Empathogens, which are also called entactogens, refer to psychoactive drugs that create feelings and experiences of emotional openness, oneness, and interrelatedness. There are a number of drugs that fall into this category, with the most common examples including MDMA, amphetamines, phenethylamines, and mephedrone. These drugs have the potential to cause a wide variety of psychedelic and psychoactive effects including emotional communion, emotional openness, and empathy. Many of them are used during religious ceremonies and are administered by shamans, while others are taken recreationally. One of the most common examples of empathogens used for religious purposes is ayahuasca.
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