we write "Proper evidence not found" and say what we checked. Results in animals or cells are never presented as results in people.

Safety and legal pointers

Psilocybin, psilocyn, mescaline, peyote, DMT and ibogaine are all named in the US federal list of Schedule I controlled substances, with a separate exemption for the Native American Church's use of peyote. [2][3] Laws differ by country and by US state, they change, and this is not legal advice. Several of these substances carry serious risks, including heart rhythm problems with ibogaine and dangerous interactions between ayahuasca and some medicines. For poisoning by a plant or mushroom, see poisoning: what to do first. In the US, Poison Help is 1-800-222-1222, and 911 is the emergency number.

Explore Natural Psychedelics

Introduction(2)What natural psychedelics are, how they are classified and how history and neuroscience describe them.
Plants & Fungi(6)Psilocybin mushrooms, cacti, ayahuasca and other documented plants and fungi, each in its cultural and botanical context.
Cultural Context & Ethics(1)Indigenous and traditional use, knowledge stewardship, conservation and ethics.
Clinical Research(1)What trials and regulators have and have not established.
Safety & Legal(3)Adverse effects, interactions, contraindications and how law differs by country.
Evidence and limitations. Traditional ideas are described in their own terms, then kept separate from what research has measured. Where research exists we say what it covered; "Proper evidence not found" means we looked and found nothing usable. Every approach is held to the same evidence standard.

Related Wellness Goals

Research connections

Our pages cite the studies and official sources behind each statement. For the underlying records, see the evidence page for this goal and the Research Library.

Specialty Topics Research and Evidence: How Much Research Exists and How to Read It Research Library Wellness Goals

Frequently asked questions

Are natural psychedelics safe because they come from plants or fungi?

Not automatically. NIDA says effects are hard to predict, can include fear, anxiety and risky behavior, and that some substances such as ibogaine have been linked to deaths. [1]

Can psychedelics treat depression or anxiety?

Research is active, with promising early trials, but results come from supervised settings with important limits. See the clinical trials guide. [4]

Are they legal?

It depends on the substance, the country and the state. In the US, several are federally Schedule I, and a few places have regulated programs. [2] This site states law only where we read the official source.

Is traditional or ceremonial use the same as recreational use?

No. Many traditions have their own rules, teachers and meanings, and some plants are sacred to specific peoples. See Indigenous traditions, ethics and conservation.

Where can I get help if someone is poisoned?

In the US, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 for an emergency. For other countries see poison help by country.

Do you recommend any of these?

No. This is education, not medical advice, and we do not recommend using any of them.

References

  1. National Institute on Drug Abuse, Psychedelic and Dissociative Drugs. Read 2026-10-22.
  2. US Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR 1308.11 Schedule I. Read 2026-10-22.
  3. US Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 21 CFR 1307.31 Native American Church. Read 2026-10-22.
  4. National Institute on Drug Abuse, Psychedelic and Dissociative Drugs as Medicines. Read 2026-10-22.

Content last updated . This section has not been medically reviewed.

Education, not medical advice. This section is for general information. Supplements are not automatically necessary and do not replace a varied diet or medical care. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Naming a condition here does not mean a natural remedy treats it. Natural does not automatically mean safe.