The Open Center—the country’s longest-running urban center for holistic education and spiritual practice—is hosting a six-week digital conference, The Psychedelic Renaissance, featuring the world’s leading experts in psychedelics from the scientific, medical and research fields. Together the series explores the past, present and future of psychedelic research, but each weekly presentation can also be attended as a stand-alone event. The series includes participant Q&As and breakout sessions with expert presenters. 

The second presentation in the series, scheduled for March 1, is The Utility of Psychedelics in the Treatment of End-of-Life Emotional Suffering: A Promising Therapeutic Paradigm. Next in the series are An Overview of Psychedelic Research at Johns Hopkins: Psilocybin Investigations: Their History, Current State and Future Directions (March 8); MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD: Its History, Research Data, Therapeutic Approach and Future (March 15); Ayahuasca, Magic Mushrooms, Richard Schultes and Biodiversity Conservation (March 22); and Psilocybin Mushrooms and the Ecology of Consciousness (March 29).

As a whole, the series addresses the history of psychedelics, from classical antiquity and among Amazonian shamans through current research investigating the therapeutic value of psilocybin, MDMA, and other compounds for clinical applications, including PTSD, addiction, existential distress in palliative care and clinical depression. Implications for the use of these novel therapies for the future of health care will also be addressed.

The series is moderated by Anthony Bossis, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and professor who is currently conducting FDA-approved psychedelic research on the effects of psilocybin.

For registration and information, visit https://www.opencenter.org/the-psychedelic-renaissance/.

Events may be accessed on-demand as well if you’re unable to attend it live.