The use of substances is a ritual practice that is abundantly attested
in the shamanic world as well as among some yogins, and in the Vedas. We
know that Patanjali himself puts simples (ausadhi), together with
samadhi, among the means of obtaining the siddhis.
"Simples" means ecstasy-inducing herbs, from which the elixir of
longevity was extracted in Ayerveda. In any case, simples produce
ecstasy and not the yogic samadhi. According to Eliade, these "mystical
means", properly belong to the phenomenology of ecstasy and they were
only reluctantly admitted into the sphere of classic Yoga.
/"Psychic and spiritual powers (siddhi) may be inborn, or they may be
gained by the use of simples, or by mantra, or by striving, or by
Meditation."/ - Patanjali, Y.S. IV, 1
