Roots of Psychedelic Therapy: Shamanism, Ritual and Traditional Uses of Sacred Plants

The Roots of Psychedelic Therapy course offered by the Chacruna Institute is an introduction to the foundations of the use of sacred plants. Through lectures, students will explore topics such as shamanism in Amazonia, peyote use among the Wixárika, psilocybin use among the Mazatec, and iboga in Africa.

Additionally, students will learn about critical social issues such as globalization, tourism, cultural appropriation, commodification, patents, reciprocity, conservation, legality, ethics, sexual abuse, practitioner’s training, and more. The course seeks to create bridges between the worlds of ceremonies and psychedelic therapies and will help students to incorporate this knowledge into their professional practices and personal lives.

The course offers students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the expanding future of psychedelic plant medicines in ways that are equitable, safe, and just, and ways to give back to and honour the cultures from which these practices stem.

This course was last held in the Fall of 2022.