Bridging the Generation Gap in the Psychedelic Community

A Conversation with Ismail Ali, Adele Getty, Mariavittoria Mangini and Tessa Vita

The modern psychedelic community spans a large spectrum of age, with "elders" that lived through the first wave research in the 50s, 60s and 70s, along with Millenials and Gen-Z folks who discovered psychedelics in the age of social media, Michael Pollan and Burning Man. While many members of each generation share the same fundamental values, there have also been differences in awareness of how to understand and process certain social and cultural issues, the role of technology and the value of pioneering work and tradition. For this special Chacruna event, we are bringing together members of the psychedelic community from both ends of the spectrum to explore some of these generational gaps and how they might be bridged. What can the younger folks teach the elders about understanding the role of technology and social media, or the perpetually evolving rhetoric of social justice and anti-oppression work? And what can the elders teach the young about respecting the traditions, honoring those who came before, and bringing more wisdom and compassion to the movement? We will attempt to understand the impact of the social justice activism, how it shows up in the psychedelic scene, how it has advanced and strengthened while also developing a shadow side that many see as counterproductive or toxic. We will also discuss the value of solo and autonomous exploration vs. ceremonial and collective group journeying, as well as newer trends such as the development of a global ayahuasca culture, microdosing, and new apps for using psychedelics.For the psychedelic revolution to succeed, it is essential that different generations work to communicate openly and support one another. This is sure to be a unique and fascinating discussion to hopefully reach a place of increased collaboration, communication and shared vision in the psychedelic ecosystem.

Ismail Ali is Policy & Advocacy Counsel for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), where he advocates to eliminate barriers to psychedelic therapy and research, develops and implements legal and policy strategy, and coordinates support for clinical research in Latin America. Ismail is licensed to practice law in the state of California and also serves as Chair of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy Board of Directors.

Mariavittoria Mangini has more than thirty years’ experience providing healthcare to children and adults with particular focus on women's health; pain management, drug use and drug policy; and the therapeutic uses of cannabis and the psychedelics. She is one of the founders of the Women’s Visionary Council. Her current projects center on the development of an educational program in the study of death and dying.

Adele Getty is the co-founder of Limina Foundation, a registered non profit organization in the USA. She is the author of Goddess: Mother of Living Nature, an art book on the divine feminine published by Thames and Hudson. She is also the author of A Sense of the Sacred: Finding Our Spiritual Lives Through Ceremony.  A guide book for modern people in creating ceremonies and honoring life passages. She was on the board of the International Permaculture Institute with Bill Mollison and feels the role of psychedelics and deep ecology are intimately intertwined.

Tessa Vita wears many hats across the worlds of anti-oppression political organizing, mental health, and psychedelic community building and access. She is a leadership team member and event producer with the Graduate Student Association for Psychedelic Studies while pursuing a degree in Counseling Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute, towards becoming a therapist. She is also a trainer, strategist, and campaigner supporting activists combatting white nationalism and fighting for immigration and criminal justice reform across the United States. She does not see these bodies of work as separate.

DO YOU LOVE CHACRUNA? WANT FREE ENTRY TO EVENTS? Become a Chacruna Member for discounted or free entry to all our events, access to exclusive member-only events and much more! Sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/chacruna

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE: https://forms.gle/z1X8UzhfpP5P2onx7