Sun., May 19, 2024, 11:45 am, Loper Chapel
Wed., May 29, 7 pm, repeated over Zoom – link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86331075188
Rev. Molly Baskette has just finished a year-long graduate program to become a “psychedelic chaplain,” a trained guide who supports others before, during and after a psychedelic medicine journey. In this Learning Hour she’ll talk about best practices in this emerging form of therapy/spiritual practice, what the data says, risks and benefits, and how these molecules can be helpful not just for people with dire mental health diagnoses but for anyone seeking emotional growth and greater intimacy with the Divine.
She developed this workshop for her final project as one of the trainees in California Institute for Integral Studies’ certificate program in psychedelic-assisted therapy and research. Psychedelic substances have been used by humans for thousands of years in religious rituals and for spiritual renewal. Banned in the US for the last half-century, molecules like psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, and MDMA are enjoying newfound respect as powerful healing agents for a surprising array of intractable mental-health issues including: treatment-resistant depression, substance use disorder, PTSD, and OCD.
Some cities (including Berkeley) and states have already moved toward decriminalization and legalization, and the federal government may soon follow suit. We’ll have a robust conversation about what clergy and congregations need to know about the so-called “psychedelic renaissance” to make our churches safe, informed spaces.
Note: the in-person Learning Hour on May 19 will not be livestreamed or recorded, but Molly would love a critical mass of curious and engaged folks to come to the May 29 Zoom version of the Learning Hour, which will be recorded for posterity!