Art by Nikolitsa Paranomos. Image description: Psychedelic blue and white background over the apartheid wall with Palestinian resistance art that reads, “to exist is to resist.” By Amanda Gelender Israel has recently been featured in the news, heralded as a leader for its investment in psychedelic clinical trials for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Israel is the first national government to approve MDMA as part of a “Compassionate Use” program, which allows people to use clinically unproven treatments because their suffering is so severe and unresponsive ..read more

Art by Nikolitsa Paranomos. Image description: Shadow of a person from behind standing on a grass and flowered lined path with gold steps in a sea of blue glass overlooking a purple mountains and a sunrise. By Amanda Gelender I have struggled with OCD and anxiety for about 25 years. My OCD has shapeshifted over time, camouflaging into each phase of my life, but the themes have remained pretty consistent through the years. At this point in my life, my OCD could perhaps best be described as primarily obsessional meaning that while I have c ..read more

Digital drawing of purple, yellow and pink smoke flowing through broad green leaves. Art by Nikolitsa Paranomos. By Amanda Gelender While the impact of music on psychedelic sessions is currently an ongoing topic of research, music has been a powerful component of psychedelic journeying for centuries, rooted in indigenous, ceremonial practice with plant medicine.  In the context of psychedelic mushroom journeying outside of a shamanistic practice, musical considerations are personal as well as cultural. Not everyone responds well to the ..read more

Digital drawing of a blue mushroom with gold strands, circled by pastel painted green leaves. Artist: Nikolitsa Paranomos By Amanda Gelender This piece is my contribution to the #ThankYouPlantMedicine campaign to de-stigmatize and decriminalize psychedelic plant medicine. From microdosing to full dose experiences, psilocybin “magic” mushrooms have supported me tremendously me over the years. I also work intentionally with cannabis, which continues to bring me healing and positive transformation.  For context, I have struggled for many ye ..read more