Greetings, Breakero!
It has been a while since our last newsletter. As the seasons turn (for those of us at higher latitudes), we hope that recent months have given you all a chance to do at least a few of the things you intended to, whether that be travelling, relaxing, learning, creating, or simply spending time with people you enjoy. We’ve continued the epic task of editing the talks from BC2023, and you can now watch over 100 of them on our YouTube channel, with more still to come!
Looking to the future, Saturday 20th April 2024 sees BC hosting a one-day event in the hallowed setting of Conway Hall, in central London. Tickets will go on sale at the beginning of December, and speakers will be announced at the same time.
Here & Now is a day to reflect upon where we, the ‘psychedelic community’, have come from; and, where we might choose to go next. There will be talks and panel discussions, featuring some truly extraordinary people from a variety of backgrounds. We’ll also have a few stalls, so you can stock up on books, art, and BC merchandise! The beautiful garden of Red Lion Square is right outside the door, and there are plenty of cafes etc nearby for lunch, with tea and coffee facilities on site.
In the evening we’ll move to another venue to continue our conversations well into the night, with comfy seats and musical entertainment laid on for those who like to integrate their day of cerebral activity with an evening of somatic flow. Watch this space for more details!
Further ahead, make a note for 2025: We are ecstatic to announce that the next Breaking Convention full 3-day conference will take place once again in the superb surroundings of the University of Exeter, on the 17–19th April 2025. The call for papers will open in summer 2024, so get your thinking caps on…
Nikki
On behalf of the Breaking Convention team
TOMORROW! Tuesday, 14 November
PsyCare UK Fundraiser: 15 Years of Psychedelic Harm Reduction
PsyCare UK have been providing crisis intervention and harm reduction services at UK music festivals for 15 years. During this time, we have grown substantially, and we now support more than 1,000 people per year through difficult experiences. To help us keep up with the growth, we are launching a winter fundraising campaign to help us support more people each year.
Join us for a free evening on Tuesday the 14th of November where we will have a discussion panel and Q&A and talk about:
Our work over the past 15 years; our biggest achievements and challenges.
The aims and vision of the charity over the next few years.
The current landscape of delivering harm reduction services at UK music festivals.
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/psycare-uk-fundraiser-15-years-of-psychedelic-harm-reduction-tickets-754596988907
UK Home Affairs Committee report on Drugs
This House of Commons Committee report on Drugs was published 31st August 2023
Whilst the rescheduling of a class of substances has an admittedly limited effect in real world, this report is important as it has emphatic emphasis on taking an evidenced-based approach to legislation.
Paragraphs 21-30 are particularly of relevance to the scheduling of psychedelic substances in the UK:
30. We welcome the UK Government’s commitment to reducing barriers to researching psychedelic drugs under Schedule 1 to the 2001 Regulations. Pending the outcomes of the ACMD’s ongoing review of Schedule 1 controlled drugs, we recommend the UK Government urgently moves psychedelic drugs to Schedule 2 in order to facilitate research on the medical or therapeutic value of these drugs.
Further extracts from the summary:
Existing classifications of controlled substances should be reviewed by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to ensure they accurately reflect the risk of harm, with further reviews carried out every ten years. Psychedelic drugs should be reclassified as a matter of urgency in order to support clinical research into their medical or therapeutic uses.
The Home Affairs Committee is deeply concerned by the Home Office’s refusal to disclose findings of the ACMD’s 2016 report, and apparent reluctance to reduce the classification of controlled drugs on their advice. It calls on the Government to explain why this particular review, and no others, are withheld from public scrutiny.
The report owes much to the time and effort of many people who gave testimonies and provided evidence to the committee. Many thanks to all of you!
Psychedelic Integration Groups: A survey invitation
Have you ever attended a psychedelic integration group? Please consider completing an online survey exploring your experience of attending the group! The data will help improve understanding of people's longer-term needs, and optimise integration and harm reduction group protocols.
The study involves completing an anonymous online survey including questions about:
• You: demographics and potential mental health diagnoses
• Your experience with psychedelics
• Your experience of psychedelic integration/harm reduction groups
The study is being conducted by researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London and members of the Maudsley Psychedelic Society.
For more information: https://qualtrics.kcl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_bQHN2zDhqfausNE
or contact Nadav Liam Modlin: nadav.modlin@kcl.ac.uk
Ceremonial Ayahuasca in Amazonian Retreats—Mental Health and Epigenetic Outcomes From a Six-Month Naturalistic Study/Las ceremonias de Ayahuasca, producen cambios tanto en la salud mental como en la genética
Simon Ruffell, Nige Netzband & WaiFung Tsang write:
The Onaya Science paper on the transformative effects of Ayahuasca ceremonies on mental health and epigenetics has been published online in Spanish, in both lay terms and a scientific translation, on Inawe Life.
As Western researchers investigating psychedelic substances/medicines and their use which has been a cultural core of Indigenous communities for millennia, it is essential that we work towards collaboration and partnership between scientists and curanderos.
The curanderos, such as Don Rono, play an integral role in the conception, design, data collection, and implementation of our studies. The translation of our papers into Spanish allows the people we work with to better understand the research findings and actively participate in the dissemination of results. This helps empower traditional healers to share their perspectives; within their communities, to the scientific community, and through various media platforms.
(You can read the paper in English here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8221532/ )
Psychedelic Press: a decade of British psychedelia
Launching in 2008 as a drug literature review blog by Rob Dickins, Psychedelic Press has brought readers a host of unique insights into psychedelic thought and culture over the years. August 2023 saw the publication of the last issue of the quarterly print journal, as PsyPress returns to its digital roots. Psychedelic Health talks with Rob, to find out more…
https://psychedelichealth.co.uk/2023/08/30/psychedelic-press-a-decade-of-british-psychedelia
PSICONAUTICA CHILEAN
In December a 6-day meeting in the Parque Nacional Conguillío, with masterful conferences of hallucinogens and visionary plants, a good training opportunity for psychonauts, students, graduates and pensioners from Latin America. An event that remembers the legendary meetings in Palenque.
Donna Torres writes:
Utopia and Inebriation will take place in the forests of southern Chile this coming December. We have many interesting speakers and I’ll give a painting workshop. There will be hikes in the wilderness, evenings of shamanic cinema, and more. It will be a chance for South American, European and US scholars to interchange ideas. There will also be interactive panel discussions on a wide range of topics. Hope you can join us there! It will be held at the hotel labaitacongulllio.cl
For more info: contacto@fundacionlobeliana.org
