Sacred Plants, Religious Freedom and the Future of Psychedelic Spirituality

This taped Chacruna Community Forum features me in conversation with renowned ethnobotanist Kathleen Harrison and former Decrim Nature founding chairman Bob Otis Stanley. Our question: what is the psychedelic connection to the sacred? How do we understand and build psychedelic practices that go beyond personal psychological goals? Indigenous cultures typically use sacred plants in ceremonies, and its use are related to many spheres of life. But how do we relate with these if we are non-indigenous? Within American law, “religious freedom” has become a key principal for decriminalization and exemption of use. While this is a fundamental American right, only a few groups have actually received the special right to use psychedelics legally. Is the formation of official psychedelic “churches” the way to go?