Exploring the Intersection of Psychedelics and Meditation

Two years ago I had the pleasure of attending the World Ayahuasca Conference 2019 in the sunny Spanish city of Girona.

The conference was an embarrassment of riches when it came to the opportunities to speak with knowledgeable people in the field, so I focused on connecting with those specialised in a topic I’m particularly interested in: the intersection of psychedelics and meditation.

I attended a pre-conference workshop, Cultivating Meditation Practice In Entheogenic Plant Work, with Galia Tanay and Ido Hartogsohn, and chatted with Allan Badiner whilst we loaded up our lunch plates in the refectory.

Over the weekend I sat down with all of them to pick their brains on the theme and you can find videos of these interviews below. The conversations cover some rich and interesting ground and are as relevant today as when we had them.

There are notes below each video on their content. I hope you enjoy.

Allan Badiner

Allan is the editor of Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics; a collection of essays, interviews, articles examining the two realms, their similarities and differences.

Allan speaks about:

• how psychedelics influence meditation practice
• how his background in Buddhism influenced his psychedelics experiences
• psychedelics and meditation, is one more valuable?
• can meditation minimize the chances of a bad trip
• his LSD burning man story, and tripsitting for the Zendo project
• psychedelic experiences and ethical frameworks
• meditation as a tool for integration of psychedelic experiences

Galia Tanay

Galia is meditation and yoga teacher, ACT therapist and psychedelic activist.

Galia talks about:

• how meditation can prepare one for psychedelic plant work
• how to avoid getting stuck in a spiritual practice
• the future of psychedelics in meditation retreats

Ido Hartogsohn

Ido is a psychedelic researcher and author of American Trip: Set, Setting, and the Psychedelic Experience in the Twentieth Century.

Ido talks about:

• parallels between meditation and psychedelics
• psychedelic experiences and the value of ritual structures.

Thanks to ICEERS for organising the event.

P.S.

If you are interested in joining the psychedelic movement but aren’t sure where to put your energy, you can see Dennis McKenna’s answer to my question from AYA2019 here.