Reality Sandwich is proud to be a media sponsor of, “Breaking Convention: A Multidisciplinary Meeting on Psychedelic Consciousness,” featuring Paul Devereux, Luis Eduardo Luna, PhD., Neal Marshall Goldsmith MD., Amanda Feilding, Graham Hancock and many more. Details below.
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Breaking Convention: A Multidisciplinary Meeting on Psychedelic Consciousness at the University of Kent, Canterbury, 2-3rd April, 2011. Two whole days of extraordinary talks, debates, films and music on the emerging alternative neurochemical renaissance (details below, tickets available on the website).
The Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness lectures series, in association with the UKC Psychedelics Society and the Beckley Foundation, present:
BREAKING CONVENTION: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY MEETING ON PSYCHEDELIC CONSCIOUSNESS
2nd – 3rd April, 2011. University of Kent at Canterbury.
TICKETS on sale NOW
http://breakingconvention.co.uk/
Featuring:
Screenings of ‘DMT: The Spirit Molecule’ & ‘Dirty Pictures’
Video presentations from Ralph Metzner and Ram Dass.
An Ayahuasca track, convened by Bia Labate.
Several tracks of seminars, debates, workshops and presentations from submitted abstracts.
Screenings of short psychedelic films, including ‘2012: Time For Change’, by Daniel Pinchbeck.
Four invited symposia (see below).
Socials and sonic succor with Ragnagrok Allstars, Bardo Thodal plus more, and visuals by the Bardo Light Show
THE FOUR INVITED SYMPOSIA:
1. What does psychedelic mean?
Organised by Dr. David Luke, PhD. Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of Greenwich; Director of the Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness lecture series at the October Gallery, London
Psychedelics are substances with multiple dimensions, and can be considered artistically, clinically, spiritually, psychologically, neuro-scientifically, legally, historically, culturally, magically, ontologically, etc. This symposium will fuse together a number of diverse perspectives and help us assemble some of the intellectual jigsaw pieces we have created out of these plants and molecules.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS:
Mike Jay
Paul Devereux
Charlotte Walsh
Dr. Luis Eduardo Luna, PhD
Dr. Andy Letcher, PhD.
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2. Psychiatry Symposium & Ecstasy: Its place in medicine, society & politics.
Organised by Dr. Ben Sessa, MD. Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Somerset, UK.
Psychiatry Symposium
Psychedelic Drugs have been recognised by non-Western cultures for generations as tools to access repressed memories and enhance psychotherapy. After the discovery of LSD’s effects in 1943 psychedelic psychotherapy blossomed worldwide until it was banned in the late 1960s. Later the entactogen MDMA was used successfully by therapists (psychedelic therapy) before it too was banned in the 1980s. Now, after a hiatus of nearly forty years, there are numerous contemporary studies under way throughout the world exploring the possible role of hallucinogens for modern medicine. This conference’s Psychiatry Symposium brings together some of the proponents of these studies to describe their landmark work.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS:
Dr. Evgeny Krupitsky, MD. (Ketamine)
Dr. Charles Grob, MD. (Psilocybin)
Dr. Peter Oehen, MD. (MDMA)
Dr. Neal Marshall Goldsmith, MD.
MDMA Debate
We will then hold an ‘MDMA Debate’, which aims to encourage the audience to pitch their views to one another and our panel of experts to discuss the varying viewpoints about the drug MDMA. Ecstasy is used by at least half a million people each weekend in the UK and has been praised both as an important new tool for psychotherapy on the one hand and a dangerous neurotoxin on the other. This is the UK’s first public debate of the drug’s risks and benefits. Come and make your voice heard!
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS:
Dr. Ben Sessa, MD (Chair).
Dr. Rick Doblin, PhD.
Dr. Peter Oehen, MD.
Dr. Jon Cole, PhD.
Professor Val Curran, MD.
Dr Andy Parrott, PhD.
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3. Current research on consciousness and psychedelics at the University of Kent
Organised by Dr. Cameron Adams, PhD., research fellow and lecturer in Social Anthropology at the University of Kent; and Dr. Anna Waldstein, PhD, lecturer in Medical Anthropology and Ethnobotany and convenor of the BSc in Medical Anthropology at the University of Kent.
In recent years the University of Kent has emerged as a centre for the study of psychedelic consciousness in the UK. This symposium presents a selection of relevant work by academics (and alumni) from across the University, including contributions from anthropology, conservation, sociology, criminology, mysticism and Hispanic studies. The breadth of research on psychedelic consciousness at the University of Kent spans from self-medication with psychedelics as a form of empowerment, the cultural identities of people who use psychedelics and other illicit substances, and the ability of consumers to influence drug policy, to the use of active imagination to access paranormal worlds, and the representation of altered states of consciousness in literature.
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS:
Dr. Cameron Adams, PhD.
Dr. Caroline Chatwin, PhD.
Dr. Axel Klein, PhD.
Dr. Anna Waldstein, PhD.
Dr. William Rowlandson.
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4. Bold Visions: The Future of Psychedelic Culture & Research.
Organised by Dave King & the UKC Psychedelics Society.
The psychedelic community is witnessing a research renaissance with rich results, legitimate protocols and government approvals. The success of MAPS is booming, the science is ever more supporting, groups such as the UKC Psychedelics Society are sprouting, and university courses on psychedelics are manifesting. Alongside these scientific pursuits the psychedelic culture is stirring – ayahuasca is spreading around the world through Santa Daime branches. This symposium will see data from current research and questions about where the future of psychedelics lies. What are the far reaches of research? What political problems present themselves? What limitations and lessons have we learnt from the past? What is the future of psychedelics in society?
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS:
Dr. Rick Doblin, PhD.
Amanda Feilding
Graham Hancock
Andy Roberts
With thanks to MAPS and The Beckley Foundation for their affiliation with this project. Thanks to Blue Firth for the artwork.
Please also join up with the Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness Facebook site and help us cross-pollinate wild ideas on windy days. There’s a storm a coming.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=138663642843437#!/group.php?gid=150573348303481&ref=ts
