Muslims navigate the tension between psychedelics for mental health and Koran teachings
Yasir Qadhi is chair of the Fiqh Council of North America, which issues religious rulings, or fatwas… [says], “Technically, psychedelics don’t fall under the exact same category as alcohol.”
Islam is the second-largest faith community in the world… whether Muslims will see this as an outlawed substance, medical healing or mystical revelation remains an open question. The discussion is just getting started… The Fiqh Council has not yet issued a fatwa on psychedelics… [A 2023 peer-reviewed study in psychopharmacology found that the percentage of participants who identified as believing in God or a higher power increased from 29% to 59% after psychedelic use. Rabbi Harry Rozenberg points to and interprets many specific stories in the Torah as evidence of psychedelic use throughout Jewish history. One example he gives, is the story of the high priest atoning for sin. It’s the crux of the story of the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur. In the story, the high priest enters a smoke-filled chamber. Rozenberg explained the high priest, “puts the coals from acacia tree, this psychoactive tree, which contains DMT, the most psychedelic drug in the world is found in this tree, he takes two scoops of this incense.” The high priest then has to stand in the chamber for about ten minutes or until the whole room is filled with smoke.]
Original Article (NPR & Edelic Archives):
Muslims navigate the tension between psychedelics for mental health and Koran teachings
Artwork Fair Use: Psychonaught assumed, (Public Domain)
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