1. Introduction: Personal Story, Goal of Presentation

Early Mormonism was full of remarkable and miraculous events, such as seeing the afterlife, speaking directly with the Divine, feeling indescribable joy, and other rather ecstatic experiences. However, these ended rather abruptly.

In fact, in 1864, Joseph Smith Jr.’s first cousin, early convert to Mormonism, and LDS apostle George A. Smith pondered:

“The question has often arisen among us, why is it that we do not see more angels? have more visions? That we do not see greater and more manifestations of power?”

I myself asked these same questions growing up. I yearned to have an extraordinary encounter with the Divine like my ancestors had. I tried to create the circumstances where I could have these moments by fasting, reading scriptures, listening to hymns, and attending church, but this spiritual endowment eluded me. After I left the LDS church, I believed I would never have this connection with Divinity.

About two years after I left the LDS church, my friends scheduled for all of us to hang out. Once we got settled at our friend’s house, one turned to us all and said, “All right, you guys ready to take your LSD?” I was surprised, and then they realized that they had all been so subtle that I didn’t realize the actual plans for the evening. Faced with the opportunity, however, I decided to go on this adventure and have a new experience.

That night, I was able to look at the stars and see how some were brighter and others dimmer; it was almost as if I could tell which were closer and which were farther. When I looked at the trees I saw their beauty fractal out to the heavens in ways I had never seen before. I saw myself and how my consciousness and body were connected but not necessarily synonymous. I lit tea candles and watched the flames dance with the life that I had given them. I was able to close my eyes and envision planets and nebulas, as if I were creating them. I was able to look at pictures and feel enveloped by them, as if I were transported there in the twinkling of an eye. I finally found that endowment experience I had longed for since I was a teenager, and so psychedelics became crucial tools to help me along my spiritual path, and they continue to do so today.

Another two years passed, and I was listening to select episodes of the Naked Mormonism podcast. As I was deciding on the next episode I wanted to listen to, I came across episode 59, entitled “Smith-Entheogen Theory.” I had never heard the word “Entheogen” before, and so I googled it to find that it is a word that was created in the 1970s to describe the spiritual use of mind-altering substances. It is a combination of three ancient Greek words: ἔν “En”, meaning “in”; θεός “Theo” meaning “divinity”, and γενέσθαι “genesthai” meaning “generate”. In short, it means to generate the Divinity within.

When I started the episode, I didn’t think much of the theory because, come on – Mormons and psychedelics?? This podcast episode talked about how there’s a possibility that psychedelics played a role in the Kirtland Temple’s dedication, which I had always felt a connection to. Listening to this, I felt like my present spirituality and my spiritual heritage suddenly merged together. Excited at this, I read every known firsthand account of those encounters in Kirtland. Everything from the length of time, the burst of energy, the indescribable feelings, and the tapering late-night whisperings of the Spirit all seemed to mirror my own psychedelic experiences too closely for dismissal.

After I came to believe that entheogens played a part in the foundation of the Restoration, I wanted to see if there was still spiritual value in some of its teachings, so I searched to see if there were any institutional churches within the Restoration that I might be able to fit into. However, being a polyamorous, bisexual, and now-out transgender woman, my options were extremely limited, and since Community of Christ was about my only option, I decided to join them.

Unfortunately, it turns out they aren’t as accepting of polyamorous families as I thought they were because they created a policy formally discriminating against people with families that look like mine, and so I resigned earlier this year.

So… what now? Psychedelics are a cornerstone of my spirituality, as is the Restoration. That alone makes me a pretty big anomaly, and even more so when you also consider my Queerness.

With a lack of institutional acceptance, I have found a group of friends I am comfortable journeying with spiritually. I have described us as a sort of group of solo practitioners. As part of my self-guided study, I have decided to try to re-examine our Mormon story through an entheogenic lens. I seek to learn about the successes of our Mormon predecessors and treasure them as heirlooms. However, I also seek to learn about their pitfalls and follies to avoid them as I move forward. I hope that by doing so, the visions and blessings of old will return.

2. Dose, Mindset, Setting, Integration

2.1. Intro

In order to most effectively examine my heritage through this entheogenic lens, I thought it would be wise to follow the outline for a good psychedelic trip, which was created by the pioneers of the modern psychedelic movement, Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner, and Richard “Ram Dass” Alpert. In their book “The Psychedelic Experience” they taught:

“Of course, the [entheogenic] dose does not produce the transcendent experience. It merely acts as a chemical key — it opens the mind, frees the nervous system of its ordinary patterns and structures. The nature of the experience depends almost entirely on [mind]set and setting.

[Mind]set denotes the preparation of the individual, including his personality structure and his mood at the time.

Setting is physical — the weather, the room’s atmosphere; social — feelings of persons present towards one another; and cultural — prevailing views as to what is real.”

Since this book was written two generations ago, we have also discovered the crucial importance of integration, or talking about what lessons were imparted from the psychedelic experiences, which rightfully belongs with these other pillars of importance.

Throughout this presentation, we will explore how dose, mindset, setting, and integration played roles in Mormonism’s visionary period.

2.2. Dose

First, I would like to examine “dose,” which refers to the substance that helps facilitate a deeper connection with the Divine.

2.2.1. What Were The Substances?

A natural question arises, “What psychedelic substances were used during the early Restoration?” Cody Noconi’s book, “The Psychedelic History of Mormonism, Magic, and Drugs,” offers a comprehensive look into the plants that may have been available to early Mormons. His list is extensive and his analysis is thorough, so I highly recommend reading his book to explore the complete profiles and likelihoods of various substances. However, at the end of the day, we aren’t sure what was used, and there are several significant factors for this:

The first is that the Smith-Entheogen Theory is still in the early stages of research. Dr. Robert Beckstead introduced it in 2007 with his article “Restoration and the Sacred Mushroom.” The theory didn’t gain significant attention until the late 2010s. It will take more time and research to find a concrete answer.

Complicating matters further, the seasonal availability of certain plants and fungi means early Mormons likely used different entheogens at different times, possibly even combining several at a time. This variability makes it challenging to determine definitively what the early Saints were consuming.

Finding concrete evidence, or a “smoking gun,” would require chemical analysis of artifacts from the visionary era, which may hold trace amounts of what was consumed. These items could include hair or fingernails of early Saints from the visionary period, sacramental wine barrels and vessels, or even the original plaster and wood from the places where they were consumed. However, this type of research requires substantial connections and financial support, so if you’re interested in contributing as an angel investor, I can connect you with those eager to conduct this research.

For now, however, we don’t know exactly what substances the early Mormons were using… yet.

2.2.2. How Was It Administered?

We only have a couple of possibilities for how the entheogen was administered, again with multiple avenues possibly being used at different times.

2.2.2.1. Wine

The first and most obvious one would be through the sacramental wine. I actually have a couple of examples of this being done in my own life. I have a close friend who once infused psilocybin into alcohol as a wedding present to a friend. All they did was rough grind the dried mushroom, put the grinds into the bottle of alcohol, shook it every couple of days to help the psilocybin infuse into the alcohol, and then strained out the dredges.

Such a simple extraction method would have obviously been available to Joseph Smith Jr. at the time and would have enabled him to control the dosage of psychedelics being consumed.

Interestingly, the Saints were explicitly accused of spiking the wine by Jasper Jesse Moss, a medical doctor, after he attended sacramental services in Kirtland in the early 1830s. Of these experiences, Moss said:

“They partook of the Lord’s supper at night with darkened windows and excluded from the room all but their own till they got through, and then opened the doors and called the outsiders in to witness a scene far exceeding the wildest scene ever exhibited among the Methodists. They had some wild and strange scenes at their ordinary meetings, but none to compare with this. …

[I] became fully satisfied that the wine was medicated. … I tried to steal the bottle with the balance of wine left, and came near doing it. …

When I told my suspicions and how near I came to getting the wine those performances ceased, and soon after they got a revelation (D&C 50) from Joseph that all those things were from the Devil.“

2.2.2.2. Oil

The other most likely avenue for consumption is something that may seem odd: anointing oil.

There is something called “Flying Ointment,” which was and still is associated with occultism and witchcraft. Essentially, you suspend an entheogen in a fat—like oil—and apply it to the skin to help facilitate a mystical experience. These ointments and how to make them were documented hundreds of years before the birth of Mormonism.

Interestingly, “The Magus” by Francis Barrett, a book the Smith family was known to have access to, instructs people on how to use several entheogens to invoke “images of spirits,” and chapter 5 mentions that these could be administered through an ointment.

Anointing oil was used in many early visionary experiences, such as the 1831 Conference and The School of the Prophets ceremonies, which produced LDS D&C 137. Many of the accounts from these meetings bear a striking resemblance to accounts of “Flying Ointments.”

2.2.3. Overdoses

Even with meticulous planning to form a good mindset and setting, taking too much of an entheogen can produce adverse effects. I believe that a couple of historical accounts provide some examples of overdoses within our history, cautioning us to be mindful of this potential danger.

2.2.3.1. 1830-1831

At the June 1830 Conference, it was reported that people were so overcome with their visions that they could not help themselves and had to be laid on beds. This indicates that people were so altered that they were becoming dangers to themselves, and the “trip sitters” needed to intervene to ensure their safety.

This concern for safety escalated in Kirtland during the winter of 1830-1831, when minimal efforts were made to ensure the safety of those participating in these worship services. Instances occurred where people fled from the group, climbed on things, and nearly fell off tall ledges. 

These are examples of people taking too much of an entheogen and becoming a danger to themselves or others. Those who were responsible for ensuring a positive and safe experience were either inexperienced or simply absent. These are very real dangers, and it is no wonder that soon after this period, Joseph Smith issued a revelation regulating the Sacramental wine.

2.2.3.2. Kirtland Dedication

Despite the more regulated sacrament, there continued to be instances of overdoses, albeit not as physically dangerous anymore. During the 1836 ceremonies in Kirtland, people were instructed to fast for the day, and then later told that they could partake of as much sacramental wine as they wanted and it wouldn’t get them drunk because it was “consecrated“. Joseph was likely wanting to make sure that people were getting enough of the entheogen that had been infused into the sacramental wine. Unfortunately, for some, this resulted in a rather disastrous overdose. For example, William E. McLellin recounted in August 1872:

“I took care of S[amuel] H. Smith, in one of the stands, so deeply intoxicated that he could not nor did not sense anything. I kept him hid from the company but he vomited the spit-box a full five times, and his dear brother [Don] Carlos would empty it out at the window.”

(McLellin to Joseph Smith III, July 1872; cited in McLellin Papers, 493–494.)

2.2.3.3. Brian Hales

Overdosing isn’t just a problem of the past, though. Recently, a vocally prominent opponent to the Smith-Entheogen Theory suggested that a dose of psilocybin is 5-15 mushrooms. In reality, even measuring by “mushroom” with psilocybin is irresponsible due to the variation of the size of mushrooms. Instead, it should be more precisely measured by grams. As someone with practical experience with many psychedelics, I can tell you that a beginner dose should be closer to .5 to 1.5 grams – roughly 2-15x less than what this person was suggesting.

Someone unfamiliar with proper dosing, yet is interested in trying psychedelics for themselves, may see that this opponent is a doctor and assume their dosage is correct. If someone were to take what he said was a dose, they would almost certainly have an overwhelmingly negative experience and may hurt themselves or others.

2.2.4. What we could learn from it

The early Mormon encounters with entheogens highlight the critical importance of mindful dosing. Historical accounts of overdoses serve as cautionary tales, emphasizing that even well-intentioned spiritual practices can have adverse outcomes if dosages are not carefully controlled.

Modern practitioners must learn from these lessons by thoroughly researching and understanding the appropriate dosages for every substance before consuming them. Starting with low doses, especially for beginners, and using precise measurements is essential to avoid negative experiences. By prioritizing careful and accurate dosing, we can minimize risks and thus making entheogenic journeys safer and more meaningful.

2.3. Mindset

Secondly, a positive entheogenic journey heavily relies on a proper mindset. Having the right state of mind can mean the difference between it being profoundly positive or negative, and there are a couple of things that can help prepare a mindset:

2.3.1. Disposing

The first of these is simply pre-disposing people—simply telling them what they might experience. This alone drastically increases the chances that the journey will go a certain way. 

2.3.1.1. Joseph Smith Hell-like Examples

One of the most notable instances of this was the June 1831 Conference. At this Conference, Smith told people in attendance that the devil would take the opportunity to demonstrate his strength.

Harvey Whitlock seemed to take this to heart, because he became particularly disturbed during this conference. Whitlock’s appearance became menacing, with one of his shoulders rising higher than the other, making his head tilt towards it. His legs were slightly bent; arms somewhat outstretched; hands were helf-clenched and had the appearance of claws; mouth contracted in the shape of an italic O; and eyes were also shaped like O’s. Whitlock moved through the room, showing his hands to others and attempting to speak, but without success. His contorted appearance was terrifying to those watching.

Whitlock behaved so erratically that Hyrumn Smith said it was not of God and demanded that Joseph Smith take control of the situation. Joseph got Harvey calmed down, but the mindset coupled with the display that Harvey gave led to negative mindsets amongst everyone in attendance, and they said it was like the devil was being exorcised and then possessing the next person.

I believe that these “possessions” were because Joseph Smith told those in his congregation that they were going to see the Devil’s power. If you were to hear your spiritual leader say this just prior to taking psychedelics, you would be drastically more likely to have such an encounter.

2.3.1.2. Joseph Smith Heavenly Examples

Now, Joseph also – I would say mostly – set positive expectations. Many of the symptoms in the 1830 Conference sound reasonably similar to the ones in the 1831 Conference, except in 1830, the only expectation that was set was that “such scenes as these were calculated to inspire our hearts with joy unspeakable, and fill us with awe and reverence for that Almighty Being.”  I believe that Joseph was still inexperienced in facilitating entheogenic ceremonies at the 1831 Conference, and Harvey Whitlock’s experience and behavior show this.

However, some people also had radically powerful encounters with the Divine at this same Conference. Joseph Smith also said that God would be met that very day, and sure enough, during the Conference, Lyman Wight said that he saw the heavens part and how God would come surrounded by angels, and it would be as bright as the sunrise and would cover and change the earth.

Many of the School of the Prophets meetings over the years would have similarly remarkable visionary encounters which included Joseph Smith again pre-disposing people to have specific experiences. One of the noteworthy ones was the meeting on March 18th, 1833, in which communion was taken, and Joseph told those that partook of it that the pure in heart would see visions, and sure enough, they did. Zebedee Coltrin said that he saw God walking around the room they were in, and was so deeply moved by this encounter that he was still passionately talking about it 50 years later.

2.3.2. Rituals

It was during the Kirtland era that Joseph realized the power that rituals played in psychedelic usage. There were anointings, foot washing, and even a ritualistic welcome when you entered the space. Of course, the Kirtland Temple dedication was the crowning achievement of preparing a mindset. For years, Joseph told people they needed to be endowed with power from on high, and it would happen in the Temple. The community rallied around building the Temple, which became an important part of the community’s identity. It is no surprise that at the dedication of the Temple, people had remarkable visionary experiences.

The rituals in the Kirtland Temple and the School of the Prophets were enormously successful, but Joseph had little time to expound upon them. Only a couple of years later, Joseph fled Kirtland after the Safety Society failed, and then he had to deal with all the problems in Missouri. These emotionally and mentally intensive trials were not conducive to a positive mindset, which led to the mass-visionary aspects of Mormonism going on hiatus.

In Nauvoo, Joseph was able to protect himself enough to where he started feeling comfortable revisiting some things from years earlier. For example, it was during this period that the Book of Abraham was finished, and William Law was instructed to begin publishing the Joseph Smith Translation. However, I also believe that Joseph started revisiting possible entheogenic usage, and had a particular interest in how he could expound upon the rituals that were developed in the Kirtland era.

David John Beurger has said that in Nauvoo, “anointed saints were advised that their Kirtland ordinances were forerunners to ordinances which would be revealed in a Nauvoo temple.” As we know, this ordinance became the endowment, which is a ritual where participants act as Adam and Eve and has heavy Masonic parallels. This ordinance is meaningful for people without the help of psychedelics today – this being referred to as an “endogenous” spiritual experience. However, participating in such a sacred ritual with the help of psychedelics – this being referred to as an “exogenous” spiritual experience – could have likely enhanced it to be far more meaningful and more visionary. This is why I believe that if Joseph had survived, there would have been a second visionary period of Mormonism.

2.3.3. What We Could Learn From It

William Harris once said of Joseph: “Smith knew well how to infuse the spirit which they expected to receive,” and it seems this is certainly true. Alex Criddle, a well-known Entheogenic Mormon, has suggested that Joseph Smith used this skill to guide people to the holy, thus making him a hierophant. Cody Noconi created a word to name psychedelic guides – “EntheoMagus.”

Joseph demonstrated how crucial mindset is for entheogenic usage, showing that both positive and negative expectations significantly impact the experience. He also taught how rituals can be used as a tool in creating and maintaining a proper mindset. These lessons the prophet taught us to help us have a positive, enriching, and spiritually fulfilling psychedelic experience.

2.4. Setting

2.4.1. Importance of Setting

The setting is crucial to ensuring a positive outcome when using psychedelics. For example, taking mushrooms at a heavy metal concert may not yield a spiritually meaningful event. However, being in nature or a sacred space significantly increases the likelihood of having a profound spiritual encounter.

2.4.2. Marsh Chapel Experiment

The importance of setting is perhaps best illustrated by the “Marsh Chapel Experiment,” also known as “The Miracle at Marsh Chapel.” This empirical study, conducted in the 1960s at Harvard, aimed to determine if psilocybin could help facilitate a meaningful religious experience. The study recruited twenty theology graduate students – people who knew very well what a religious experince is like – and provided them with either psilocybin or an active placebo that mimicked the initial symptoms of psilocybin.

The experiment took place in Boston University’s Marsh Chapel, a beautiful Gothic revival-style holy space. The participants engaged in a religious ceremony complete with music, singing, and religious teachings, which created a powerful environment. Those who received psilocybin reported this being one of the most profound spiritual experiences in their lives or even any experience in life in general. A follow-up study in 1986—25 years later—confirmed that many participants still considered it one of the most significant moments in their lives.

2.4.3. Church Houses and Temples

Now, not all of the physical settings for early Mormon gatherings were in beautiful and ornate places of worship; in fact, many were rather mundane. For example, the 1830 and 1831 Conferences took place in log cabins, Zebedee Coltrin’s visitation event in 1833 took place in a small room above Newel K. Whitney’s store. It wasn’t until the mass visionary events in the Kirtland Temple that we had a single ornate place for these theophanies. Again, I believe that if Smith had survived, the heavens would have opened once more to the general population of Mormons in the Nauvoo temple.

Despite the simplicity of these settings, they were overtly religious contexts where people sang and listened to sermons with people they deeply cared about. Again, “endogenous” spiritual experiences – those occurring without adding substances to the body – are often invoked by religious services such as these, a phenomenon known as Pentecostalism. Conversely, “exogenous” spiritual experiences occur when substances, like entheogens, are introduced into the body. The setting can help ensure that these two methods—endogenous and exogenous—work together to facilitate a powerful, life-altering spiritual encounter with Divinity.

2.4.4. What We Could Learn From It

Many early Mormon entheogenic gatherings occurred in convenient places. Today, we can emulate our ancestors by gathering in convenient and comfortable settings. Our modern homes offer a convenient place—and even more comfort than the log cabins used by early Mormons—providing an ideal environment for meaningful entheogenic gatherings.

A thoughtful preparation can make a home even more conducive to a psychedelic trip. A playlist of beautiful and appropriate music, decorating with interesting works of art, easily accessible water and soft blankets for people to cuddle with, and having pleasant—but not overwhelming—incense all go a long way in ensuring a meaningful encounter with Divinity.

2.5. Integration

2.5.1. Importance of Integration

Integration is a crucial aspect of entheogenic usage because it acts as the bridge that helps transform powerful, often overwhelming insights into meaningful and long-lasting changes in one’s life. Recognizing this, the State of Oregon, after legalizing psilocybin for mental health treatments in 2020, underscored the necessity of integration in ensuring the full therapeutic benefits of psychedelics.

Now, I am absolutely not saying that religious and spiritual leaders should be interchangeable with medical professionals, because to do so would almost certainly cause harm. Spiritual health and mental health simply are not the same thing. However, after experiencing profound theological shifts, some of these same insights may translate. With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s continue.

The Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board convened experts to establish best practices for these integration sessions, and in a 2021 panel, they identified key purposes for integration, including:

• Making sense of confusing experiences
• Making meaning or generating useful narratives/stories
• Address lingering distress or symptoms
• Concretize insights or new perspectives
• Thoughtfully make changes based on new insights
• Resolve conflict between psychedelic experience and one’s prior belief systems
• Adjusting back to regular life
• Building and increasing connections and social support
• Increase engagement with non-rational domains such as creativity, movement, art, dancing, nature, etc.

2.5.2. School of the Prophets Afterwards

Early Mormon practice demonstrated an intuitive grasp of integration. An example is the events surrounding what is now LDS Doctrine and Covenants 137. On January 21st, 1836, Joseph Smith had a profound entheogenic experience where he saw Alvin in the Celestial kingdom. Since Alvin had passed away without being baptized or even knowing about the Restoration, Joseph likely had a great deal of anxiety regarding his brother’s soul, and this vision helped address theological question for him. The impact was so significant that the following day, the School of the Prophets abandoned their regular coursework to share and reflect on the previous night’s revelations.

The School engaged in another entheogenic ritual that night, where they had further profound insights. Again, the next day was devoted to discussing these events, reinforcing their significance, and embedding the insights into the participants’ lives. This process mirrors contemporary integration practices, emphasizing the importance of sharing and processing these moments collectively.

2.5.3. What We Could Learn From It

The early Saints’ approach to sharing and reflecting on their visions highlights the essential role of integration. By openly discussing their encounters soon after they occurred, they were able to make sense of and incorporate these profound insights into their lives in ways that helped them and continue to help us, their descendants, today.

We can learn from this by incorporating regular integration sessions into our own practices. Reflecting on and discussing our psychedelic journeys with trusted individuals or groups can help us understand our experiences, apply the insights gained, and return to our daily lives with greater clarity and purpose. This process helps us have entheogenic journeys are not only profound but also transformative and lasting.

3. Considerations

While our early history offers uniquely valuable lessons on how to have positive psychedelic experiences, there are crucial considerations we must heed to make our practices safer.

3.1. Perspective

Taking psychedelics can indeed serve as life-altering positive events, but it is essential to maintain a balanced perspective. Just because you felt something during a trip does not mean it is a prophecy or a literal truth. After taking entheogens, your memories, emotions, and senses are often blended and distorted, creating vivid but sometimes confusing visions.

For instance, I once acted as an EntheoMagus for a friend who felt as if he was back at his childhood home where he felt he was being pushed underwater, but since he was made of plastic, he was able to float. This odd vision was not predicting a future event or uncovering a traumatic past event; rather, it was his brain combining memories with sensory distortions. The true value of an experience such as this lies in the integration session. Through integration, he realized that despite difficult times, he always resurfaces. For my friend, who is a combat veteran with PTSD, this psychedelically-induced vision was a profound lesson which continues to help him today.

It’s vital to responsibly interpret and integrate psychedelic experiences to derive positive life lessons, rather than taking them at face value or as literal truths. This approach helps us ground ourselves with meaningful insights that can enhance our spiritual and personal growth.

3.2. Charismatic figures

Another significant consideration with psychedelic spirituality involves charismatic individuals. These figures can be incredibly charming, making their presence feel magical as they guide you through transformative journeys. However, their charisma can mask self-serving motives, as they use their influence to control others and benefit themselves.

Such leaders may create cult-like groups where they try to weave a false narrative. They imply that you only have access to entheogens through them, pressuring you never to sever ties with them. In truth, psychedelics are widely available, and you can even grow them yourself. They might suggest that their community is the only place where you can find meaningful connection and support. This also is not true – wonderful, ethical people who enjoy psychedelics responsibly exist everywhere.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you are more vulnerable when you are in an altered state of mind. If you wouldn’t want a person babysitting your child, it’s probably not safe to leave yourself in that person’s care while you’re altered. It’s okay to put your safety above the comfort of another person.

I urge you to avoid falling into the trap of charismatic control. Instead, explore psychedelics responsibly, seek out ethical communities, and maintain connections with diverse individuals – including those who hold beliefs different from your own. Trust in the abundance of genuine, supportive relationships available to you, and be wary of anyone who tries to isolate you or claim exclusive access to entheogenic experiences. By keeping these warnings in mind, your psychedelic journeys will be more positive, safe, and empowering.

3.3. Mental Health

Another important consideration when approaching psychedelics is the state of one’s mental health. The blending and distorting of memories, emotions, and senses that occur during a psychedelic experience can profoundly impact individuals with certain mental health conditions, potentially leading to a total break from reality. 

Psychedelics can be risky for those who have mental health conditions which cause psychotic symptoms. These substances can complicate the already challenging task of managing the symptoms of these conditions, because they can exacerbate symptoms, trigger episodes, or lead to dangerous dissociation and psychosis.

Furthermore, in my opinion individuals with Narcissistic Personality Disorder should also approach psychedelics with extreme caution, if at all. For people with conditions like this, psychedelics can feed into the delusions of grandeur, entitlement, and superiority that characterize this condition, reinforcing harmful behaviors and thought patterns and severely hinder personal growth and healthy connections with friends and family.

It is essential to recognize that while psychedelics hold great potential for healing and spiritual exploration, they are not suitable for everyone. Those with these types of mental health conditions or a family history of them should consult with mental health professionals before considering their use, just as anyone with any medical condition should do. Responsible use of psychedelics involves understanding the potential risks and ensuring that one’s mental and physical health is stable enough to safely navigate the profound experiences these substances can induce.

3.4. Practicality

All of this is pretty interesting, but the question then becomes if we could put this into practice. Not only is it perfectly possible, but this was already explicitly done within a Restoration context over 100 years ago.

Frederick Madison Smith, grandson of Joseph Smith Jr, was born in 1874 and grew up in the Reorganization. Like us, he inevitably heard of the theophanic encounters in Kirtland, possibly even from people who had them firsthand. Unfortunately, as a scientifically minded and analytical individual, Fred likely struggled to have an endogenous Kirtland-like experience for himself. Knowing he would become a prophet of the church where these experiences occurred, he felt a personal call to have them for himself.

Fred’s pursuit of understanding these visionary states was so intense that he studied them academically. His dissertation, “The Higher Powers of Man,” explores how people achieve ecstatic states. He identified various methods, including religion, singing, dancing, and music—common in Pentecostal traditions. Significantly, he also devoted a whole chapter to the role of psychedelics and showed how they are a means of achieving these visionary states. He distinguished between “endogenous” and “exogenous”, but saw them on an equal level. To borrow an eastern proverb, “There are many paths up the mountain, but the view of the moon from the top is the same.”

Fred’s search for enlightenment led him to partake in Peyote ceremonies with Native American groups in the early 1910s. His grandson, Gregg Edwards, later recounted that “Peyote was central to Fred M.’s search for enlightenment.” Fred was so moved by his experiences with peyote that he preached of the benefits of psychedelics from the pulpit, encouraged members of his church to try them, and even supplied them to his family and friends.

Fred M. received pushback for his beliefs, and critics such as Burton L. McKim accused Fred’s method of revelation of being nothing but a jumble of nerves. Seemingly in response to this criticism, he stated in a 1918 sermon:

“I may here be permitted … to speak very briefly of some of the aspects of revelation. … To attempt to… limit the manifestations of God is entirely wrong and is dangerous. We have been splendidly told, [by] Paul how the manifestations of God to man are multitudinous, and appear in various forms, and [how] each form is designed for the blessings of [God’s] people, and for the support – particularly, of the individual – and that [God’s] manifestations are adapted to the needs of [God’s] people in all their conditions.”

Fred M. showed us not only that it is possible to be a psychedelic Mormon, but also taught of its benefits and said to exclude entheogenic Mormonism from the conversation of revelation would be wrong and dangerous.

4. Conclusion

I know that Entheogenic Mormonism is an odd expression of the Restoration, but it was only through this expression that I was able to encounter the Divine in ways that were similar to how my ancestors in Kirtland did. Now, thanks to the help of entheogens, I have had dozens of these profound spiritual encounters. My Mormon heritage helped prepare me for these experiences and taught me how to have them responsibly. My ancestors imparted the importance of dose, mindset, setting, and integration—guiding principles that have enriched my spiritual journey.

I know that some may be a bit antagonistic to entheogenic Mormonism, and I would like to remind these people of two quotes from Joseph Smith Jr.

• (First) “The first and fundamental principle of our holy religion is that we believe that we have a right to embrace all, and every item of truth, without limitation, [and] without being circumscribed or prohibited by the creeds, …superstitious notions of men, or by the denominations of one another. When that truth is clearly demonstrated to our minds… we feel ourselves bound by the laws of God to observe… all things whatsoever is manifest unto us… by any manifestation”
• (Second) “In reality and essence we do not differ so far in our religious views but that we could all drink into one principle of love. One of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism is to receive truth; [we] let it come from whence it may.”

If you have no interest in participating in entheogenic Mormonism, that is absolutely fine. Endogenous spiritual experiences are real and valuable. However, there are those who DO value exogenous spiritual experiences, and I encourage you to be kind to them and learn what they have to share with the wider Mormon community.

If you do have an interest in participating in Entheogenic Mormonism, I urge you to do your research before partaking of entheogens in safe, responsible, and respectful ways that emulate our ancestors. 

I hope that by embracing the ecstatic Spirit of exploration that defined early Mormonism, the visions and blessings of old may return. Today is the day for the second period of visionary Mormonism.