Originating in Eurasia in around 4000BCE, Shamanic traditions soon spread widely to areas such as the Americas, the Pacific and India [105].
Shamanism is often characterised by the use of hallucinogenic plants as part of ritual, a means of accessing "other worlds", or simply as a social activity [105].
Typically, hallucinogenic plants would allow a shaman to contact spirits, both good and bad, in order to question, communicate or negotiate [105].
Sometimes spirits would even be asked to help diagnose an affliction or advise on suitable remedies [105].
Some substances used for their psychoactive properties in Shamanic traditions [105]:
| Peyote | (Lophophora williamsii) |
| Ebena snuff | (contains several plants) |
| Ayahuasca "vine of the soul" | (Banisteriopsis caapi) |
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