Written by Manuela Memi
Breaking Convention is an international conference held every two years in the UK that focuses on psychedelic consciousness, bringing together people from the field of psychedelic research, activism, art, and harm reduction, this time at the University of Exeter. It is the counterpart of the corporate psychedelic conferences in the American psychedelic scene, and as such, it is much more accessible to many young people interested in this world. The best thing about it, in my opinion, is its multidisciplinary approach which puts equal emphasis on the humanities and psychedelic science, and in a close second all the psychedelic art, cinema, installations, and workshops I participated in both as a representative of Youth RISE and as someone in the psychedelic neuroscience field.
The talks and panels covered the latest research on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, the use of these substances in traditional healing practices, the cultural and social implications of the psychedelic experience, and how these aspects and others intersect. The conference provided a platform for open discussion and debate around the use of psychedelics for therapeutic, spiritual, and creative purposes, with several talks on the need for diversity and decolonisation in the psychedelic sphere. For me, these discussions reinforced the need for inclusive research and policies that take into account the needs and experiences of communities that these practices come from, as well as those that a new therapy model intends to benefit.
"The conference aims to provide a platform for open discussion and debate around the use of psychedelics for therapeutic, spiritual, and creative purposes, with several talks on the need for diversity, decolonisation and inclusion in the psychedelic field."
It is worth highlighting the series of talks leading to the panels on “Decolonising psychedelics”, with Christine Hauskeller on “Dimensions of a decolonial ethics for psychedelic studies”, Maziyar Ghiabi on “The epistemology of the intoxicated: some thoughts from the Islamicate world”, Claudia Schwarz-Plaschg on “Decolonising psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy through relational ethics in the clinic?”. The entirety of the “Psychedelic Healing; a Pan-African Perspective” was brilliant too, with Darren Le Baron, Akua Ofosuhene, Acacea Sherman-Lewis and Moudou Baqui, who discussed “Afrofuturism and culturally relevant approaches to psychedelics”. The perspectives from Asia (Dr Aimon Kopera spoke on “Bridging Ancient Plant Medicine with Modern Medicine: How Asian cultures can embrace Psychedelics”) and Latin America (Maria Fernanda Gebara The social-cultural history and present of Ayahuasca) were also very needed, and it was a great opportunity to be a part of the conversations bringing attention to the needs and experiences of those not prioritised by an increasingly commercialised psychedelic market, including young people who use drugs.
I had the opportunity to talk to researchers, activists, and creatives working to better the psychedelic field, and while young people’s perspectives and experiences around psychedelics were not explicitly addressed in the agenda, everyone that I spoke with welcomed our opinions and collaborations to help our voice shape the policies and practices around these substances. Still, the drug policy conversation was often limited to regulation for the clinical application of psychedelics, while people who use these and other psychoactive substances are still criminalised globally. Psychedelic therapy is one part of the whole, but we need sensible drug policy reform to lead the way as the progress towards an inclusive and decolonial medicalised access continues.
I learned a lot about the global issues in the psychedelic field and the debates happening at the brink of a commercialised psychedelic market, and the position of different organisations attending the conference on the best way to address them, especially when it comes to the best policies for the communities, it risks leaving behind (including young people who use drugs) and for which advocacy for drug policy reform is key. The conference was a great opportunity to get in contact and get to know more about the work of organizations in the forefront of psychedelics advocacy and research like PsyCare UK, Source Research Foundation, MIND Foundation, OPEN Foundation, the Autistic Psychedelic Community, as well as the big names in psychedelic therapy like MAPS, Beckley Foundation and Psychedelics Today, as well as Drug Science, LEAP and others.
One thing that stood out to me during the conference was the sense of community and solidarity among everyone. Despite coming from different backgrounds everyone spoke about the common goal of promoting the safe use of psychedelics and advocating for their potential while reducing their risks, and there was undoubtedly a feeling of connection throughout the campus. The costs of attending are a barrier for a lot of young people to be in these kinds of events and, while this conference charges a fraction of what others do, ticket funding and travel grants including visa costs and accommodations are still necessary. I attended Breaking Convention together with the lovely team from Entheoscope magazine, and being in a group of young people who could support each other made the conference as a whole – and some conversations on drug policy reform and harm reduction for and beyond psychedelics – much easier to tackle. Lastly, the creative side of the conference was wonderful to experience, with psychedelic art and virtual reality trip simulations, and it brought a great balance to the academic side of it aside from being really good fun. I am grateful I had the opportunity to attend Breaking Convention, and it is definitely a conference I will be coming back to!