The 5 Classifications of Psychedelics: A Complete Guide
Written by Tina 'Kat' Courtney | Traditionally Trained Ayahuasquera & Huachumera. Kat apprenticed for over a decade in the Shipibo-Conibo and Quechua-Lamista traditions. Author of Plant Medicine Mystery School Vol 1. CEO & Co-Founder, Plant Medicine People. Read Kat's full bio →
What Are the Classifications of Psychedelics?
Not all psychedelic medicines are created equal. There’s actually a whole bundle of organic and synthetic substances that have multiple ways of improving our lives. There are five core classifications of these mind-altering beings, each wholly unique. This article will outline what these beings do, what medicines qualify for each category, and the benefits and challenges of each. Consider this a “getting to know you” session with each of the significant psychotropic medicines (and even some lesser-known ones).
Now let’s get psychedelic, shall we?
The Differences Between Psychedelic and Psychotropic Medicines
The words “psychedelic” and “psychotropic” are often used interchangeably, but they have slightly different definitions. The key to remember is that while all psychedelics are psychotropic, not all psychotropics are psychedelic!
A psychotropic is a general category that describes anything that alters consciousness. Obviously, all psychedelics are included here, but so are medicines like Sacred Tobacco. While he doesn’t elicit strong visuals, a big dose of tobacco tea or rapéh can positively flatten a lucky recipient, so he is most certainly psychotropic. Kambo is another psychotropic medicine that isn’t a traditional psychedelic but has a powerful altering effect on the body. Plants like Mugwort and Blue Lotus (real name Blue Water Lily) blast open the dream space and are therefore psychotropic. Even potent nervines like Valerian and Kava Kava can accurately be called psychotropic. So can stimulants like Coffee, Green Tea, and divine Coca. Even alcohol and SSRIs qualify, which is why it’s essential to make our choice of words clear.
The Definition of a Classic Psychedelic
One of the things that truly define psychedelic substances is that they alter consciousness in a way that can produce wildly vivid and sometimes very realistic visions. Psychedelics tap us into all of our “clairs.” Clairvoyance (the ability to see beyond the tangible world) is just one of the potential ways they open us up to the world of consciousness. But those wild and wonderful visions are a signature of a psychedelic portal. In general, psychedelics are substances that completely alter our baseline reality.
One of my favorite alternative terms for psychedelics is “entheogen.” This word refers to organic medicines that create mystical/spiritual experiences as it loosely translates as “to bring inspiration into being.” This perfectly defines medicines like Ayahuasca, Huachuma, Peyote, and Magic Mushrooms. They are gifts from nature to help us remember our divinity and connection to source.
Special notes: You’ll see I reference all organic medicines with pronouns to emphasize that these are sentient, highly conscious, and spiritual beings that are not objects but living spirits. Synthetics have consciousness, too (everything does, of course!) but not in the same sentient way.
Many substances are NOT listed here as they have yet to be proven as medicinal or healing (heroin, PCP, meth, etc.) I have only included medicines that have substantial healing properties below.
Below are the five main classifications for psychedelic medicines and a list of the most well-known substances for each:
A Complete List of
Psychedelic Medicines
Not all medicines speak the same language — or ask the same things of us. Below you'll find every major psychedelic and psychotropic plant, fungi, and compound, grouped by the nature of the experience they invite. Whether you're a curious newcomer or a seasoned practitioner, we hope this serves as a living map of the plant kingdom's most extraordinary teachers.
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AyahuascaMadre Medicina · DMT + MAOI · Vine + Leaf brew · Amazonian tradition
She is the great shadow illuminator — a loving, fierce force who goes precisely where you least want Her to go. She removes blockages with gleeful, compassionate precision.
Master Plant -
Psilocybin MushroomsSacred Mushrooms · Teonanácatl · Hundreds of organic species
Mischievous, playful forest gnomes who speak fluently in the language of the subconscious. They are master alchemists — what is dead, They make magnificently new.
Classic Entheogen -
LSDLysergic Acid Diethylamide · Synthetic · Born from ergot fungus
Born from ergot fungus, synthesised by accident, now one of the most studied medicines in psychiatric history. Luminous, expansive, and extraordinarily mind-clarifying.
Synthetic -
MescalinePeyote · Huachuma / San Pedro · Peruvian Torch · Organic · Phenethylamine cactus family
The sacred heart of the cactus kingdom — part Empathogen, part Visionary teacher. Divinely loving and luminously expansive, He teaches us to feel the world through an open chest.
Empathogen + Psychedelic -
IbogaTabernanthe iboga · West African Root Bark · Sacred in Bwiti tradition
He is relentless, clinical, and utterly profound — a masculine intelligence who walks you through your entire life story without sentimentality. He leaves no stone unturned.
Master Plant -
Salvia divinorumDiviner's Sage · Organic · Mint family · Mazatec tradition · Mexico
A fierce, fleeting kappa-opioid journeywoman who does not enjoy casual interactions with humans. Approach Her only with deep reverence and clear ceremonial intention.
Visionary Plant -
ChangaSmokeable DMT + Banisteriopsis Caapi blend · Organic ceremonial mixture
Ayahuasca's swift, smokeable cousin — the same sacred MAOI-and-DMT marriage, condensed into a shorter but deeply intentional ceremonial window. Never to be taken casually.
Ceremonial Blend -
LSALysergic Acid Amide · Morning Glory Seeds · Hawaiian Baby Woodrose · Organic · Lysergamide family
LSD's gentler, dreamier sister — milder in visual intensity but rich in heart connection, deep introspection, and soft visionary experience. Quietly profound in the right container.
Lysergamide
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KetamineSynthetic · NMDA receptor antagonist · Increasingly used in therapeutic settings
Developed as a painkiller, now emerging as one of psychiatry's most promising antidepressants. Lower doses open the heart; the K-hole is a full dissolution of self — existential territory.
Synthetic · Addictive Potential -
High-Dose DMTN,N-Dimethyltryptamine at breakthrough threshold · Organic + Synthetic · Endogenous
At full breakthrough, DMT departs the psychedelic space and enters complete dissolution — a total departure from the body and all known reference points. Reserved for the deeply experienced.
Dose-Dependent -
High-Dose AyahuascaMadre Medicina at ego-dissolution threshold · Organic · Amazonian
She can, in Her wisdom, dissolve the self entirely. What remains on the other side is typically the deepest medicine of all — but this is true Grandmother territory, never for beginners.
Dose-Dependent
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MDMAEcstasy · Molly · Synthetic · Phenethylamine
A luminous bridge-builder between self and other — She generates profound emotional openness, softens trauma's grip on the nervous system, and opens the heart with astonishing grace.
Clinical Research · Therapeutic -
San Pedro / HuachumaGrandfather Medicine · Echinopsis pachanoi · Organic · Andean sacred tradition
He is all sun and masculine love — a slow, luminous Grandfather who teaches us what it means to be fully, beautifully human. The daylight counterpart to Ayahuasca's deep night.
Master Plant -
PeyoteLophophora williamsii · Organic · Sacred in Native American Church tradition
One of the oldest known plant sacraments on Earth. He holds the sacred traditions of indigenous North America with profound gravity. Deep indigenous respect and context are always essential.
Indigenous Sacrament -
KannaSceletium tortuosum · South African succulent · Organic · Khoisan tradition
Soft, sweet, and beginner-friendly — She is a gentle heart-connector who invites emotional warmth and openness without the intensity of Her more potent plant siblings.
Gentle + Accessible
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Datura / ToéAngel's Trumpet · Brugmansia · Organic · Nightshade family · Worldwide sacred traditions
One of the most formidable and uncompromising spirit teachers in the plant kingdom. She tests one's relationship with reality itself — and is approached only by highly trained shamanic practitioners.
Extreme Caution -
BelladonnaDeadly Nightshade · Atropa belladonna · Organic · European folk tradition
Named 'beautiful woman' for Her historical use in cosmetics to dilate pupils. Deeply toxic in improper doses; She belongs firmly to the domain of trained herbalists and shamanic practitioners.
Extreme Caution -
HenbaneHyoscyamus niger · Organic · Norse, Celtic, and European shamanic tradition
One of Europe's oldest ritual plants, woven through Norse and Celtic ancestral traditions. He bridges the living world and the realm of ancestors — and demands complete ceremonial containment.
Extreme Caution -
MandrakeMandragora officinarum · Organic · Mediterranean and alchemical tradition
Legendary in folklore, alchemy, and plant magic across millennia — She screams, She shapeshifts, She reveals. Approached exclusively within highly skilled and experienced ceremonial containers.
Extreme Caution -
Fly AgaricAmanita muscaria · Organic · Siberian shamanic tradition · Highly unpredictable
The mythic red-capped mushroom of fairy tales and Siberian shamanism — steeped in lore and mystery. Brimming with unpredictability; also acts as an Oneirogen in carefully managed lower doses.
Dual Nature · Unpredictable
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Blue LotusBlue Water Lily · Nymphaea caerulea · Organic · Sacred to ancient Egypt
She is a shimmering, gentle portal into the lucid dream space. The sacred flower of ancient Egypt — revered for Her gift of softening the veil between waking and the world of dreams.
Accessible · Sacred -
MugwortArtemisia vulgaris · Organic · Named for Artemis · Traditional use worldwide
Named for the goddess of the moon and the hunt, She is a classic dreamwork ally — sharpening the edges of the subconscious and enlivening the landscape of visions in the night.
Dreamwork Ally -
DamianaTurnera diffusa · Organic · Central American and Mexican traditional use
Warm, sensual, and gently euphoric — She is a heart-and-body connector who enlivens the dream state while bringing a quietly celebratory quality to waking consciousness.
Gentle Euphoric -
ValerianValeriana officinalis · Organic · European nervine · Sedative + dream intensifier
A potent nervine and dream-deepener with ancient roots in European herbalism. She settles the nervous system into the deepest of sleeps — and then, quietly, the dreaming begins in earnest.
Nervine · Potent -
IbogaTabernanthe iboga · Organic · West African root bark · Also a Classic Psychedelic
He appears twice on this map because He spans worlds — at lower doses He opens the oneirogenic dream space with great clarity; at ceremonial doses He enters full visionary territory. He is never simple.
Dual Classification
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Sacred Tobacco / RapéhMapacho · Nicotiana rustica · Organic · Amazonian ceremonial tradition
He is Grandfather Earth — a profound bridge between the tangible and intangible worlds. He calms the mind, grounds the body, and is used widely in ceremony as a sacred cleanser and ceremonial opener.
Ceremonial Sacrament -
KamboGiant Monkey Frog Secretion · Phyllomedusa bicolor · Organic · Western Amazonia
He carries no fear — the secretion of a creature with no known predators. He is intense, fiery, and deeply purging. One of the most powerful physical cleansers and immune-system activators known to plant medicine.
Physical Cleanser -
CocaErythroxylum coca · Organic · Sacred Andean tradition · Profound cultural significance
She connects the heart and the throat with generosity and truth. Indigenous wisdom holds that when Coca is in your mouth, you cannot tell a lie. A sacred Andean superfood and beloved plant ally.
Sacred Andean Plant
Two Ways to Classify Psychedelics:
Scientific vs. Experiential
Ask a neuroscientist how they classify psychedelics and they'll reach for a molecular diagram. Ask a Shipibo Maestro and they'll reach for a song. Both answers are correct — and between them, you get the full picture. Here's how the two systems work, why each matters, and how they map onto one another.
Science gives us chemistry; the plants give us wisdom. Here's how both systems map together — because understanding both is what makes you genuinely informed about this work.
— Tina "Kat" Courtney, traditionally trained Ayahuasquera & Huachumera
Scientists classify psychedelics by their molecular structure and the specific receptors they act on in the brain — primarily serotonin (5-HT2A), glutamate (NMDA), and dopamine receptors. This system tells us how a substance interacts with neurochemistry. The three primary chemical classes are:
- Tryptamines — act on 5-HT2A serotonin receptors
DMT, Psilocybin, 5-MeO-DMT, Ibogaine - Phenethylamines — act on serotonin & dopamine receptors
Mescaline, MDMA, 2C-B - Lysergamides — ergoline alkaloids, multi-receptor activity
LSD, LSA, AL-LAD
The shamanic and ceremonial traditions of the Amazon, the Andes, and beyond have always classified medicines by a different measure entirely: what kind of consciousness work do they invite? How do they make you feel, and what does the experience ask of you? This is the foundation of PMP's five-category framework:
- Classic Psychedelics — visionary, reality-altering
- Dissociatives — ego-dissolving, identity-releasing
- Empathogens — heart-opening, relational
- Deliriants — reality-dissolving, ancestral
- Oneirogens — dream-generating, subconscious
Why Both Systems Matter
Neither lens is complete on its own. Knowing that psilocybin is a tryptamine that
binds to 5-HT2A receptors is genuinely useful — it explains drug interactions,
contraindications, and why certain medicines shouldn't be combined. But it tells
you nothing about the quality of the experience, the depth of the ceremonial
container required, or what a journey with Psilocybin Mushrooms will actually
ask of your heart and psyche.
Conversely, knowing that Ayahuasca is a "visionary, deeply transformational
medicine" is true — but it doesn't explain why She can't be combined with SSRIs,
or why Her chemistry is so specific that only the union of two particular plants
produces Her full effect. Both maps matter. Here's how they line up.
| Chemical Class | PMP Experiential Category | The Question It Answers | Key Medicines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tryptamines | Classic Psychedelics | "What does the universe look like from the inside?" | Ayahuasca, Psilocybin Mushrooms, DMT, Changa |
| Phenethylamines | Empathogens | "What does it feel like to be fully, openly human?" | Mescaline, San Pedro / Huachuma, Peyote, MDMA |
| Lysergamides | Classic Psychedelics | "How far does consciousness actually reach?" | LSD, LSA, AL-LAD |
| Dissociatives (NMDA antagonists) |
Dissociatives | "Who am I when the self is removed entirely?" | Ketamine, high-dose DMT, high-dose Ayahuasca |
| Anticholinergics (Tropane alkaloids) |
Deliriants | "Where does the real world end and the spirit world begin?" | Datura, Belladonna, Henbane, Mandrake |
| Various (Terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids) |
Oneirogens | "What is the subconscious trying to tell me?" | Blue Lotus, Mugwort, Damiana, Valerian |
| Non-psychedelic psychotropics (Alkaloids, peptides) |
Psychotropics | "How does the plant world support my healing beyond visions?" | Sacred Tobacco / Rapéh, Kambo, Coca |
Note: some medicines span more than one category depending on dose, set, and setting — Iboga being the clearest example. Classification is not a cage; it is a map. And as any good navigator will tell you, the map is never the territory.
This is precisely what makes plant medicine work so rich — and so unlike a pharmaceutical prescription. The chemistry is the mechanism. The ceremony is the medicine. Understanding both lets you approach each teacher with the full respect, preparation, and informed surrender they deserve. In the sections below, you'll find each of the five experiential classifications explored in depth — along with the specific plant, fungi, and compound teachers that belong to each.
Natural Plant Medicines
vs. Synthetic Compounds
One of the most common questions we receive from people beginning their plant medicine journey is: what's the difference between natural and synthetic psychedelics — and does it matter? The short answer is yes, profoundly. Here is how we understand that distinction at Plant Medicine People.
The plants carry millennia of tradition, lineage, and living intelligence. Synthetics carry human ingenuity. Both deserve our respect — but they are fundamentally different relationships, and it's important to know which one you're entering into.
— Tina "Kat" Courtney, traditionally trained Ayahuasquera & Huachumera
Grown from the Earth, shaped by millennia of evolution, and — in most cases — held within living indigenous ceremonial traditions. These medicines carry what we call plant intelligence: a relational, living wisdom that has co-evolved alongside human consciousness for thousands of years.
- Ayahuasca Vine + leaf brew · Amazonian tradition
- Psilocybin Mushrooms Hundreds of organic species · Worldwide
- Mescaline Peyote · San Pedro / Huachuma · Peruvian Torch
- Iboga West African root bark · Bwiti tradition
- Salvia divinorum Diviner's Sage · Mazatec tradition
- Blue Lotus Sacred Water Lily · Ancient Egyptian tradition
- Mugwort Dreamwork ally · Traditional worldwide use
- Sacred Tobacco / Rapéh Mapacho · Amazonian ceremonial tradition
- Kambo Giant Monkey Frog secretion · Western Amazonia
Created or isolated in laboratory settings, often inspired by natural compounds but without the living plant matrix that surrounds them in nature. Synthetics can be extraordinarily powerful — and several are subjects of significant clinical research — but they arrive without the millennia of indigenous ceremonial context that plant medicines carry.
- LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide · Semi-synthetic from ergot fungus
- Ketamine NMDA antagonist · Emerging therapeutic use
- MDMA Synthetic phenethylamine · Clinical PTSD research
- Synthetic DMT Pharmahuasca · Isolated or lab-produced N,N-DMT
- 2C-B Synthetic phenethylamine · Psychedelic + empathogenic
A small number of medicines occupy both worlds — occurring naturally in living organisms and produced synthetically in laboratories. These are worth understanding in their own right, because the source of the medicine genuinely shapes the nature of the relationship.
- DMT Occurs naturally in hundreds of plants and animals — including in the human body itself. Also produced synthetically and used in pharmahuasca as a replacement for the Chacruna leaf in Ayahuasca preparation. The molecule is identical; the relationship is not.
- Psilocybin The active compound in sacred mushrooms occurs naturally in over 200 species. It can also be synthesised in labs for clinical trial settings. The synthetic form is now in Phase 3 FDA trials; the mushroom Herself has been a ceremonial teacher for thousands of years.
- Mescaline The active compound in Peyote, San Pedro, and Peruvian Torch. Can be chemically synthesised, though in ceremonial plant medicine work it is almost exclusively worked with through the living cactus — whose relationship with humans stretches back over 5,000 years.
A special note on pharmahuasca — a term for Ayahuasca prepared using synthetic DMT in place of the Chacruna leaf. Kat has written and spoken about this directly: the molecule may be the same, but the living intelligence of the plant is not present in the same way. Madre Medicina is not a molecule. She is a relationship. The Banisteriopsis Caapi vine and the Psychotria viridis leaf together create something that isolated DMT, however it is sourced, does not replicate — a synergy that indigenous Amazonian traditions have understood for thousands of years, and that Western science is only beginning to measure.
This is not an argument against synthetic medicines — LSD has transformed lives, MDMA-assisted therapy is producing some of the most compelling psychiatric research of our era, and ketamine is bringing real relief to people in genuine crisis. Human ingenuity, when applied with reverence and care, is its own kind of intelligence. What matters is knowing which relationship you are entering — and approaching it accordingly.
Whether the medicine you feel called to is grown from the Earth or born in a laboratory, the principles remain the same: intention, preparation, respect, and integration. The container is sacred regardless of the compound. If you're exploring which medicine might be right for your path, our integration coaches are here to help you find your footing — with no agenda other than your genuine wellbeing.
Classic Psychedelics
What science calls Classic Psychedelics, the shamanic traditions of the Amazon and Andes have long known as Master Plant Teachers — and the two names point to the same profound truth from different directions.
In pharmacological terms, classic psychedelics are specifically defined as serotonergic psychedelics: substances that act primarily on the brain's 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C serotonin receptors, producing non-ordinary states of consciousness that range from enhanced sensory perception all the way to full visionary experience. This is what distinguishes them from dissociatives, empathogens, and deliriants — which operate through entirely different receptor systems. If you've seen the term "classic psychedelics" in academic or clinical research, this is precisely what it refers to.
But the receptor mechanism is only where the science stops — it's where the real story begins.
These medicines change how we see the world by inducing a non-ordinary state of consciousness. They can trigger an effect called synesthesia, which fuses senses so that we can taste colours or hear visions. They typically create vivid visual and emotional experiences with the capacity to morph and transform our perception of physical reality. And they invite us — sometimes gently, sometimes with considerable force — into direct contact with dimensions of consciousness that are difficult to describe in ordinary language.
One of Kat's favourite alternative terms for this category is entheogen — from the Greek, meaning "to bring inspiration or the divine into being." This word far better captures what medicines like Ayahuasca, Huachuma, Peyote, and Psilocybin Mushrooms actually are: not compounds that act on receptors, but sacred teachers who help us remember our divinity and our connection to all that is.
Almost every medicine on this list begins its work here, as a classic psychedelic — and even those in other categories (dissociatives, empathogens, deliriants) often start from this same visionary foundation at lower doses, before revealing their more distinct qualities at higher ones.
Cannabis/Ganja (organic with synthetic analogues)
In low doses, Cannabis and Her main compound, THC, activate the endocannabinoid receptors — working with serotonin to influence thought processes, hunger, emotions, arousal, and more. In high doses, She can absolutely enter classic psychedelic territory.
She is the mistress of darkness: She can take our pain, suppress our sadness, and send us into a deliciously deep sleep. But She is highly sensitive to intentions — ironically the medicine most used recreationally in our culture, and therefore the one most frequently approached without the reverence She deserves.
Ganja is sticky, patient, and mysterious. She challenges us because She responds to our subconscious intentions and can numb us out and cause us to disconnect if we disrespect Her by using Her for escape. Approached with care, She is a master healer — capable of alchemising dozens of different conditions, calming the nervous system, and opening a genuine dialogue with the subconscious.
DMT/Dimethyltryptamine (organic in many different plants + animals, but can also be chemically extracted and synthetically produced)
DMT is perhaps the most quietly extraordinary molecule on Earth — because it already lives inside you. It exists naturally in the human brain, regulating the default mode network (the scientific name for our ego and sense of self). It is primarily responsible for inducing dreams when we sleep, and it is released at death. Many view this as the physical manifestation of the soul's departure.
Animals, insects, plants, and even sea sponges carry natural DMT. There are two main forms:
N,N-DMT — the most common form, found in Chacruna, Chaliponga, Acacia, Mimosa, Yopo, Jurema, and many other plants, as well as in animals and humans.
5-MeO-DMT — a more potent variant found in some plants and animals, including Bufo (the Sonoran Desert toad) and Vilca (a plant used in Andean tradition).
Synthetic versions of DMT also exist — both chemical extractions from plants and fully lab-created compounds. Taking DMT without a plant-based MAOI like Ayahuasca vine or Syrian Rue is like flying a plane without a pilot: there is no organic intelligence guiding the journey, and the full experience in an uncontained, unguided container can be profoundly destabilising.
Magic Mushrooms/Psilocybin Mushrooms (organic and synthetically produced)
There are hundreds of species of psilocybin-containing mushrooms — each with their own character, though the family shares a remarkable personality.
These entities work similarly to DMT at a receptor level, but their spirits are entirely distinct. Mushrooms exude a tribal, elemental energy — They are the only entheogen we refer to in the plural, and this feels right. Their nature is mischievous, immensely playful, and deeply of-the-earth — think forest gnomes who happen to carry the keys to the subconscious.
Mushrooms are master alchemists: They take what is dead on the forest floor and give it new life. They can do the same for our emotions and our souls. They can also be challenging, because They speak the language of the subconscious — Their messages are not always clear, and the journey can be intensely physical and emotionally unpacking.
Ayahuasca (organic)
Ayahuasca is a sacred brew containing the Banisteriopsis caapi vine — a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) — and a DMT-containing plant, most commonly Chacruna or Chaliponga. The MAOI prevents DMT's digestive breakdown, allowing it to cross the blood-brain barrier and produce the full ceremonial experience. Without the vine, the DMT would simply be expelled.
Because Ayahuasca contains an MAOI, anyone taking SSRIs or MAOIs cannot participate in ceremony — the combination can cause serotonin syndrome, which is potentially fatal. This is a non-negotiable contraindication, and reputable facilitators will screen for it thoroughly.
A note on pharmahuasca: this term refers to Ayahuasca-style preparations made with synthetic DMT in place of the Chacruna leaf. Labs are simply using Her name recognition. The molecule may be the same, but the living intelligence is not. Madre Medicina is not a molecule — She is a relationship, and a relationship built across millennia of indigenous tradition, ceremony, and reciprocity.
Mama Aya's superpowers lie in Her snake-like ability to remove blockages — creating profound spaciousness inside us for wisdom, insight, and genuine transformation. She has demonstrated the capacity to help rewire neural pathways and is extraordinarily healing for body, mind, and spirit. She is also anything but comfortable. She is a shadow illuminator and an edge-pusher. If you have a box inside of you marked "Do not look here," She will go there — with gleeful, compassionate aplomb.
LSD – Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (synthetic)
Albert Hofmann, a chemist at a Swiss pharmaceutical company, first synthesised LSD in 1938 while investigating ergot fungus — a fungus that had long been used by midwives in controlled quantities to staunch bleeding after childbirth.
When the compound didn't serve its intended medical purpose it was shelved, until an inexplicable urge brought Hofmann back to it five years later. He took what he believed was a microdose — which turned out to be the equivalent of approximately ten contemporary doses.
LSD was the subject of significant post-war psychiatric and military research until all studies were halted in 1971. Many of those studies are now being revisited in the current renaissance of psychedelic science, and LSD continues to be one of the most powerful and well-documented classic psychedelics in existence.
Salvia divinorum (organic)
This member of the mint family, native to Mexico and Central America, is among the most potent naturally occurring psychoactive substances on Earth. While short-lasting, She creates effects similar to DMT — alien dimensions, entity contact, profound reality dissolution.
Salvia tends to create experiences that are less introspective and more chaotic than Ayahuasca or Mushrooms. By targeting kappa-opioid receptors (which technically places Her outside the strict definition of a "classic psychedelic," though Her effects are closely related), She creates a more mental and less emotional experience — numbing rather than opening the feeling space.
Shamanic tradition holds that the spirit of Salvia does not enjoy casual interaction with humans, possibly due to the rampant recreational misuse She has endured. Approach Her only with clear intention, deep respect, and experienced guidance.
LSA – Lysergic Acid Amide (organic)
Structurally similar to LSD but considerably milder in effect, LSA creates moderate visionary states and deep introspection without the full intensity of Her synthetic cousin. She is found primarily in Morning Glory and Hawaiian Baby Woodrose seeds.
LSA is particularly supportive for dreamwork, heart connection, depression, and accessing positive emotional states. Large quantities carry significant toxicity, so knowledge and care are essential — this is not a casually consumed medicine.
Iboga/Ibogaine (organic or chemically extracted)
Iboga is a West African shrub whose root bark contains a profoundly psychoactive intelligence. Like Salvia, He targets kappa-opioid receptors — creating an experience that is more thought-provoking and cerebral than emotional. He is relentless, clinical, and extraordinarily thorough.
Ibogaine — the extracted, concentrated key alkaloid — has demonstrated a remarkable ability to reset opiate addiction by repairing and regrowing neural circuits in the brain, returning neurochemistry toward a pre-addicted state. He works specifically for serious addictions to opiates, methamphetamine, cocaine, and alcohol; He is not recommended as a standalone treatment for benzodiazepines, and does not work the same way for tobacco.
Ibogaine carries genuine cardiac risk and must only be undertaken with properly trained medical professionals in a vetted clinical setting. We recommend Clear Sky Ibogaine for those seeking this work.
Changa (organic)
Changa is a smokeable ceremonial blend combining a DMT-containing herb (Mimosa, Chacruna, Chaliponga, Acacia, or Mucuna) with Banisteriopsis Caapi, the same MAOI-containing vine used in Ayahuasca.
The principle is identical to Ayahuasca — an MAOI combined with DMT — but delivered through smoke rather than brew, producing a significantly shorter but equally potent window of experience.
Changa is Ayahuasca's swift, smokeable cousin. Never approach Her casually
Amanita Muscaria (organic)
The iconic red-and-white mushroom of fairy tales and Siberian shamanism — brimming with lore, mystery, and genuine potency. These beings work through muscimol rather than psilocybin, placing them technically in the deliriant category rather than the classic psychedelic family, though their effects overlap considerably.
They are highly unpredictable, can cause vomiting and blood pressure fluctuations, and must be approached with extreme caution due to serious side effects and profound spiritual potency.
Their healing, alchemical, and mystical qualities are real and well-documented across centuries of Siberian and Northern European ceremonial use — but this is firmly a medicine for the experienced and the guided.
Dissociatives
Dissociatives disconnect people from their local realities and typically dissolve a sense of self. These can be extremely difficult at the onset, but we disconnect from emotions once dissociated, and the experience itself is usually not frightening. However, the aftermath can be very traumatizing as these frequently trigger an existential crisis around what is “real” by disconnecting us from our bodies and separating us from our minds. Ketamine and PCP are common examples, but high doses of DMT, Ayahuasca, Salvia, and Iboga/ibogaine can create the same effect.
Ketamine (synthetic)
Ketamine was developed in the 1960s as a painkiller and sedative.
In lower doses, Ketamine is used as an antidepressant. In higher doses, it can be highly stimulating and dissociating. A VERY high dose creates a psychedelic experience called a “k-hole,” which produces deep existential hallucinations and creates a feeling of interdimensional, out-of-body travel.
Ketamine is HIGHLY addictive and recommended only under certain psychological conditions.
Deliriants
Deliriants are the most dangerous substances because they provide visions totally separate from reality. Those who take them cannot tell the difference between real and unreal (which is different from typical psychedelics.) They can cause people to do and say things they have no control over and will likely have no memory of. These have a higher chance of leaving users with long-term or permanent damage, such as memory loss and psychosis. Even those without long-term effects are almost terrifying and very dangerous.
Datura/Toé/Angel’s Trumpet/Brugmansia, Belladonna, Henbane, Mandrake, Fly Agaric (organic)
These are considered “shaman’s plants,” meant only for experienced shamans with specific purposes to understand consciousness and travel to interdimensional realms.
These extremely dangerous - deliriants test our relationship with light and reality. They are never to be used recreationally, in a solo setting, or by anyone without significant shamanic training. The reckless usage of these medicines has caused many deaths.
Empathogens
These substances increase the experience of feeling + emotional openness. They amplify our internal feelings for ourselves, what we feel for others, and nature + the world. MDMA, Huachuma/San Pedro, and Peyote are the classic ones. Ayahuasca (NOT DMT) and psilocybin (in natural form) also sometimes act as empathogens.
MDMA (synthetic)
MDMA was initially developed as an antidepressant. It became illegal in 1985 but has recently experienced a revival and is undergoing clinical studies.
The euphoria it generates, how it presents relationship awareness with self and others, and how it helps with trauma and nervous system regulation are all factors in the path to legalization for therapeutic use.
While it is considered a strong empathogen, it is not a strong psychedelic, if at all.
MDMA can be tough on the body, particularly after a ceremony or recreational use.
San Pedro/Huachuma/Peyote/Peruvian Torch (organic)
Mescaline-based – these cacti have different personalities, but all are divinely masculine and work to process emotions and connect the heart.
They are similar to MDMA in that they activate serotonin receptors and target dopamine receptors.
They generate more empathic feelings and are less intensely visual than other psychedelics.
These are starting to have a remarkable renaissance, as the world needs more heart medicine!
Kanna (organic)
Mildly psychedelic and a euphoric succulent starting to gain popularity with ceremonial use.
She is a soft, sweetly feminine, and beautifully healing heart-connector. Kanna does not induce wild visions or a strong psychedelic experience but is a fantastic alternative altered space for those who desire a gentler experience.
Oneirogens
This word translates to “to generate dreams” because they stimulate dreaming and enhance lucid dreaming. They typically have little to no effect on the waking mind, but when we slip into slumber, they enliven the subconscious into a more hyperactive dream state.
Examples include Blue Lotus/Water Lily, Damiana, Amanita Muscaria, Mugwort, Iboga (also a psychedelic), and Valerian.
These medicines are wonderful for those desiring a deeper connection to lucid dreaming.
Because dream spaces are difficult to interpret, they are only challenging because they can bring subconscious energies that may be hard to understand, integrate, and/or process to the surface.
Psychotropic Medicines that Are Not Psychedelic
These medicines alter consciousness in potent ways but do not produce visions.
Sacred Tobacco / Mapacho / Rapéh (organic)
Tobacco is not typically classified as a psychedelic, but he is increasingly common as a sacrament and is psychotropic in high doses.
His potency depends on the source (jungle vs. cultivated), the dosage, and the delivery method.
The plant spirit of Tobacco is known as Grandfather Earth; he is profoundly connected to the consciousness of Mother Earth. He is a bridge builder between the tangible and intangible worlds.
Rapeh (sacred snuff), Ambil (paste), and Sacred Smoke are examples of using Sacred Tobacco to calm the mind, lower blood pressure, and regulate the nervous system.
He is also becoming a widespread tool for meditation and is used in conjunction with ceremony work.
Tobacco’s challenges are much more widely known than his benefits; because he contains nicotine, he can become physically addictive and is very toxic in high dosages. Those who create a dependent relationship on Tobacco can experience addiction, illness, or even death.
Tobacco is highly responsive to intention. He is absolutely magical when we work with him for healing, connection, and spiritual communication in a respectful and reverent container. However, when we abuse him or use him to escape, he is fierce in his reflection.
Kambo (organic)
Kambo is made from the secretion of the Giant Monkey Frog, which has no known predators and does not know the vibration of fear.
Not a psychedelic, but Kambo is very psychoactive. He has a potent fire energy master healer that creates intense heat energy and deep purging.
Kambo is never used recreationally but for physical cleansing rather than getting “high.”
Many physical and mental disorders do not mix well with Kambo, so working with a trained practitioner is essential to physical safety.
His medicine is incredibly healing; he can help with pain relief, inflammation, various stomach and organ diseases and blockages, lymphatic sluggishness, and so much more. He also clears “panema” - heavy energy, depression, sadness, stagnation, and other energetic blockages.
Coca (organic)
Indigenous people who work with her in a sacred way believe that when Coca is in our mouth, we cannot tell a lie.
She connects the heart and throat chakras; she is generous, uplifting, playful, and exceedingly kind.
She helps with altitude sickness and is a very nutritious superfood.
Like many victims of industrialization, her many alkaloids can become cocaine, but it must be chemically extracted and manipulated to produce – it’s akin to her being raped.
Like Sacred Tobacco, she can become physically addictive, so she demands that we work with her respectfully and with clear intentions.
She is sadly illegal even in her raw plant form, so working with her outside of South America is next to impossible due to legalities and regulations.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Psychedelic Classifications
These are the questions we hear most often — from curious newcomers researching plant medicine for the first time, and from experienced practitioners who want to deepen their understanding of the medicines they work with. We hope these answers serve both.
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Psychedelics can be classified in two complementary ways: by chemical structure and by the nature of the experience they produce.
Scientifically, the three primary chemical classes are:
- → Tryptamines — act on 5-HT2A serotonin receptors (DMT, Psilocybin, 5-MeO-DMT, Ibogaine)
- → Phenethylamines — act on serotonin and dopamine receptors (Mescaline, MDMA)
- → Lysergamides — ergoline alkaloids with multi-receptor activity (LSD, LSA)
From a shamanic and ceremonial perspective, Plant Medicine People uses a five-category experiential framework based on what each medicine asks of you and how it moves through consciousness:
Classic Psychedelics Dissociatives Empathogens Deliriants Oneirogens
Understanding both systems gives you the most complete picture of how these medicines work — the chemistry tells you the mechanism; the experiential framework tells you the nature of the work ahead.
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The four broad classifications of psychoactive drugs used in pharmacology and public health are:
- → Depressants — slow the central nervous system (alcohol, benzodiazepines, cannabis at high doses)
- → Stimulants — increase nervous system activity (cocaine, caffeine, amphetamines)
- → Opioids — act on opioid receptors, producing pain relief and euphoria (morphine, heroin)
- → Hallucinogens — alter perception and consciousness (all psychedelics fall within this category)
Sacred plant medicines and psychedelics fall under the hallucinogen category. Within that broader group, Plant Medicine People uses a more specific five-part framework — Classic Psychedelics, Dissociatives, Empathogens, Deliriants, and Oneirogens — to honour the genuinely distinct nature of each medicine and the different kinds of healing work each one supports. Not all hallucinogens are the same, and in a ceremonial context, that distinction matters enormously.
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There are five main kinds of psychedelics, classified by the type of experience they produce and the nature of the consciousness work they invite:
- → Classic Psychedelics — visionary, reality-altering medicines that open access to expanded states of consciousness. Examples: Ayahuasca, Psilocybin Mushrooms, LSD, Mescaline, Iboga, Salvia divinorum.
- → Dissociatives — medicines that dissolve the sense of self and create profound detachment from ordinary reality. Examples: Ketamine, high-dose DMT.
- → Empathogens — heart-opening medicines that expand emotional awareness and relational connection. Examples: MDMA, San Pedro/Huachuma, Peyote, Kanna.
- → Deliriants — powerful plant teachers that dissolve the boundary between the real and the spirit world entirely. For experienced shamanic practitioners only. Examples: Datura, Belladonna, Henbane.
- → Oneirogens — dream-enhancing medicines that activate the subconscious and deepen the dream state. Examples: Blue Lotus, Mugwort, Damiana, Valerian.
Many plant medicines also fall into the broader category of psychotropics without being strictly psychedelic — including Sacred Tobacco (Rapéh), Kambo, and Coca, each of which profoundly alters consciousness without producing classic visionary states.
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The four commonly cited classes of hallucinogens in scientific and medical literature are:
- → Classic Psychedelics (serotonergic psychedelics) — act on 5-HT2A serotonin receptors, producing vivid visionary experiences. Examples: Psilocybin, LSD, DMT, Mescaline.
- → Dissociatives — act on NMDA glutamate receptors, producing detachment from self and reality. Examples: Ketamine, high-dose DMT.
- → Deliriants — act on acetylcholine receptors (anticholinergics), producing a complete dissolution of perceived reality indistinguishable from waking life. Examples: Datura, Belladonna, Henbane.
- → Empathogens / Entactogens — act primarily on serotonin and dopamine systems to increase emotional openness and empathy. Examples: MDMA, Peyote, San Pedro.
Plant Medicine People also recognises a fifth category not always included in clinical classifications: Oneirogens — plant medicines that specifically enhance dreaming and subconscious access, including Blue Lotus, Mugwort, and Valerian. PMP's full five-category framework honours the complete spectrum of what these remarkable plant and fungi teachers offer.
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The word "psychedelic" was coined in 1956 by British psychiatrist Humphry Osmond, from the Ancient Greek words psyche (mind or soul) and deloun (to make visible, to reveal) — literally meaning "mind-revealing" or "soul-manifesting."
In practical terms, psychedelics are substances that completely alter our baseline reality — opening access to visionary states, expanded perception, and what many traditions describe as direct contact with the sacred. They tap into what are sometimes called the "clairs": clairvoyance, clairsentience, and claircognizance — ways of knowing that extend beyond ordinary sensory experience.
A term that Plant Medicine People particularly values is "entheogen" — from the Greek, meaning "to bring inspiration or the divine into being." This word more fully captures what medicines like Ayahuasca, Psilocybin Mushrooms, and Mescaline actually are: gifts from nature to help us remember our divinity and our connection to all that is. They are not recreational substances. They are sacred teachers.
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The most widely used and researched psychedelics worldwide are Psilocybin (the active compound in magic mushrooms), LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), MDMA, and DMT — including in Ayahuasca brew. Global surveys consistently identify psilocybin and LSD as the most commonly encountered classic psychedelics, while clinical research from institutions including Johns Hopkins University, NYU, and Imperial College London has produced significant findings on psilocybin and MDMA for treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and end-of-life anxiety.
In the context of sacred plant medicine and ceremonial work, the most widely used medicines are:
- → Ayahuasca — Amazonian vine and leaf brew, deeply rooted in Shipibo-Conibo and Quechua-Lamista traditions
- → Psilocybin Mushrooms — used ceremonially across Mesoamerica for thousands of years, now the most studied psychedelic compound globally
- → San Pedro / Huachuma — sacred Andean cactus medicine with over 3,000 years of documented ceremonial use
- → Peyote — sacred to the Native American Church, among the oldest known plant sacraments in the Americas
Their growing mainstream visibility makes it all the more essential that they are approached with the preparation, reverence, and proper ceremonial container these extraordinary teachers deserve. Popularity without respect is not the path.
Finding Your Path: Which
Classification Calls to You?
Understanding the five classifications of psychedelics is one thing. Knowing which one is yours to explore is another — and that second question is never really a cognitive exercise. The plants have an uncanny way of making themselves known through what we find ourselves drawn to, what our bodies respond to when we read about them, and what our hearts quietly recognise before our minds catch up.
The plants choose us as much as we choose them. Trust what you're drawn to.
The prompts below are offered as an orientation — questions to sit with, not prescriptions to follow. They are not medical advice, and no classification or medicine is right for everyone. Always work with trained, indigenous-lineage facilitators in a safe and legal ceremonial container.
If you feel called to deep visionary experience, direct contact with the sacred, and a full alteration of how you perceive reality — the Classic Psychedelics may be your teachers.
These are the great reality-altering medicines: Ayahuasca, Psilocybin Mushrooms, Mescaline, Iboga, LSD, and Salvia. Each speaks a different language, but all open the door to dimensions of consciousness that are difficult to access any other way.
Explore RetreatsIf you feel called to emotional healing, relational repair, or simply learning what it feels like to be fully, softly, openly yourself — the empathogens may be calling.
San Pedro / Huachuma, Peyote, and MDMA are the great heart-openers — medicines that teach us how to feel the world through a chest that isn't armoured. Huachuma in particular is a luminous, sun-drenched Grandfather whose love is both immense and instructive.
Explore RetreatsIf you feel called to explore what lies beyond the ego — not just expanded identity but the complete dissolution of it — the dissociative medicines are profound, existential, and not for the faint of heart.
High-dose Ayahuasca and DMT at breakthrough doses can enter this territory. These are not beginner experiences — they are the deep end of an already deep pool, and require extensive preparation, experienced facilitation, and robust integration support.
Speak with a Coach FirstIf you feel called to dreamwork, subconscious exploration, or a gentle first step into the world of plant consciousness — the oneirogens offer a beautifully accessible threshold.
Blue Lotus, Mugwort, Damiana, and Valerian are gentle, accessible teachers who work primarily through the dream space and the quieter layers of the subconscious. An excellent starting point for those new to plant medicine work.
Explore Plant DietasIf you are an experienced practitioner working within a deeply established shamanic lineage and feel called to ancestral, boundary-dissolving work — this territory exists, and it must be approached with absolute respect.
Datura, Belladonna, Henbane, and Mandrake are not medicines for the seeker stage of the journey. They are reserved for those with years of ceremonial experience and trained shamanic guidance. If you are asking whether you're ready, the answer is almost certainly not yet.
Talk to a FacilitatorIf you feel called to deep physical cleansing, energetic clearing, or sacred grounding work before or alongside your visionary medicine path — the psychotropic plants offer their own profound medicines.
Sacred Tobacco / Rapéh, Kambo, and Coca work in the body and the energy field rather than through classic visionary states. Rapéh and Kambo are frequently used as ceremonial preparation medicines — clearing and grounding the container before deeper work begins.
Explore RetreatsWhichever classification calls to you, one principle applies across all of them without exception: the container is as important as the medicine. The most powerful ceremonial experience without proper preparation and integration support is, at best, incomplete — and at worst, genuinely harmful.
At Plant Medicine People, we believe deeply that integration is not aftercare — it is the work itself. What you do with the experience in the weeks and months that follow a ceremony is where the actual healing lands. A ceremony without integration is like planting a seed and never watering it.
If you're in the early stages of exploring which path is right for you, we would be so very honoured to walk alongside you. Our integration coaches offer pre-ceremony preparation, medicine selection guidance, and post-ceremony support — with no agenda other than your genuine, lasting wellbeing.
If you feel called to this work — the plants have likely already chosen you.
We are so very honoured to help you find your way to them.
We hope this information helps to guide you with more awareness and insight on your journey with sacred medicines. Please always, always consult trained shamanic and medicinal experts + honor local laws and regulations. Safety is imperative with this work! And don’t forget to give back to the plants through reciprocity and a commitment to making our world a better place. Much love and happy journeying!
About the Author
Tina “Kat” Courtney, The AfterLife Coach, is a traditionally trained Ayahuasquera + Huachumera and a vocal advocate for all sacred Plant Medicines. Kat is the CEO and co-founder of Plant Medicine People, and she works as a coach, ceremony guide, and mentor to people navigating their shadows via altered states of consciousness. She is the author of Plant Medicine Mystery School Vol 1: The Superhero Healing Powers of Psychotropic Plants, as well as a certified Death Doula. She loves the darkness, the Sacred Medicines, and she believes everyone has the right to work with nature for healing and awakening.
