This talk will examine the continued relevance of hallucinogens to the transpersonal fields, and will pose the question of whether the long discarded psychedelic research model can be revived within contemporary mainstream psychiatry and medicine. The shamanic role of plant hallucinogens as The Great Medicine in indigenous people will be discussed, as will their subsequent invalidation and oppression at the hands of dominant Euro-American culture. The modern history of hallucinogen use will also be examined, particularly with regards to the early progress and subsequent undermining of formal psychiatric research with these compounds. If we are ready to re-examine the inherent potentials the hallucinogens hold for healing, then we may truly begin to develop a field of Transpersonal Medicine.

This MAPS sponsored lecture, recorded at the 16th International Transpersonal Association Conference, June 12-18, Palm Springs California, is made available in two mp3 format files, part 1 and part 2.