Episode Eight - Psychedelic Renaissance
‘‘My big project, life project, I suppose is exploring the way that different aspects of spiritual practice come together. So, I believe there's a common thread that sits at the foundation of psychedelics, meditation, ritual and nature connection. All of that is taking us to the same profound place of connection. That's the…talk about rootedness. That’s my root’".
Adrian Harris, Psychotherapist and Psychedelic Advocate
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From the hotbed of psychedelic research in Exeter Adrian joins us to trace the roots of his relationship with mushrooms that started for fun in his early twenties; then shifted into a more spiritual arena through ritual and paganism. He followed a self-confessed mishmash career through a series of academic and administrative roles based on the pursuit of embodied knowing which changed track in his fifties. When he retrained as a psychotherapist inspired by his collective family experiences of mental health and intrigued at the weirdness of our human condition.
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A chance encounter with the book ‘Psychedelic Renaissance’ lured him further along this pathway and led to the job of his wildest dreams as the Director of Ecopsychology at the Synthesis Institute. Within this role he embedded nature connection practices to support the longer-term integration of psychedelic experiences.
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The global future of psychedelics remains unknown though in Australia it’s already permissible for psychiatrists to use psychedelics with their clients. It’s currently unknown what lies ahead within the United Kingdom though nature-connected coaches could possess the knowledge and skills to support psychedelic integration. Our conversation touches on the complex realms of clinical trials, evidence, ethics and the law with a dose of animism along the way.
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Listen here.
About
Adrian’s life is a journey though spirituality, activism and academia founded in what makes us human; embodiment and ecological belonging. His passion for nature first led him to activism, where he founded the Eco-Pagan 'Dragon Environmental Network' in 1990.
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The juggernaut rolled on regardless, so he shifted his focus to consciousness change and did PhD research into embodied knowing. That led to ecopsychology and training as a somatic psychotherapist. He began to facilitate nature connection workshops and later became Lead Editor of the 'European Journal of Ecopsychology'. Training as Physical Intelligence Coach came next, increasingly with nature as the ground of practice. He’s also worked in psychedelic research and continue to explore how that medicine dances with nature connection.
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Much of this is distilled into his book that offers a offers a simple pathway to what the title promises: 'Nature Connection: Remembering Wholeness'. His current project is ‘The Way of Wholeness’, a nature-based, embodied approach to coaching. The journey continues!
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Website: www.embodiedpathways.org/
Insights
Bewitched by the novel… Philip Pullman’s trilogy ‘The Book of Dust’ has proper fairies - the scary kind - and explores the crucial role of imagination in being human.
Inspired by the quote... Thich Nhat Hanh sums up the essence of our challenge: “We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness”
Self-described relationship with nature… Nature is my inspiration, my refuge, and my first love.
Favourite pastimes… Walking by the sea, on the moors, in the woods or, ideally, the mountains. Photography.
Behind the scenes... Sunlight through the trees on Higher Piles Copse on Dartmoor.
