Hello Breakeros!
[Rhymes with curanderos]
As you can see, we have moved our newsletter delivery system to Substack. You won’t notice any other changes. We’ll continue to provide a free monthly update of all Breaking Convention news, and other related psychedelic research.
Our recent screening of the deeply moving film Dosed 2 was followed by a discussion between Aimee Tollan from Breaking Convention, Garyth Moxey who appears in the film, and Anya Oleksiuk from The Psychedelic Society UK. They concluded that while Western medicines save many lives, there is a lack of spiritual and mental health care in the current system, especially regarding those suffering with terminal illnesses. We will be hosting a second screening of this film later in the autumn.
They also talked about Psilocybin Access Rights petition on the UK government website, which calls for the government to:
”Move psilocybin (the psychoactive compound found in ‘magic mushrooms’) to Schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, reducing unnecessary barriers to scientific research which slow the development of new and vital treatments for a range of physical and mental health conditions in the UK.”
You can sign the petition by clicking here
Exciting news; in a couple of weeks, we will be visiting a potential new venue for the 2023 edition of Breaking Convention! All being well we will have photographs, and a date for your diary, when we send out the next newsletter in September.
Best wishes,
Nikki
and all of the Breaking Convention team
ICPR 2022 is Europe’s pioneering and leading conference on psychedelic science and therapy, organised by the OPEN Foundation in Amsterdam since 2007. Paul Stamets, Katrin Preller, David Nutt, Erika Dyck, Roland Griffiths, Monnica Williams, David Nichols, and up to 100 speakers will discuss rigorous science, critical perspectives, and psychedelic therapies on September 22nd–24th, 2022.
OPEN has given us a special €100 discount code for our community! Use the code BCON100 when checking out your tickets here: https://icpr-conference.com/tickets
Livestream tickets are also now available, with the Early Bird phase ending on Aug 31st!
Psychedelics in Africa: The Untold Story with Darren Le Baron
by Seed TalksLondon, Wednesday 14 September 2022
19:00 – 21:30Fungi and plants have been used by indigenous Africans for spiritual and community development for millennia. Several communities use these sacred plants in their rites of passage, initiation ceremonies and daily ritual.
There is a wealth of knowledge on the continent which can help people globally use psychedelics consciously and supercharge this already powerful experience.
Darren Le Baron will share his knowledge and experience through the lenses of ancient history and mythology. Darren is known for his Shroomshops and his extensive research on the indigenous usage of psychedelic plants used in ritual and ceremony on the African continent.
The psychedelic superhero Tom Roberts recently shared the following message:
A Smorgasbord of Psychedelic Ideas
At my academia website you can find a miscellaneous collection of items. Some drafts, some finals. https://niu.academia.edu/ThomasRoberts
150 papers
20 book reviews and related
48 talks, videos
5 teaching materials
You are welcome to use them provide you cite their source.
Tom Roberts
Indigenous Philosophies and the "Psychedelic Renaissance"
Keith Williams, Osiris Sinuhé González Romero PhD, Dr. Michelle Braunstein, Suzanne Brant
First published: 30 July 2022
https://doi.org/10.1111/anoc.12161Abstract
The Western world is experiencing a resurgence of interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, most of which are derived from plants or fungi with a history of Indigenous ceremonial use. Recent research has revealed that psychedelic compounds have the potential to address treatment-resistant depression and anxiety, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder and addictions. These findings have contributed to the decriminalization of psychedelics in some jurisdictions and their legalization in others. Despite psychedelics’ opaque legal status, numerous companies and individuals are profiting from speculative investments with few, if any, benefits accruing to Indigenous Peoples. In this paper, we suggest that the aptly named “psychedelic renaissance,” like the European Renaissance, is made possible by colonial extractivism. We further suggest that Indigenous philosophical traditions offer alternative approaches to reorient the “psychedelic renaissance” towards a more equitable future for Indigenous Peoples, psychedelic medicines, and all our relations.