[xzins]

The bible warns against the use of intoxicants and mind-altering drugs.

I have never met anyone who was helped by drugs. As an assistant chaplain on the drug/alcohol detox unit of a veteran’s hospital, I can attest that they were living shells of a life. Any insightful ideas they had were gobbled up in what we called “fried” brains.

[varyouga]

The Bible warns against “drunkeness”, which is numbing the senses and thought. It does not warn against psychiatric drugs which can be used to alter your perception in a positive way rather than numb you. Psychedelics are simply natural psychiatric drugs found in the wild that have been made illegal to study. Entire classes of natural drugs we can't legally touch because some idiots overdosed on them to look at colors. Does that really sound rational?

I do know what you mean about people abusing psychedelics. Most often in a party atmosphere. Of course working in a detox clinic you will only meet people who are destroyed by drugs. If you are doing good, why would you go there?

However, as a former researcher I can attest that intelligent, creative types have successfully used them to further their research. In a controlled manner with a threshold dose. It can give people an entirely new perspective on what they are doing. Several I personally know have received global recognition for work that was seeded by a psychedelic session. Of course reputed researchers will not speak of it publicly because we aren't even technically allowed to touch these things.

[OneWingedShark]

The bible warns against the use of intoxicants and mind-altering drugs.

It's not as entirely prohibitive as you are implying though:

(Prov 31:6-7)
Give strong drink to one who is perishing,
and wine to those in bitter distress;
let them drink and forget their poverty,
and remember their misery no more.

Also remember that Jesus's first miracle was turning water into wine.