- Featuring Visionaries like Noor Ramadhan, Rabbi Jay Michaelson, Roman Haferd, Hanifa Nayo Washington, Jae Sevelius, and Rev. Hunt Priest — Leaders Reimagining Healing across Faith, Identity, and Community
- Healing Beyond the Clinic: Community Leaders Center Psychedelic Integration in Faith Spaces, Family Circles, and Conflict Zones
- Rewriting the Narrative: Diverse Voices Reclaim Ancestral Wisdom and Lead Psychedelia into the Future
DENVER, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Psychedelic Science 2025 (PS2025), the premier global gathering for psychedelic research, medicine, policy, and culture hosted by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), announces a track dedicated to the people and communities who are reimagining what healing means. The Community Track features dozens of sessions uplifting culturally grounded research, grassroots healing traditions, regional resilience, and ethical movement-building.
PS2025 convenes frontline facilitators, military veterans, cultural historians, conflict mediators, and harm reduction leaders—changemakers from countries including Iraq, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon whose lived experiences are reshaping the psychedelic ecosystem from the ground up. Attendees will explore how ancestral practices, intergenerational storytelling, collective accountability, and spiritual integration are expanding the psychedelic field beyond the clinic.
“This is the beating heart of the psychedelic movement. The Community Track reminds us that healing doesn’t just happen in a medical office—it happens in homes, forests, churches, and community centers. It happens in storytelling, ceremony, conflict resolution, and shared joy. These sessions honor the wisdom of people and places who’ve long held the knowledge we need most today.”
—Steven Huang, MAPS' Director of People, Community, and Finance
For community leaders, facilitators, researchers, and cultural stewards, PS2025 offers:
- Dedicated programming on cultural humility, equitable access, and ethical integration
- Workshops on collective care, spiritual integration, and harm reduction
- Panels centering lived experience, storytelling, religious, ethnic and regional identities
- Community gatherings celebrating art, music, resilience, and joy
Visit PsychedelicScience.org to view the full schedule, register for workshops, and explore hotel and travel options. Workshop spaces are limited and available on a first-come basis.
The Community Track Programming highlights include:
Psychedelic Therapy in Times of Crisis: Navigating Trauma, Resilience, and Hope in Conflict-Affected Arab Communities
Speakers from Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia—including leaders of the Arab Psychedelic Society, Nathalia Rustom, Noor Ramadhan, Sarah Almadigh, Dr. Maya Siag, and Atanas Tannous—explore how psychedelic-assisted therapy can support healing in communities shaped by war, displacement, and generational trauma. Drawing from work with diasporic and underground Arab communities, this session addresses the ethical, cultural, and systemic challenges of offering care in crisis zones, highlighting psychedelics’ potential to foster resilience, communal healing, and hope in the face of ongoing conflict.
Black Psychedelia: Reclaiming Cultural Narratives and Expanding the Consciousness Movement
Joseph McCowan, Psy.D., Darron Smith, Hanifa Nayo Washington, Hanif Akinyemi, and Reuben Blackwell explore the rich intersection of Black identity, ancestral traditions, and the psychedelic renaissance. This session examines the historical role of psychedelics in African and Afro-diasporic cultures, the barriers Black communities face in accessing these healing modalities, and the transformative power of psychedelics in addressing systemic trauma and advancing collective liberation.
The MOSAIC Project: Psychedelics and Religious Traditions
Led by the Emory Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality, this session presents early findings from the groundbreaking MOSAIC Project—an interdisciplinary initiative exploring psychedelic experiences across Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities. Panelists Fayzan Rab, M.D., Rabbi Zac Kamenetz, Rev. Jaime Clark-Soles, Ph.D., and Rev. Caroline Peacock, D.Min., LCSW, will share insights from four distinct studies spanning surveys, qualitative interviews, and mixed-methods research. Moderated by Rabbi Jay Michaelson, Ph.D., the session explores how psychedelics intersect with faith, identity, and spiritual life in diverse religious traditions.
Reclaiming Our Joy: The Liberatory Power of Psychedelics in Queer and Trans Communities
Wilhelmina de Castro, LCSW, Brooke Stott, LMSW, Rachel Golden, Ph.D., Ronica Mukerjee, DNP, Jae Sevelius, Ph.D., and Syre Saniyah, Ph.D. explore how psychedelics can foster joy, connection, and radical self-discovery within queer and trans communities. This session centers the liberatory potential of psychedelic medicine to address trauma, affirm identity, and celebrate the boundless possibilities of queer healing and bliss.
The Heartland Meets Appalachia: Exploring Psychedelic Healing and Regional Resilience
Bryan Hubbard, Justin Moore, Ali McGhee, Ph.D., Christina Conrad, Ben McCauley, and Angie Leek examine how the cultural richness and resilience of Appalachia intersect with the psychedelic movement. This session explores the region’s deep-rooted traditions, systemic inequities, and healing potential—arguing that meaningful engagement with Appalachian communities is essential for the future of equitable psychedelic access, outreach, and integration.
Healing Our Communities: Conflict Resolution, Our Collective Responsibility
Brad Adams, Charlotte James, Jaz Cadoch, Jennifer Arnett, Tessa Vita, and Robert “Roman” Haferd will all examine the shadow side of psychedelic spaces—addressing the presence of narcissists, unqualified facilitators, and exploitative actors. Drawing from mythological archetypes and real-world experience, this session explores how community-centered mediation and accountability practices can help psychedelic communities confront harm, restore integrity, and foster collective healing.
From Healing to Action: Ethical Organizing and the Future of Global Psychedelic Communities
Eleana Baskouta, Mareesa Stertz, Milica-Radovic Mandic, Pammy Jackson, Ryan Beauregard, and Eva Césarová explore how the archetypal Hero’s Journey mirrors the transformational arc of psychedelic experiences. This session examines how integrating mythic frameworks with ethical organizing can inspire personal growth, collective action, and a more just, globally connected psychedelic movement.
About Psychedelic Science
Psychedelic Science 2025 (PS2025), hosted by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), is the world’s leading psychedelic conference. Returning to the Colorado Convention Center in Denver from June 16-20, 2025, this five-day event brings together a global community of scientists, therapists, policymakers, cultural leaders, and advocates to explore the forefront of psychedelic research, therapy, and culture. Facilitated by Superfly, known for producing iconic events such as Bonnaroo and Outside Lands, PS2025 will feature expert speakers; hands-on workshops; community events with art, music, and mindfulness activities; and scholarship opportunities to support broad participation.
Since its inception in 2010, the Psychedelic Science conference series has fostered knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and community-building within the psychedelic ecosystem. Join thousands of attendees as we explore the transformative potential of psychedelics and shape the future of mental health, policy, and cultural understanding. For more information and registration details, visit psychedelicscience.org, and follow us on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
ABOUT MAPS
Founded in 1986, MAPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana. MAPS' conference flagship, Psychedelic Science, has been the leading convening of the psychedelic community since 2010. MAPS incubated Lykos Therapeutics, a drug-development public benefit company, and the Zendo Project, a leader in psychedelic harm reduction. Since MAPS was founded, philanthropic donors and grantors have given more than $150 million to advance research, change drug policy, and evolve education in the field of psychedelics.
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