In some cases, your first psychedelic experience may well deliver some huge spiritual revelations, but this will definitely not be the case every time. At some point, you will almost certainly be forced to face up to yourself, and to the personal issues that you may have been ignoring or suppressing, or may even have been totally unaware of. Be prepared for some hard work—if you are not ready for this, you should wait until you are, or maybe reconsider your reasons for wanting to try psychedelics, although curiosity is as valid a reason as any other.

This year on International Harm Reduction Day, I organised and ran overdose prevention training for the members of the Australian Psychedelic Society and their loved ones. I am very passionate about overdose prevention training and advocating for the importance of naloxone being available to the public, as I have lived experience of overdose and having to have naloxone administered to myself. I might not be alive today if people didn’t know how to respond to an overdose and administer naloxone. I have had to respond to overdoses and administer naloxone to other people as well, and it makes it a lot less stressful if you do know what to do to save someone’s life.

With psychedelics there is typically little confusion while under the influence, and immediately after the substance has worn off, it is usually understood that any ‘entities’, visual patterns, sounds and so on, were not a part of the consensus ‘normal’ reality. With delirium, however, there is no awareness that what you are experiencing isn’t real.

We must work to create a culture of transparency and accountability, and establish structures and support systems to ensure that victims of abuse are heard, supported, and given a voice. It is only through these efforts that we can hope to create a truly inclusive and responsible psychedelic community.

Psychedelic therapy is unique and unlike any other type of psychological or psychiatric therapy. And that is because true psychedelic medicines such as LSD and psilocybin have the potential to introduce a whole new spiritual, transpersonal or entheogenic dimension of human experience into this work. Now that doesn’t always happen, but when it does the effects can be profound.

As Dr Stephen Bright points out, ‘This decision makes Australia the first country in the world to recognise MDMA and Psilocybin as medicines.’ This means people who would benefit from these therapies have a chance at accessing them through legal channels.

Read on to learn the facts of the TGA decision as well as the implications for patients and people who use psilocybin and MDMA in non-clinical settings.

Experts have long advocated for alternative approaches to the policing led policies that currently exist. These evidence and health based approaches must be adopted as a matter of urgency to reduce the harms associated with the current policies and lessen the unnecessary burden of ineffectively attempting to enforce existing policies where resources could be better spent elsewhere by law enforcement, the justice system and public health agencies.

The Victorian Goldfields branch of the Australian Psychedelic Society, working in conjunction with Castlemaine’s historic Theatre Royal, recently featured the rural Victorian premiere of the Canadian Documentary, Dosed 2: The Trip of a Lifetime. After the sold-out screening, there was a lively panel discussion with some of Australia’s leading figures in the use of psychedelics in medicine.

At least as far back as 1919, a certain number of Masons believed that an extract of Acacia is the philosophers’ stone. But where did this idea come from?

As we have probably all heard by now, the Australian Capital Territory has passed the Drugs of Dependence (Personal Use) Amendment Act 2022. The act will come into effect on 28 October 2023, a delay intended to facilitate the approval of diversion programs and train police on the new amendments. The Australian Psychedelic Society believes this is a positive step in moving towards a fairer, more rational and health centred approach to the regulation of psychoactive substances in Australia… but there are caveats.

Alejandro Tuama's first-person account of a young man's journey of self-discovery through plant medicines is highly recommended to anyone with an interest in the subject, regardless of what stage they are at in their own journey.

APS Sydney's Cactus Day 2022 was something really special. The event showcased ‘old school’ expert cactus cultivators Mark Camo and Liam Engel.