Hola Breakero!
You may have noticed that the Breaking Convention Facebook and Instagram accounts were disabled by Meta at the end of May. We received no notice or information, nor given anyway to appeal. The personal accounts of three of our admins have also been disabled, again without explanation or means to appeal.
It is worth noting that other psychedelic social media accounts were affected on the same day; the PAR Instagram account was removed, as were at least two other Facebook pages we know of (Psychedelic Press, and a psychedelic music interest group). This seems to indicate some kind of algorithmic error.
We are following up various suggestions on how to proceed, and we hope that as a legitimate registered educational charity we will be able to recover our accounts. You can still follow our Twitter account. Meanwhile, thank you for subscribing to our Substack newsletter; please encourage others to subscribe as well! We will soon be announcing the formal Call for Papers for BC 2025, as well as inviting other ways to participate.
Meanwhile, as we digest the recent news from the US about the break in the previously smooth MDMA regulatory approval process, ICPR has been taking place in Haarlem, Netherlands. I’m not there in person this year, but have been very much enjoying watching the Livestream talks and discussions. The passion and intelligence of many people there has been a treat to behold.
The synchronistic nature of these events remind us of the value of real world relationships, and direct communications; the importance of weaving a web of connections, a decentralized network of mutual exchange.
See below for a few examples of ways you can engage with a few nodes of psychedelical social substance over the coming months.
We look forward to seeing you somewhere soon!
Nikki
On behalf of the Breaking Convention team
Here & Now - Breaking Convention 2024
Videos available online!
You can now watch the recordings of this year’s one-day event held at Conway Hall, on our YouTube channel. Featuring a mix of talks and panel discussions, we came away with a strong sense of the deep roots that certain aspects of current psychedelic circles have in the counterculture. Titles include: ‘70th anniversary of Huxley's Doors of Perception: Filter Theories of Consciousness’, ‘Clinical Practice’, ‘Education and Training’, ‘Countercultural Festivals; Then & Now’, ‘Communitas’, and, coming soon, ‘The Future’.
We hope you find something to edify your neuronal pathways amongst this selection.
Soundcloud
Breaking Convention afterparties have featured some phenomenal sets from a range of illustrious DJs. The BC Soundcloud account will showcase these; so far we have six sets for you to enjoy from this year’s event, with more from previous years to follow.
Psychedelic Couples Study
A scientific research project on the psychological effects of taking MDMA/psychedelic substances with your romantic partner.
Are you planning to take MDMA or a psychedelic substance (such as psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca, LSD, 2C-B, etc..) with your romantic partner or attending a psychedelic ceremony with them? If so, Imperial College would like your help!
Drug Science
Student Psychedelic Conference 2024
Evenings of 18th (in-person) and 19th (online) June, free registration
Drug Science's Student Society Network is excited to announce that the Student Psychedelic Conference is back, and will be running as a hybrid event on the 18th and 19th of June this year.
The Student Psychedelic Conference is a student-run conference curated by students with a curiosity about the potential of both new and anthropologically rich psychedelic compounds. It is intended to inspire, communicate, and educate people about the fascinating interdisciplinary field of psychedelic research.
Doors of Perception: A day exploring Aldous Huxley at Dartington and beyond
Saturday 6th July
On the 70th anniversary of its publication, join us at Schumacher College for a daylong celebration and recontextualization of Aldous Huxley’s The Doors of Perception, his influential autobiographical text containing philosophical and psychological reflections on his psychedelic experiences with mescaline in 1953. His novel The Island has also drawn direct parallels to his experiences as part of the ‘utopian’ artistic community at Dartington.
University of Exeter - Psychedelics Summer School
Friday 12th July
Within the three-day summer school for the existing PgCert in Psychedelics students, there is a one-day event for anyone interested in getting to know about the courses and research on psychedelics that the UoE offers. Potential students can join current students, along with academics such as Celia Morgan, Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes, Andy Letcher, and Leor Roseman. There will be talks from Julian Vayne and other guests, and music from the renowned Jonas Lorentzen, amongst many other activities on the beautifully verdant main Exeter campus (where BC is to be held again next year).
For more details and to purchase tickets for the Friday, see the PGCert Summer School page.
Women & Psychedelics: A Panel Discussion
Tuesday 13th August, 6:00-7:30 PM PDT (starts 2am UK time)
Online, free registration
In the ever-expanding conversations around psychedelic medicines and their multitudinous histories, women’s voices and stories have been excluded and even suppressed. What profound contributions are living outside of this patriarchal lens? How do we understand the role of women in psychedelic history and the emergent present?
I always enjoy Synergetic Press online talks, and this looks like a real treasure. I’m not sure it will be recorded, but I recommend it to those who will be awake at the time!
Creative Bridges - Embodied consciousness, psyche & soul in research and practice
4-8th September
Oxford
This five-day transdisciplinary conference includes a day chaired by David Luke which focuses on the psychedelic perspective (Saturday), for which day tickets are available. For detailed information on the whole event, including accommodation options, see Eurotas 2024.
In convening this conference, we aim to enable transdisciplinary dialogue, bringing transpersonal psychology into fertile connection with allied disciplines, nurturing the wellbeing and flourishing of humanity in relationship to nature: our deeper nature and nature at large. Only by dwelling in, re-evaluating, and re-imagining our relationships can we evolve new visions and pathways that will feel authentic and credible in our contemporary contexts. At this time of uncertainty and transition, we offer the EUROTAS 2024 conference as an incubator of new possibilities, a gathering to showcase what is new and vibrant—in research, in ways of practice, and in performance.