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Psychedelic Alchemy Speaker Series

Naropa Center For Psychedelic Studies Presents: Psychedelic Alchemy, a speaker series dedicated to exploring the modern psychedelic landscape.

Featuring prominent and emerging leaders in the field, these public events will investigate salient topics in the psychedelic space such as psychedelic-assisted therapy, science, social action, spirituality, healing integration and more. Whether you’re a novice or well-researched expert, join us for this curated series of inspiring à la carte discussion panels, lectures, and interviews with galvanizing psychedelic luminaries.

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Most Recent Speaker Event:

Erik Davis, PhD
LSD and the Alchemy of Modernity

Image by BlotterWorld on Etsy

August 17th, 2022 // 6:30 - 8:00 PM MT // Live Online

Today’s psychedelic enthusiasts seem equally fascinated with ancient plant medicines and the latest pharmaceutical patents.

But what about good old LSD?

Acid remains the most influential psychedelic in the modern world, but we hear very little about it now. Why? And what happens when we look at LSD’s legacy not just historically, but mythopoetically? What if LSD is an alchemical sacrament whose wild underground lineage offers precisely the sort of sacred values that might help guide us through the maelstrom of our moment?

The Naropa Center for Psychedelic Studies was pleased to host renowned psychedelic scholar Erik Davis, PhD as he wrestled with these questions.

About the Speaker:

Erik Davis Headshot Final

Erik Davis, PhD

Erik Davis is an author, teacher, and award-winning journalist based in San Francisco. His publications include High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, Visionary Experience in the Seventies, Nomad Codes: Adventures in Modern Esoterica, and the cult classic Techgnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information. Davis has been interviewed by CNN, NPR, the New York Times, and the BBC, and appeared in numerous documentaries. He earned his PhD in religious studies from Rice University, and currently teaches at Pacifica Graduate Institute. Davis writes the Substack publication Burning Shore, and recently completed a history of LSD blotter art for MIT Press.

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About the Speaker:

Erik Davis Headshot Final

Erik Davis, PhD

Erik Davis is an author, teacher, and award-winning journalist based in San Francisco. His publications include High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, Visionary Experience in the Seventies, Nomad Codes: Adventures in Modern Esoterica, and the cult classic Techgnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information. Davis has been interviewed by CNN, NPR, the New York Times, and the BBC, and appeared in numerous documentaries. He earned his PhD in religious studies from Rice University, and currently teaches at Pacifica Graduate Institute. Davis writes the Substack publication Burning Shore, and recently completed a history of LSD blotter art for MIT Press.

Watch the Event Recording

Past Events:

Nicholas Powers, PhD - Flowers in Gun Barrels: How the Psychedelic Renaissance Can Stop War

NCPS was pleased to host professor, poet, novelist, and journalist Nicholas Powers for an inspiring Psychedelic Alchemy speaker event.

Dr. Powers' lecture, "Flowers in Gun Barrels: How the Psychedelic Renaissance Can Stop War" examined the ways in which patriarchy, militarism, and poverty distort self-image and censor consciousness, and how a re-imagined psychedelic social movement can begin to repair these damages.

Watch The Event Recording

Spring Washam - Buddhism and Plant-Based Medicine: A Dharma Teachers Journey

NCPS was thrilled to host meditation teacher, author, and visionary leader Spring Washam for our inaugural Psychedelic Alchemy event!

Spring is considered a pioneer in bringing mindfulness-based healing practices to diverse communities. She is one of the founders and core teachers at the East Bay Meditation Center, and has practiced and studied Buddhist philosophy for the last 25 years. In addition to being a dharma teacher, Spring is a shamanic practitioner who has studied indigenous healing practices for over a decade. She is the founder of Lotus Vine Journeys, an organization that blends indigenous healing practices with Buddhist wisdom.

Check out the event recording to learn more about the profound synergy between contemplative practice and psychedelic experience, and hear about Spring's unique journey on this blended path!

Watch The Event Recording