Psychedelic Churches in U.S. Pushing Boundaries of Religion
Michael Casey of the Associated Press reports that a growing number of people are participating in psychedelic churches that use the hallucinogenic drug ayahuasca for spiritual rituals. Courtney Close, the founder of one of the churches, said, “We just try to create a spiritual experience without any dogma and just let people experience God for themselves.” The psychedelic communities have come under scrutiny in recent years because of safety concerns as well as federal prohibitions against the drug. Participants claim, however, that they have a right to use the drug under the religious freedom protections afforded to them by the First Amendment.