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***See below for a complete topic breakdown.***
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What does ethnopharmacology have to teach humanity in our present times?
That is the question that informs the conversation you are going to hear today; another Psychedelic Café here on Adventure Through The Mind.
In this cafe, we feature a number of guests who will be speaking at the upcoming symposium, Ethnopharmacologic Search For Psychoactive Drugs, aka the ESPD55 — where “33 of the most exciting minds in psychoactives research, present 37 sessions exploring the world of ethnopharmacologic knowledge through various life-centric themes: ethnosphere, phytosphere, mycosphere, sonosphere and beyond.”
[Full speaker list for this conference can be found here.]
But the ESPD55 conference itself is not the topic of this episode, but the question: What does ethnopharmacology have to teach humanity in our present times?
In the exploration of that question, this cafe wonders about ethnopharmacology and the reconciliation of humanity with nature; what traditional and indigenous knowledge systems hold for our capacity to facilitate this reconciliation; the importance and challenge of good reciprocity, fair compensation, and the prioritization and protection of indigenous sovereignty in the process; the importance of all of this in the face of a growing, global ecological crisis; and where psychedelic plants and psychedelic experiences fit within it all.
Enjoy.
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Our Guests For This Psychedelic Cafe





This ethnopharmacology conference is hosted by The McKenna Academy (yes, that’s Dennis McKenna) and it will be both in-person and live-streamed May 23-26.
The conference was generous enough to ensure broad access to the event itself by providing access to their live-stream by donation (minimum $10 USD).
Episode Breakdown
- (0:00) Opening
- (5:38) Cafe begins | Participant intros
- (11:02) What does ethnopharmacology have to teach humanity in our present times?
- (28:52) The reconciliation of the relationship between humanity and nature
- (33:01) The hubris of thinking we can create all that we need in a lab
- (39:58) When customs become products
- (45:51) Reconnecting with the spirit of nature for the good of the future
- (50:14) The importance of financially compensating indigenous cultures
- (52:49) Extracts and Standardisation vs whole plant medicine
- (55:42) The challenge of financially compensating indigenous cultures
- (59:05) Could the industrialization of psychedelics help fund global ecological/cultural sustainability?
- (1:06:05) Supporting the sovereignty of indigenous peoples
- (1:09:53) Given the scale and complexity of the problems, is it even possible to solve them? Does it even matter if solutions are possible?
- (1:18:15) Taking an honest look at ourselves; being a catalyst of change
- (1:24:50) Participants concluding thoughts on the conversation
- (1:26:12) “The lungs of the world?”
- (1:28:09) There is so much to learn
- (1:35:21) Closing
What Is The Psychedelic Café?
The Psychedelic Café is a structured conversational space exploring various, deep questions about the nature of mind, life, and reality.
Each cafe features a curated selection of 4-5 people to explore a question according to a specific structure. That structure is called Dharma Talking and is a conversational technology from Jean Robertson, forged in The Liminal Space Agency Meta-Monastery, and based on Conversation Cafés
Why this style?
The cafe structure creates a quality and dynamic of conversation, idea sharing, and mutual learning that is incredibly ripe and valuable for not only the people involved but the listening audience who will be able to listen to it afterward. In the current times of uncertainty, complexity, and change, I believe the psychedelic cafe will offer content not otherwise available in a time where it is deeply needed. If you want to try doing your own cafe, instructions on how to do so can be found here.
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