In the case of salvia there was measured improved blood circulation in the brain which helped the tested animals recover more quickly from nervous system damage vs the control.
There are other natural plants that are clearly neuroregenerative and not psychedelic: lions mane being a good example.
However, maybe expanding ones cultural thought patterns (or having them explode) may also help the brain if simply from being a good mental work out.
The subject is so complex that who really knows? There could be several different reasons for the observed positive effects. At the end of the day we have the papers and testimonials showing consistent personal improvements thanks to the use of psychedelics.
Plants can do all kinds of things. When we ignorantly make them illegal or ignore them at the altar of Western arrogance we suffer for it. I'm reading an interesting book "
Return to the Brain of Eden" that discusses how a lot of our modern problems and cognitive disfunctions could be rooted in diet changes through our recent evolution.