Psychedelics are ancient history. From the fantastical to the comical, there is rich Asian lore around the magic of mushrooms and plant medicine traditions, which have been part of our healing for time immemorial. However, in true Western fashion, hallucinogenic drugs that were once criminalized are being commodified by the trendiest, wealthiest pockets of the American economy, leaving behind crucial populations that deserve to be released from the fear and stigma around drugs. Unsurprisingly, there has been erasure of the foundations and history of psychedelics, stripping them of their cultural and spiritual meanings for purely utilitarian purposes.

This program will highlight how psychedelics can heal individuals, families, and communities in the Asian American and Asian diaspora, and explore the impacts of harm and the ways Asians have been overlooked, othered, and appropriated in the Westernization of psychedelics. Speakers will address how trappings of Asian spirituality and philosophy have been commoditized or decontextualized in psychedelic spaces, and share ways to practice plant traditions with more respect for the cultures from which these traditions come. Psychedelic healing is our birthright. 

Join us for presentations by scholars, practitioners, activists, cultural workers and healers in the field: Preeti Simran Sethi, writer, mental health coach, psychedelic support, and the founder of Asian Psychedelic Collective; Pat Song, a clinical psychologist trained in psychedelic assisted therapy; Candex Louie, a trans Hokkien-Hoisanese storyteller, somatics and bodywork practitioner; and Hapinder Kaur Mann, a yoga asana meditation teacher, mindfulness educator, and community builder who will lead us in pranayama. Presentations will be followed by a discussion moderated by writer and GYOPO program committee member Lisa Kwon.