Psychedelics: What They Are and What They Aren’t
By: Brittany Garza, MA, LPC, NMCFIT
If you live in Colorado, you are more than likely aware of Proposition 122, which passed in 2022 to legalize natural psychedelics. Colorado followed in the footsteps of Oregon, which approved the legalization of psilocybin for therapeutic use in 2020.
The History of Psychedelics
Psychedelics are believed to have been found in the regions of Africa and South America. Evidence of mushroom worship dates back to at least 1000 BCE in Central America. Psychedelics were first brought to the United States by R. Gordon Wasson, visiting Oaxaca to meet Maria Sabina. Maria Sabina was a Mazatec healer (Chjota Chijne) who guided Wasson through a sacred ceremonial experience. After Wasson returned to the States, he published articles in Life Magazine about his experience with Mazatec rituals without Sabina’s consent.
All modern psychedelic practices extend from Wasson’s exploitation of Sabina.
So what exactly are psychedelics?
Psychedelics are a class of substances that produce changes in mood, cognition, and perception. There are two types of psychedelics:
1. Classic psychedelics
2. Non-classic psychedelics
Classic psychedelics are grouped together because they act on serotonin 2A receptors in the brain. These substances include psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, 5-Me-O-DMT, peyote, and ibogaine. Non-classic psychedelics have profiles that overlap with classic psychedelics, but do not interact as heavily with serotonin. Non-classic psychedelics are composed of MDMA and Ketamine.
Classic psychedelics may:
Decrease depressive symptoms
Increase well-being
Dissolve the ego
Increase brain neuroplasticity
Cause mystical experiences
Bring a sense of oneness or unity
Have enduring positive changes on the brain
Alleviate chronic pain
Assist with alcohol abuse
Classic psychedelics are not:
A cure-all/magic bullet
Useful to take if you have Bi-Polar disorder
Useful to take if you have experienced psychosis
Useful to ingest if you have schizophrenia
Useful to take if you have Borderline Personality Disorder
Adverse Effects of Classic Psychedelics:
Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder
Paranoia
Increase suicidal ideation post-journey
Psychedelic-induced psychosis
Agitation
Increased heart rate
Elevate blood pressure
Headaches
Psychedelics can provide powerful changes to the brain and need to be treated with honor, reverence, and respect. Remember to acknowledge the impact of Maria Sabina and the Indigenous Peoples who came before her, sharing this beautiful substance with us.
Thanks for reading!
Looking for Psychedelic Assisted Therapy services in Colorado? Book a free fifteen-minute consultation with me today.
Sources:
Buzan, Randy. (2026, January, 24th). Psychedelic Pharmacology: Practical Considerations [PP: 1-89]. Integrative Psychiatry Institute
Psychedelic substances therapy Information- UC berkeley BCSP. Substances. (2026).
https://psychedelics.berkeley.edu/substances/
Ruder, K. (2025). The Colorado Psychedelic Mushroom Experiment has arrived • stateline.
Stateline.
https://stateline.org/2025/04/07/the-colorado-psychedelic-mushroom-experiment-has-arrived/7.3.26
Caldwell, B. (2025). Examining the discursive role of MarĂa Sabina in modern psychedelic therapy – chacruna. Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines .
https://chacruna.net/examining-the-discursive-role-of-maria-sabina-in-modern-psychedelic-therapy/
Romero, O. S. G. (2021). MarĂa Sabina, mushrooms, and colonial extractivism | chacruna.
Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines.
https://chacruna.net/maria-sabina-mushrooms-and-colonial-extractivism/
The evolution and history of psilocybin mushrooms. Beckley Retreats . (2024).
https://www.beckleyretreats.com/blog/the-history-of-psilocybin-usage
