Wednesday, June 26th, 2024 from 12:00-1:30pm PST

Join us for a thought-provoking exploration at the intersection of Islam, psychedelics, and mental health. We will discuss the diverse Islamic practices, the historical bond between Islam and medicine, and the nuanced attitudes of Muslim communities towards psychedelics. This forum will engage in discussions on bridging psychedelic research with Muslim communities, integrating psychedelics into mental health care, and the role of scholars and leaders in shaping perceptions. Our speakers include Alizeh Ahmad, who is a PhD candidate in the Graduate Division of Religion at Emory University, Salman Shaheen Ahmad, who is a 5th-year student in the clinical psychology Ph.D. program at the University of Miami, Fayzan Rab, who is a Muslim-American, future physician, and psychedelic researcher, in this forum will moderated by Henna Malik, who iis a Pakistani-Muslim woman, social media strategist, and researcher.

Hena Malik Başak is a Pakistani-Muslim woman, social media strategist, and researcher, who is passionate about the healing and spiritual potentials of cannabis and psychedelics, harm reduction, drug reform and education. She received her B.S in Biology at the University of Florida, and also holds a degree in Arts and Humanities. She is currently studying for her Masters in Psychoactive Pharmaceuticals at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Hena is pursuing research on the intersection of Islamic theology and psychedelics. She curated a series on Islam, Muslims, and Psychedelics, aiming to bring together and uplift Muslim leaders in this space. She also serves on SSDP’s Board of Directors and is the Social Media Coordinator for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies.

Salman is a fifth-year student in the clinical psychology Ph.D. program at the University of Miami, working with Drs. Amy Weisman de Mamani, Ph.D., and Gail Ironson, M.D., Ph.D. His research and clinical interests lie around the intersections of religion/spirituality, culture, trauma, and addressing low global mental health literacy and care. Salman aims to understand how religion/spirituality may be used for healing from mental and physical health difficulties, and how they may be exacerbating harm. He has experience in delivering culturally informed, spiritually integrated mental health care to diverse groups, and hopes to create access to care for those who are underserved, as well as those who are most resistant to mental health care. As part of this work, he is also exploring the role of religion/spirituality and mystical experiences in healing through psychedelics, and openness to psychedelic-assisted therapies (PAT) among Arab/Middle Eastern/North Africans (AMENA), South Asians, and Muslims.

Fayzan is a Muslim-American, future physician, and psychedelic researcher. His passion is bringing together Eastern wisdom with Western science for the advancement of human potential and healing. Fayzan’s research focuses on attitudes Muslims have towards new treatment modalities like psychedelic-assisted therapy with a focus on what would be necessary to bridge these innovations with religious and cultural minorities. He is pursuing a clinical research fellowship in psychedelic medicines at Sunstone Therapies in Rockville, Maryland. Fayzan started his career in Silicon Valley as a product leader at Google and Mindstrong Health. He subsequently served as a political organizer for Muslims in the Bay Area. Beyond his research, Fayzan serves as an executive coach working primarily with minorities who are looking to improve their leadership and presence. He lives with his fiancée, Shua, and their cat, Bella.

Alizeh Ahmad is a PhD candidate in the Graduate Division of Religion at Emory University. She received her Masters in Theological Studies with a focus in Islamic Studies from Harvard Divinity School.

Exploring psychedelics and mental health care in Islam