How could ritual experiences involving drugs be understood as sacraments?

In the context of a drug cult, ritual experiences involving drugs are understood as sacraments because they serve as material vehicles for appropriating divine qualities, gifts, or spiritual potency.12

Participants view these rites as a means of establishing a direct, transformative encounter with the sacred, ultimate reality, or the divine. By assimilating the substance within a structured ritual, the worshipper believes they are receiving specific benefits—such as visions, self-knowledge, power, or spiritual direction—that confirm their presence in the divine realm.13

These practices align with the broader definition of a sacrament as an "outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace". In this framework:2
* Purification: Ritual preparations, taboos, or the physical effects of the drugs (such as purging through nausea) are often seen as acts of cleansing faults.4
* Devotion: The act of taking the drug itself is viewed as a devotional practice, sometimes mediated by a shaman or priest who directs the experience toward the needs of the community or the wishes of the divine.4
* Spiritual Growth: The drugs function as "teachers," guiding participants through rites of passage or experiences of self-transcendence.1