The Dark Side of the psychedelic Hype: Dealing with Abuse and Malpractice in facilitated Experiences by Nadja Schollenberger

For some years now, the interest in psychedelics has been booming and the promises made by their proponents are full-bodied to the maximum: they are supposed to free us from depression, anxiety and addictive disorders, and even from our ego. However, the fact that the consumption of psychedelics does not automatically make people more compassionate and kinder beings is evidenced by more and more cases of abuse that are increasingly discussed in the scene. Unfortunately, it is becoming all too clear that after all the euphoria, there is also a great need to deal with the dark side of the so-called psychedelic renaissance.

This lecture is about why special care should be taken when choosing psychedelic therapists/shamans/retreat centers, how to distinguish between reputable and dubious providers, and what individuals and the psychedelic community can do to avoid or reduce harm and how we can deal with it better once it has occurred.

Following this presentation, a working group will be formed to develop various strategies to help people make better decisions, support victims of abuse, and establish a network of accountability within our community. If you want to get engaged in this project and want to take an active role in making our community a safer and more supportive space, don’t miss this talk!

About Speaker/h3>

Nadja Schollenberger studied literature, philosophy, rhetoric and journalism and currently is working as an editor, writer and translator. In the last ten years she has travelled to different countries to work with different traditions and tribes and to learn how different plants and substances are used around the globe. After being a passionate psychonaut for more than two and a half decades she still is always amazed at the indescribable beauty and tremendous potential of the psychedelic experience when embedded in a safe setting. But also equally concerned about the dangers of improper use and the impact of its popularization. Therefore she has co-founded the Psychedelic Society Berlin in 2019 together with friends to ensure that the social, cultural, political and spiritual aspects of the psychedelic universe is represented respectfully in the process of mainstreaming and medicalization.