Altered States in America: Psychedelics and Post-Capitalism, with Nick Powers, Ph.D

Join the Brooklyn Psychedelic Society, for our upcoming event series: "Altered States in America: Psychedelics and Post-Capitalism" with Nicholas Powers, Ph.D.

Climate Change, global Capitalism, and racism - old systems are crumbling rapidly before our eyes.

In the psychedelic movement, we have many of our own ideologies that grew in the cracks of the old systems. Might these be in need of a critical examination and a new direction? Does the movement have its own shadow side?

In this four-part course series, Nicholas Powers, Ph.D, will be offering a critical but constructive look at topics surrounding the psychedelic movement that have heretofore been considered out-of-bounds. How does the psychedelic movement kneecap itself from truly changing things? How can the transformative potential of the movement be most fully realized, both for the individual, their community, and society at large?

The course offerings are:

1. The Empty Utopia - The Chemical Elite and the Masses (July 28th, 7pm) - We map the divide between the elite of the Psychedelic Renaissance and its transformational rhetoric, and the masses who most need radical new healing. How does psychedelic secularism help? Why is it important to turn away from New Age woo-woo?

2. The Gaia Fallacy - (July 30th, 7pm) We challenge the idea that the Earth is our friend, and by extension the magical thinking that pervades the Counter-Culture. What sort of ecologically-aware philosophy would be needed instead?

3. Trading Masks - (August 4th, 7pm) Cultural appreciation is not cultural appropriation, and symbolic exchange is how societies are revitalized. The fashionable attack on white people wearing ethnic costumes or music, or exploring non-European culture in festivals misses how it creates and leads to a deeper and needed cultural integration.

4. The Great Healing - (August 6th, 7pm) In the absence of capitalism to organize daily life, what will be done with the intergenerational trauma built up from the history of racism, sexism, poverty and homophobia? Can the Psychedelic Renaissance take the techniques from the medical model or shaman or indigenous traditions to envision a new epoch of ending cycles of trauma?

You can take each course on its own, but we strongly suggest taking all four! Links to each course are here:

Course 1, Course 2, Course 3, Course 4

Each course is $15, or $45 for all four. We're honored and excited to be hosting Nicholas for this critical and needed discussion and we're looking forward to having you join us. We will have a limited number of discounted options for those who can't afford the ticket price. Please email hello@psychedelicbrooklyn.com explaining your situation and we will try to help.

We'd also like to dedicate this course-series in loving memory of Larry Auerbach, a long-time and regular member of Brooklyn Psychedelic Society and committed participant in the New York psychedelic community in general, who passed away just before 4th of July this year. Larry was an extremely kind, gentle, and talented artist. He was very generous with his compassion and heart by being there for people also on their own healing journey like he himself was for many years as he struggled with PTSD. He was one of six first people to attend the very first Brooklyn Psychedelic Society meetings when I (Colin) started running BPS in 2016. He's attended many of our events afterwards as well and he was always a warm and welcomed presence. Thank you Larry for being such a loving person and adding so much to our community. You will be missed dearly.