9 Best Plant Medicines For Spiritual Growth

Plant medicines have been used for thousands of years to help seekers expand their spiritual path.  They keep them grounded, give them perspective, awaken something wonderful in them and heal them.  Welcome to the 9 best plant medicines for spiritual growth.

Modern society leans towards pharmaceuticals to cure its ills.  It goes as far as outlawing some of the planets most powerful healers.  Depending on where in the world you live means you have access, legally at least, to different plant medicines.  

This is a list of current legal, and illegal medicines, depending on where you live.  So, in no particular order:

(Disclaimer; for eductional purposes only.  Realiser does not encourage the use of illegal substances)

Cannabis is the worlds most discussed plant medicine and although it’s still illegal in many countries, largely due to modern politics, it is also the most commonly used.  There are many strains of indica, sativa or hybrid cannabis to chose from these days.  However, ensure you do your research and chose the right strain for you to make sure your connection to the medicine is beneficial.

How you consume cannabis can have different effects on you, also consider whether edibles, vapes or smoking etc is the right medicinal way for you to get the most healing.   

Helps With

• Depression
• Physical & neurological conditions
• Reflection 
• Meditative practice

Things To Consider

• Pick the right strain for you
• Only use as much as is needed
• Consider how you consume; edibles, vapes or smoking etc
• The munchies!

Essential oils are widely available and are basically extracts from flowers and plants working with your smell receptors to promote relaxation.  Smells can be a very powerful tool within spiritual connectivity, especially when combined with other medicines on this list.  

During psilocybin mushroom ceremonies for example, smells can change the course of a journey dramatically.  Alternatively, without combining them with other medicines, they encourage memory recall and relaxation and can be used every day without worry.

Helps With

• Relaxation and lightening mood
• Headaches, migraines and inflamation
• Sleep 

Things To Consider

• Allergies and irritation to the skin
• Limited spiritual effect on their own
• Consider combining them with other medicines

‘Mother Cacao’ as she is lovingly referred to, is an amazing introduction to plant medicines.  Often used at Kirtan and other ceremonies, Cacao puts you in touch with inner exploration whilst remaining sober. 

If you open yourself up to the healing and connectivity properties of cacao it will show you a glimpse in to your path.  Cacao provides healing and a peaceful and relaxing feeling.  Furthermore, a ceremonial (higher) dose can in itself bring a ‘high’.  An average ceremonial dose can be anywhere between 15-25 grams with people using up to 40 grams.  Cacao contains roughly 1% Theobromine which opens blood vessels and can increase lung function and reduce inflammation.  I have used cacao since the very start of my own journey from Ruk’u’x Ulew

Helps With

• Relaxation
• Openness – removes spiritual blockages
• Reflection 
• Intention setting

Things To Consider

• Buy raw cacao; powdered cacao removes the cacao butter which is a very important carrier fat for the nutrients
• Only use as much as is needed
• Very bitter taste which takes some getting used to 

Read “My Cacao Ceremony” here

Tobacco is one of the most abused substances in the modern world.  To Amazonian tribes however it is a sacred plant medicine to be used in ceremonies only.  Rapé (pronounced “ha-peh”) is sacred tobacco combined with the ash of other plants and trees.  It is blown up the nose with a Rapé pipe cleansing the pineal gland. 

In fact the experience can be quite intense but will yield its own rewards with a connective feeling and a clearing of the mind.  It’s great at clearing sinuses and clearing the mind but can encourage some purging, which it is supposed to. 

Helps With

• Grounding
• Focus
• Connection to the true self
• Cleansing 

Things To Consider

• Rapé is a cleanser, so purging (sweating, vomiting) can happen afterwards.
• Work with an experienced shaman to administer Rapé
• Allow time to fully ground yourself after use

Psilocybin “magic” mushrooms are one of the worlds great medicines.  As a result the journeys to planes of existence that are possible with mushrooms is rivalled only by DMT, Kambo and Ayahausca.  Mushrooms are a tool for inner work, self reflection, exploration of other realms and connection with your higher self.

To feel completely grounded again after healing work with mushrooms can take a few hours to a few days depending on dosage.  ‘Shrooms’ are known for showing you what you need to see, rather than what you want to, so be prepared.  Do not try to control your journey and practice ‘letting go’ during your meditation practice before hand.  

Helps With

• Life changing insight
• Connection to higher self
• Healing emotional wounds 

Things To Consider

• The medicine will often show you what you need to be shown, rather than what you want to see.  Embrace this healing
• Prepare fully before use. Fast from food and do not use alcohol or recreational drugs prior to use
• Recovery can take days to fully immerse back in to your usual grounded state

Kambo is the venomous secretion of an Amazonian tree frog which is applied to the skin through several burn marks made before the application.  Several small burn holes, often on the upper arm, are made to allow the Kambo access to the lymph system with incense type sticks.   

Kambo is a heavily cleansing medicine which can give users substantial purges including vomiting, sweating, defecating, fainting.  During the process subjects have reported to feel lighter as though they have shed a great weight from their soul.  

Helps With

• Cleansing
• Physical Ailments
• Reflection 

Things To Consider

• Heavy purging – not for the ill-prepared
• Find a reputable Shamen to administer Kambo
• Kambo is not a psychedelic but can bring on internal journeying

N,N-Dimethyltryptamine is a chemical that occurs naturally in the human body.  It is thought to be released in huge doses at death.  It also occurs naturally in the animal and plant kingdoms.  DMT is commonly known at the spiritual molecule for the intense spiritual and psychedelic experiences it provides.

DMT for spiritual growth isn’t recommended for first time explorers.  It is an extreme experience which gives life changing visions of new realms.  It is relatively short acting, lasting about 15-30 minutes, of course time does lose meaning during the journey.  No list of the best plant medicines for spiritual growth would be complete without DMT such is its impact of the world of awakening.

Helps With

• Deep inward exploration
• Spiritual awareness of new realms
• Inspiration

Things To Consider

• Have a sitter with you 
• Fast and stay clear of recreation drugs prior to use
• DMT has less side effects than many other psychedelics

The main psychoactive substance in Ayahuasca is DMT.  In this case they are derived from two main plants, Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis.  The latter contains an inhibitor preventing DMT from being broken down by stomach enzymes meaning it can be ingested orally.

The Ayahuasca brew which is made by the Shamans has in the last 10 years or so become ‘spiritually trendy’.  Consequently it is seen as a go to psychedelic for the spiritual seekers of the world.  Many retreats are run in South America where the compounds are legal.

Helps With

• Depression and chemical addictions with the correct guidance
• Physical Condition
• Reflection 

Things To Consider

• Regular use is not recommended
• Only use as much as is needed
• How you consume; edibles, vapes or smoking etc

San Pedro is native to the Andes in South America where the medicinal properties first became available to healers.  San Pedro’s active ingredient is Mescaline, one of the world first discovered physchedelics.

It can be difficult when harvesting your own San Pedro to calculate the amount of mescaline in each cactus.  The amount differ dramatically from plant to plant.  Likewise if you are obtaining it from a third party ensure that they are a reputable seller to avoid being disappointed.  San Pedro often kicks in after 20-30 minutes or so and is long lasting, up to 10 hours.  Experienced psychedelic explorers have likened the effect to that of LSD and Mushrooms combined.   

Helps With

• Creativity
• Emotional processing 
• Reflection

Things To Consider

• Long lasting effects
• Fast for 12 hours minimum for maximum absorption

• Have a trip sitter or buddy with you when using plant medicines, especially psychedelics.
• Ensure that your environment is somewhere safe, quiet and somewhere you won’t be disturbed.
• Physically prepare.  Fast from food from the night before.  Equally important is to abstain from animal products and recreational drugs including alcohol for at least a week prior (often longer).  It won’t be fun to spend hours purging before finally reaping the benefits of the medicines.  Keep your system clean.
• Mentally prepare.  Firstly meditate on the fact you may have life changing insights.  Secondly, practice removing your ego from the experience.  
• Don’t mix your plant medicines unless you know what you’re doing.  Essential Oils being the exception here.
• When seeking the best plant medicines decide which are the most beneficial for you, not just what is the best for other people. 

Realiser was born from a dream to be in a realised state, a state of awaken.  To be able to see the most obvious things having missed them for so many years.  Subsequently I wanted to create something to serve as an example of how it could be.  If only we might spend the time loving that we spend hating.  Above all spending the time to be kind to others for no reason.  You get the idea.  I hope you enjoyed the blog on the ‘9 Best Plant Medicines For Spiritual Growth’.  I will travel around doing what I can and would love for you to join me.  Follow my path here…