We propose a new term that would be ap propriate for describing states of shama nic and ecstatic possession induced by ingestion of mind-altering drugs. Our word sits easily on the tongue and seems quite natural in English . We could speak of plants or substances . In a strict sense , only those vision -producing drugs that can be shown to have figured aII shaman ic or religious rites would be designated entheogens, but in a looser sense , the term could also be applied to other drugs, both natural and artificial, that induce alterations of consciousness similar to those documented for ritual ingestion of trad tional entheogens .