Speakers at PS2025 Challenge the Psychedelic Movement, Announce a Clergy Study, and Explore Psychedelics For Brain Injury

On June 19, the second day of the 2025 Psychedelic Science conference in Denver, CO, Lucid News reporters continued to cover panel discussions and events. These stories followed several talks, including psychologist Carl Hart’s presentation about psychedelic exceptionalism and the writer Jamie Wheal’s challenges to the current direction of the psychedelic movement. Another Lucid News reporter covered the results of a long-awaited study that examined the effects of psilocybin on the religious experience of clergy from major world religions. 

Video coverage of day 2 includes visual stories about breathwork, plus interviews with Pete Sessa of Cannadelic and former boxer Mark Irwin who advocates for research into psychedelics as a potential treatment for traumatic brain injury.

Lucid News is publishing daily roundups of news from the conference, as well as coverage of workshops and events that took place during the week. You can read our prior coverage of Psychedelic Science 2025 here: including part 1 and part 2 of our reporting on the opening day of the conference on June 18 and part 1 of our coverage of day two on June 19. 

Carl Hart Unpacks Psychedelic Exceptionalism

On day two of Psychedelic Science 2025, psychologist and neuroscientist Carl Hart addressed a packed room with characteristic charisma and described what he saw as an ongoing issue of elitism in the psychedelic movement. He began his talk, “Psychedelic Exceptionalism is Killing Us,” with a trigger warning for those offended by “language” and “reality,” garnering the first of many laughs to come in his presentation. 

A professor of psychology at Columbia University known for his research on drug abuse and drug addiction, Hart defined psychedelic exceptionalism as “the belief that so-called psychedelic drugs are superior to other drugs.” As in his most recent book, “Drug Use for Grown Ups,” Hart deconstructed what he saw as common misperceptions and biases implicit in the “good drugs” vs. “bad drugs” dichotomy many habitually draw. 

For instance, many who claim psychedelics are “superior” to drugs like cocaine and heroin make the argument that many psychedelics are rooted in longstanding sacred plant medicine traditions. However, the coca leaf from which cocaine is derived has long been a sacred plant medicine in South America, and the opium poppy from which morphine is derived—and Hart explained that heroin and morphine are essentially identical—has likewise served as an important plant medicine for centuries. Nevertheless, many psychedelic enthusiasts continue to judge heroin and cocaine users as “bad” while calling their personal drug use “healing,” said Hart. 

Hart then detailed the chemical similarities between MDMA and methamphetamine, followed by the similarities between ketamine and PCP. With PCP, he emphasized a key point that racism plays a central role in drug policies and perceptions. While ketamine has been glorified as a healing compound, as predominantly white populations have used it, PCP continues to bear the “urban legend” that it gives users superhuman strength, a justification many police officers have used to shoot unarmed black Americans ten or more times, said Hart. 

Ultimately, Hart challenged the psychedelic community to “come out of the closet” with their drug use—and not only with psychedelics, but other “hard” drugs as well. And for those unwilling to do so for personal reasons, Hart encouraged psychedelic users to orient toward understanding one another and respect every individual’s autonomy rather than placing themselves on a pedestal above their fellow drug users for arbitrary, self-righteous reasons. – Sean Lawlor

Behind the Breathworth: An Interview With the “Willful Warrior” 

Leland Holgate Sr. is a combat veteran with an incredible story about healing through breathwork, yoga, and meditation. Take a peek at his breathwork sessions in the Sonic Room at the 2025 Psychedelic Science conference. If you missed his sessions at PS2025, you can try a session yourself on his YouTube channel. – Joelle DelPrete

Jamie Wheal Questions the Direction of Psychedelic Culture

Jamie Wheal wants everyone in the psychedelic space to get informed, stay critical, and set aside childish things. His talk on the second day of the Psychedelic Science conference, titled “Pixie Dust to Brass Tacks: The Real Consequences of the Psychedelic Renaissance,” was a bit more pessimistic than the average programming organized by MAPS, the conference host. 

A writer and cofounder of the Flow Genome Project, Wheal challenged the audience right out of the gate asking: “What is all the fuss about?” meaning, of course, the fuss about psychedelics. He then laid out, in three broad strokes, what he sees as their purpose: (1) to re-enchant the world and inspire awe, (2) to connect us with our broken parts, and (3) to help reveal a path toward healing.

This is where Wheal’s heavily sarcastic, profanity-laced breakdown of those points began. Starting with step one, Wheal pointed out that “what we have been touting as a green revolution is on top of, not instead of, human energy consumption levels. He showed a graphic illustrating the annual rate of Amazon deforestation, which is currently at its highest since 2008. And while he acknowledged that ayahuasca tourism is not solely to blame, the tens of thousands of westerners who seek these experiences – largely rich, white, privileged, and politically empowered people – seem not to be of much help, either. 

Wheal then asked why the psychedelic community takes it as “…an article of faith that psychedelics make you more open, more conscientious, less neurotic, [and] less of a dick…”, when projects like MK Ultra exist, a series of investigations carried out by the CIA to examine LSD as a tool for mind control. The scientist who led these investigations, Sydney Gottleib, is seen quite ambivalently, said Wheal, as this article from the Stuttering Foundation suggests: “Sidney Gottlieb: The Infamous Gentle-Hearted Torturer.” 

Wheal also argued that various limitations have emerged from the 2006 groundbreaking study that asserted that psilocybin induces mystical experiences. He said that the flaws in the investigation included questionable research protocols, such as hypothesizing after the results are known and cherry picking data. 

Setting aside debates about study design, Wheal said that this landmark research – led by the late scientist Roland Griffiths, one of the heroes of the psychedelic renaissance, and the subject of several films screened at Psychedelic Science – indicated to him where the movement is headed. According to Wheal, it is becoming Christian, conservative, and commercialized, with some researchers arguing that the psychedelic movement’s concentration on mysticism is inherently biased towards Christianity. 

Wheal also drew a connection between psychedelics and rising conservative influence, citing figures like Bryan Hubbard, Joe Rogan, and Elon Musk. He mentioned Governor Greg Abbott, who is making headlines right now for investing $50 million in ibogaine research and for vetoing a THC ban. Wheal alluded to the quiet irony between this support for psychedelic initiatives and Abbott’s role in other state policies—such as overseeing the highest number of book bans in the country and allocating $2 billion in state funds to Operation Lone Star, a border security initiative. He suggested this may be at odds with findings from psychedelic research, which often highlight a sense of human connectedness as a core effect of these substances.

Despite the efforts of MAPS’ founder Rick Doblin and others to keep therapy and human connection at the heart of psychedelic treatment, Wheal suggested that the broader “set and setting” of today’s late-capitalist, American political landscape may not be conducive to that vision. He pointed to the cannabis industry as a cautionary example, which has put increasingly more potent products on the market, edged out legacy cannabis growers, and in some cases, made false claims about cannabis’ benefits. 

Wheal expanded on this in simple terms: “The moment you push it to scale, you start encountering very different demographics, very different set and setting, very different cultures, very different values.” As AI bots are increasingly being used for therapeutic purposes, and even entering discussions in the psychedelic research space, Wheal said it paints an all too familiar picture of psychedelics being co-opted by a culture, rather than changing it. However, this time, instead of wacky Harvard professors and counterculture icons shaping the movement, Wheal argued that we now have armed forces and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. 

Ending on a slightly more hopeful note, Wheal returned to his three key themes of the psychedelic experience: inspiring awe, revealing our broken parts, and possibly showing us how to heal them. He urged the audience to hold onto these ideas with humility, magic, and mystery. He invited us to continue experiencing ego death, and return with a few clear goals, to help our brothers and sisters, the two-legged and four-legged, the finned and winged. For Wheal, this means staying informed and acknowledging the realities of a psychedelic renaissance unfolding in the political climate of 2025. This is because, quoting the political scientist Brian Klaas’ observation, “we control nothing, but we influence everything.” – Joelle DelPrete

Interview With Pete Sessa of Cannadelic 

Pete Sessa, a curator at Cannadelic – which produces cannabis, psychedelics, and wellness events – speaks about the similarities of cannabis and psychedelics. 

Pete Sessa also shares a personal experience with plant medicine and reflects on Denver, Colorado, and why it’s the perfect energy for Psychedelic Science. – Vaughn Jefferson

Pivotal Study of Clergy Shows That Psilocybin Enhances Spirituality and Interfaith Tolerance

Tears welled in lead investigator Anthony Bossis’s eyes as he presented results from a study fifteen years in the making. In the long-awaited culmination of a pivotal study, “Effects of Psilocybin on Religious and Spiritual Attitudes and Behaviors in Clergy from Various Major World Religions,” also the title of Bossis’s talk at PS2025, profession clergy from Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam were given psilocybin in a landmark trial exploring how psychedelics affect religious life. At 16 months post-dose, 96% of participants ranked the experience among the most spiritually significant of their lives. “God is love I said,” said one participant, “and that felt right.”

Bossis said he was sad to present these results without the late Roland Griffiths, his co-author, who cared deeply about the study. Designed as a follow-up to the 1962 Good Friday Experiment, the study asked how psilocybin would affect people who have been educated in the practices of a major world religion. 88% had a “complete mystical experience.” Participants reported feelings of sacredness, timelessness, ineffability, and joy. Yet 42% called the session the most challenging of their lives. Bossis emphasized a key finding: 71% reported a greater appreciation for religions beyond their own. One ordained minister reflected: “It was like I lived those religions.”

Dr. Stephen Ross called the study “the weirdest I’ve ever been involved with.” Typically treating patients in a clinical setting, here he explored psilocybin’s influence on vocation and well-being in clergy. He pointed out a range of limitations to the study, including a lack of diversity—mostly white, male, and Christian—but said the long-term results “blow me away.” He noted their reports of increased altruism, effectiveness as spiritual leaders, and devotion to their practices. Ross acknowledged that concerns about noncompliance from the university’s internal review board delayed the study for over a year, but said not publishing would be unethical. “None of the [IRB] findings amounted to scientific misconduct…We don’t believe any of them affected participant safety or integrity of the data,” he said.

Veteran psychedelic researcher Bill Richards—who administered the last legal psilocybin dose in 1977—echoed his gratitude to be part of the study. He envisioned a future where seminary students might attend psychedelic retreats to encounter what William James called “primary religion,” defined as experiences that leave religious followers suddenly believing in what they are preaching. He called for the integration of spiritual experiences into improved interpersonal relationships “if we want healthier clergy.”

Jaime Clark-Soles, a participant in the study and distinguished Bible studies professor (“the Baptist,” she says, in Michael Pollan’s New Yorker profile of the study), ranked the profundity of her two psilocybin journeys as just below the birth of her two children. “I understood Sabbath rest for the first time,” she said, “being awake but totally at peace and still.”

Boxer Mark Irwin Wants More Research on Psychedelics for Traumatic Brain Injuries

Mark Irwin is a former Bare Knuckle Boxer (BKB) World Champion and three-time Hall of Fame award winner. Mark is now raising awareness and funding to advance scientific research into the role of psychedelic therapy for traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).

Here is an introduction to Mark Irwin and the work he is doing at PS2025 to encourage research into how psychedelic substances might help athletes heal traumatic brain injuries. Mark also shares his personal experiences with plant medicine and reflects on how he has used them as an athlete, specifically microdosing for TBIs. – Vaughn Jefferson