About this Event
Please join us for a 2-part lecture by Dr. Leor Roseman on
Connection and Liberation through Psychedelics
Ayahuasca Ceremonies with Israelis and Palestinians - A unique peacebuilding approach.
Wednesday March 26th, 5:15-8:15pm,
McNeil Bldg. #150, 3718 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Lecture 1
On Connection and Liberation: A Biopsychosocial Perspective on Psychedelic Therapy and Communal Practices.
The therapeutic value of psychedelics can be defined in terms of connection and liberation – and these are overarching essential therapeutic qualities. The psychedelic experience is related to a state of heightened feeling of connection – to self, others, and world - which potentially lingers on after the experience – freeing subjects from an alienated sense of self. The psychedelic experience is also related to a liberatory state, providing opportunities for different breakthroughs to occur. Such breakthroughs can be emotional (catharsis), cognitive (insights), interpersonal (recognition), collective (communitas), spiritual (revelations), and political (revolutions).
Lecture-Performance 2
On Connection and Liberation: Ayahuasca Rituals among Palestinians and Israelis
In the spring of 2022, three groups of Palestinians and Israelis were invited to participate in an ayahuasca peacebuilding program. The invitation was to explore the ceremonial and healing space of ayahuasca through a collective intention: to ground the transformative spiritual practice in the political reality of conflict and oppression; to heal collective trauma and liberate from rigid narratives and ethos; to invite insights and transform them into actions of co-resistance; to create a community of solidarity and care; and to celebrate life and good music together. In this lecture-performance, I will weave political realities with liberatory imaginaries by sharing results, stories, revelations, revolutions, reflections, and updates from this unique program.
About Dr. Leor Roseman
Leor Roseman is a Senior Lecturer and Psychedelic researcher at the University of Exeter. He has previously worked at the Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, under the mentorship of Prof. Robin Carhart-Harris and Prof. David Nutt, supporting the foundational work of a remerging research field. His interdisciplinary research covers neuroscience, psychology, phenomenology, anthropology and conflict resolution, using various research methods such as fMRI, quantitative, qualitative, microphenomenology, ethnographic, and participatory research. Leor co-developed and teaches the new Master’s degree – Psychedelics: Mind, Medicine and Culture. Also, Leor co-founded Ripples – a non-profit dedicated to peacebuilding supported by psychedelics.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
McNeil Building, #150, Philadelphia, United States
