Psychedelic drugs are back in the spotlight—not just at music festivals but in Silicon Valley offices, therapy clinics, and even spiritual retreats. “Microdosing” is now hailed as a way to boost mood, reduce anxiety, and even touch the divine.

This isn’t new. Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World, who once warned against a drugged-up utopia, later became a proponent of psychedelics as a gateway to deeper spiritual awareness. The 1960s counterculture included widespread use of hallucinogens, often to gain an “expanded consciousness.”

Psychedelic use faded from view in the 1970s due to strict legislation. Yet the recent resurgence carries old dangers in new packaging. “The hype of healing will not ultimately deliver on its promises,” Phil Cotnoir warns, “and the hubris of spiritual exploration outside of Christ will expose many to unbiblical ideas and even demonic spiritual forces.”

There’s a real, spiritual danger in the drugs themselves and the culture that surrounds them, as Ashley Lande argues in her book, The Thing That Would Make Everything Okay Forever. Even if they haven’t encountered it yet, churches will increasingly need to address the growing popularity of psychedelics.

Scripture calls Christians to remain “sober” as we await Christ’s soon return (1 Thess. 5:6), which constrains our recreational use of mind-altering drugs. Beyond that, the church must be ready to offer something better: the true transcendence and peace found only in the gospel of Jesus Christ.