Natural Guardians of the Balkans: Entheogens in Indigenous Practices and Their Implications for Well-Being and Therapy
- radostflora
- Jun 13
- 2 min read
by dr. sc. Lucija Vejmelka and Damir Gašpar
Department of Social Work, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, Nazorova 51, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Permaculture Community Radost Flora, Valerija de Ponte 20, 23000 Zadar, Croatia
Psychoactives 2025, 4(2), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/psychoactives4020015
Psychedelic plants and fungi have been traditionally used in many cultures as part of ritual ceremonies and ancient medicinal treatments. In some regions, these psychoactive plants have already entered mainstream discourse through popular literature and art. Today, numerous academic and medical institutions are establishing dedicated departments to examine the benefits and risks of psychedelic-assisted treatments. Entheogens in healing practices and herbal medicine are part of Slavic cultural heritage. However, due to the predominantly oral transmission of this knowledge, there is a significant lack of written sources and a profound gap in documentation regarding entheogen use on the Balkan Peninsula, where many psychoactive plants and mushrooms grow in their natural habitat. Our work aims to bridge indigenous knowledge systems with contemporary therapeutic discourse, while advocating for sustainable, inclusive, and culturally respectful research practices. This review manuscript presents information on Slavic ancient entheogens, and calls for further multidisciplinary, integrative approaches in researching psychoactive plants and mushrooms of the Balkans. Our paper includes the ethnobotanical uses of native Balkan entheogens, outlines the pharmacological mechanisms of their main active compounds, and discusses their impacts on social behavior, mental health, and overall well-being. We also examine their therapeutic potential and risks, contributing to the contemporary understanding of psychoactive and psychedelic use in mental health treatment and beyond, as tools for life enhancement to improve quality of life and well-being.
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