Mappy at MAPS Psychedelic Science 2023 Conference
What it's like to volunteer at the biggest Psychedelic Conference in the world? No longer just a Summer of Love, it's a time to heal.
Forget our regular Mappy Monday - this month, I'm dedicating my newsletter to the wild ride that was Psychedelic Science 2023 in Denver.
Mark and I just returned from the trippiest adventure yet. It’s still hard to wrap my head around it, but we got to help out at the renowned Psychedelic Science 2023 Conference (PS2023), courtesy of the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), with yours truly as a Team Lead! I won't lie, the imposter syndrome was strong with this one. But I dove in headfirst and loved every minute, especially with Mark by my side as one of my volunteers (he said he’s used to being bossed around so he felt at home).
This was no ordinary conference, my friends. It was a soul-stirring plunge into an ocean of kindred spirits, curiosity, and kindness the likes of which I've never seen. From the moment I first met my fellow Team Leads, Ambassadors, and volunteers, I knew I was part of something huge. I practically floated back to the hotel, giddy with excitement for the days ahead.
To top it off, the $850 ticket was comped, as was our hotel room.
PS2023 was like a magnet for the leading scientists, medical professionals, investors, researchers, cultural icons, mavericks, writers, thinkers, dreamers, and renegades from every corner of the globe, all coming together under one roof from June 19th to June 23rd. The organizers expected to sell about 8000 tickets but, in the end, over 12,000 attendees descended upon Denver.
The conference was a whirlwind of more than 400 sessions, talks, workshops, and cultural events. It also included a multi-day Holotropic Breathwork workshop overseen by the legend himself, 91-year-old Dr. Stanislav Grof. And guess what? I even got the chance to say "hello" to him in our shared mother tongue!
More than 300 renowned speakers delivered great presentations on the latest research, therapeutic applications, and cultural implications of the use of psychedelics. We found ourselves in a bubble of shared interests, the stars of the psychedelic world shoulder to shoulder with the tribe of fellow seekers, united in our pursuit of a more conscious, compassionate world. There was no small talk here, every conversation reached deeply into your soul.
Some of the topics discussed, in no particular order: Microdosing, PTSD, veterans, TBI, visionary elders, neural plasticity, psychedelic harm reduction, legislation, iboga, psilocybin, LSD, psychedelic therapists, hospice care, dementia and Alzheimer’s, Mazatec ceremonies, MDMA, 5-MeO-DMT, depression, cancer, anorexia, ayahuasca, tryptamines, safety and accountability, The Guild of Guides, religions, holotropic breathing, ecology, healing addictions, healthcare innovations… As you can see, this was a very full week.
The 250 volunteers were the backbone of the event. We guided lost souls through the maze of the conference, assisted with registration, took care of the speakers, assured everyone was safe and sound, captured moments on camera, sold some cool merch and kept those crowds in check. We made sure the attendees felt welcome and cared for, and we ourselves felt loved, appreciated, and supported by MAPS and the community.
Roland Griffiths Ph.D. spoke at the dinner held in his honor and also at the huge Bellco theater. Among other things, he has researched the use of psychedelics in people with terminal illnesses, which had a huge, positive impact on their remaining days. With his typical grace and humility, he told us about his own terminal cancer diagnosis, and how it had unexpectedly opened the door to profound joy in his own life.
Roland Griffiths stressed the crucial importance of coming together as a community, the preciousness of life, and the power of psychedelics to bring about a shift in how people perceive the world and think of consciousness.
The icons of science and culture (Michael Pollan, Rick Doblin, Alex Grey, Mary Cosimano, to name just a few) shared their stories of the huge impact that Roland Griffiths had on their lives.
Blake Mycoskie, the founder of Toms Shoes, took the stage and pledged a whopping $100 million commitment to psychedelic research, and the NFL legend Aaron Rodgers waltzed onto the scene and openly shared how psychedelics had elevated his performance and expanded his consciousness.
Dr. Andrew Weil had the audience in stitches with stories of the copious mind-altering substances he had experimented with over the years, including petting a bumblebee on MDMA (he was on MDMA, the bumblebee was in its normal state of mind, whatever that might be), the artist Alex Grey unveiled his new artwork honoring Roland Griffiths, Dr. Andrew Huberman opened up about taking psychedelics, exploring profound loneliness, deep acceptance, and his personal decisions to stop experimenting on animals, inspired by a psychedelic trip.
Richard Schwartz talked about the surprising results of combining Internal Family Systems and Psychedelic therapy, and Bessel van der Kolk said that MDMA, together with therapy, helped people to heal from life-long trauma. Paul Stamets pointed out the absurdity of any fungi or plant being illegal and discussed the “Stamets Stack” - taking psilocybin, lion’s mane, and niacin together for improved cognitive function.
Rick Doblin, the visionary founder of MAPS, invited all the staff and volunteers to join him on the grand stage during the closing ceremony at the 5000-seat Bellco Theater. To our collective surprise, the stage quickly filled with a sea of faces, a testament to the dedication and hard work that made this event possible. It was a very touching moment to stand there with this diverse community of individuals that came together to support such a transformative experience.
Also during the closing ceremony, I was blown away by the incredible artist Snowraven who held the entire audience in awe. I can’t even describe it, you have to check her out for yourself. Ever since she was a little child in Arctic Siberia, she paid attention to the language of animals and tried to imitate them. She filled the space with shamanic traditions, animal sounds, songs, and musical instruments and created a spell-bounding performance.
Psychedelic Science 2023 was quite the trip. It has left us with seeds of inspiration to fuel our own personal revolutions, renewed our passion for psychedelic research and advocacy, and reminded us of the importance of community. Saying goodbye to everyone at the end was bittersweet but I feel like the connections we made will last well beyond the confines of the conference hall.
Brace yourself for cosmic ripples, this event will influence every life it touched.
So, my friends, it's your turn now. Go out there, find the others, and dive headfirst into whatever makes you feel alive.
Be Mappy and stay curious.
Lots of love 💕,
Mags
