AustraliaPresenters:
Dr Martin Williams – Executive Director and Co-founder of Psychedelic Research in Science and Medicine (PRISM), Research Fellow at Swinburne University.
Jonathan (Ronny) Carmichael – President and Co-founder of Ethnogenesis Australis (EGA). EGA is a charitable, ethnobotanical educational organisation established in 2004 supporting knowledge sharing and biannual conferences.
Dr Lani Roy – Director of Signs of Life Psychology and Research Fellow in Psychology at Swinburne University, Founding Board member of Australian Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Practitioners (AMAPP).
Melissa Warner – Secretary of PRISM, Co-founder of the Australian Psychedelic Society, Director of The Cyberdelic Society and PATHS XR, Research Fellow at Swinburne University.
Jake Payne – Clinical Psychology PhD Candidate Swinburne University. His PhD at Swinburne University explores if there are potential positive impacts of psychedelic use on emerging adult development.
Dr Nigel Strauss – Clinical and research psychiatrist with a special interest in Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy. He is a MAPS trained therapist and currently an Investigator in 5 PAT trials in Melbourne.
Panel Summary:
As society grapples with what is being called ‘the meaning crisis’, marked by existential uncertainty and a mental health epidemic, psychedelics have likewise seen a rise in interest as catalysts for connection, meaning, and transformation. The recent FDA rejection of MDMA-assisted therapy and increasing focus on the potential harms of psychedelics has challenged their future. When regulated and introduced into clinical settings, new pitfalls and limitations of psychedelics as treatments are being revealed. Debates about who psychedelics can and can’t help, and in what environment they should be used, are still very much alive. Although Australia is one of the only places in the world with legal treatment options, problems in equitable service provision remain. How do we navigate this delicate balance? Can psychedelics help bridge the meaning crisis by fostering connection, insight, and purpose? For who, when, in what context, and why?
Alongside this, the rise of cyberdelics, the fusion of psychedelic experience with digital technology, offers new avenues for consciousness exploration. From VR-enhanced therapy to gamified dreamscapes, cyberdelics extend the psychedelic paradigm, opening questions about how technology can shape inner transformation. With Esoteric Festival hosting its first cyberdelic showcase, we will introduce digital journeys and the possibilities and pitfalls of merging technology with the psychedelic experience.
Be part of the conversation as we delve into the opportunities and challenges of psychedelics, inviting your insights and reflections to help shape this evolving field.