Disconnection Meets Dialogue at Breaking Convention 2025

Stepping onto the sun-warmed lawns of the University of Exeter’s Streatham Campus, I felt the conference’s promise before the blotter-paper badge swung around my neck: a riot of color, a buzz of anticipation, and, beneath it all, a palpable yearning for reconnection. In an era when borders—digital and political—feel increasingly fraught. Breaking Convention 2025 offered something unexpected: a conference space where disparate voices coalesced into meaningful dialogue.

Over three days, I witnessed how this gathering became both a reflection of our fragmented global landscape and a testament to psychedelics’ potential to bridge these divides. Key insights from this intersection of science, ceremony, and community reveal a paradox of disconnection and profound connection played out across presentations, workshops, and spontaneous encounters.

Connection Amid Disconnection

The geographic composition of Breaking Convention 2025 told a story about our current moment. Presenters from Mexico to New Zealand brought diverse perspectives to talks and workshops, yet certain absences were telling. No conference leadership hailed from the Netherlands or Germany. The research teams covered by this reporter at Blossom were noticeably underrepresented. While colleagues from the U.S., Canada, and Latin America made the journey, they formed a smaller contingent than in previous years, giving the conference a distinctly European character.

These geographic shifts reflected our broader global challenge: communities once united under the psychedelic banner now navigating separate waters, with research increasingly siloed by national boundaries, regulatory frameworks, and funding priorities. The very psychedelics that promise connection seem caught in systems designed for disconnection.

Yet within these conference grounds, the opposite dynamic unfolded. Therapists engaged animatedly with artists; first-timers shared perspectives with veteran facilitators; indigenous wisdom keepers found common language with neuroscientists presenting brain imaging data. Each conversation created new neural pathways between previously separate worlds—microcosms of the integration psychedelics themselves facilitate.

Most striking was the demographic blend. Fully 80 percent of the 1,400 attendees were attending this conference for the first time, bringing fresh curiosity rather than entrenched positions. Flower crowns brushed against tweed blazers; impromptu circles formed on the lawns, weaving facilitators, newcomers, and academics into unified conversations that defied traditional hierarchies. This wasn’t the psychedelic elite speaking to initiates, but rather a genuine exchange across experience levels, disciplines, and generations.

Breaking Convention 2025 attendees looking at visionary art at the ‘Forum’. (Photo by Floris Wolswijk)

The Multidisciplinary Landscape

Breaking Convention defies easy categorization precisely because it mirrors the expansive, boundary-dissolving nature of the psychedelic experience itself. Throughout the three days, the core academic program merged seamlessly with artistic expression, healing modalities, and embodied practices, just as psychedelics themselves blur the lines between cognition, emotion, and somatic experience.

In the lecture theaters, more than 150 presentations spanned emerging clinical protocols to philosophical inquiries. One moment, attendees dissected the UK National Health Service (NHS) implementation strategy for ketamine; the next, they contemplated the neurophenomenology of 5-MeO-DMT. Rather than feeling disjointed, these transitions reflected how psychedelic discourse naturally bridges therapeutic applications, scientific inquiry, and existential questions.

This integration extended beyond formal presentations. Three elements particularly embodied the conference’s connective tissue:

First, the vibrant arts program transformed corridors and common spaces into galleries, where visionary art—featuring fractal flora and cosmic travelers rendered in luminous detail—offered visual analogues to inner journeys. These were not merely decorative but served as translation tools between ineffable experiences and shared understanding.

Art installation at Breaking Convention 2025. (Photo by Floris Wolswijk)

Second, experiential workshops invited embodied engagement with the psychedelic paradigm. In a standout example, participants accessed non-ordinary states through breathwork and movement, demonstrating how altered consciousness need not rely solely on substances. These body-centered practices created intimate bonds between strangers, mirroring the connection-enhancing effects of psychedelics themselves.

Third, the marketplace transcended simple commerce to become a community crossroads. Stalls offering integration coaching neighbored displays of non-psychedelic fungi and ritual garments, while book collections created impromptu libraries for shared exploration and discovery. Conversations at these stalls often led to deeper exchanges than those in formal Q&A sessions, as commerce gave way to genuine connection.

The sensory landscape reinforced this integrated experience. Ambient music drifted from performance spaces; laughter punctuated serious discussions; the occasional DJ set invited spontaneous participation. Rather than overwhelming the senses, these elements created a container that honored both intellectual rigor and embodied presence—a balanced approach increasingly recognized as essential to the psychedelic project itself.

As the conference progressed through its opening day toward the anniversary of Dr. Albert Hofmann’s legendary bicycle ride after his first intentional LSD experience, this multidisciplinary tapestry revealed Breaking Convention’s unique contribution: not merely showcasing psychedelic research but modeling how diverse approaches to knowledge and healing might complement rather than compete with one another.

Opening ceremony. The conference organizers, from left to right: Alexander Beiner, Nikki Wyrd, Hattie Wells, Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes, and Aimee Tollan. (Photo by Floris Wolswijk)

Weaving the Collective Vision

The executive directors took the stage as the conference officially began, setting the tone for what would follow. Conference organizer Alex Beiner opened by reminding everyone that Breaking Convention is born of passion, not profit. He spoke of the volunteer-led ethos. The conference had no corporate sponsors, no deep-pocketed philanthropists steering the agenda, only people whose lives have been touched by psychedelics and who feel compelled to give back. His voice carried the conviction that this gathering exists because each of us carries the spark of transformation in our own story, and that by pooling those sparks we can ignite something far brighter than any commercial incentive could provide.

Hattie Wells, another organizer of the conference, followed with a cautionary note: as psychedelics edge closer to mainstream acceptance, there’s a very real risk of losing their soul. She urged us to remember that beyond molecules and protocols lies the broader set and setting, the communal rituals, the art, the ceremonies, the shared stories that make these substances more than mere pharmacology. In her view, a focus solely on regulatory approval risks sterilizing the very magic that we have come to celebrate here.

Fellow organizer Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes stepped up next to herald Exeter’s ascent as a new epicenter for psychedelic inquiry in the UK. He painted a picture of this campus evolving into a nexus where cutting-edge research, grassroots activism, and indigenous wisdom converge. His talk hinted at the symbiosis between place and purpose: how the ancient stones and winds of Devon seem to carry the same currents of change we chase in our own consciousness.

Lightening the mood, Aimee Tollan revealed that the conference badges doubled as a blotter art canvas. She even hinted that one of those whimsical squares might have been spiked with LSD. It was a sly foreshadowing of the final evening ahead: the afterparty would be a place where playful mischief and meaningful connection go hand in hand.

Mac MacCartney’s invocation brought an even deeper connection to place. His tribute to the four winds of Devon relocated our gathering from abstract academic space to an embodied relationship with the elements. His repeated affirmation, “I knew it, I knew it, I still know it,” echoed like a mantra that bridged ancestral wisdom with present moment awareness. Through his words, the conference itself became a kind of ceremony, rooted in both timeless tradition and immediate experience.

The opening circle concluded with Kat Harrison’s reflection on transformation across generations. Her anecdote about her father’s gentle observation, “Daughter, you may have bohemian tendencies,” resonated across age divides in the audience. Now in her seventies, Harrison embodies continuity within the psychedelic movement, connecting today’s explorers with the watershed cultural moments of the 1960s, while emphasizing the ongoing importance of container, intention, and ceremony.

Together, these opening voices wove a tapestry of perspectives that would continue to unfold throughout the conference, balancing tradition with innovation, caution with celebration, academic rigor with embodied wisdom. The diversity of approaches represented on stage modeled precisely the integrative dialogue that the psychedelic renaissance itself appears to require.

Embodying Through Movement

After a morning of intellectual stimulation, my body craved expression. I joined Zoja Zixuan Wei’s “Naturysthesia” dance workshop on the afternoon of the first day, curious to see how the five elemental modalities of Chinese tradition (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) could be translated into movement. Twenty of us gathered in a circle as Wei discussed these concepts. She invited us to embody them through guided movement sequences, encouraging each person to discover how these elements already lived within their unique physiology. The workshop progressed through each element—from wood’s upward-reaching energy to fire’s explosive power, from earth’s grounding stability to metal’s precision, and finally to water’s fluid adaptability. 

The workshop’s impact extended beyond that single session. Two days later, at the Bicycle Day afterparty, I recognized fellow “elementals” on the dance floor. Without words, we acknowledged our shared experience through knowing smiles and briefly mirrored movements from Wei’s sequences. This spontaneous reunion demonstrated how embodied practices can create lasting bonds that transcend verbal communication—a lesson directly applicable to psychedelic community building. 

More than just a pleasant interlude, Wei’s workshop represented the essential role of somatic practices within the psychedelic paradigm, reminding us that true integration happens not just in the mind but through the living intelligence of the body.

Symposium at Breaking Convention 2025 on ‘For the Many: Scaling Psychedelics.’ (Photo by Floris Wolswijk)

Bridging Research and Healthcare

Towards the end of the first day, Rick Doblin, the founder of MAPS, captured the audience’s attention by framing MDMA-assisted therapy as occupying a critical juncture. Reflecting on meetings with FDA advisors who ultimately recommended that the FDA reject the proposal for MDMA-assisted therapy developed by MAPS and later Lykos Therapeutics, Doblin noted how the same data can be interpreted in vastly different ways: cautious regulators in the U.S. versus an optimistic state committee in the Netherlands. 

He laid out two possible paths. In his ever-optimistic take, he still saw a possibility that the new U.S. administration would recognize the Phase III data and accept it unchanged in late 2025. But if a new Phase III clinical trial had to be undertaken, as required by the 2024 FDA decision, the earliest approval of MDMA-assisted therapy would be pushed back to October 2028. Calling it a “fork in the road,” Doblin underscored how high-stakes decisions now will shape the therapy’s timeline.

Next, Celia Morgan revealed her plan to embed psychedelics within the NHS via ketamine, calling it a “Trojan horse tranquillizer.” With its short duration, established safety profile, and relative affordability, Morgan argued that ketamine, and the therapeutic services that some providers offer with it, could pave the way for broader acceptance of other psychedelics. She emphasized cost-effectiveness and stakeholder engagement from the outset, noting that the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), a government-supported research funding organization, and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which provides guidance for improved healthcare in England, are already influencing trial design. Her vision: prove the model with ketamine, then expand the menu of medicines offered by standard healthcare.

Diving Deeper on Day Two

The second day dawned with gray skies and a persistent Devon drizzle, forcing delegates to huddle under umbrellas as they dashed between buildings. Inside, the atmosphere remained warm and electric despite the weather outside. Coffee cups clinked in the crowded forum as conversations from yesterday’s sessions evolved into new connections. 

Among the dozens of parallel talks, I selected a few that resonated with my particular interests, observing how the conference naturally clustered around key themes.

On Sexuality and Memory

Patricia Song brought us into the therapy room, detailing how ketamine can amplify erotic feelings and evoke transference dynamics. She stressed the importance of preparation: when intimate feelings surface, they can open gateways to nonsexual emotional breakthroughs or, if mishandled, lead to boundary violations. Her case vignettes highlighted both the peril and potential of erotic material in psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Samuli Kangaslampi offered a deep dive into how psychedelics influence memory, distinguishing reconstructed memories from outright fabrications. Drawing on his recent survey, he reported that while many subjects experienced enhanced recall, high variance suggested a double-edged sword: insights born from memory could also be misguided, prompting the need for careful therapeutic framing. His presentation reminded us that some experiences remain best approached with grounded skepticism.

Martin Gisby presenting at Breaking Convention 2025 on the reimbursement challenges of psychedelic therapies. (Photo by Floris Wolswijk)

Psychedelic Industry and Business

Henry Fisher, Chief Medical Officer at Clerkenwell, detailed their dual role as both a Contract Research Organization and Site Service Organization, having overseen ten trials (eight involving psychedelics) and approximately 200 psychedelic doses. Fisher emphasized their commitment to balancing scientific integrity with business viability, while creating appropriate non-clinical settings. His discussion of “choose your own adventure” adaptive trial designs highlighted regulatory challenges and potential solutions. He identified patient recruitment and therapist training as the primary bottlenecks currently facing psychedelic research advancement.

Martin Gisby walked us through the “Reimbursement Pathways for Psychedelic Therapies in Europe” report, co-authored by this reporter, focusing on the steps necessary for the implementation of psychedelic therapies in the UK that had completed Phase III clinical trials. Despite psychedelic therapies’ potential for transforming mental health treatment, Gisby outlined challenges in regulatory approval, reimbursement models, and healthcare integration. While acknowledging the lengthy journey ahead, he emphasized that there is now a clear roadmap to guide these treatments from clinical success to practical accessibility across European healthcare systems.

Together, these presentations painted a vivid picture: the science is surging forward, but scaling psychedelic therapies demands strategic alliances, nimble funding, and an unwavering commitment to both innovation and integrity. Like our earlier paradox of connection amid disconnection, we observed the tension between scientific rigor and the soulful heart of the movement, a balance that must be maintained for true healing to emerge.

Press conference at Breaking Convention 2025. Left to right: Akua Osofuhene, Simon Ruffell, Jo’Rel McQueen, Leor Roseman, Grace Blest-Hopley, Bruce Damer, Alexander Beiner, and Ros Stone. (Photo by Floris Wolswijk)

Press Conference Highlights

The press conference of Breaking Convention showcased an expansive global tapestry, weaving together threads from diverse indigenous and international contexts. Akua Osofuhene, founder of African Spiritual Practices events, described delivering ayahuasca ceremonies in Ghana, reflecting the growing recognition of indigenous wisdom in contemporary psychedelic practices. Similarly, Simon Ruffell, psychiatrist, researcher, and student of Shipibo Shamanism, shared powerful preliminary findings from his work with Shipibo healers using ayahuasca to provide healing for military veterans living with PTSD. His preliminary data show that 84% of veterans no longer met diagnostic criteria for PTSD post-retreat, with improvements sustained at six-month follow-up. 

Meanwhile, Jo’Rel McQueen, a Māori practitioner dedicated to reviving indigenous healing rituals, articulated the Māori perspective on Rongoā practices, emphasizing how deeply these traditions resonate with the current psychedelic renaissance while weaving Mātauranga Māori knowledge with modern approaches to guide transformation.

Bruce Damer shifted the conversation toward creativity, calling psychedelics and AI “partners in flow.” Damer’s remarks reframed artificial intelligence not as a rival or threat, but rather as a psychedelic dance partner, an “amanuensis,” as he described, opening new avenues for creative and scientific breakthroughs. Founder of the Center for MINDS, he highlighted their first funded three-year study at UT Austin, investigating the effect of psilocybin on memory encoding and recall. Damer’s enthusiasm underscored a broader optimism at the conference: the notion that psychedelics offer not only personal healing, but a powerful lens through which we can engage with global complexity.

Since Breaking Convention 2023, there appeared to be a clear shift in tone. The previous press conference had been dominated by Western academic discourse, emphasizing rigor within conventional scientific paradigms. This year, however, the press conference felt broader and more inclusive, driven by diverse global perspectives and traditions. It was no longer about one authoritative voice, but rather about an expanding dialogue, signaling the psychedelic movement’s growing maturity and cultural sensitivity.

When this reporter posed a question about the waning global influence of the U.S. and its implications for psychedelics, Beiner wryly quoted Hunter S. Thompson: “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” Damer similarly noted the cyclicality of societal upheavals, drawing parallels to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s transformative presidency. Grace Hopley, founder of Hystelica, focusing on women’s health and psychedelics, provided a more tempered viewpoint, pointing to emerging threats against women’s health research in the U.S. as a stark reminder that progress is never linear.

Closing Ceremony at Breaking Convention 2025. (Photo by Floris Wolswijk)

Celebration and Ritual at the Closing Ceremony

As the final day drew to a close, conference organizers took the stage in the Hofmann Hall, offering heartfelt thanks to volunteers, presenters, and attendees alike. Their genuine gratitude reflected the community-driven ethos that had permeated the entire event. The hall, still arranged with formal rows of chairs, hummed with the collective energy of three days of shared discovery and connection.

Following these acknowledgments, the space transformed as indigenous elders stepped forward to conduct a blessing ritual. The simple yet profound ceremony wove ancestral wisdom into our modern gathering, reminding everyone present of the deep cultural and historical roots of psychedelics. As sacred smoke wafted through the hall, the audience fell into respectful silence, the academic atmosphere giving way to something more primordial and communal.

The reverence in the room was palpable—a momentary suspension of intellectual discourse in favor of embodied presence. This seamless transition from a scientific conference to a ceremonial space exemplified Breaking Convention’s unique ability to honor both empirical research and spiritual traditions without privileging either.

As we filed out of the hall afterward, this reporter reached down to the blotter-paper badge, breaking off a square in hopeful anticipation—perhaps this was the mythical spiked tab Tollan had joked about at the conference’s opening. Whether placebo or portal, it symbolized stepping out of structured dialogue and into an evening of communal celebration, carrying forward the connections forged during our time together into our respective communities and the world beyond.

Breaking Convention afterparty. (Photo by Floris Wolswijk.)

The Afterparty on Bicycle Day

The conference culminated fittingly on Bicycle Day, a subtle yet poignant homage to Hofmann’s famed LSD bicycle journey. Across the university’s transformed disco venue, generations blended effortlessly. Students spun freely alongside psychedelic veterans, octogenarians found youthful rhythm again, and everywhere smiles transcended age.

The afterparty felt like a distilled version of the conference itself: barriers were down, connections were forming freely, and communal liberation spilled out in bursts of laughter and spontaneous dance circles. Conversations with strangers felt easy, expansive, meaningful—the effortless dialogues born of shared psychedelic exploration. In that pulsing crowd, the themes of disconnection and dialogue finally blurred into a collective “raising of consciousness.”

As I danced, I caught glimpses of faces from the earlier embodiment workshop, their knowing smiles connecting moments of individual transformation into a shared wave of energy. In the gentle strobing lights, it was easy to imagine that we were all spokes turning in tandem, each cycle pulling us closer to that interconnected horizon that Hofmann himself had glimpsed back in 1943.

Seeds Planted and Paths Forward

Breaking Convention 2025 reminded me vividly of the dual reality we inhabit: a world both deeply fragmented and profoundly interconnected. The absences and geographic imbalances I noted at the outset still echoed, yet they seemed less like voids than fertile spaces inviting future growth and dialogue. Every connection forged here was a seed planted, capable of bridging divides far beyond this weekend’s brief communion.

Leaving the dancefloor, warmed by conversation, music, and perhaps a trace of playful uncertainty from my blotter badge, I reflected on MacCartney’s elemental invocation and Harrison’s fireside wisdom. Breaking Convention had once again shown its unique power, sparking individual insights that ripple out into a mycelial network of collective transformation. As John Constable said in 2023, it was time to “lift our hands and spread the mycelial spores.” From the seeds planted in Exeter, countless paths now branch outward, waiting only for us to walk them together.

Featured image photo by James Willis