I will be presenting at the Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelic Research (ICPR) in Haarlem, Netherlands with Dr. Keith Williams.

The past two decades have witnessed a flourishing of interest in psychedelic compounds. As the research into psychedelic medicines grows, plants and fungi themselves have been sidelined and decontextualized in the quest for clinical efficacy and rescheduling. This presentation introduces the concept of plant intelligence and broader notions of plant agency through theoretical methods.

Recent scientific research shows that plants learn, remember, communicate, and have relationships with each other and fungi, pointing towards plant intelligence and agency. Through contextualizing major psychedelic plants and fungi, we will foreground their origins, ecology, and cultural relevance. Indigenous gift logic, giving without the expectation of receiving in return, will be discussed as a heuristic for right relations with psychedelic medicines. We will discuss how plant intelligence and agency is relevant for professionals in clinical and research settings. We will more deeply consider our intimate relationships with plants and fungi which could broaden the qualities of the therapeutic alliance in the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy.