Chacruna

Course: Roots of Psychedelic Therapy: Shamanism, Ritual and Traditional Uses of Sacred Plants
2024-07-02 10:30 - 2024-10-15 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
This course will be composed of a series of independent lectures taught by the Chacruna Institute’s team and affiliates. It will lay out the foundation of the use of sacred plants through historical, cultural, indigenous, ‘traditional’ and contemporary lenses. We will explore topics such as shamanism in Amazonia, peyote use among the Wixárika, psilocybin use among the Mazatec, iboga in Africa, and many other cultural practices amongst other groups. We will discuss and analyze critical social issues such as globalization, tourism, cultural appropriation, commodification, patents, reciprocity, conservation, legality, ethics, sexual abuse, practitioner’s training and more. The course will create bridges between the worlds of ceremonies and psychedelic therapies. Students will learn how to incorporate this knowledge into their professional practices – either clinical or social science research, work clients or ceremonial circles – as well as their personal lives. Through multiple perspectives and the rich histories and cultures of psychedelic plant medicines, students will be able to deepen their understanding of the expanding future of psychedelic plant medicines in ways that are equitable, safe, and just, and ways we can give back to and honor the cultures from which these practices stem. The course will be taught from an anthropological viewpoint that considers different cultures and peoples worthy of respect and considers their own perspective and values.

Course: Queering Psychedelics: Intersectionality, Healing, Spirituality and Liberation
2024-07-15 10:30 - 2024-09-23 12:00
Psychedelics have encompassed a colorful history of the enchanted, wayward, and weird; its history also includes concrete ways queer folk have fundamentally shaped the substance, style, and spirituality of the psychedelic movement. At the same time, some queer people have been harmed by psychedelic culture’s heteronormative assumptions. As the psychedelic renaissance reaches a pivotal moment of mainstream interest and regulatory legitimacy, this course aims to foster accessibility and diversity in psychedelic science, practice, and discourses by addressing and dismantling sexist, heteronormative, transphobic, and homophobic forms of oppression in the psychedelic movement. This course will cover topics such as the cruel effects of patriarchy, practicing self-acceptance, the dark sides of psychedelic research such as conversion therapy, the move towards LGBTQ+ affirmative psychedelic-assisted therapies, transpersonal queer spirituality, sex positivity, trans and BIPOC issues, Indigenous perspectives in queer psychedelia, and pleasure. The course also grapples with how modern psychedelic research might address the unique needs and traumas of sexual and gender minorities—populations that can suffer from challenging mental health conditions brought on by social exclusion, pathologization, criminalization, and stigmatization. It is vital that queer spaces be established for exploring the unique needs, gifts, and strengths that LGBTQ+ communities bring to psychedelic medicine, and how psychedelic medicine can help queer folks move towards healing and liberation.

The Healing Power of Ayahuasca and Film
2024-08-07 12:00 - 13:30
Join us for an insightful conversation with award-winning artist and filmmaker Maxi Cohen as she unveils the profound impact ayahuasca has had on her creative journey. Hear firsthand how this sacred medicine has transformed her life and fueled her passion for storytelling through the medium of film. Explore the inspiration behind her captivating films about ayahuasca (including the groundbreaking documentary From Shock to Awe, Ayahuasca Diaries and The Holy Give Me) and her latest project “A Movement in Water,” which deeply connects with her ayahuasca experiences. The forum will also examine her involvement with the Brazilian ayahuasca religion Santo Daime, highlighting cultural differences and filming experiences in Brazil and beyond. Moderating the forum will be Ana Flecha, a researcher exploring the Santo Daime bailado, a central dance practice of the religion, who is revealing neocolonial biases in intellectual debates around and practices with these medicines.
