Psychedelic Buddhism 2025

Erik Davis, PhD

Co-Founder's Lecture

Erik Davis is an American writer, scholar, and speaker exploring the intersections of technology, mysticism, and culture. Author of Techgnosis, his work spans rock criticism, esotericism, and California’s countercultures. With decades of essays, lectures, and podcasts archived on Techgnosis.com, Davis blends deep research with vivid storytelling, offering insights that bridge history, spirituality, and contemporary thought.

Lama Elizabeth Monson, PhD

Keynote Address

Elizabeth Monson, PhD, is the Spiritual Co-Director of Natural Dharma Fellowship and the Managing Teacher at Wonderwell Mountain Refuge. Liz was authorized as a dharma teacher and lineage holder in the Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and has been studying, practicing and teaching in the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages for over thirty years.

Tenzin Bob Thurman, PhD

Inaugural Message

Bob Thurman, the first Westerner ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk by the Dalai Lama, served 30 years as Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University. Founder of Tibet House US and the American Institute of Buddhist Studies, he’s a renowned advocate for Tibetan culture and Buddhist teachings.

Ian Baker, PhD

Panelist

Ian Baker, PhD is a scholar, author, and explorer specializing in Himalayan and Tibetan culture. Honored by National Geographic as an "Explorer for the Millennium," he has authored seven books, conducted groundbreaking research, and led programs for Smithsonian and National Geographic. His current work focuses on the intersection of contemporary science and Vajrayāna Buddhism. He contributed the lead chapter in MIT’s recently published, 'Expanding Mindscapes: A Global History of Psychedelics', based on his fieldwork on a living tradition of Soma consumption in West Bengal, India.

Stephen Batchelor

Panelist

Stephen Batchelor began his Buddhist journey in 1972 in India, inspired by Tibetan monks' wisdom and compassion. He took monastic vows and later studied Zen meditation in South Korea, integrating Buddhism into daily life and the arts. Returning to the West, he gained acclaim for his 1997 book, Buddhism Without Beliefs, which presented a modern, accessible approach to Buddhism. Now based in France, he continues to inspire as an author and teacher.

Alex Belser, PhD

Panelist

Alex Belser, PhD is a clinical scientist, licensed psychologist, and author focused on psychedelic research and LGBTQIA+ mental health. At Yale, he co-investigates psilocybin treatment for OCD and has led trials on psychedelics like MDMA, ketamine, and DMT for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addiction. His books include EMBARK Psychedelic Therapy for Depression and Queering Psychedelics.

Lama Mike Crowley

Panelist

Lama Mike Crowley, born in Cardiff, Wales, in 1948, has studied Buddhism since 1966, specializing in the Kagyud lineage. He has also studied Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Mandarin. Mike has lectured at institutions like the California Institute of Integral Studies and University of Wisconsin-Madison. His work appears in Fortean Times and Time and Mind. In 2016, he received the R. Gordon Wasson Award for his contributions to entheobotany. He serves on the advisory board of The Psychedelic Sangha and teaches at the Dharma Collective in San Francisco.

Chandra Easton

Panelist

Chandra Easton, a Dharma teacher, author, and translator, has taught Buddhism and Hatha Yoga since 2001. She studied Tibetan language and Buddhism in Dharamsala and at UCSB. Co-translator of Sublime Dharma (2012), she emphasizes feminine empowerment in Buddhism through retreats and programs, particularly at Tara Mandala Retreat Center. Co-founder of the 21 Taras Collective, she recently published Embodying Tara: Twenty-One Manifestations to Awaken Your Innate Wisdom (2023).

John Gorman

Panelist

John Gorman is a student of Mingyur Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, and Trungpa Rinpoche and has taught meditation for many years. In 2022, he discovered that no one had written a meditation manual for nature of mind practice with psychedelics. He retired from computer programming to map out and document the practice.You can read and comment on the current draft of his book, A Practical Guide to Psychedelic Meditation - Radiant Great Bliss With 5-MeO-DMT

Rob Heffernan

Panelist

Rob Heffernan is a co-founder and board member of the Sacred Plant Alliance. He is a member of the Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants, as well as Chacruna Institute's Council for the Protection of Sacred Plants.Active in sacred medicine traditions and advocacy since 2000, he is a certified Shamanic Breathwork facilitator, Sound Healing Practitioner, and Buddhist Dharma practitioner. Rob integrates Buddhist Dharma, sacred medicine, and eco-social justice in his work.

Kokyo Henkel

Panelist

Kokyo Henkel has practiced Zen since 1990, residing at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, No Abode Hermitage, Bukkokuji Monastery in Japan, and Santa Cruz Zen Center. Ordained in 1994 by Tenshin Anderson Roshi, he received Dharma Transmission in 2010. Kokyo explores how original Buddhadharma teachings from India, China, and Japan remain alive and relevant in modern America, fostering peace and harmony in a troubled world.

Vincent Horn

Panelist

Vincent Horn, a meditation teacher and mind hacker, co-founded Buddhist Geeks, a platform for modern Buddhist thought and practice. He began teaching in 2010, guided by Kenneth Folk and Daniel Ingram, after years of intensive meditation, including a year of retreat. Founded in 2006, Buddhist Geeks has been featured in The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Tricycle, and The Atlantic.

Lisa Kring, LCSW

Panelist

Lisa Kring, LCSW, is a mindfulness teacher, psychotherapist, and KAP integration therapist in Los Angeles. Practicing in the Theravada tradition for over 20 years, she is certified in Mindful Self-Compassion, Hakomi Somatic Psychotherapy, and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy. Lisa facilitates cancer support mindfulness groups and integrates meditation, somatic therapy, and sacred medicine in her work.

Sara Lewis, PhD

Panelist

Dr. Sara Lewis, Associate Professor at Naropa University, directs Psychedelic Studies training and research. A psychotherapist and medical anthropologist, her work explores trauma, resilience, and non-ordinary states. Author of Spacious Minds (2019), she studies Tibetan Buddhism, psychedelics, and spiritual emergencies. She also maintains a private psychotherapy practice.

Acacea Lewis

Panelist

Acacea Lewis, founder of Divine Master Alchemy and Divine Master University, is a researcher and alchemist specializing in herbal and entheogenic medicines. A lifelong student of psilocybin mushrooms, she integrates consciousness science, ancestral healing, and cultural anthropology, sharing her insights through research papers, books, and teachings.

D.E. Osto, PhD

Panelist

D.E. Osto is a scholar, author, and Buddhist practitioner deeply engaged with Buddhism, Hinduism, and Asian philosophies. They offer private instruction in mindfulness, hypnotherapy, and counseling while exploring meditation, altered states of consciousness, and spirituality. Dee also self-publishes works on Buddhist and Hindu texts and practices.

Roman Palitsky, MDiv, PhD

Panelist

Roman Palitsky, MDiv, PhD, is Director of Research Projects at Emory Spiritual Health and a Research Psychologist at Emory University School of Medicine. His work explores cultural and existential factors in health, focusing on religion, spirituality, and mindfulness-based interventions. He holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology and an MDiv from Harvard.

Ryan “Ghenigho” Rich

Panelist

Ryan “Ghenigho” Rich is a traditional Bwiti iboga facilitator and founder of Root Healing, Bassé Root, and Ghenigho. With extensive experience in leading iboga retreats globally, he is a Missoko Bwiti practitioner empowered to represent the tradition and pre-initiate men and women. He now focuses on Bassé Root, a non-profit promoting Bwiti traditions, reciprocity, and equitable access.

Stuart Sarbacker, PhD

Panelist

Stuart Ray Sarbacker, Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Philosophy at Oregon State University, specializes in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, focusing on yoga and mind-body disciplines. He explores religious experience, interpretation, and methodology. With a Ph.D. from Wisconsin-Madison, he has conducted fieldwork in Asia and previously taught at Northwestern, earning a teaching award for excellence.

Michael Taft

Panelist

Michael W. Taft is a meditation teacher, author, and podcaster with over 35 years of practice in Buddhist and Hindu Tantra. He authored The Mindful Geek and hosts the Deconstructing Yourself podcast. Michael co-founded the Alembic center in Berkeley and teaches meditation courses, retreats, and individuals worldwide. Previously, he served as editor-in-chief of Being Human and editorial director at Sounds True. He lives with his family in the Bay Area.

Chris Timmermann, PhD

Panelist

He earned his PhD in 2020 at Imperial College London, collaborating with the Centre for Psychedelic Research. Now a postdoctoral researcher, he leads the DMT Research Group, studying the neuroscience and therapeutic potential of psychedelics like DMT and 5-MeO-DMT. His interdisciplinary work spans neuroscience, psychiatry, psychology, and ethics, focusing on altered states of consciousness. Using fMRI and M/EEG, his research has been published in top journals and featured by BBC, Wired, and New Scientist.

Lama Justin von Budjoss

Panelist

Lama Justin von Budjoss is a vajrayana Buddhist teacher, writer, and co-founder of Bhumisparsha and Yangti Yoga Retreat Center. As former Executive Director of Chaplaincy for NYC Department of Correction, he supervised 30 chaplains and led staff wellness programs. Ordained as a repa by Gyaltsab Rinpoche, he teaches at institutions like Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. He authored Modern Tantric Buddhism and contributed to Buddhism and Whiteness: Critical Reflections.

Spring Washam

Panelist

Spring Washam is a pioneering meditation teacher and author based in Oakland, California, known for making mindfulness practices accessible to diverse communities. She is a founding teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center and serves on Spirit Rock Meditation Center's teacher's council. Author of "A Fierce Heart" and "The Spirit of Harriet Tubman," Spring blends Buddhist wisdom with indigenous healing practices through her organization Lotus Vine Journeys, offering transformative retreats in South America.

Phil Wolfson, MD

Panelist

Phil Wolfson, MD, creator of Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) and CEO of the Ketamine Research Foundation, has trained over 900 practitioners globally. Author of The Ketamine Papers and co-founder of Progressive Therapeutics Inc., he blends decades of experience in psychiatry, psychotherapy, and psychedelic research, including MAPS’ MDMA Phase 2 study. A practicing Buddhist and psychonaut, he has lived in the Bay Area for over 46 years.

Doc Kelley

Conference Organizer

Doc is the co-founder and Director of Operations at Psychedelic Sangha LLC. He is also a Buddhist scholar-practioner who teaches in the Religious Studies Program at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School in New York City.Doc holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Religion (Buddhist Studies) from Columbia University, where he studied under Dr. Robert Thurman.His academic and teaching expertise spans Tibetan Buddhism, Buddhist ethics, and experimental mysticism.Beyond academia, Doc is a creative force who blends Buddhist philosophy with avant-garde art and performance. In 2018, he directed "FluxBuddha," a performance art concert at the Rubin Museum.He is currently collaborating with various musicians and visual artists on a series of live and recorded immersive Dharma Art experiences dubbed "Sonic Sadhana" (i.e., Bardo Bath, Vibing Vajrasattva, and Chöd).

Tomas Sander

Conference Organizer

Tomas Sander is a Buddhist practitioner and author based in New York. He is practicing in the Tibetan tradition. He has studied with Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, and Greg Goode. He co-authored Emptiness and Joyful Freedom, a book that explores Buddhist insights into the nature of reality using tools from Western philosophy.Tomas is an early member of Psychedelic Sangha, where he is co-hosting a speaker series that explores the intersection of Buddhism and psychedelics.
Tomas holds a doctoral degree in Mathematics from the University of Dortmund, Germany, and works in the tech industry, specializing in data privacy.

David Boon

Conference Organizer

David Boon is an organizer for Chicago Psychedelic Buddhism, creating spaces for exploring the intersection of psychedelics and Buddhist practice. Through the Tergar Meditation Teacher Program with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, David is developing meditation programs both grounded in traditional Buddhist teachings and designed for psychedelic preparation and integration with an emphasis on harm reduction. He has over 18 years of professional experience guiding entrepreneurial organizations and holds an MBA with Honors from the University of Chicago.