Altered States, Sacred Views: A Door, Not a Map Psychedelics, Meaning & Responsibility

Rus Devorah (Darcy) Wallen, LCSW, ACSW, CIMHP

Based on my talk, 1/26/26 – NEFESH.org

This subject didn’t arrive in my life as an abstract interest. It emerged in the therapy room. Over the years, clients began coming to me after psychedelic experiences—some moved, others destabilized. In a few painful cases, the damage was profound. A destabilized, retraumatized perinatal woman, a marriage shattered after one partner interpreted a substance-induced vision as a divine command. These are not philosophical debates; they are lived consequences of using profound substances without prior information.

Many who seek altered states aren’t reckless. They’re searching for meaning, healing, and wholeness. Yet they often enter these experiences without knowing what questions to ask—or that there are questions. In Jewish tradition, we speak at the Seder about the child who does not know how or what to ask. I see that child in many of my clients: well-intentioned, intelligent people blindsided by experiences they didn’t know needed preparation or integration.

We are in a cultural moment of convergence—of AI, biohacking, ceremonial substances, and spiritual longing. The intensity of experience is outpacing discernment. As a religiously observant Jew and therapist, I walk with care. I don’t encourage psychedelic use. This isn’t fear; I’m no prude. It’s grounded in ethical, legal, clinical, and halachic concerns. But neither do I abandon those who come after the fact. Harm reduction is part of compassionate clinical care.

Clinically and spiritually, there’s a glaring gap. Many people don’t understand what “set and setting” means—the internal and external conditions that shape psychedelic experiences. They aren’t prepared for what may be stirred, unearthed, or amplified. These substances—especially classic psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, DMT, and ayahuasca—activate the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, which amplifies emotions, perceptions, and meaning-making. But amplification is not truth. Turning up the volume doesn’t ensure you’re tuned to the right station. A psychedelic may open the door, but it’s not a map. Not every vision is a direction; amplification isn’t evidence.

That’s the paradox. Psychedelics can catalyze insight, but they can also distort. One can emerge with a deep sense of divine clarity—even if the message is misleading or destructive. As a clinician, I’ve seen both outcomes. That’s why humility, not hubris, is essential when approaching these substances.

In exploring this topic, I engaged leaders from multiple religious traditions—rabbis, Catholic priests, and Buddhist teachers. While theological reasoning varied, their conclusions were strikingly aligned: conditional support for therapeutic use under strict supervision, with significant ethical safeguards for the safety and wellness of the patient. None of the major religions endorses recreational or unstructured/unsupervised use.

Why do people seek these experiences? For good and honorable reasons: to address depression, trauma, addiction, relationship issues, existential longing, and more. Viktor Frankl taught that meaning is not a luxury, it is a core human drive. And in our fragmented culture, many are seeking ways to bridge the spiritual and the psychological without reducing either. Psychedelics can sometimes open that door, but they are not a map. And when used without preparation, containment, and integration, they can lead people off course.

ENJOY – A DOOR NOT A MAP – Summary Song

There are four broad categories of substances:

• Classic psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca): powerful amplifiers, still illegal under federal law.
• Empathogens (like MDMA): promote emotional openness but carry risks like boundary confusion.
• Dissociatives (e.g., ketamine): legal and promising for depression, but not without concern.
• Novel synthetics: unpredictable and often dangerous.

“Natural” does not mean safe. Legality does not mean harmless. Clarity and conscience require us to resist the romanticization of these substances while also avoiding moral panic. Ethics demand nuance.

From a Jewish perspective, psychedelic use is largely prohibited—due to legal status (dina d’malchusa dina), concerns around idolatry and divination, and the mandate for clarity of mind. Other traditions echo similar cautions. The bottom line: altered states are not neutral. They affect perception, consent, and agency. Our task is not to dismiss them, but to approach them with the gravity they require. This is not about fear. It is about care.

Let us not confuse the keyhole with the door, nor the vision with the path. Healing is holy work—and it requires both reverence and responsibility.

Read a more in-depth article on SUBSTACK HERE

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With Gratitude,

Rus Devorah

REFERENCES:

Carhart-Harris, R. L., et al. (2014). The entropic brain: A theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 20.
Carhart-Harris, R. L., et al. (2017). Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms. Scientific Reports, 7, 13187.
Frankl, V. E. (1959). Man’s search for meaning. Beacon Press.
Griffiths, R. R., et al. (2006). Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning. Psychopharmacology, 187(3), 268–283.
Griffiths, R. R., et al. (2016). Psilocybin produces sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 30(12), 1181–1197.
Pollan, M. (2018). How to change your mind. Penguin Press.
Taylor, K. (2017). Ethics in counseling and psychotherapy. Springer Publishing.
Watts, R., et al. (2017). Increased connectedness and acceptance after psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 57(5), 520–564.