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.
Most Recent Event
Dr. Rosalind Watts
Mycelial Networks, Anchoring the Psychedelic Revolution in Community
November 14, 2023 // 12:30 - 2:00pm MT // Free Online Talk
What can the wisdom of nature teach us about building a collaborative, safe, and caring psychedelic revolution?
Join Dr. Rosalind Watts, clinical psychologist, as she explores profound insights gained as the visionary behind ACER (Accept, Connect, Embody, Restore) integration—a psychedelic integration community rooted in acceptance and commitment therapy and ecopsychology.
In this special Psychedelic Alchemy presentation, Dr. Watts will explain how fundamental principles of nature, such as slow growth, circular rhythms, and interconnectedness, can serve as instructive guides for creating a sustainable, collaborative, and more accountable psychedelic field. Furthermore, Dr. Watts will delve into the potential pitfalls of the psychedelic revolution and provide innovative solutions rooted in her ACER model.
Join us as we examine the myriad ways we can glean wisdom from our natural world, with the goal of laying a strong foundation for an ever-evolving psychedelic landscape.
About The Speaker
Dr. Rosalind Watts is a clinical psychologist and the founder of ACER Integration. Her contributions to the field of psychedelic therapy are numerous and include the development of the the ACE model ‘Accept, Connect, Embody’, which has been used in clinical trials of both psilocybin and DMT, as well as the Watts Connectedness Scale, which is a psychometric tool for measuring outcomes of psychedelic therapy. Dr. Watts is the former clinical lead on the Psilocybin for Depression trial at Imperial College London, and sits on the clinical advisory board of the Usona Institute.
Featured Past Events
Bwiti-inspired mural artwork by Chor Boogie (Nganga Gnyangou)
Iboga Panel with Bwiti Elders & Visiting Instructors
While the exact cause of Iboga’s potentiating activity remains unknown, its ability to treat addiction has sparked interest in its therapeutic potential.
This special session on Iboga was organized for Naropa’s 2022 Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies, and offered during the program’s December 10, 2022 live online class. Convened by Kevin Franciotti, this session features presentations from Kevin, Kenneth Alper, Elizabeth Bast, and two elders from Gabon, as well as a special panel Q&A with the presenters. The Naropa Center for Psychedelic Studies and Naropa Extended Campus are pleased to share this informative and multifaceted session for the benefit of the public
Valeria McCarroll PhD, LMFT — Are psychedelics doomed to be tools of oppression, or can they be agents of liberation?
On October 20th, 2022, NCPS hosted Valeria McCarroll for an engaging talk on psychedelics, mysticism and possibilities for transformation. Valeria is a consciousness guide, teaches somatic and transpersonal psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), and serves as the Embodied Wisdom Advisor for Synthesis Institute. Valeria’s interests lie at the nexus of nondual wisdom traditions, somatics, psychedelics, and social/transformative justice, which culminate into her healing work called Somadelics℠. Valeria lives in Northern California with her husband and daughter and, when not synthesizing and refining liberative systems for deconstructing patriarchy, enjoys playing outdoors and creating beauty.
Erik Davis, PhD — LSD and the Alchemy of Modernity
On August 17th, 2022, NCPS hosted author, teacher, and award-winning journalist Erik Davis for an explorative Psychedelic Alchemy speaker event.
Davis’ talk, “LSD and the Alchemy of Modernity” examined the historical and mythopoetic legacy of LSD, and investigated how this substance’s underground lineage may offer precisely the sort of sacred values to guide us through the maelstrom of our moment!
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.
Recent Events in Partnership with Chacruna Institute
Psychedelic Therapies for Veterans and Enlisted Soldiers: Opportunities and Challenges
On April 5th, 2023, NCPS in partnership with Chacruna Institute, hosted a forum exploring how psychedelics might address the structural problems that lead to violence and impact both veterans and civilians alike.
The panel discussed moral injury, awareness of psychedelic treatments for BIPOC veterans, psychedelics for active soldiers, their impact on political views and the military-industrial complex, promoting pacifism, and the future of the US psychedelic movement.
Colorado and Proposition 122: Where Do We Go From Here?
Colorado’s historic passing of Proposition 122 allows for a supervised natural medicine services program, including psychedelics like psilocybin and mescaline, with a framework for regulation. However, questions remain about accessibility, education, risks, and qualifications for administering these substances.
On January 18, 2023, NCPS in partnership with Chacruna Institute, hosted a forum exploring community model healing centers, preparing psychedelic communities for responsible growth, and determining success markers for expanding the program.
