Above Ground Psychedelic Therapy and Garden States 2022
At Garden States 2022, attendees can expect an exciting array of presentations that explore the role of entheogenic plants in therapy and healing. This includes therapeutic research happening across Australia and the world, as well the impact of years of advocacy in using psychedelics to treat a variety of mental health conditions.
Pioneers of psychedelic clinical research in Australia, Dr. Marg Ross (Clinical Lead at St. Vincent’s Hospital) and Dr. Martin Williams (PRISM) will discuss the landmark trial of psilocybin-assisted therapy for anxiety and depression associated with terminal illness currently being undertaken at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne. They will describe features of the trial, and reflect on the path ahead for psychedelic psychotherapy within Australia.
After over a decade of persistence, research into the effects of MDMA is now taking centre stage in Australia. Dr. Stephen Bright will discuss the obstacles that PRISM has overcome in getting research off the ground, and the support received from MAPS and others to enable us to lead the way in Australian MDMA research.
Two presentations will focus on the effects of ayahuasca. Jerome Sarris, Professor of Integrative Mental Health at University of Western Sydney, will discuss the largest ever study of more than 10,000 ayahuasca drinkers in over 50 countries, to gather evidence relating to the mental health and wellbeing effects of ayahuasca, as well as an upcoming Australian Phase 2 clinical trial investigating the use of an ayahuasca inspired DMT-harmala alkaloid product for treatment-resistant depression and alcohol use disorder. PhD candidate Benjamin Mudge from Flinders University will discuss the variable effects of ayahuasca. His presentation will outline the implications of these variations for the subjective experience of people attending ayahuasca ceremonies, aiming to provide information that will minimise risks to health and safety and enhance the experience for ceremony participants. PhD candidate Anna Conrick will convey her experiences creating living-room-like contexts for psychedelic therapy and illuminate the emerging field of psychedelic spatial design.
Alongside presentations about studies here in Australia, others will cover psychedelic research more broadly. Dr. Suresh Muthukumaraswamy from the University of Auckland will be discussing Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) and their use to investigate the therapeutic effectiveness of psychedelics. Dr. Sam Banister, Chief Scientific Officer at Psylo, will present on the explosion of research focused on medicinal chemistry of psychedelics, as well as companies around the world that are extending beyond current knowledge to develop entirely new classes of psychedelic drugs.
Garden States 2022 is a hybrid conference, featuring leading psychedelic, botanical and mycological minds including David Holmgren, Dr Margaret Ross, Janet Laurence, Renee Harvey, Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, Dr Alison Pouliot, Lynette Wallworth, Snu Voogelbreinder, and luminaries Dennis McKenna Ph.D., Mark Pesce, The Seed SistAs, John Seed, and Keeper Trout who will be streaming in.
For more information, or to book tickets, head to the Garden States 2022 conference website.
