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.

What do you know about the anthropological contributions of Mead and Bateson to psychedelics?
2024-07-03 12:00 - 13:30
Join us for a captivating forum exploring the pioneering work of Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson before psychedelics, their Boasian anthropology influence, and their roles as public intellectuals during the Cold War. Discover their interactions with early psychedelic researchers, the impact of major foundations like Macy, Rockefeller, and Ford, and their personal acquaintance with psychedelics. We’ll also delve into the significance of 1950s psychedelic research compared to the 1960s and discuss the controversial MKULTRA program. Speakers include Benjamin Breen, an associate professor of history at UC Santa Cruz, and Patrick Farrell, historian and member of Chacruna’s Chronicles editorial team, and instructor at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. Don’t miss this chance to delve into the fascinating intersection of anthropology, public thought, and psychedelics!

MDMA-Assisted Therapy: Timelines and Controversies
2024-07-10 12:00 - 13:30
Explore the future of mental health treatment in our upcoming forum dedicated to MDMA-assisted therapy. We’ll dive into critical topics such as evaluating efficacy in experiential treatments, assessing the combined value of psychotherapy and medicine, and comparing risks between daily versus intermittent dosing regimens. Gain insights into FDA considerations for unmet medical needs and the resistance encountered in adopting innovative healthcare paradigms. Our panel features Jamie Beachy PhD, MDiv, a professional chaplain and ethics consultant involved in MAPS Phase 3 clinical trials, Ingmar Gorman, PhD, CEO of Fluence, a leader in psychedelic education, and Scott Shannon, who works at Wholeness Center, a comprehensive integrative mental health clinic in Fort Collins, Colorado as a psychiatrist, acupuncturist and researcher. The discussion will be moderated by Stephanie Stewart, who is a holistic psychiatrist who brings a spiritual, environmental, and social justice perspective to her work. She is also a member of Chacruna’s Board of Directors and serves also on the Racial Equity and Access Committee.

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.

Judaism is Psychedelic: How psychedelics are Rekindling Jewish Practice and Healing
2024-07-17 12:00 - 13:30
Join our discussion on the growing intersection of Judaism and Psychedelics, and its role in the renewal of Judaism through altered states of consciousness. We’ll explore how psychedelics are changing Jewish culture and how Judaism itself is becoming an expression of and a container for psychedelic experiences. We’ll also discuss the role of Judaism as a form of set and setting, providing a framework for psychedelic preparation and integration. This community forum will be led by Madison Margolin, an author, journalist, editor, consultant, educator, and a reference for the Jewish-Psychedelic universe. The interviewer in this forum will be Henrique Antunes, who has a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of São Paulo (2019), and is the coordinator of the Ayahuasca Community Committee of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines.
