Jeffrey Breau, Paul Gillis-Smith, & Tara Deonauth; Anthropology of Consciousness Ketamine and esketamine are regularly prescribed in the United States as pharmaceutical interventions for treatment-resistant depression. Although ketamine’s mode of action is distinct from classic psychedelics, patients frequently report similar alterations in consciousness, including experiences described as spiritual or religious. This article provides an overview…
“Communal Work, Ceremonial Becomings, and Rights to Knowledge,” An Interview Essay with Elías García Méndez
Andrea Sánchez Castañeda in conversation with Elías García Méndez, CSWR, Theosis Elías García Méndez was the morning keynote for the 2025 conference, “Psychedelic Intersections: Betwixt & Between Plant Medicine, Chaplaincy, & Aesthetics.” García Méndez is a Mazatec educator and founder of the Casa Adobe Galería, an art gallery and cultural space in Huautla de Jiménez…
“Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Training in the US: A Landscape Analysis”
Roman Palitsky, Caroline Peacock, Jeffrey Breau, Paul Gillis-Smith, & Gosia Sklodowska; Preprint Commissioned by the CSWR and conducted by leading experts Roman Palitsky, MDiv, PhD (Emory Spiritual Health, Woodruff Health Sciences Center and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine) and Caroline Peacock, LCSW, DMin (Emory Spiritual Health and Winship Cancer…
The Future of Psychedelic Regulation Is Local
Victoria Litman, Petrie-Flom Center, Cato Institute Interest in psychedelic substances as recreational, therapeutic, and sacred tools has surged in recent years. The early 21st century has seen expanding scientific research and growing cultural embrace that have brought forth the prospect of federal approval for psychedelic-assisted therapy. But that prospect appeared to dim in August 2024…
“Beyond Counterculture: Towards a People’s History of Psychedelic Networks”
J. Christian Greer, CSWR, Psychedelic Intersections: 2024 Conference Anthology J. Christian Greer articulates a history of psychedelic communities without relying upon the poorly understood label “counterculture.” The counterculture falsely categorizes psychedelic communities as monolithic and united in their opposition to mainstream society. To counter this, Greer argues that the term “psychedelicism” better captures the complexity…
“With Best Intention: Psychedelic Intention-Setting Rituals as Rites of Sacralization”
Jeffrey Breau, CSWR, Psychedelic Intersections: 2024 Conference Anthology Jeffrey Breau explores the role that intention-setting rituals play in psychedelic settings, drawing from ethnographic research at the annual Burning Man gathering in Black Rock City, Nevada. He argues that intention-setting is best understood as a “rite of sacralization,” a practice meant to symbolically mark a psychedelic…
“A Post-Cringe Theory of Psychedelic Spirituality in the Rave Scene”
Michelle Lhooq, CSWR, Psychedelic Intersections: 2024 Conference Anthology Michelle Lhooq draws from her experience as a rave organizer and journalist to deploy the concept of “cringe” as an analytical tool to identify outdated tropes in the dance music scene. In an essay that is equally practical and philosophical, Lhooq argues that cringe is a corrective…
“Soul Quest Ayahuasca Church of Mother Earth v. The DEA: Religious Sincerity and Situational Adjustments in the Process of Defining a Church and a Plant”
Tarryl Janik, CSWR, Psychedelic Intersections: 2024 Conference Anthology Tarryl Janik draws on his ethnography of Soul Quest, a Florida-based entheogenic church, to document how the organization attempted to navigate myriad legal and regulatory requirements. In complying with the government’s demands, Janik argues that Soul Quest undermined its religious sincerity case, ultimately leading to the church’s…
“The Legal Definition of Religion in the Context of Modern Religious Exercise with Psychedelics: Protection, Double Standards, and Potential Expansion under RFRA”
Allison Hoots, CSWR, Psychedelic Intersections: 2024 Conference Anthology As an attorney for psychedelic organizations, Allison Hoots provides a detailed review of the case law that informs the structure and existence of modern psychedelic churches in the U.S. She concludes by arguing that the law fails to account for modern religious practice and aligns too closely…
“Manufacturing the Entheogenic Underground”
Brad Stoddard, CSWR, Psychedelic Intersections: 2024 Conference Anthology Brad Stoddard shows how the underground is, in fact, created and maintained by government policy. As a result, psychedelic churches operating illegally must, at the same time, conform their beliefs and practices to the will of the state….