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Psychedelic Medicines and the Nature of Mind and Consciousness
February 24–26, 2023
February 24–26, 2023
David Presti and Kristi Panik

Please note: On Wednesday September 20, online registration may be unavailable for up to 15 minutes while system maintenance is performed. If the 'Register Now' page does not load, please wait about 15 minutes and try again.

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Need a scholarship? Apply here.

Need a scholarship? Apply here.

Psychedelics produce powerful effects on the mind, including the intensification of thoughts, feelings, and perceptions and the loosening of psychological defenses. As chemicals, psychedelics probe connections between brain physiology and consciousness, among the most interesting and mysterious arenas in contemporary science.

As plant and fungal-medicine teachers, psychedelics have been used for millennia by Indigenous cultures to amplify connections between mind and world. Modern science has been researching psychedelics for 150 years. Just 70 years ago, psychedelics were one of the driving forces in the early days of biological psychiatry.

However, the popular use of some of these substances in the 1960s contributed to severe legal regulation, halting research and public discussion. Interest in psychedelics has now returned to mainstream science, accompanied by a great deal of enthusiasm and media attention. In the context of this rush to pull these powerful medicines into the framework of biomedical science and commercial healthcare, we will pause to take an expansive look at what these plant and fungal spirit beings have to teach about the nature of mind and reality.

In this workshop, we will:

  • Learn about the historical uses, botanical characteristics, chemistry, and place in contemporary culture of various plant medicines.
  • Reflect on how best to meet the current information flood about psychedelic medicines and their use.
  • Explore relevant mind states through experiential mindfulness exercises and meditations.

Join us for this incredible workshop led by two of Esalen’s longtime and celebrated scholar-practitioners.

Learn more about the requirements to receive continuing education credit.

Lead photo:
David Presti

David Presti

David Presti, PhD, is a teaching professor of neurobiology and psychology at the University of California in Berkeley.

Read More

Kristi Panik

Kristi Panik

Kristi Panik, MD, is chief of psychiatric services of the University Student Health Services at UC Berkeley.

Read More

Categories:
Category :   
Workshop Schedule

Friday
8:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Saturday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
4:15 pm – 6:15 pm
7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Sunday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Summer Groovers will experience Esalen in a format similar to our Self Guided Explorations workshops. Each Summer Groove week or weekend will open and close with a circle, and be filled with festive, nostalgic activities that harken back to those days of yore.

More activities can be found on our open class schedule.

See general schedule information including arrival, departure and meal times.

Accommodations & Tuition

Click Register Now to view availability of accommodations and all-inclusive, program-specific tuition. Please note that not all accommodation levels are available for every workshop and additional faculty fees may apply.

We offer scholarship funds for those with financial need. Learn more.

Please note: On Wednesday September 20, online registration may be unavailable for up to 15 minutes while system maintenance is performed. If the 'Register Now' page does not load, please wait about 15 minutes and try again.

Accommodations & Tuition

Click Register Now to view availability of accommodations and all-inclusive tuition that includes lodging, three meals per day, access to the baths, and all activities on the Summer Groove schedule.

We offer scholarship funds for those with financial need. Learn more.

Accommodations & Tuition

For this workshop, you will register and pay for accommodations and tuition in two separate steps.

First, sign up and pay tuition directly to

Second, click Book Accommodations from this page and enter the password to complete your reservation to stay at Esalen.

Prices for accommodations include your lodging, meals, open classes, and use of the baths and other facilities. View partner program accommodations pricing.

COVID Update

As of June 30, 2023 we no longer require a negative COVID test at the time of check in. Please read our current COVID safety guidelines for complete details prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

All guests and faculty must provide proof of negative test results at time of check-in. Please read our current COVID safety guidelines for complete details prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

In addition to proof of vaccination, all guests and faculty must provide proof of negative test results at time of check-in. Please read our current COVID safety guidelines for complete details prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

Effective January 7, 2022 in response to the rapid spread of the new Omicron variant, all guests and faculty will provide proof of negative PCR, NAAT, or antigen test results at time of check-in. The test must be taken within 72 hours nd results must come from a laboratory or healthcare provider.Please read our updated COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

Effective December 15 in accordance with new guidance from Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Health, all guests, students, staff, residents, and faculty are required to wear masks in all indoor public settings, irrespective of vaccine status, for the next four weeks (December 15, 2021 through January 15, 2022). Please read our updated COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

Effective November 19, 2021, in accordance with new guidance from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, all guests, students, staff, residents, and faculty are no longer required to wear masks indoors on campus. Please read our updated COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

Starting November 5, 2021, due to substantial levels of COVID-19 transmission in Monterey County, a mask mandate established by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors will go into effect. Please read our COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

All guests will be required to provide proof of vaccination upon arrival starting September 3, 2021. Please read our COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

Masks are no longer mandated indoors or outdoors, except during massage sessions. Guests are not required to provide testing or vaccination verification before arriving on campus. Please read our COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

All-inclusive Pricing

David Presti and Kristi Panik

February 24–26, 2023
Register Now

Psychedelics produce powerful effects on the mind, including the intensification of thoughts, feelings, and perceptions and the loosening of psychological defenses. As chemicals, psychedelics probe connections between brain physiology and consciousness, among the most interesting and mysterious arenas in contemporary science.

As plant and fungal-medicine teachers, psychedelics have been used for millennia by Indigenous cultures to amplify connections between mind and world. Modern science has been researching psychedelics for 150 years. Just 70 years ago, psychedelics were one of the driving forces in the early days of biological psychiatry.

However, the popular use of some of these substances in the 1960s contributed to severe legal regulation, halting research and public discussion. Interest in psychedelics has now returned to mainstream science, accompanied by a great deal of enthusiasm and media attention. In the context of this rush to pull these powerful medicines into the framework of biomedical science and commercial healthcare, we will pause to take an expansive look at what these plant and fungal spirit beings have to teach about the nature of mind and reality.

In this workshop, we will:

  • Learn about the historical uses, botanical characteristics, chemistry, and place in contemporary culture of various plant medicines.
  • Reflect on how best to meet the current information flood about psychedelic medicines and their use.
  • Explore relevant mind states through experiential mindfulness exercises and meditations.

Join us for this incredible workshop led by two of Esalen’s longtime and celebrated scholar-practitioners.

Learn more about the requirements to receive continuing education credit.

Lead photo:
David Presti

David Presti, PhD, is a teaching professor of neurobiology and psychology at the University of California in Berkeley.

Read More

Kristi Panik

Kristi Panik, MD, is chief of psychiatric services of the University Student Health Services at UC Berkeley.

Read More

Workshop Schedule

Friday
8:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Saturday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
4:15 pm – 6:15 pm
7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Sunday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Summer Groovers will experience Esalen in a format similar to our Self Guided Explorations workshops. Each Summer Groove week or weekend will open and close with a circle, and be filled with festive, nostalgic activities that harken back to those days of yore.

More activities can be found on our open class schedule.

See general schedule information including arrival, departure and meal times.

Accommodations & Tuition

Click Register Now to view availability of accommodations and all-inclusive, program-specific tuition. Please note that not all accommodation levels are available for every workshop and additional faculty fees may apply.

Accommodations & Tuition

Click Register Now to view availability of accommodations and all-inclusive tuition that includes lodging, three meals per day, access to the baths, and all activities on the Summer Groove schedule.

We offer scholarship funds for those with financial need. Learn more.

Accommodations & Tuition

For this workshop, you will register and pay for accommodations and tuition in two separate steps.

First, sign up and pay tuition directly to

Second, click Book Accommodations from this page and enter the password to complete your reservation to stay at Esalen.

Prices for accommodations include your lodging, meals, open classes, and use of the baths and other facilities. View partner program accommodations pricing.

COVID Update

As of June 30, 2023 we no longer require a negative COVID test at the time of check in. Please read our current COVID safety guidelines for complete details prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

All guests and faculty must provide proof of negative test results at time of check-in. Please read our current COVID safety guidelines for complete details prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

In addition to proof of vaccination, all guests and faculty must provide proof of negative test results at time of check-in. Please read our current COVID safety guidelines for complete details prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

Effective January 7, 2022 in response to the rapid spread of the new Omicron variant, all guests and faculty will provide proof of negative PCR, NAAT, or antigen test results at time of check-in. The test must be taken within 72 hours nd results must come from a laboratory or healthcare provider.Please read our updated COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

Effective December 15 in accordance with new guidance from Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Health, all guests, students, staff, residents, and faculty are required to wear masks in all indoor public settings, irrespective of vaccine status, for the next four weeks (December 15, 2021 through January 15, 2022). Please read our updated COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

Effective November 19, 2021, in accordance with new guidance from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, all guests, students, staff, residents, and faculty are no longer required to wear masks indoors on campus. Please read our updated COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

Starting November 5, 2021, due to substantial levels of COVID-19 transmission in Monterey County, a mask mandate established by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors will go into effect. Please read our COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

All guests will be required to provide proof of vaccination upon arrival starting September 3, 2021. Please read our COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

Masks are no longer mandated indoors or outdoors, except during massage sessions. Guests are not required to provide testing or vaccination verification before arriving on campus. Please read our COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

All-inclusive Pricing

David Presti and Kristi Panik

February 24–26, 2023
Choose Your Path

Psychedelics produce powerful effects on the mind, including the intensification of thoughts, feelings, and perceptions and the loosening of psychological defenses. As chemicals, psychedelics probe connections between brain physiology and consciousness, among the most interesting and mysterious arenas in contemporary science.

As plant and fungal-medicine teachers, psychedelics have been used for millennia by Indigenous cultures to amplify connections between mind and world. Modern science has been researching psychedelics for 150 years. Just 70 years ago, psychedelics were one of the driving forces in the early days of biological psychiatry.

However, the popular use of some of these substances in the 1960s contributed to severe legal regulation, halting research and public discussion. Interest in psychedelics has now returned to mainstream science, accompanied by a great deal of enthusiasm and media attention. In the context of this rush to pull these powerful medicines into the framework of biomedical science and commercial healthcare, we will pause to take an expansive look at what these plant and fungal spirit beings have to teach about the nature of mind and reality.

In this workshop, we will:

  • Learn about the historical uses, botanical characteristics, chemistry, and place in contemporary culture of various plant medicines.
  • Reflect on how best to meet the current information flood about psychedelic medicines and their use.
  • Explore relevant mind states through experiential mindfulness exercises and meditations.

Join us for this incredible workshop led by two of Esalen’s longtime and celebrated scholar-practitioners.

Choose Your Path

Workshop Schedule

Friday
8:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Saturday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
4:15 pm – 6:15 pm
7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Sunday
10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Summer Groovers will experience Esalen in a format similar to our Self Guided Explorations workshops. Each Summer Groove week or weekend will open and close with a circle, and be filled with festive, nostalgic activities that harken back to those days of yore.

More activities can be found on our open class schedule.

See general schedule information including arrival, departure and meal times.

Accommodations & Tuition

Click Register Now to view availability of accommodations and all-inclusive, program-specific tuition. Please note that not all accommodation levels are available for every workshop and additional faculty fees may apply.

We offer scholarship funds for those with financial need. Learn more.

Accommodations & Tuition

Click Register Now to view availability of accommodations and all-inclusive tuition that includes lodging, three meals per day, access to the baths, and all activities on the Summer Groove schedule.

We offer scholarship funds for those with financial need. Learn more.

Accommodations & Tuition

For this workshop, you will register and pay for accommodations and tuition in two separate steps.

First, sign up and pay tuition directly to

Second, click Book Accommodations from this page and enter the password to complete your reservation to stay at Esalen.

Prices for accommodations include your lodging, meals, open classes, and use of the baths and other facilities. View partner program accommodations pricing.

COVID Update

As of June 30, 2023 we no longer require a negative COVID test at the time of check in. Please read our current COVID safety guidelines for complete details prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

All guests and faculty must provide proof of negative test results at time of check-in. Please read our current COVID safety guidelines for complete details prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

In addition to proof of vaccination, all guests and faculty must provide proof of negative test results at time of check-in. Please read our current COVID safety guidelines for complete details prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

Effective January 7, 2022 in response to the rapid spread of the new Omicron variant, all guests and faculty will provide proof of negative PCR, NAAT, or antigen test results at time of check-in. The test must be taken within 72 hours nd results must come from a laboratory or healthcare provider.Please read our updated COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

Effective December 15 in accordance with new guidance from Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Health, all guests, students, staff, residents, and faculty are required to wear masks in all indoor public settings, irrespective of vaccine status, for the next four weeks (December 15, 2021 through January 15, 2022). Please read our updated COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

Effective November 19, 2021, in accordance with new guidance from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, all guests, students, staff, residents, and faculty are no longer required to wear masks indoors on campus. Please read our updated COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

Starting November 5, 2021, due to substantial levels of COVID-19 transmission in Monterey County, a mask mandate established by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors will go into effect. Please read our COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

All guests will be required to provide proof of vaccination upon arrival starting September 3, 2021. Please read our COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

COVID Update

Masks are no longer mandated indoors or outdoors, except during massage sessions. Guests are not required to provide testing or vaccination verification before arriving on campus. Please read our COVID safety guidelines prior to booking your stay.

All-inclusive Pricing