University instructors Jamie Brownlee and Kevin Walby are the authors of Psychedelic Capitalism, a book that takes a critical look at the direction of the mainstreaming of psychedelic drugs, particularly within the medical system.
“We began this work, I would say, with a sense of naive optimism, even enthusiasm that this psychedelic renaissance, this process of mainstreaming could represent in many ways a positive development for a society and a culture that seems increasingly bent on self-destruction,” said Brownlee.
“As we dug a little deeper into this process of so-called mainstreaming, our enthusiasm was dampened, right? We got quite concerned that the psychedelic renaissance may not be a positive force for change, but could actually entrench systems of social and economic inequality and actually cause significant social harm along the way.”
Brownlee teaches at Careton University, while Walby is a professor in the department of criminal justice at the University of Winnipeg. The pair spoke with People First Radio about some of the themes they explored in their look at the state of psychedelics.
The program also spoke with Shannon Dames, Chair of Psychedelic Programming at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo.
“It’s an emerging field and, and to be more specific, it’s a reemerging field, because psychoactive medicines have been in the research world, in the medical world, and really traditionally in our kind of cultural world, going back a couple thousand years now,” said Dames.
“In the last 10 years, especially, I would say, we’re trying to understand how the field fits in the current colonial structures. And it’s complicated, ’cause they’re not entirely clinical, they’re not entirely spiritual. They’re really a blend of both.”
Listen to the program for more from Brownlee, Walby, and Dames on issues in the evolving field of psychedelic assisted therapy.
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify