We Believe that at the heart of the Christian tradition is the belief in the possibility of new life. We hold a hope not just for what is to come but for a transformative reality that we experience here and now. The wise stewardship and use of God’s gift of this earth are essential for human flourishing and that of all creation.

Tragically, we see a world around us in crisis—rising rates of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and mental illness. Unprecedented numbers of overdoses, alcohol-related fatalities, and smoking deaths claim the lives of far too many. For the first time in recent history, we’ve seen a drop in life expectancy in the United States, largely driven by “deaths of despair.”

At the same time, we see the rise of what some have called the “psychedelic renaissance.” For thousands of years, humans have used plants and fungi to alter consciousness for the purpose of spiritual and physical transformation and healing.  Beginning in the 1950s, Western scientific researchers began to explore how these compounds might be used to address some of the pressing concerns of our modern age.

Despite the promise of these psychedelic compounds, the anti-establishment zeitgeist of the 1960s coupled with the gratuitous demonization of “marihuana” and other “hallucinogens,” led Congress to pass the Controlled Substances Act in 1970 which criminalized the use of naturally occurring psychoactive plants and fungi.  

After a 50-year federal moratorium on research into the medical and health benefits of psychedelics, researchers began to pick up where things had been left off and have begun to reexplore the healing potential for psychedelic-assisted therapies to the world today.

Promising research into treating substance use disorders, end-of-life anxiety, as well as treatment-resistant depression and PTSD is re-fueling interest in psychoactive plants and fungi and their synthetic analogs. Participants in these trials aren’t just seeing objective changes by scientific standards but are reporting life-changing experiences in deeply religious and spiritual language. Reports of these sorts of changes have also re-fueled interest in the use of psychedelics in religious exercise, spiritual growth, and contemplative practice.

We believe that the Church, and Christians in general, have an active interest in these conversations and what this new research means for our world today.

From the ancient Christian practice of anointing the sick to the work of monks and nuns who cataloged healing plants, from the founding of hospitals to running free medical clinics, to the Christian spiritualists from Brazil who adopted ayahuasca as a sacrament, the Church has historically been engaged in and a part of the work of healing in our world. When there is promising new research that supports religious approaches to this work, we should faithfully and thoughtfully engage with how we might be a part of this healing.  

We also believe that the physical is not wholly separated from the spiritual. When the world is having conversations about “things not seen,” the Church should pay attention. The Christian tradition has thousands of years of wisdom, ritual, and practices to help us experience and give language to these kinds of transformative experiences. We have built many forms of community and connection to help those on this path of dying to oneself and becoming born anew.

Finally, there is a deep need for our Church today for direct encounters with the Divine. Pastors and other leaders are burning out and leaving the ministry. Young people are leaving the church in droves as they do not see or experience the love and transformation so often talked about. We believe there is an opportunity for the safe and responsible use of psychedelics to be rediscovered as a practice of the Church. We believe psychedelics may be used sacramentally as a way of experiencing God’s grace, a gratuitous grace not necessary for all but beneficial for many.

There is much we still do not understand and questions we don’t even know to ask. This is a time of rediscovery as we learn how our tradition has used sacred plants and fungi in the past. It is also a time of discovery as we explore the intersection of scientific knowledge and spiritual experience. We invite you to join us as we work to build a community of those working and exploring the intersection between psychedelic science and the Christian contemplative tradition.