Resources

Reference

Glossary

Ceremony

A structured, often ritualized psychedelic or entheogenic experience, typically guided and rooted in a specific spiritual, cultural, or therapeutic tradition.

Decriminalization

The removal or reduction of criminal penalties for possessing or using a substance, without creating a legal, regulated system for accessing it. Several U.S. cities and states have decriminalized psilocybin and other plant medicines.

Entheogen

A term meaning "generating the divine within," used to describe psychedelic substances used in spiritual or ceremonial contexts. Preferred by some over "psychedelic" for its emphasis on intentional use.

Guide or Facilitator

A person who leads or supports a psychedelic session or ceremony, whether within a legal, regulated program or within the broader underground community that operates outside current legal frameworks.

Harm reduction

A framework and set of practical strategies aimed at reducing the negative consequences associated with drug use. Harm reduction meets people where they are without requiring abstinence.

Integration

The process of making meaning from and applying insights from a psychedelic experience to one's daily life. Often considered the most important and ongoing part of the process.

Legalization

The creation of a regulated legal framework for producing, selling, or accessing a substance, distinct from decriminalization. New Mexico's Medical Psilocybin Program is an example of a legal, regulated model.

Medical Psilocybin Program (New Mexico)

The program created by the Medical Psilocybin Act, Senate Bill 219. Unlike the models in Oregon and Colorado, where adults may access supervised psilocybin sessions without a diagnosis, New Mexico requires a professional diagnosis of a qualifying condition, including treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, substance use disorder, and end-of-life care. A state equity fund, the first of its kind, was created to help lower-income patients access treatment. Clinical standards, training requirements, and licensing rules are still being developed by the Medical Psilocybin Advisory Board.

Microdosing

Taking very small, often sub-perceptual doses of a psychedelic substance, typically on a regular schedule, aimed at subtle but long-term benefits in mood and neuroplasticity rather than achieving an altered state.

Peer support

Support offered by people with shared or similar experiences. In psychedelic contexts, peer support often refers to trained community members who can offer presence and guidance during or after difficult experiences.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy

A therapeutic model in which psychedelic substances are used alongside psychotherapy, in a clinical setting, under the care of trained providers. Across most of the United States, this remains available only through clinical trials. New Mexico is an exception, see the Medical Psilocybin Program entry for details.

Set and setting

The mindset (set) and physical or social environment (setting) a person brings to an experience. Widely considered key factors in shaping the nature and outcome of a psychedelic experience.

Trip Sitter

A person who offers informal presence and support during someone else's experience. This differs from a guide or facilitator, who is trained and skilled to provide critical interventions when necessary.

Last reviewed: August 2026