Best Herbs & Essential Oils For Reality Shifting

Reality shifting is the process of detaching your mind from your current reality, and sending it into your ideal one. There are a lot of reasons why people attempt this — some want to experience fantasy worlds, so they shift to one of the infinite universes in which these places are real.

Others want advice for improving their baseline reality, so they go to one where they are happier and more successful as a learning experience. No matter what the reasoning is, reality shifting isn’t the easiest thing in the world to do.

Many shifters use crystals to help them, but there are also several herbs and oils that can make the process smoother and more efficient.

Here are some of the best herbs and essential oils that can help with reality shifting:

1. Angelica

Angelica archangelica is, perhaps unsurprisingly, associated with angels and ethereal beings. While not specifically an herb for reality shifting, practitioners of herbal magic know it as a potent protector.

In aromatherapy, the oil is used to help keep nightmares away. This makes it a helpful herb for people new to reality shifting, since it can provide a protective energy and uplifting mood boost.

Just be careful — angelica is known to be such a good protector, it can even guard against things you think you want.

See also: Check out Angelica herbs here.

2. Bay laurel

The leaves of Laurus nobilis are used as a culinary ingredient now, but were used to induce a divinatory, hallucinogenic state of mind in ancient times. This herb is said to enhance clairvoyant abilities, and can be a boon to anyone reality shifting in order to learn how to improve their baseline reality.

Bay laurel is also a cleansing herb, so it can be helpful for clearing negative energy and creating an altered state of mind before meditation-based shifting.

Burn the dried leaves, or use the oil in aromatherapy jewelry.

See also: Check out Bay Laurel herbs and essential oils here.

See article: Bay Leaf: Magical Properties, Benefits & Uses.

3. Blue lotus

Nymphaea caerulea is a sedative flower whose essential oil is used to attain higher states of consciousness. It induces relaxation and an altered mental state, as well as euphoria.

The active compounds of the blue lotus are readily absorbed into the skin, so reality shifters can take advantage of them by diluting a few drops in a neutral carrier and using this blend as an anointing oil.

It’s equally helpful for lucid dreaming and meditation-based shifting.

See also: Check out Blue Lotus herbs and essential oils here.

4. Chamomile

Matricaria recutita or Anthemis nobilis are commonly called chamomile. Though they’re two different species, they both have small, daisylike flowers and very similar medicinal and spiritual attributes.

Chamomile is a very good relaxant, commonly used as a mild herbal sedative. It can help reality shifters whose experiences are sabotaged by anxiety, and makes it easier to enter a calm mental state that’s equally helpful for dreamwork or meditation-based shifting.

Brew dried chamomile flowers into a calming tea, or use a few drops of chamomile tincture before attempting to reality shift.

See also: Check out Chamomile flowers and essential oils here.

See article: Chamomile: Magical Properties, Benefits & Uses.

5. Frankincense

Many reality shifters say that raising one’s vibration can help make the shifting process easier. When it comes to raising vibrations, few herbs top members of the Boswellia genus.

Their resin, known as frankincense, is used to cleanse and create sacred space. The oil has a similar effect. Try burning some of the raw resin (or a frankincense resin-based incense) before attempting to shift, or creating an anointing oil by diluting the pure frankincense essential oil in a neutral carrier.

Work with this herb often to keep your vibration high, but be mindful — overharvesting and climate change have dramatically decreased populations of Boswellia trees.

See also: Check out Frankincense resin and essential oils here.

See article: Frankincense: Magical Properties, Benefits & Uses.

6. Kava kava

Piper methysticum is an herb traditionally used as a mild intoxicant in its native range. Its known for acting as a relaxant, as well as inducing a vivid dreaming state.

Many dreamworkers use this herb to help them have more memorable lucid dreams, and reality shifters who shift in dreams can experience the same benefits. Try it in tincture form.

See also: Check out Kava Kava extracts here.

7. Lavender

Lavandula augustifolia produces exceptionally fragrant purple flowers on tall spikes. These flowers are dried and used in foods and beverages, or distilled into a potent oil.

Lavender is known as an excellent relaxant, which can help reality shifters who have trouble shifting due to anxiety. This plant gets the mind to a calm, restful state that’s conducive to either meditation or dreamwork.

Drink it in tea (especially mixed with other calming herbs) or blend a few drops of the oil in a neutral carrier and apply it to the temples before attempting to shift.

See also: Check out Lavender essential oils here.

See article: Lavender: Magical Properties, Benefits & Uses.

8. Mugwort

Artemisia vulgaris is a mild entheogenic plant commonly called mugwort. It’s a lush, green herb strongly associated with divination, meditation, psychic abilities, and lucid dreaming.

Though it’s not often found in tea blends, the dried leaves can be consumed to help induce a meditative state and enhance lucid dreaming. This makes it perfect for people trying to reality shift using a dream state.

Avoid drinking mugwort during pregnancy, since it acts as a uterine stimulant.

See also: Check out Mugwort herbs and essential oils here.

See article: Mugwort: Magical Properties, Benefits & Uses.

9. Reishi

While not an herb, Ganoderma lucidum still deserves its due. These mushrooms are said to feed the spirit, calm the mind, and induce relaxation. It can also alter the user’s perception of time, allowing them to notice and experience more.

This can be a helpful mushroom ally for reality shifters who use meditation to shift. It facilitates the right state of mind for shifting, and lets the user perceive more of their desired reality. Reishi is often available in supplement form.

See also: Check out Reishi supplements and extracts here.

10. Valerian

Valeriana officinalis is known for its sleep-inducing qualities, as well as its pungent aroma. This herb does more than just make users sleepy, however — it also leads to very vivid dreams that provoke strong emotional responses in the dreamer.

Many people who dream lucidly tap into valerian’s powers to make their experiences stronger and more memorable, and it can help dream-based reality shifters the same way. This herb is available in supplement form.

See also: Check out Valerian supplements and extracts here.

11. Honorable Mention: Hallucinogens

There are a lot of herbs and fungi that are used to cross the veil between worlds, even between realities. Mostly used for shamanic journeys, hedge riding, or astral projection, they can also help a reality shifter detach their consciousness from their physical self and inhabit another plane.

That said, many of these sacred allies exhibit a very thin line between “hallucinogenic” and “deadly.” For this reason, many aren’t legal to buy, and may be limited to users with a special legal dispensation.

Dosage is similarly complicated, and can vary based on the sex, age, weight, and experience of the user, as well as the time of year and age of the plant itself.

No list of reality-shifting herbs or oils would be complete without mentioning entheogenic herbs and fungi, but it’s best to consult with a qualified herbalist or experienced shaman before attempting their use for this purpose.


For first-time reality shifters, attempting a shift can be daunting. This leads to nervousness, which only makes it harder to enter an appropriately relaxed mental state.

These herbs can help in a variety of ways, from protecting, to relaxing, to subtly altering the user’s perception to get them ready for inhabiting another reality.


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