Upcoming psychedelic events in appalachia
a curated REGIONAL calendar
Appalachian Psychedelic Society may not be at every event listed below, this is a curated list by our team.
We are not responsible for the outcome of any event and do not support the sale or use of illegal substances.
To have your event included on our calendar, please send us an email.
For countless generations, Indigenous communities around the world have integrated psychedelics into their cultural and spiritual practices.
From the peyote ceremonies of the Native American Church to the ayahuasca rituals of the Amazon rainforest tribes, these technologies have been revered as powerful allies for connecting with the spiritual realm, gaining insight, and healing.
For that reason, we include Indigenous led events with or without any psychedelic component as an ally for Indigenous stewardship.
PhilaDelic Conference
Join us on October 3-6, 2024 for the second PhilaDelic Conference at the University of Pennsylvania!
Our mission is to create an inspiring and inclusive space for psychedelic education, scholarship, and community. This conference cultivates a setting of diverse experts to facilitate meaningful discussion, foster ideas, and expanding understanding. Together, we will consciously and creatively advance the field of psychedelics for the greater good of society. Our varied conference programming includes panels, lectures, mixers, workshops, and opportunities to engage with the broader psychedelic community.
This exciting event is hosted by the Penn Psychedelics Collaborative - a transdiciplinary consortium for healing, discovery, and transformation.
Ticket Pricing Schedule
Early Bird: June 14 – August 15
Regular: August 16 – September 15
Late: September 16 – October 1
Agenda
Thursday, October 3 - Workshops, Welcome Art Reception
Friday, October 4 - Keynote Speaker, Panel Presentations & Discussion, Lightning Talks
Saturday, October 5 - Keynote Speaker, Panel Presentations & Discussion, Poster Presentations
Sunday, October 6 - Keynote Speaker, Panel Presentations & Discussion
Refund Policy
Cancellation requests for registration 60 days or greater before October 3 is eligible for 100% refund, between 60 days and 30 days is eligible for 50% refund, and 30 days or less is not eligible for refund. Please email info@philadelic.org to request a refund.
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Soulquinox: Psychedelic Science & Spirituality Summit
“Under the celestial banner of Soulquinox, the Psychedelic Science and Spirituality Summit is poised to unfold amidst the serene backdrop of Spruce Peak in Stowe, Vermont. Organised by the Psychedelic Society of Vermont, this event promises a harmonious blend of scientific inquiry and spiritual introspection from September 20th to 22nd, 2024. The summit is a beacon for those seeking enlightenment at the crossroads of cognitive exploration and spiritual enlightenment.
Attendees will have the privilege of absorbing wisdom from a constellation of luminaries (speakers from last year), such as Rick Doblin, Ph.D., an ambassador of therapeutic psychedelics; Julie Holland, M.D., a psychiatrist weaving the threads between medicine and mind expansion; and Rosalind Watts, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist with a passion for the healing potential of altered states. These guides, among others, will navigate discussions through the landscape of psychedelic science, its spiritual nexus, and its profound implications for mental health and consciousness.
Over three transformative days, the summit will curate a tapestry of talks, workshops, and evening programs designed to catalyze personal and collective growth. The event not only provides enlightenment but also offers Continuing Education (CE) credits, acknowledging the scholarly depth and professional merit of its content. The interplay of daytime discourses and twilight events aims to enrich the participant’s journey, melding academic rigor with the intangible dance of spiritual experience.
While the gateway to securing tickets remains closed, the anticipation for this gathering surges. Prospective attendees are encouraged to watch the society’s website for updates on ticket releases and event specifics. The Soulquinox summit stands as an ode to the synergistic potential of psychedelic science and spirituality, beckoning the curious and the devout alike to partake in its upcoming 2024 session.” -via Blossom Analysis
Register & Event Info
3rd Annual Gathering of The Pearl2024
“Join The Pearl Psychedelic Institute in celebrating the mountains that we have climbed as we share what lies ahead.
Enjoy amazing live music, delicious food, beverages, and an auction in support of advancing psychedelic-assisted therapy in WNC.”
The Pearl Psychedelic Institute is a 501c3 nonprofit that aims to bring psychedelic-assisted therapy into mainstream practice through research, treatment, and training while reducing the barriers to patient cost.
Healing Appalachia
As of now, Healing Appalachia has not explicitly endorsed psychedelic education. We include it here because we love Appalachia and support this mission.
From their website:
”To produce events that help connect and grow communities of recovery and healing in Appalachia, raising funds and awareness to combat opioid addiction through a wide array of projects and programs from youth prevention, healthy lifestyles and wellness to recovery houses and recovery to work. Like Farm Aid does to raise awareness and funds for America’s small, sustainable family farms, we want to bring together folks to raise funds and awareness to celebrate recovery through our main event Healing Appalachia each September, and work year-round on more projects fostering communities of recovery. “
Event Link: Healing Appalachia
Advancing Appalachia
Advancing Appalachia has not explicitly supported psychedelic education initiatives; we include it here because we share a mission of seeing Appalachians thrive!
Co-hosted by the State of Tennessee, ARC is excited to hold our annual conference, Advancing Appalachia, at the Chattanooga Convention Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on September 4-5, 2024.
Our annual conference will highlight how our 13 states and 423 counties are working to advance Appalachia by building businesses and workforces, investing in infrastructure and tourism, and growing local leadership capacity. Each year, we feature ARC partners who work daily to strengthen Appalachia!
TICKETS HERE:
Spirituality & Psychedelics: What Christians & Others Should Know
What do religious and spiritual seekers and leaders need to know about ongoing research into psychedelics and their potential as powerful tools for mental health and spiritual care?
This public event will include some brief presentations, a panel discussion and some time for questions and answers. Among the topics: current psychedelic studies and findings, indigenous beliefs and practices, psychedelics and social justice, drugs and medicines in scripture and the Christian tradition, psychedelics-informed Spiritual Direction, and modalities that are currently legal everywhere, including breathwork.
Dr. William Richards, world renowned psychedelic researcher and author, joins the Rev. Hunt Priest, founder of Ligare: A Christian Psychedelic Society, for a gathering of leading voices currently contributing to research, ethics, integration, training, and indigenous practices in the emerging field of psychedelic informed spiritual direction. For additional information, consider watching Sacred Speaks interview with Dr. Richards, and another with Hunt Priest and Ligare's board chair Dr. Jessica Felix-Romero.
More information about Ligare
Ligare Stories, a short film featuring Christians sharing how psychedelic ceremonies have deepened their Christian journey.
More information about Richmond Hill
Event Link & Tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spirituality-and-psychedelics-what-christians-and-others-should-know-tickets-885848365307?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios
Safeguarding the Sacred: Integrating Ceremony and Medical Safety in Psychedelic Healing
About the event
Dive into the intersection of ritual and the modern therapeutic model at 'Safeguarding the Sacred: Integrating Ceremony and Medical Safety in Psychedelic Healing.'
This event will be held at the wonderful art gallery and event space "Art Garden AVL" in the River Arts District. The mushroom cafe "The Pot Stirred" at this location will be open for guests during the event!
Join acclaimed author Matt Zemon (author of Psychedelics for Everyone: A Beginner’s Guide to These Powerful Medicines for Anxiety, Depression, Addiction, PTSD, and Expanding Consciousness and Beyond the Trip, A Journal for Psychedelic Preparation and Integration) and Tiffany Sauls, MD, Owner and Founder of Asheville Integrative Psychiatry, as they explore the harmonious fusion of ceremonial wisdom and medical expertise in the realm of psychedelic healing. From the structured environments of mental health clinics to the rich tapestries of ceremonial practices, this event delves into how both approaches can coalesce to ensure safety, efficacy, and respect for the sacred in the transformative journey of healing with psychedelics. Discover how integrating ceremony and medical safety can enhance therapeutic outcomes and also honor the diverse cultural roots of psychedelic traditions while maintaining ethical standards and ensuring the well-being of participants.
There will be time for audience Q & A at the end of the event.
Bicycle Day ~ Why You Trippin followed by a screening of Hoffman's Potion
Come join The Psychedelic Society of Asheville this Bicycle Day for a Pearl Psychedelic Institute fundraiser and special talk titled Why You Trippin, The Extraordinary Lineage of Communal Psychedelics and the Great Myth of Recreational Use by PSA co-founder Ehren Cruz.
In this discussion, Ehren will review the Three Waves of Psychedelic movements and their impact: Ancient Civilization & Indigenous use, the rebirth of psychedelic movements 60’s, and the contemporary renaissance breaking down the doors of the War on Drugs. We will also explore the power of collective psychedelic use in conjunction with music, art, radical creativity and culture to expand paradigms of the human potential through festival culture. We will challenge the idea of there being a dramatic separation between recreational, intentional and sacramental use and how removing these limiting definitions can create greater freedom for growth and discovery. Lastly, we’ll explore, with both a mystical & scientific lens, what we are actually doing amplifying our psychic, empathic and intuitive capacities in this dynamic magical environment together. But be warned! You can’t unknow what you know! Once you learn the true transformational power of the compounds you are ingesting, you’re officially responsible for the caretaking and stewardship of just how important these festival spaces are for the evolution of your life path and dare I say mankind as a whole.
After the talk, we will have a screening of Hofmann's Potion, a film which traces D-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) from its initial discovery in 1943 by Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hofmann, when it was hailed as a powerful tool for the treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction and to provide a window into schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, through its heyday in the 1960s counterculture, to its present status as a banned or controlled substance in many Western countries.
Breakdown:
Why you Trippin 6-7 pm
Q and A 7:00-7:15
Break 7:15-7:30
Intro to Bicycle day history (Dr. Raymond Turpin)
7:30-7:45
Hoffman’s Potion 7:45-8:45
Then another Q and A with Dr. Turpin and Ehren Cruz 8:45-9 pm.
We are asking for a $10 donation which will go directly to supporting The Pearl Psychedelic Institute.
Bicycle Day Eve Grateful Dead Party
The first annual Bicycle Day Eve Grateful Dead Dance Party at @oneworldbrewing on Thursday April 18th! 🩵🎊
Dr. Turpin has selected a surprise live set from the good old days of the Dead to bring the Asheville community together to celebrate the eve of one of our favorite holidays… Bicycle Day! 🚲🌀 We are excited to have @spacecadetslighting partnering with us as well to put on a spectacular light show worthy of The Grateful Dead!
This event will begin at 7:00pm and there will be a $10 donation request at the door towards The Pearl Psychedelic Institute. We hope to see you all there to safely freak freely and let loose!
PSA Preparation and Integration Circle
Come join us on Sunday, March 24th 12pm-2pm for our monthly preparation & integration session.
This session will focus primarily on preparation tools for an upcoming journey however, we invite all shares about anything you’re integrating. Prep and integration are two sides of the same coin. Techniques taught during a preparation session can help unlock mysteries during the integration phase. Next month we will focus primarily on integration techniques.
This will be a smaller, more intimate gathering with the intention of creating a safe circle that allows time for all to share and connect. Max 25 people. Please RSVP.
ALL ARE WELCOME! We invite the first timers, the perpetually curious, the seasoned psychonauts and everyone in between. We are ALWAYS being called to prepare for and integrate the lessons of life.
What does psychedelic preparation entail?
How to be in right relationship with plant teachers and molecules of wisdom.
Tools and techniques for building your own runway to assure a smooth take off into the mystery.
Best practices for designing a safe and supportive landing pad once back home in “normal” life.
Cultivating a safe and fruitful set (mindset) and setting (environment in which your psychedelic experience will take place).
Holding space for what arrives prior to a psychedelic experience.
Remaining open and curious to the experience itself.
Harm reduction techniques.
What to bring:
A journal or notebook.
An open mind.
Anything that’s on your heart.
It’s recommended to allow yourself extra space and time after our gathering. Things may come up that deserve to be sat with gently.
Donations are welcomed to help support and expand Psychedelic Society of Asheville events and operating costs (website development, rentals for meetings, PSA stickers, informational pamphlets, etc.). Donations can be made in cash or via the CashApp with the username $psychasheville or by clicking the donate button on the Meetup page.
Sometimes Google maps misdirects our location. Off of rte 26 we are exit 9 (not 3!). Follow the exit directly onto rte 19 and make your 2nd right onto California Creek Rd. You will pass an old lumber mill on your right hand side. Follow the road for about 200 yards past 2 White Houses and make a right hand turn just after a tiny bridge into our home. You will see a stone mailbox with Cruz Family in the entrance.
Learn About Psychedelic Assisted Therapy
Do you have questions about what psychedelic assisted psychotherapy is like- or how to implement it into your practice?
Do you want to understand this dynamic and cutting-edge therapy, or are you considering adding psychedelic-assisted therapy to your practice?
Join doctor Sandra Newes, Ph.D., from the Living Medicine Institute Training Programs, as she shares her insights and expertise for free.
March 19, 5:00-6:00 pm EST
Introduction to Ketamine-Assisted Therapy (KAP) Didactic Training
Introduction to Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) has been approved by NBCC for NBCC credit. The Pearl Psychedelic Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. NBCC Approval No. SP-4184.
Presenters: Dr Raymond Turpin, PsyD; Kim Skelton, LCMHCS, LCAS; Aimee Spencer, PA
When: NEW DATES FOR 2024 COMING SOON!
Where: 55 Academy Street, Waynesville, NC 28786
Registration Fee: $300 w/CEs; $200 w/o CEs; Limited to 18 participants
Click here for more info.
The Psilocybin Handbook For Women
Event with The Pearl Psychedelic Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, at Still Point Wellness (details to come)
The Kentucky Summit on Exploring Breakthrough Therapeutic Potential for Opioid Use Disorder
From the Organizing Partner of Psychedelic Science 2023, comes The Kentucky Summit on Exploring Breakthrough Therapeutic Potential for Opioid Use Disorder, a significant event bringing together practitioners, researchers, policy makers, caregivers, and members of the community. Taking place in November in La Grange, Kentucky, this conference aims to address the pressing issues surrounding opioid use disorder (OUD) and delve into innovative therapeutic approaches to combat this crisis. Participants can expect thought-provoking discussions on evidence-based treatments, cutting-edge research, and effective policy strategies to address the complexities of OUD.
Expert speakers will present breakthrough therapeutic potentials, including novel medications, psychotherapeutic interventions, harm reduction initiatives, and community-based support systems. With a diverse range of stakeholders in attendance, the conference seeks to foster a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by individuals and communities affected by OUD, encouraging collaborative efforts towards a compassionate and effective response.
Register Here.
Revolutionizing Therapy: Psychedelics, Al, and the Future of Mental Health
Tickets
$99.00 IN PERSON MEMBER TICKET - Revolutionizing Therapy: Psychedelics, Al, and the Future of Mental Health
$99.00 VIRTUAL MEMBER TICKET - Revolutionizing Therapy: Psychedelics, AI, and the Future of Mental Health
$49.00 IN PERSON STUDENT TICKET - Revolutionizing Therapy: Psychedelics, AI, and the Future of Mental Health
$49.00 VIRTUAL STUDENT TICKET - Revolutionizing Therapy: Psychedelics, AI, and the Future of Mental Health
$129.00 IN PERSON GUEST TICKET - Revolutionizing Therapy: Psychedelics, Al, and the Future of Mental Health
$129.00 VIRTUAL GUEST TICKET - Revolutionizing Therapy: Psychedelics, AI, and the Future of Mental Health
Learn More & Register here
A Fireside Integration Circle & Potluck
We will have a warming fire to gather around, tables to share some food at, and a loving and supporting community to hold any questions, reflections, noticing's, or visions from upcoming or recent journeys.
Reverence as a Portal of Possibility In Plant Medicine
What does deepening in reverence and building a reciprocal relationship with plant medicine make possible in your body, in your life, and in the world? Join us for a guided conversation where we’ll tap into the wisdom of our bodies and explore ways to relate to all kinds of plant medicine with reverence.
Bring a journal with you and a cushion or mat if you’re comfortable sitting on the floor. Chairs will be available as well. Masks encouraged.
The conversation will be led by Sufia Ikbal-Doucet (they/them), a creator and curator of Beauty, listening deep to the Earth’s messages to understand and offer the medicine of the moment. They are an herbalist, intuitive guide, energy work practitioner, and filmmaker. Sufia’s daily practice explores shifting how we human together, and healing the way we marginalize parts of ourselves that then causes us to marginalize “others.”
Cohoba 's licensed therapists hold monthly psychedelic society meetings with a focus on community education, peer support, and harm reduction. We offer a social work framework for psychedelic harm reduction, and welcome our community's thoughts, questions, and concerns in these discussions.
National Psychedelic Policy and Investment Conference
The National Psychedelic Policy and Investment Conference is a two-day event focused on advancing public policies that integrate psychedelic medicine into our societal frameworks. With an emphasis on public policy, evidence-based research, and the role of public and private investment in psychedelic medicine, the conference will bring together a diverse range of stakeholders, including leading experts, policymakers, advocates, and investors.
CohobaFest
A celebration of arts, community, and psychedelic education in Charlotte, NC.
Introduction to Ketamine-Assisted Therapy (KAP) Didactic Training
Introduction to Ketamine-Assisted Therapy (KAP) Didactic Training
Introduction to Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) has been approved by NBCC for NBCC credit. The Pearl Psychedelic Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. NBCC Approval No. SP-4184.
Presenters: Dr Raymond Turpin, PsyD; Kim Skelton, LCMHCS, LCAS; Aimee Spencer, PA
When: September 21, 9:00am - 6:00pm; check in at 8:30am
Where: 55 Academy Street, Waynesville, NC 28786
Registration Fee: $300 w/CEs; $200 w/o CEs; Limited to 18 participants
Click here for more info.
Rights of Nature Briefing - Climate Week
The Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature, along with Environment Now and The Rockefeller Brothers Fund, is hosting a Rights of Nature Briefing during Climate Week, September 18 at 3 PM ET at the Henry Luce Foundation and online through Zoom - to attend online, please register here.
Kentucky Opioid Commission - Public Hearing for Ibogaine
Public Hearing
9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Administrative Office of the Courts building
1001 Vandalay Dr, Frankfort, KY 40601
Watch the previous hearing here.
Totem Pole Journey - Leonard Peltier
"Join us for an Interfaith Prayer as part of the “Free Leonard Peltier Totem Pole Journey”. We will gather by the banks of the Haw River--one of the largest bodies of water threatened by the MVP Southgate Extension--to lay down prayers for the river’s renewal and protection, as we also pray for the wellbeing and release of political prisoner Leonard Peltier.
*Light refreshments will be provided
Psychedelics, Death and Self-Compassion
Psychedelics, Death and Self-Compassion
A conversation with Scott Kirschenbaum, director of The Last Ecstatic Days
Psychedelics, Death and the Mind of the Universe
“Psychedelics, Death and The Mind of the Universe”
Professor Christopher M. Bache, author of LSD and the Mind of the Universe: Diamonds from Heaven
in conversation with
Scott Kirschenbaum, director of The Last Ecstatic Days
Middle of Somewhere Hemp Fest V with LadyCouch
The 5th Annual Middle of Somewhere Hemp Fest featuring LadyCouch is on Saturday, August 12, 2023, from 4-10pm. Come walk the grounds of Bert Driver Nursery as we celebrate all things hemp while you enjoy live music, craft beverages, food trucks, vendors, and more! This rain or shine event is family (and pet) friendly, kids 10 and under are free.
Gates open at 4pm
Opening act (TBD) at 6pm
LadyCouch at 8pm
We have limited seating throughout the venue, but feel free to bring your own camping chair. In the event we have to move inside the Solstice Sage area, no personal chairs are allowed inside the Solstice Stage/Greenhouse #3 (but there is limited seating inside the Solstice Stage). Venue seating is first come, first serve.