Kate Amy
Workshop One
Title: Psychedelics, Meditation, Self and Consciousness
Recently, the scientific study of meditation and psychedelic drugs has seen remarkable developments due to advanced neuroimaging methodologies, and also the renaissance of research into the use of psychedelic substance in the treatment of mental health conditions. Cognitive neuroscience has led to a cross-cultural classification of standard meditation styles validated by functional and structural neuroanatomical data. Meanwhile, psychedelic research has shed light on the neurophysiology of altered states of consciousness induced by classical psychedelics, such as psilocybin and LSD, whose effects are mainly mediated by agonism of serotonin receptors and also by functional capacity changes in areas of the brain activated and the level of activity.
This presentation explores the possible bridges between these two domains of inquiry by drawing from the intriguing evidence of overlap between the phenomenology and neurophysiology of meditation practice and psychedelic states. In particular, many contemplative traditions explicitly aim at dissolving the sense of self by eliciting altered states of consciousness through meditation, while classical psychedelics are known to produce significant disruptions of self-consciousness, a phenomenon known as drug-induced ego dissolution.
Buddhism, in particular, draws attention to the Jhana states of absorption as a guide for these experiences. This presentation explores the Buddhist discourse on Jhana states as a map for the understanding of the levels possible of both meditation experiences of self-dissolution and psychedelic induced ego death experiences. There will be opportunity for the discussion of the practical application of this knowledge and awareness in personal journeying and in facilitating altered state integration therapy.
Workshop Two
Title: Embodied self-compassion seeding global compassion.
The biggest resistance for people in experiencing more love and compassion for themselves, others and the world as a whole is usually unprocessed and uncomfortable feelings of shame and fear of rejection. What if I am too much? What if I am not good enough? To metabolise these emotions and experience more freedom and joy in life we need to practice getting in touch with what we are feeling moment-to-moment, from the neck down mainly! EMBODIED MINDFULNESS This way we can become aware of these feeling states, which are often tucked away in the shadows and also linked to bigger stories than us, involving not only our past, but our ancestry, our culture and our perceived purpose.
What holds us back can live in the SHADOWS and also the SHADE cast by our inherited DNA and the legacy of forgotten trauma- think here back for 1000s of years of your forefathers and mothers. When we CONSCIOUSLY bath our emerging resistance to compassion and love in SELF-COMPASSION, the blocks dissolve and our access to the OCEAN of compassion and love that we are all AFLOAT in is revealed.
This workshop is about increasing the biome of self-compassion inside each individual so that our global biome can be infused with compassion for all our relations.
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