Anthropology

Is America about to enter a new era of psychedelics?

In fact, local-based initiatives have even been leading local reform… now it seems we are on the precipice of a psychedelic renaissance, that could once again see the federal government joining the revolution. The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is federal law and this classification creates constraints on psychedelic research and access across different states, just…

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Spirituality

Can psilocybin challenge our pharmaceutical dependence?

The more trust and confidence people have in themselves and their guides on the journey… the more impactful it will be. While our collective attitude about marijuana has continued to shift over the past decade, more recent and, when it comes to the potential for healing, even more exciting is what is happening with psilocybin.…

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Anthropology

Psychedelic research and the real world

The problem is that in the real world… people with characteristics that would have excluded them from the psilocybin trial are common… exclusion criteria are not the only problematic aspect… of psychedelics, however. Another is the psychotherapeutic component of the treatment, which is currently variable, time-consuming and extensive. In the psilocybin trial mentioned… two therapists…

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Spirituality

…a trip to the Amazon or whatever… out of the question

A church in New Hampshire offers the use of ayahuasca… “a trip to the Amazon or whatever was totally out of the question ’cause I’m poor,” says Quiles. …several times a month, people pay around $700 for a weekend of ayahuasca in the woods… a 2006 Supreme Court ruling sided with a church serving ayahuasca,…

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Spirituality

…law of entheogenic churches…

After reading the Soul Quest denial letter, I decided to conduct this in-depth scholarly analysis of the legal definition of religion under the First Amendment, considering the scientific research, the newly established archeological evidence, and the relevant case law. The Soul Quest denial letter leaves no doubt in my mind, and the mind of other…

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Anthropology

…the ancients knew a thing or two about drugs

…recognition of the fundamental, positive role played by drugs and ecstatic experience may run contrary to the negative bias shaped by the backlash against the counterculture of the 1960s. Thus far, we find no ancient evidence for hostility or stigmatization. Instead, drug use seems to have been an integral feature of community life, as well…

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Spirituality

Psychedelic salon looks to the possibility of sacred healing

“We’re seeing the emergence of a psychedelic religion or religious culture,” said Gary Laderman, a religion scholar at Emory University in Atlanta who teaches a popular course called “Sacred Drugs.”  The first EntheoCon, advertised as a “psychedelic salon,” held Aug. 20, 2022, was organized by a new network of advocates… who aim to create awareness about…

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Anthropology

Aspen, Colorado activists pursue psychedelics decriminalization for 2023 ballot as voters prepare to decide on statewide 2022 legalization measure

…the brainchild of a working group that was formed last year after the Aspen City Council met to discuss possible psychedelics reform… …while local lawmakers declined to take action, advocates drew lessons from other cities across the U.S. that have decriminalized psychedelics and created their own ballot measure that was certified for signature gathering earlier…

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