UNDER CONSTRUCTION - MORE DETAILS COMING SOON!
October 19-20, 2024 | Psychedelic INSIGHTS
WELCOME TO PSYCHEDELIC INSIGHTS HOSTED BY THE
LOS ANGELES MEDICINAL PSYCHEDELICS SOCIETY (LAMPS)!
Announcing Psychedelic INSIGHTS—Investigating the Nexus of Spirituality, Identity, Gnosis, Healing, Transcendence, and Science—October 19-20 at UCLA!
If you enjoyed (or are sorry that you missed) our highly praised LAPSS (Los Angeles Psychedelic Science Symposium) at UCLA in 2018, and/or our online LAMPSS (Los Angeles Medicinal Psychedelic Society Symposium) on May 21-23, 2021, we announce our upcoming collective discussion, which will explore both the light and dark sides of the psychedelic movement via round-table discussions covering the influence of psychedelics on spirituality, mental and physical health, culture, accessibility/equity, death and the dying process, the sense of “reality,” and wisdom with diverse groups of experts!
Decades after the shutdown and demonization of psychedelic medicines initiated by the Nixon administration in 1970, research into the potential benefits of these medicines finally resumed in 1990, leading to the emergence of a psychedelic renaissance. Over the ensuing three decades, evidence has mounted that psychedelics such as psilocybin, ayahuasca, ibogaine/iboga, ketamine, MDMA, cannabis, and others hold promising potential for treating conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance use disorders, and other heretofore treatment-resistant mental health conditions.
Public and media emphasis on the positive aspects of psychedelic medicines, supported by the encouraging results of this research, has been a necessary and crucial approach toward counteracting the stigma and hysteria around these substances—a legacy of inaccurate information and fear tactics promulgated by the War on Drugs and exacerbated by a small number of highly-sensationalized tragedies involving psychedelic use or misuse.
Now, with the renaissance continuing to gather steam (as evidenced and bolstered by recent ballot measure results), it is important to also examine and address the emerging negative and controversial aspects of the movement. Careful inquiry into the movement’s shadow is necessary to balance the quasi-utopian picture painted by many psychedelic enthusiasts. Failure to address these darker facets could threaten the pace of greater acceptance, which we would all like to see accelerated, not slowed or short-circuited. It therefore behooves us to take a sober look at these darker issues and address them openly and comprehensively.
The purpose of this symposium will be to create space for deep dives into both the positive aspects of what is happening in the movement, as well as the more controversial and uncomfortable areas, platforming voices from diverse and opposing points of view. In doing this, we hope to foster a balanced and accurate picture of the potential of psychedelic medicines and explore how they can best be protected and advanced. By steering directly into the heart of controversy and hearing from disparate voices, we seek collaborative and creative solutions to the problems and schisms that, if left unsolved, could threaten the health of this burgeoning movement.
Psychedelics and Spirituality
How can psychedelics deepen, heal, transform and enrich one’s spirituality, sense of self and relationship with God/Universe/Cosmos?
How are psychedelics experienced by Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists, et al? What are the similarities and differences between these experiences?
What is the dark side of psychedelics and spirituality? How can we best deal with bad players in the field?
What are the promises and pitfalls associated with psychedelic churches, temples, etc?
What lessons can we learn from indigenous healers and cultures that would be helpful to our own cultures?
How is “New Age” impacting the psychedelic movement?
Psychedelics and Legality/Accessibility/Equity
How can we make access to psychedelic medicines available to persons with low income and/or no or limited medical insurance?
How do we encourage involvement from underserved and underrepresented communities?
How do we ethically and fairly handle issues of medicine sustainability, commodification and appropriation?
What are the current trends around the world regarding legality and regulations?
How can we best shepherd the psychedelic communities so that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the 1960s?
How can psychedelics foster the development of a more diverse and equitable psychedelic culture?
How can persons suffering from PTSD get access to psychedelically-assisted therapy while it is still not legal?
Psychedelics and Mental Health
How can psychedelic medicines be used to help alleviate PTSD, depression, social and generalized anxiety, et al?
How can these medicines be used to help alleviate addictions?
How much training (if any) should folks receive before they can call themselves a psychedelic “sitter,” “coach,” “therapist,” “psychotherapist,” “shaman,” or “guide”? How do we regulate or assess a program's credibility?
How should those who practice unethically (e.g., sexual violations, dangerous practices) be handled? What should a path to redemption look like?
What resources should be made available to victims of abuse by psychotherapists, facilitators, etc?
How is mental health\illness\healing and the use of psychedelics understood in other cultures?
Psychedelics and Physical Health
How can psychedelic medicines be used to help alleviate symptoms and maladies like chronic pain, substance abuse/addictions, cognitive decline/dementia, chronic diseases, etc?
What role can psychedelics play in physical enhancement for sports, dance, and other physical activities?
How much (and what types of) training should health-care professionals receive before they can dispense psychedelic medicines to their patients/clients?
What are some of the dangers surrounding the use of these medicines in a clinical setting?
How are psychedelic medicines used in other cultures to to improve\optimize physical health?
What roles can micro dosing and biohacking play?
How can the psychedelic space offer a new and more dynamic connection to, and understanding of, our human sexuality?
Psychedelics and the Dying Process
How can psychedelics help ease one’s anxiety when facing death? What does the data show?
How can\do End-of-Life Doulas (aka Death Doulas) integrate psychedelic medicines into their work with dying persons?
How can one best prepare to work as a Death Doula? What should be in the curriculum?
How do psychedelic medicines change one’s views of (and relationship with) death? What do psychedelics tell us about reincarnation?
Psychedelics and Culture
How have raves and similar gatherings influenced culture in positive and negative ways?
How does music, art, and dance shape and influence the psychedelic experience?
What are some of the positive and negative effects of recreational use of these medicines?
What are some encouraging and alarming trends in society resulting from the increasingly wide use of psychedelics?
What can we learn from indigenous cultures?
How will wide-spread availability of psychedelics impact society and culture?
What is queer medicine, and what role does psychedelic medicine play?
Psychedelics and “Reality”
How can\do psychedelics permanently alter one’s sense and conception of reality?
What exactly is the nature of the entities encountered in psychedelic spaces?
What are some of the most profound discoveries reported by notable psychonauts? Where do the findings of these cartographers of consciousness converge and diverges?
How do intense psychedelic experiences sometimes result in blissful mystical awakening experiences and others result in psychotic breaks?
Psychedelics and Wisdom (Council of Elders)
How can we save the psychedelic renaissance from becoming a gold rush driven by greed, or derailed by bad players?
What concerns you most about what is going on in the psychedelic communities?
What is happening in the psychedelic communities and movement that inspires and encourages you and gives you hope for the future?
What advise would you like to share with the younger generations regarding psychedelics? For the younger generations, what questions would you like to ask the elders?
Stay tuned as we will provide updates with more information as our plans unfold!
With gratitude,
The LAMPS Planning Committee