Most people can’t legally explore the healing effects of psychedelics, but that hasn’t hindered the burgeoning curiosity about their potential. So why not go to a conference and learn about them instead? As the industry grows in anticipation of major law changes, the psychedelic conference circuit has become its own beast. With potential US federal approval of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD in August, it’s a pivotal time for psychedelic medicine. Here’s a round-up of events you may not want to miss.
The Scoop on Psychedelic Conferences in 2024
Conferences are a great way to learn about psychedelic policy, industry, and community. These events are often education-based and offer networking opportunities, helping you connect with like-minded people. Different conferences have different focuses: Some are smaller, more local, more intimate, and more focused on psychedelic justice. Others are larger and more academic or business-oriented. Here’s what’s on the calendar this year:
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Spirituality and Beyond, Oakland
March 30–31
The fourth annual Spirituality and Beyond conference, coming on Easter weekend, will take place in Oakland’s Kaiser Convention Center this year. It is organized by the Church of Ambrosia, a non-denominal organization that presides over the largest mushroom church in the world, with 100,000 members. Expect talks on psychedelics and religion, mushroom potency testing, and the “breakthrough” mushroom dose. Speakers include Robin Carhart-Harris, Mike Crowley, Zach Skiles, and Dave Hodges, who will give an Easter sermon.
Discovery Sessions, San Francisco
April 18-19
The Bay Area’s “most sought-after underground gathering of the psychedelics community” will pay homage to the roots of a local movement that has played such a pivotal role in the global pro-mushroom shift. Here you can meet “the hustlers, policy-changers, outlaws, and investors who broke the rules before there were any rules, and are carving out a new landscape today.” There will be a real-time EEG test to demonstrate the effects of psychedelics on the brain. Speakers include Robin Carhart-Harris, Hamilton Morris, and Mikaela de la Myco.
Breaking Convention, London
April 20
The multidisciplinary biennial conference in the UK that brings the shroomers, the profs, and the shroomer profs together is holding a special one-day event after the success of the entire 2023 event. This year’s theme is “Here & Now—Between the History and Future of Psychedelics.” Expect talks on psychedelic consciousness, the roots of psychedelia, the latest clinical research, and British idiosyncrasies. Speakers include Andy Letcher, Hattie Wells, The Seed Sistas, and more.
Psychedelic Culture 2024, San Francisco
April 27-28
The Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines will host discussions on trailblazing themes that only sometimes get airtime in the mainstream psychedelic space. Across three tracks, indigenous reciprocity, decolonial dialogues, psychedelic justice, and the preservation of sacred traditions will be at the forefront of conversations. Music, meditation circles, and rapé ceremonies will never be far away either. Speakers include Leopardo Yawa Bane, Sidarta Ribeiro, and Luisa Mugnol Ugarte.
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READ: Psychedelia Has a Power Problem—Here’s How We Move Forward
Horizons, New York City
May 8-11
The world’s longest-running annual psychedelic community event is back for its sixteenth edition. The three main days of the conference are split into tracks on psychedelic business, science, medicine, and psychedelics, and psychedelics in the world. The event has evolved from a one-day event at Judson Memorial Church in 2007 to a four-day conference at the New York Academy of Medicine, with a Psychedelic Business Forum for the first time. Speakers include Rachel Yehuda, Julie Holland, and Jose Carlos Bouso.
Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research (ICPR), Amsterdam
June 6-8
The sixth edition of Europe’s premier psychedelic research conference invites experts from fields as diverse as psychiatry, psychology, anthropology, ethnobotany, and neuroscience. This year, a Pathways to Access Summit will be held the day before the conference to explore the integration of psychedelic medicines into European healthcare systems. Speakers at ICPR include Ros Watts, Erik Davis, Robert Jesse, and Taita Juan Bautista Agreda.
Psychedelic Medicine, Tel-Aviv
July 28-31
At the only psychedelics conference in the Middle East, you will find an interdisciplinary, international forum “for exchanging ideas, unveiling innovations and training in the basics of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.” The conference has launched a “psychedelics, war, and conflict” track and is inviting submissions. Speakers include Harriet De Wit, Jan Ramaekers, Rick Doblin, and Leor Roseman.
Soulquinox Summit, Vermont
September 20-22
The intimate, 280-person capacity conference at the Spruce Peak Arts Centre, organized by the Vermont Psychedelic Society, promises to “bring together themes of community, spirituality, and science through the lens of psychedelic experiences,” according to organizer Rick Barnett. Speakers include Manesh Girn, Natalie Ginsberg, Victor Cabral, and Janis Phelps.
Wonderland
TBD
The 2023 Wonderland conference, organized for the third time by Microdose, carried a tagline of “Psychedelics. Longevity. Mental Health”. The event’s focus, which was held in Miami last year, was split across the three tracks. It expects to finalize the date and location next month, with details of its slant to follow.
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