In the early 1960s, a group of theology students gathered inside Boston University’s Marsh Chapel to participate in a groundbreaking experiment. Half received psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in psychedelic mushrooms; the other half, a placebo. The study, known as the Marsh Chapel Experiment, sought to determine whether psychedelics could reliably induce mystical experiences. Decades later, follow-up research revealed that nearly all participants who received psilocybin described their experience as one of the most spiritually significant of their lives .
Fast forward to today, and the spiritual use of psychedelics is experiencing a renaissance. From clinical studies at institutions like Johns Hopkins University to grassroots ceremonies in living rooms and forests, individuals are turning to substances like psilocybin not for escapism, but for connection—to themselves, to others, and to something ineffable. This resurgence isn’t about reviving old dogmas; it’s about exploring new dimensions of consciousness and meaning.
READ: The Essence of Surrender: What Spiritual Trips Actually Feel Like
What Are Psychedelics?
When I first heard the word “psychedelic,” I thought of tie-dye and trippy art, of counterculture and Timothy Leary. But the etymology—psyche (soul) + deloun (to manifest)—tells a different story. A story about what it means to bring the soul into visibility.
Psychedelics, often referred to as entheogens when used in spiritual contexts, are substances that alter perception, mood, and various cognitive processes. Classic psychedelics include psilocybin (found in certain mushrooms), LSD, mescaline (from peyote and San Pedro cacti), and DMT (found in ayahuasca). These compounds primarily act on serotonin receptors in the brain, particularly the 5-HT2A receptor, leading to altered states of consciousness.
Recent studies have shown that psychedelics can occasion profound experiences characterized by a sense of unity, transcendence of time and space, and deep spiritual significance. For instance, research at Johns Hopkins University found that a single high-dose psilocybin session could lead to lasting positive changes in attitudes, mood, and behavior, with many participants ranking it among the top five most meaningful experiences of their lives .
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Why Are People Talking About “Spirit” Again?
In an age dominated by materialism and digital distractions, many find themselves yearning for deeper meaning. The COVID-19 pandemic, climate anxiety, and social unrest have only intensified this collective soul-searching. Enter psychedelics, which are reintroducing spiritual language into secular spaces.
A study involving religious leaders from various faiths revealed that 96% of participants rated their psilocybin experience as among the most spiritually significant of their lives . Interestingly, some reported encountering a divine presence described as feminine and nurturing, challenging traditional masculine conceptions of divinity.
This resurgence isn’t about converting to a particular religion but about reconnecting with a sense of the sacred. As Dr. Rosalind Watts, a clinical psychologist specializing in psychedelic therapy, notes, these experiences often lead to increased feelings of connectedness—to oneself, others, and the world at large.
What Does a “Spiritual” Psychedelic Trip Actually Feel Like?
No two trips are the same, but the texture of a spiritual experience on psychedelics often feels paradoxically subtle. Not explosive, but expansive. Not otherworldly, but more deeply embedded in this one.
I remember lying on the ground, watching ants carry food back to their colony. Time melted. I wasn’t high—I was aware. Aware of the choreography of life happening beneath my feet, of how little I understood and how much that was okay.
People describe these moments with language borrowed from poetry: a veil lifting, a homecoming, a return to something ancient. Some see fractals, ancestors, or light. Others feel a sense of being witnessed by something nonverbal. But often, it’s just a shift in gravity—toward tenderness, toward awe.
What surprised me most wasn’t the intensity, but the intimacy. Like the universe had exhaled, and I’d remembered how to listen.
READ: Beyond Belief: Can Mushrooms Teach Us Anything Sacred?
The Rise of Modern Mysticism (Without the Dogma)
I didn’t grow up religious. What I knew of God came from pop culture, not prayer. But in the psychedelic space, I’ve found something that feels spiritual—not because someone told me it was, but because my body recognized it as such.
This is the shape of modern mysticism: not a creed or a church, but a constellation of practices and intuitions. A cup of tea held with intention. A breath taken before speaking. A mushroom trip that becomes a mirror, showing you not what to believe, but how to be.
Today, facilitators and community circles are integrating ancient rituals with trauma-informed care, somatic work, and ecological consciousness. The psychedelic renaissance is not just about medicine. It’s about meaning.
And crucially, many are working to decolonize these spaces—to honor the Indigenous lineages from which many plant medicines originate, and to challenge the extractive tendencies of Western wellness culture.
Mysticism, in this moment, means living with mystery. It’s about surrendering the need to know, and instead cultivating the courage to feel.
Academic voices such as Dr. Rachel Harris, in her book Listening to Ayahuasca, and Bia Labate of the Chacruna Institute, have emphasized the importance of decolonizing psychedelic spirituality—recognizing the Indigenous origins of many plant medicines and resisting their commodification in Western wellness markets. Mysticism, in this light, becomes a political as well as spiritual act: a way of resisting reductionism, of insisting that life contains more than what can be measured.
How People Carry the Sacred Forward
Perhaps the most telling sign of a spiritual experience is what comes after. For many, the trip doesn’t end when the mushrooms wear off. Something lingers. A way of seeing. A shift in priorities.
People begin to notice beauty more readily—sunlight through leaves, a stranger’s kindness, the way grief moves through the body like weather. Some return to places they visited on their journeys, bringing offerings or simply sitting in stillness. Others begin small rituals—tea in the morning, a favorite song, a moment of silence before meals. These aren’t grand gestures. They’re tiny sanctuaries.
And through these daily acts, the line between the sacred and the ordinary begins to blur.
READ: 10 Signs You’re Going Through A Spiritual Awakening
Bringing the Sacred Home: Explore Your Journey with Magic Mush
If you’ve resonated with the experiences and reflections shared here—if you’ve felt the quiet tug toward something deeper, something sacred—know that you’re not alone. This reawakening of spiritual curiosity isn’t just happening in research labs or retreat centers. It’s unfolding in kitchens, bedrooms, forests, and small, intentional moments across the country. Psychedelics are becoming a way for people to reconnect: not to doctrine, but to presence; not to ideology, but to their own inner knowing.
That’s where MagicMush comes in. With a wide range of psilocybin products—from dried mushrooms to potent mushroom chocolates—Magic Mush is committed to providing high-quality, lab-tested medicine to support your journey. Whether you’re easing into a microdosing regimen or preparing for a deeper ceremonial experience, their offerings are designed to meet you wherever you are on the path. What sets them apart isn’t just the quality of their products, but the integrity and care behind them.
And with fast, discreet shipping to Ottawa, accessing this kind of support has never been easier. Whether you’re in a major city or a quiet rural town, Magic Mush ensures that safe, thoughtful access to psilocybin is available to you.
