Perhaps most often the entheogen assumes the role of a “plant teacher,” revealing previously unknown or inaccessible information and offering a reliable means of inducing trance states for common shamanic tasks such as healing, resolving conflict, finding lost objects, and otherwise accessing information by nonordinary (i.e., “psychic” or telepathic) means. Lacking organic, pathological models for understanding disease, the shaman uses entheogens as the ultimate medicine, and although other remedies may be known and employed, these “plants of the gods” are ascribed a superior sacred status as panaceas. Often confronted with difficult hermeneutic dilemmas, students of shamanism have long recognized that entheogenic and other altered states of consciousness—being inherently “mystical” experiences—are not easily described by means of common language. Many reports support the assertion that entheogenic altered states of consciousness and peak religious experiences are identical. “Being intoxicated with God” is indeed a very accurate description not only of entheogenic states, but also of mystical, unitive experience, as well as shamanic ecstasy.