Horizons Conference, NYC

Not long now till I fly to NYC to speak at the Horizons Conference - getting excited now.

For those that don't know, here's the blurb - be great to see you there.

A x

== ABOUT HORIZONS ==

Horizons is an annual forum for learning about psychedelics, hosted by Judson Memorial Church in New York City. Its goal is to open a fresh dialogue about psychedelics and rethink their role in medicine, culture, history, spirituality and art.

Psychedelics are a unique class of psychoactive drugs that have been used by humans for thousands of years. In the 1950s and early 1960s, academic research with psychedelics yielded important discoveries in psychology and neuroscience. Just a few years later, they entered popular culture across North America, Europe and the world.

Questions about their safety, medical value, history and implications in politics and culture were unfortunately answered with numerous myths spread by both their users and the media. The millennial rave fever brought a similar wave of popularity and hysteria.

Recently, a renaissance in psychedelic research and dialogue has taken shape. Horizons brings together the brightest minds and boldest voices of this movement to share their insights and dreams for the future.

== SPEAKERS ==

Saturday, September 26, 2009

10:00 - 10:30 Welcome
10:30 - 11:15 William Richards, Ph.D.
11:20 - 12:05 Franz X. Vollenweider, M.D.
12:05 - 1:00 Lunch
1:15 - 2:00 Alicia Danforth
2:05 - 2:50 Bob Wold
2:50 - 3:20 Break
3:20 - 4:05 Valerie Mojeiko
4:10 - 4:55 Earth & Fire Erowid
5:00 - 5:45 Panel Discussion
5:45 - 6:00 Adjourn

Sunday, September 27, 2009

2:00 - 2:15 Welcome
2:15 - 3:00 Andy Lechter
3:05 - 3:50 Bob Jesse
3:50 - 4:20 Break
4:20 - 5:05 Stephen Ross, M.D.
5:10 - 5:55 Panel Discussion
5:55 - 6:00 Adjourn

BIOGRAPHIES

* Alicia Danforth is a clinical psychedelic researcher and writer working on Dr. Charles Grob's Harbor-UCLA cancer anxiety trial with psilocybin.

* Earth Erowid and Fire Erowid are the co-founders of Erowid Center, an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization. Their primary project is the Erowid.org website established in 1995 as an independent public library of information about psychoactive plants, drugs, technologies, and practices.

* Robert Jesse is organizer of the Council on Spiritual Practices, which aims to shift modernity's awareness and practices with respect to primary religious experience.

* Andy Letcher is a freelance writer, academic lecturer and folk-musician living in Oxford, UK and the author of the critically acclaimed Shroom: A Cultural History of the Magic Mushroom.

* Valerie Mojeiko has worked with MAPS--the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies since 2000, facilitating research of the healing potentials of MDMA (Ecstasy), LSD, Ibogaine and other psychedelic medicines.

* William Richards, Ph.D. is a psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry, Bayview Medical Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

* Stephen Ross, M.D. is assistant professor of psychiatry and director of the Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse at Bellevue Hospital, and associate director for education at New York University School of Medicine in New York City.

* Franz X. Vollenweider, M.D. is head of the Psychopharmacology and Brain Imaging Unit at the University Hospital of Psychiatry (Burghölzli) and lecturer in the School of Medicine, University of Zurich.

* Bob Wold is founder and President of Clusterbusters, Inc., a non-profit organization that supports research on the use of psilocybin to treat cluster headaches.

== RECEPTION ==

The Road to Eleusis: A Reception for Horizons 2009
Friday, September 25, 8pm - midnight
at Judson Memorial Church

Free for Horizons ticket holders, $10 cash otherwise.
An evening of celebration, art, music and performance featuring:

* Larger-than-life imaginative inflatable sculpture by AKAirways.

* The Bike Trip, a monologue about the inner explorer in all of us by master storyteller Martin Dockery.

* A visual history of the faces behind the psychedelic movement from photographer Marc Franklin.

* Electroacoustic soundscapes from The Gamelatron, the world's first and only fully robotic Gamelan orchestra.

* Immersive interactive light art by ImageNode.

== VOLUNTEER ==

We are seeking helping hands to make sure the event runs smoothly, and to leave Judson Memorial Church in better condition than we found it in. If you are available to help with setup, breakdown, the box office, catering, ushering, etc., please fill out this form:
http://tinyurl.com/horizons09volunteer

Volunteers receive a single comp ticket to the entire event for every six hours worked. Also, it's a great chance to meet new friends and do something nice for the community.

== DONATE ==

Horizons is a non-profit event run on a shoestring budget. We are currently in the process of obtaining 501c3 status from the IRS. All funding comes out of the event producer's pocket, and its only source of revenue is ticket sales. Principal expenses are venue rental, speaker transportation, insurance, equipment rental, technical labor and printing. We run a very tight ship.

If you are in a position to be generous, please consider making a donation to Horizons. Your donation will ensure that ticket prices remain affordable, and that the event can continue as an annual institution. In years to come, we are hoping to include more international speakers and expand our programming. Please write to us (info@horizonsnyc.org) if you are interested in becoming a Horizons supporter.