The Psychedelic Science 2017 conference will be a historic six-day global gathering, featuring three days of conference presentations and three days of workshops, a Sunset Cruise on the San Francisco Bay, the world’s first Psychedelic Comedy Banquet, and much more. Hundreds of tie-and-blouse-wearing psychedelic professionals will descend upon the city of Oakland to share advances in research into the benefits and risks of psychedelics and marijuana for psychotherapy, neuroscience, spirituality, and creativity, and more. There is nowhere else in the world where you can access this much cutting-edge information in a single weekend.
And this year, the Temple of the Way of Light and the Chaikuni Institute will be a strong presence at the conference. We are excited to be a part of the current psychedelic renaissance, which is in large part due to the important work being done by MAPS and the Beckley Foundation. Psychedelics hold the potential to bring about a revolution in the way we address healthcare – and of course ayahuasca holds a key role in bridging indigenous healing traditions and conventional western medicine.
We also support a global shift toward sensible and evidence-based drug policy. This includes evidence from generations of indigenous wisdom and medicine traditions. This shift also includes the legalization of psychedelic medicines for therapeutic purposes. Furthermore, it allows people to use a variety of different tools to connect with the transcendental and develop a personal relationship with the divine. There will be plenty of talks and discussions on these topics throughout the weekend.
In accord with this vision, the Temple is doing pioneering work with the best organizations in psychedelic science. In 2014, we partnered with ICEERS and the Beckley Foundation to conduct a groundbreaking study. It looks at the therapeutic benefits of ayahuasca for general wellbeing and for depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Débora González, Ph.D. from ICEERS will present preliminary results of this research study, with a special focus on ayahuasca’s effects on grief and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Although we are beyond excited to share these amazing results with you, we will patiently wait for the official ICEERS presentation at the conference!
For a decade now, The Temple has been offering people healing and meaningful transformational work with ayahuasca. We stand for responsibility and accountability toward our guests, local communities, and the environment. Our partnerships with MAPS, ICEERS, and related organizations are part of our commitment to be a bridge between hard science and traditional knowledge, and between western and indigenous worldviews and ordering cosmologies.
At the conference, the Temple will be representing our work in several different places, and we would love for you to come listen, learn, and share with us. We will be hosting a discussion about “Ayahuasca Best Practices, Sustainability and Reciprocity.” Our work at the Temple will serve as a platform for conversation on challenges and opportunities centered around the expansion of ayahuasca use. This is a unique opportunity to sit down with the Temple management and ask any questions you have. As we grow and learn, we have developed and implemented protocols of best practices, including screening, facilitation, and integration/follow-up care. This provides our guests with the safest, most professional and respectful experiences possible, and we are here to answer questions you have about how to do the same.
This will follow the sneak preview of “Ayahuasca, a triptych,” (working title) Marc Silver‘s upcoming documentary. This is going to be the best ayahuasca documentary to date, and it was partly shot at the Temple. The sneak preview will give you a chance to see this work in development.
This conversation will also be an opportunity for you to learn about the work of our sister organization, the Chaikuni Institute. This non-profit organization is focused on indigenous rights, permaculture & regenerative development, and intercultural education. You can also get involved in our newest project, Ayni Ayahuasca. This is an initiative that aims to establish the global importance of reciprocity, particularly local and indigenous perspectives. Matthew, Debs, Deanna, Adam, and Tanya will be able to answer your questions and share conversation.
One of the hottest topics in the psychedelic world these days in integration. The Temple is joining forces with two other pioneering organizations for a workshop on integration. As part of the official post-conference programming, this is a full-day workshop on April 24th. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in interactive group sessions and experience different integration styles.
Workshop leaders will include our very own Integration Director, Tanya Maté, ND, and Julie Megler, MSN, BP-NC of ERIE and the Temple. Katherine MacLean, PhD, and Ingmar Gorman, PhD(c), both from The Psychedelic Education and Continuing Care Program (based in NYC), will also be co-leading. Tanya will be focusing her part of the workshop on ayahuasca processing and integration. (Note: this workshop is now SOLD OUT!)
We’re also going to have a Temple/Chaikuni booth set up in the Marketplace. At any time during the conference you can come say hi and find out more about the work we’re doing in the Amazon and beyond. Temple family will staff the booth all weekend, and we will have brochures, information, and casual conversations available at all times. (And Shipibo tapestries and handicrafts for sale!) Come find us in the marketplace!
We hope to see many of our past (and future!) guests at the conference, when you see a familiar Temple face, please come and say hi!
