Journeying into Right Relations: Scientists Turn to Psilocybin to Shift Psychological Burdens of Global Environmental Change and Find Transformational Pathways Forward

Abstract

This paper follows 8 scientists who ventured into the world of psychedelics on a quest to find transformational pathways forward. Each have worked on aspects of global environmental change for decades, and observing environmental crises converging into a global polycrisis/metacrisis with genuine potential for collapse, we have all carried psychological burdens, including fatigue, anxiety, grief, and hopelessness. Psilocybin offers potential for alleviating and transforming these burdens, and for shining light towards creative ways forward. Through professional connections and quiet conversations, we came together to conduct a participatory self-study to directly explore this potential. The study was conducted in Oregon, which offers a legal framework for the administration of psilocybin. We embarked with thoughtful preparation, group intention setting, and integration protocols. This paper recounts our journey together, including vignettes of our experiences; a preliminary synthesis of learnings; and a glimpse of insights that continue today. We emerged with a powerful, common insight: it is impossible to learn “right relations” outside of relationship, and that righting of relations for our transformed, collective future is an act of love. We tell our story in the hope of enlivening conversations, actions, and further investigation of psychedelic-assisted approaches for fostering resilience and realizing transformative change.