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Own the next chapter in the world’s most enduring exploration of psychoactive medicine and human potential—and help shape the ethical, ecological, and visionary renaissance unfolding now. For anyone shaping the future of psychedelics, from academics, clinicians, ethnobotanists, psychedelic practitioners, and visionary thinkers,
ESPD55 is essential reading—an authoritative reference and a catalyst for future inquiry. Enter the living dialogue where science meets spirit, ecology meets consciousness, and ancestral intelligence meets cutting-edge research.
For more than half a century,
Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs has stood as the foundational gathering point for scholars exploring the interface of ancestral plant wisdom and modern psychedelic science. In this landmark continuation of that legacy,
ESPD55 brings together the proceedings of the 2022 conference—an extraordinary convergence of more than thirty leading thinkers in ethnobotany, pharmacology, ecology, anthropology, consciousness studies, and Indigenous plant medicine traditions.
Curated by
Dennis McKenna, PhD, and hosted by the
McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy, this volume captures a moment at the frontier of a global psychedelic renaissance. With contributions from some of the most respected voices in the field—including
Sir Ghillean Prance, Wade Davis, Andrew Weil, Monica Gagliano, Glenn Shepard, Paul Stamets, Jonathan Lu, and many others—
ESPD55 offers a rigorous, multidimensional exploration of how psychoactive plants and fungi shape culture, cognition, and healing.
Across six thematic spheres—
the ethnosphere, phytosphere, mycosphere, faunasphere, archeosphere, and sonosphere—readers are invited into groundbreaking research and cultural insight spanning continents and knowledge systems. Featured chapters include:
- Ancient Psychoactive Plant Use in Eurasia – Mark D. Merlin, PhD
- Coca: The Divine Leaf of Immortality – Wade Davis
- The Therapeutic Potential of Coca – Andrew Weil
- Ethnopharmacology of Psychoactive Substances in Chinese Culture – Jonathan Lu
- The Ark: Biocultural Sustainability for the San Pedro Cactus – Laurel Sugden & Josip Orlovac Del Río
- The Harpy’s Gift & the Jaguar’s Curse: Matsigenka Hunting Medicines – Glenn H. Shepard
From the ceremonial use of Ephedra and San Pedro to emerging ethical frameworks for ayahuasca sustainability, from cognitive evolution studies to sonic ethnomedicine, this book illuminates both the ancient past and the unfolding future of entheogenic research.
Über den Autor / die Autorin
The McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy is dedicated to cultivating harmony between humanity and the natural world through transformative education, ethnobiological exploration, and deep engagement with Indigenous wisdom traditions. Guided by the understanding that the biosphere is alive, intelligent, and evolving, the Academy serves as a catalyst for a more awakened world—one in which all species thrive in symbiotic balance.
Through immersive programs, international symposiums, online ethnobotany courses, and experiential retreats, the McKenna Academy brings together visionary thinkers, scientists, healers, and cultural knowledge-keepers to explore the intersections of consciousness, ecology, and ancestral plant traditions. Participants are invited to learn, share, and co-create solutions that support planetary regeneration and personal transformation.
Founded and led by
Dennis McKenna, PhD, the Academy advances the principle that “the entire biospheric community of species is conscious, and seeks to advance the evolution of consciousness through collaboration and symbiosis.”
