The Science of Psychedelics

The traditional use of psychoactive plants and fungi for spiritual and shamanic rituals has occurred for thousands of years, whereas the Western scientific research of these substances has only been explored in the last 100 years, and prohibition stalled the last 50 years of this.

In this talk you will be introduced to the science of these traditional psychedelics along with their modern counterparts first synthesised in the 20th century. Dr. Timmermann will also touch upon the mental health applications for these drugs.

Now that scientific research is resuming, what do psychedelics tell us about the weirder side of human consciousness, and what can be learned from the traditional shamanic practices with these substances? Find this out and more in this enlightening talk.

Christopher Timmermann (PhD) is a neuroscientist and psychologist from Santiago, Chile and based at the Centre for Psychedelic Research in Imperial College London, where he conducted the first neuroimaging studies on the effects of the potent psychedelic, DMT. His work focuses on the neuroscience, psychology, beliefs and ethics of the psychedelic experience.