Perceptual Map of Psychedelics
Elementals, Cosmics, Grounders, Ecstatics, Etherics: One Way of Understanding Psychedelic Archetypes
From prior posts, you know that after a long sober life, I see that psychedelics of all types can serve as powerful tools for personal and collective growth, healing, and exploration when used with respect, intention, and proper guidance. I’m also at a point where they are pointers to a state of being we can access innately.
If you’re beginning an investigation into psychedelics, here’s how I perceptually map these into categories, based on interviews with others and my own experience, and I hope this will be helpful to you, or at lease begin an inquiry of how you might frame them as you go. The choice of medicine often reflects the desired area of exploration—be it grounding, heart-opening, cosmic exploration, or deep internal work. Also, the categories and medicines can overlap: for example, Elementals like Psilocybin can sometimes produce cosmic experiences, and Ecstatics like MDMA can have grounding effects. Each category, to me, seems to serves as a different pathway to understanding the self, our relational field, the earth, the universe, and our place within it all. (Discussion is VERY welcome, I’d like to see this section evolve based on your collective knowledge).
The Elementals (Earth)
Examples: Ayahuasca, Peyote, Mescaline (San Pedro), Psilocybin Mushrooms
Characteristics: These substances are deeply rooted in the earth and nature, often derived from plants, fungi, or cacti. They reliably facilitate experiences of connection to the Earth, nature, and the wider field of life. Users commonly report heightened awareness of their surroundings, an enhanced sense of belonging, and encounters with the divine or archetypal entities such as gods, goddesses, and nature spirits. Healing, trauma release, and a profound sense of being part of the natural world are also characteristic effects. Although primarily connected with earth and natural elements, they can occasionally open experiences to cosmic realms.
The Cosmics (Heavens)
Examples: LSD, DMT, 2C-B, 5-MeO-DMT
Characteristics: These psychedelics are known for their capacity to transport users to expansive and often otherworldly realms. Experiences frequently involve intense, vivid visuals, geometric patterns, and encounters with entities or landscapes that feel otherworldly or alien. They often provide insights into macro and micro scales, from the vastness of the universe to the intricate details of quantum-level phenomena. These medicines are less grounded in the earthly and more oriented towards exploring the metaphysical, abstract, and cosmic dimensions of consciousness.
The Grounders (Body)
Examples: Kava, Cacao, Caapi (Banisteriopsis caapi, often used in Ayahuasca brews), Cannabis, Tobacco (used ceremonially), Hapé (sacred snuff)
Characteristics: These substances are known for their grounding, calming, and body-centered effects. They enhance bodily awareness, promote relaxation, and can act as gentle bridges to altered states without the overwhelming intensity of higher-dose psychedelics. Grounders often offer a soothing connection to the body and present moment, encouraging introspection, physical relaxation, and subtle emotional release. They are often used ceremonially or socially for their centering and stabilizing qualities.
The Ecstatics (Heart)
Examples: Kanna, Sassafras (MDMA analogues), Blue Lotus, Bobinsana
Characteristics: The Ecstatics are known for their ability to open the heart and foster feelings of love, kindness, and deep interpersonal connection. They tend to dissolve fear, promote a sense of safety, and enhance social bonding. Experiences with these substances are often characterized by a profound sense of empathy, emotional release, and a gentle uplift in mood and perspective. They support the exploration of relational dynamics and emotional healing, offering a sense of connectedness and warmth without the overwhelming intensity of more traditional psychedelics.
The Etheric (Space)
Examples: Ketamine, Nitrous Oxide, other Dissociatives
Characteristics: The Aethers are associated with experiences of defragmentation, detachment from the physical body, and the unwinding of personal narratives. They often create a sense of space, allowing users to step back from their personal stories, identities, and emotional states. This distancing can facilitate a reorganization of thought patterns, a re-examination of past traumas, and an opportunity for mental and emotional reset. Users frequently describe these experiences as entering a void or a non-ordinary state of consciousness that feels separate from everyday reality, often characterized by a profound sense of spaciousness and potential for profound shifts in perspective.
More Definitive than Experiential: Molecular Organization of Psychedelics
Science Direct: Psychedelics can be categorized by their molecular structure.1
See also: Molecular and Medical Aspects of Psychedelics2
Benjamin Kelmendi, Alfred P. Kaye, Christopher Pittenger, Alex C. Kwan, Psychedelics, Current Biology, Volume 32, Issue 2, 2022, Pages R63-R67, ISSN 0960-9822, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.12.009 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982221016857)
Abstract: Summary Psychedelics are compounds that alter consciousness by acting on serotonin receptors in the brain. The term ‘psychedelic’, from the Greek for mind manifesting, refers to the drugs’ subjective effects and was first proposed by Humphry Osmond in 1956. Other terms have been used to emphasize different aspects of the psychological experiences produced by various related compounds, including hallucinogens (perceptual), entheogens (spiritual), and empathogens or entactogens (social/emotional). The diversity in terminology reflects the existence of hundreds of potential psychedelic compounds with a spectrum of behavioral and neurobiological effects. Recent data on the effectiveness of psychedelics for treating mental illnesses has led to a resurgence of interest in their neurobiological effects. The purpose of this Primer is to provide those interested in the field of psychedelics with a concise and accessible overview of the scientific data.
International Journal of Medical Sciences: Wojtas A, Gołembiowska K. Molecular and Medical Aspects of Psychedelics. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Dec 23;25(1):241. doi: 10.3390/ijms25010241. PMID: 38203411; PMCID: PMC10778977.
Abstract: Psychedelics belong to the oldest psychoactive drugs. They arouse recent interest due to their therapeutic applications in the treatment of major depressive disorder, substance use disorder, end-of-life anxiety,= and anxiety symptoms, and obsessive–compulsive disorder. In this review, the current state of preclinical research on the mechanism of action, neurotoxicity, and behavioral impact of psychedelics is summarized. The effect of selective 5-HT2A receptor agonists, 25I- and 25B-NBOMe, after acute and repeated administration is characterized and compared with the effects of a less selective drug, psilocybin. The data show a significant effect of NBOMes on glutamatergic, dopaminergic, serotonergic, and cholinergic neurotransmission in the frontal cortex, striatum, and nucleus accumbens. The increases in extracellular levels of neurotransmitters were not dose-dependent, which most likely resulted from the stimulation of the 5-HT2A receptor and subsequent activation of the 5-HT2C receptors. This effect was also observed in the wet dog shake test and locomotor activity. Chronic administration of NBOMes elicited rapid development of tolerance, genotoxicity, and activation of microglia. Acute treatment with psilocybin affected monoaminergic and aminoacidic neurotransmitters in the frontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and hippocampus but not in the amygdala. Psilocybin exhibited anxiolytic properties resulting from intensification of GABAergic neurotransmission. The data indicate that NBOMes as selective 5-HT2A agonists exert a significant effect on neurotransmission and behavior of rats while also inducing oxidative DNA damage. In contrast to NBOMes, the effects induced by psilocybin suggest a broader therapeutic index of this drug.
