Speaker Event: Psychedelic Therapy Grounded in Mindfulness and Non-Duality

A talk between Dr. Michael Sapiro, author of the recently published "Truth Medicine: Healing and Living Authentically Through Psychedelic Psychotherapy," and Dr. Rael Cahn, Director of the USC Center for Mindfulness Science and PI of the Mindfulness Assisted Psychedelic Therapy trial at the USC Brain and Creativity Institute. Dialog focused on implementing a framework of mindfulness and non-duality as foundational to engagement with psychedelic therapy. Focusing on practical lessons learned in the application of this kind of approach in both individual and group/ceremonial psychedelic therapy contexts as well as the scientific understanding of psychological and brain changes associated with these practices. The potential benefits as well as dangers related to incorporating psychedelic therapy into meditation practice context will be explored.

Michael Sapiro, PsyD, is an ordained Zen Buddhist monk, clinical psychologist, psychedelic psychotherapist, transformational coach, writer, meditation teacher and researcher. He is the author of Truth Medicine: Healing and Living Authentically Through Psychedelic Psychotherapy, which is a comprehensive and heart-centered guide to the process of transformation that occurs during psychedelic psychotherapy, a form of treatment in which the client and therapist are engaged in depth work during the session. He is a Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and was core faculty in the Psychedelic’s Today Vital psychedelic certification program. Dr. Sapiro leads retreats and teaches internationally on the art and science of transformation, expanded human capabilities, and psychedelic healing. He is the integrative psychologist at the Boise Ketamine Clinic where he offers Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy to individuals and groups. He works extensively with first responders in the field, and with special operations veterans on retreat. His work is dedicated to personal awakening for the sake of collective transformation. He can be found at michaelsapiro.com.

Rael Cahn, M.D., Ph.D., is a Psychiatrist and Neuroscientist at USC where he sees patients at the Engemann Student Health Center and leads the Meditation and Psychedelic Therapy lab at the USC Brain and Creativity Institute. He has led research into transpersonal states and traits of consciousness for the last 25 years starting with his PhD investigating the neural correlates to sensory and cognitive processing during meditation in expert meditators relative to the effects of psilocybin. He is now running the Mindfulness-Assisted Psychedelic Therapy study at the USC Brain and Creativity Institute.

Parking:
Street Parking
Limited street parking is available on Vermont Avenue. From there, it is approximately a eight-minute walk to The Gerontology Auditorium.
Downey Way Parking Structure
3667 McClintock Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90089
Payment is digital only, with signage instructions on how to pay on your phone. We reccomend this option, it's a two-minute to the The Gerontology Auditorium.

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Host or Publisher USC Center for Mindfulness Science