MDMA Psychotherapist Training Study Begins:
MAPS E-Mail Newsletter
**April 15, 2011**
* * *
Dear MAPS Members and Friends,
It's an honor to bring you the April 2011 edition of the MAPS E-mail
Newsletter.
We've come a long way in the last 25 years. The challenge is no longer
convincing regulatory agencies of the value of our research, but finding the
financial resources to conduct the massive Phase 3 studies—involving scores of
therapists and hundreds of subjects in multiple countries—required to make
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy a legally available treatment for those who need
it most.
Another challenge as we get ready to graduate to the next phase of our drug
development program will be finding individuals with the skills and expertise
required to conduct experimental MDMA-assisted psychotherapy sessions. That's
why the FDA is allowing us to conduct a [training study for psychedelic
therapists][7], in the form of a basic investigation of the effects of MDMA-
assisted psychotherapy on healthy volunteers. This study is now screening its
first participant.
   [7]: 
With your help, MAPS is building the foundation for the future of psychedelic
medicine.
[We need your support to turn psychedelics and marijuana into prescription
medicines.][8]
   [8]: 
[ ![Donate][9]][10] [Make a Contribution][10]
   [9]: 
   [10]: 
On Saturday, April 16, the fourth subject will receive his first experimental
treatment session in our Phase 2 study of [MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for
PTSD in veterans of war][11]. For this subject, as for many other patients,
conventional pharmaceutical and psychotherapeutic approaches to helping him
overcome his traumatic memories have failed. For him, this treatment is a
chance for a fresh start. At the same time, he is contributing to the fast-
growing body of scientific data required to make MDMA available as a
prescription medicine for thousands—and possibly millions—like him.
   [11]: 
Just yesterday, in recognition of the pressing need for this research, an
anonymous donor made a gift to MAPS of $100,000. This contribution will go a
long way toward completing our current MDMA/PTSD study and advancing our ever-
growing range of projects. You don't have to be a millionaire to make a
difference—but it helps.
Last month, I reminded you about our "Watch, Learn, and Share" video campaign,
for which a donor gave us $1 every time you viewed a video from our 2010
Psychedelic Science conference, up to a generous $15,000. At the time, we were
just 2,000 views short of our goal. Since the start of the campaign, our
conference videos have now received over 19,000 views and earned MAPS every
penny of the $15,000 offered—thanks to your commitment to psychedelic science
and to your choice to support MAPS.
Just because the campaign is over doesn't mean you've missed your chance.
Health practitioners can still [watch the videos to earn professional
credit][12] through our co-sponsor at the Spiritual Competency Resource
Center. Of course, you can always just [watch them for fun][13], too.
   [12]: 
   [13]: 
Please enjoy and share this edition of the MAPS E-mail Newsletter. And also,
remember that none of these accomplishments—not even this newsletter—would
have been possible without your support. Whether it's a little or a lot,
please [donate today][14] and help make sure the good news keeps rolling in.
   [14]: 
Oh, and one more thing: Get ready to commemorate 25 years of psychedelic and
medical marijuana research and education by joining us for a conference,
workshops, and benefit celebration from December 9-11, 2011, in the San
Francisco Bay Area. You won't want to miss this.
Sincerely,
**Brad Burge, M.A.**  
MAPS Director of Communications

* * *
**MDMA Research News:**
  1. **[First Subject Screened in MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapist Training Program][16]**
  2. **[Jordanian MDMA/PTSD Study Meets Final Requirements][17]**
  3. **[Swiss MDMA/PTSD Study Team Begins Data Analysis][18]**
  4. **[US MDMA/PTSD Veterans Study Enrolls Third and Fourth Subjects][19]**
  5. **[Israeli MDMA/PTSD Study Protocol Awaits Ministry of Health Review][20]**
  6. **[Rick Doblin, Researchers Meet with Wellcome Trust to Seek Support for UK MDMA/PTSD Study][21]**
   [16]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#1
   [17]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#2
   [18]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#3
   [19]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#4
   [20]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#5
   [21]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#6
**Marijuana Research News:**
  7. **[Revised Marijuana/PTSD Protocol Submitted to FDA][22]**
  8. **[DEA Insists on Maintaining Government Marijuana Research Monopoly][23]**
   [22]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#7
   [23]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#8
**Other Research News:**
  9. **[Swiss LSD/End-of-Life Anxiety Study Nearing Completion][24]**
  10. **[Observational Ibogaine Study Enrolls Additional Subjects][25]**
  11. **[MAPS Receives Multiple Matching Grant Offers for Clinical Ibogaine Study][26]**
  12. **[Supplemental Study Measures Cardiovascular Effects of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy][27]**
  13. **[Participate in a Non-MAPS Survey on Drugs and Mystical Experiences][28]**
   [24]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#9
   [25]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#10
   [26]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#11
   [27]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#12
   [28]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#13
**MAPS Store:**
  14. **[_Honor Thy Daughter_ Coming Soon: Reserve Your Copy Now!][29]**
  15. **[Visionary Art: Alex Grey's "The Shulgins and Their Alchemical Angels"][30]**
   [29]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#14
   [30]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#15
**Events:**
  16. **[Save the Date for MAPS' 25th Anniversary Celebration!][31]**
  17. **[UK Breaking Convention Conference a Huge Success][32]**
  18. **[Transpersonal Pioneers Offer 6-Week Course on Psychology and Consciousness][33]**
  19. **[Tickets on Sale Now for Horizons Psychedelics Conference in NYC][34]**
  20. **[MAPS to Co-host International Drug Policy Reform Conference in November][35]**
  21. **[So Many MAPS Events, So Little Time!][36]**
  22. **[NORML to Host 40th Anniversary Conference in the Rockies][37]**
  23. **[European Psychedelic Harm Reduction Organization Seeks Volunteers][38]**
   [31]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#16
   [32]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#17
   [33]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#18
   [34]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#19
   [35]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#20
   [36]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#21
   [37]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#22
   [38]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#23
**Media:**
  24. **[Coming Soon: Special Edition of the _MAPS Bulletin_ on Psychedelics and the Body][39]**
  25. **[MAPS Featured in _ELLE_ Magazine][40]**
  26. **[Documentary on Secret History of LSD Meets Fundraising Goal][41]**
  27. **[Coming Soon: New Film on Electronic Music, Psychedelics, and Spirituality][42]**
   [39]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#24
   [40]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#25
   [41]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#26
   [42]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#27
**Other News:**
  28. **[Now Hiring: Director of Marketing and Development][43]**
  29. **[Seeking Skilled, Motivated Interns for Summer 2011][44]**
  30. **[MAPS Needs Your Old iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch][45]**
  31. **[CE/CME Credit Still Available for 2010 Psychedelic Science Conference Videos][46]**
   [43]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#28
   [44]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#29
   [45]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#30
   [46]: http://maps.org/tmp/4_11_EU.html#31
* * *
**MDMA Research News**
**1. First Subject Screened in MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapist Training Protocol**
On March 22-24, 2011, MAPS Lead Clinical Research Associate Berra Yazar-
Klosinski, Ph.D., and MAPS Clinical Research Intern Katie Hendy, M.A., and
MAPS Director of Finance and IT Josh Sonstroem (who is also responsible for
encapsulating and randomizing study MDMA) visited Charleston, SC, to initiate
our [therapist training protocol for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for
PTSD][47]. The study has now screened its first participant. The protocol was
designed as a Phase 1 study of the psychological effects of MDMA in healthy
volunteers, with subjects limited to people in MAPS' therapist training
program. In addition to providing new information about the effects of MDMA-
assisted psychotherapy in healthy volunteers, the study will enable us to
train therapists to conduct future MDMA/PTSD studies. With MAPS preparing to
expand its research program to move even closer towards regulatory approval of
MDMA as a prescription medicine, there will be more need for therapists
trained in [MAPS' approach to MDMA-assisted psychotherapy][48] than ever
before. The study is led by Clinical Investigators Michael Mithoefer, M.D.,
and Annie Mithoefer, B.S.N. Julie Holland, M.D., is the official medical
monitor.
   [47]: 
   [48]: 
**2. Jordanian MDMA/PTSD Study Meets Final Requirements**
On March 29, 2011, Kamila Novak of Antaea Medical Services, the clinical
research organization that MAPS has hired to oversee our Jordanian and Israeli
MDMA/PTSD studies, met with the Jordanian Food and Drug Administration (JFDA)
to discuss the status of our [Jordanian study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy
for PTSD][49]. The JFDA confirmed that the study had met the liability
insurance requirements for subjects enrolled in the study and that the
protocol was satisfactory, and that they will allow the study to proceed once
a few final documents have been submitted by the clinical trial site, probably
by the end of April.
   [49]: 
We expect to receive permission to import MDMA shortly after the research
protocol passes the JFDA review process. Our supplier in Switzerland is ready
to ship the MDMA to Jordan, so all we need is the final word from the JFDA and
the permits for bringing the MDMA into Jordan. We will then be ready to
initiate the study and begin recruiting and enrolling subjects.
**3. Swiss MDMA/PTSD Study Team Begins Data Analysis**
Now that we've completed our [Swiss study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy][50]
in 12 subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD, the clinical team is
analyzing the data and assisting investigator Peter Oehen, M.D., in preparing
a manuscript for publication. A preliminary analysis suggests that the
Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), which is the primary measure of PTSD
symptom severity, showed a trend towards improvement after treatment, with
CAPS reductions somewhat larger than in comparable studies of Zoloft and
Paxil. The Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS), which is the secondary
measure of PTSD symptoms completed by the subjects, also showed statistically
significant improvements in symptoms after treatment.
   [50]: 
The therapeutic results obtained in our previously completed [U.S. flagship
study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD][51] were larger than those from
our Swiss study. In order to determine how methodological, personnel, and/or
cultural differences may have led to these differences, we are asking a series
of questions about whether there were differences in (1) the population from
which subjects were drawn, (2) the recruitment process, (3) the screening
process, (4) the demographics of the subjects enrolled, (5) Swiss and American
cultural approaches to PTSD, (6) the approaches of the various independent
raters, and (7) the way in which subjects' PTSD symptoms were treated and/or
evaluated by the clinicians. The answers to these questions will help MAPS
understand how best to maximize therapeutic outcomes.
   [51]: 
**4. US MDMA/PTSD Veterans Study Enrolls Third and Fourth Subjects**
On March 25, 2011, MAPS Lead Clinical Research Associate Berra Yazar-
Klosinski, Ph.D., visited Charleston, SC, to evaluate the progress of our
ongoing Phase 2 pilot study of [MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD in
veterans of war][52]. The study is led by Clinical Investigators Michael
Mithoefer, M.D., and Annie Mithoefer, B.S.N. Two out of 16 subjects have now
completed their MDMA-assisted psychotherapy sessions. On April 2, the third
subject had his first experimental MDMA psychotherapy session. On April 4, the
fourth subject was enrolled, with his first experimental therapy session
scheduled for April 16. In past studies, recruitment has been the primary
challenge of conducting these studies; now that we have improved our
recruitment techniques, the major challenge now is making sure that all of the
subjects complete the study (some could choose to drop out). It is
advantageous that both of these new subjects live in the Charleston vicinity,
since it dramatically reduces travel costs. Conserving resources is an
important task as we conduct this study, as we still need to raise $175,000 in
order to complete the study. If you would like to [help us complete this
crucial study][53], please consider making a contribution.
   [52]: 
   [53]: 
**5. Israeli MDMA/PTSD Study Protocol Awaits Ministry of Health Review**
On March 16, 2011, the Israeli Ethics Committee at Beer Ya'akov Mental
Hospital submitted the application for our [Israeli study of MDMA-assisted
psychotherapy for PTSD][54] to the Israeli Ministry of Health (the Israeli
equivalent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration). The Ministry of Health
is now reviewing the protocol, and we anticipate that they will approve it. If
that happens we will be able to initiate the study.
   [54]: 
**6. Rick Doblin, Researchers Meet with Wellcome Trust to Seek Support for UK MDMA/PTSD Study**
On April 1, 2011, two officials from the [Wellcome Trust][55], the largest
private philanthropic organization in the UK with assets of about $20 billion,
meet at their London office with MAPS Executive Director Rick Doblin, Ph.D.,
British psychiatrist Ben Sessa, M.D., Swiss MDMA/PTSD study Clinical
Investigator and lead psychiatrist Peter Oehen, M.D., and Swiss co-therapist
Verena Widmer. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss possible Wellcome
Trust interest in a grant application for a MAPS-sponsored MDMA/PTSD pilot
study to take place in England. The meeting took Rick Doblin about two months
to arrange, with crucial assistance from Ben Sessa and senior British
scientist David Nutt, M.D.
   [55]: 
The outcome of the meeting was that the Wellcome has invited us to submit a
grant proposal. Wellcome staff indicated that they were more interested in the
neuroscience of psychedelics than the therapy, so as a result we will be
designing the new study with an emphasis on physiological and
neurophysiological changes related to PTSD before and after treatment. While
there is no guarantee that Wellcome will agree to fund the study, this is the
first time that MAPS has ever been invited to submit a grant application to a
major public (non-family) foundation, and therefore represents a major step
forward. Although Wellcome officials thought they would be taking a
"reputational risk" by agreeing to fund an MDMA/PTSD study, they also agreed
with Rick Doblin's comment that doing so could also be a "reputational
opportunity." Those foundations that decide to support psychedelic research at
this stage will in the future be recognized for their prescient contributions
to this growing field.
**Marijuana Research News**
**7. Revised Marijuana/PTSD Protocol Submitted to FDA**
On March 15, 2011, MAPS submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration the
[revised protocol][56] for our [planned study][57] of smoked and/or vaporized
marijuana in 50 war veterans with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD. In a
[February 9 conference call][58], the FDA acknowledged that we had
successfully addressed their concerns about subjects diverting unused
marijuana by asking patients to use a handheld video camera to record
themselves each time they use the marijuana and also by following up with a
"significant other" identified by each patient. The FDA then requested that we
submit a revised protocol incorporating our proposed changes. We anticipate
hearing back from the FDA soon. If the FDA decides to approve the study after
reviewing the revised protocol, the next step will be for MAPS to submit the
protocol to a complicated, redundant, yet politically required review process
conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Public Health
Service.
   [56]: 
   [57]: 
   [58]: 
The PHS/NIDA review process could take six months or longer for an initial
reply, and a similar amount of time to evaluate our response to any questions
or comments that emerge. We are hoping this extra review process will end in
approval. If not, then the process will have provided further evidence for the
need for state-level medical marijuana reform efforts, and for the need to end
the NIDA monopoly on the legal supply marijuana for use in FDA-permitted
research studies.
**8. DEA Insists on Maintaining Government Marijuana Research Monopoly**
On April 1, 2011, the Drug Enforcement Administration filed its [final
response][59] to the [final brief][60] in MAPS' and Professor Lyle Craker's
decade-long struggle to [end the federal government's monopoly on the supply
of marijuana for research][61]. After reviewing Prof. Craker's final brief,
DEA lawyers asked DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart to reject DEA
Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Mary Ellen Bittner's 2007 [recommendation][62]
that Craker be allowed to start his own MAPS-sponsored medical marijuana
production facility. It may have been April Fool's Day, but this is no joke,
and the American public is not laughing.
   [59]: 
   [60]: 
   [61]: 
   [62]: 
We are now waiting for Leonhart to issue her final order rejecting the ALJ's
recommendation. The DEA's final order could come soon, or it could take years.
After that, our only recourse is to take up our pending lawsuit against the
DEA in the US Court of Appeals (for which Craker's lawyers filed their
[thirteenth status report][63] on April 11).
   [63]: 
**Other Research News**
**9. Swiss LSD/End-of-Life Anxiety Study Nearing Completion**
Our Swiss study of [LSD-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with
life-threatening illness][64] is now collecting data from its 12th and final
subject. The MAPS clinical team is conducting a preliminary data analysis and
finalizing the database for the FDA. Statisticians at the University of Zurich
working with Franz Vollenweider, M.D., will be conducting the analysis to
assist Clinical Investigator Peter Gasser, M.D., in preparing a manuscript for
publication.
   [64]: 
**10. Observational Ibogaine Study Enrolls Additional Subjects**
On March 18, 2011, MAPS Deputy Director Valerie Mojeiko met with MAPS
researcher Thomas Kingsley Brown, Ph.D., at the University of California, San
Diego, to review the progress of our ongoing observational study of [ibogaine-
assisted therapy for the treatment of addiction][65]. The study, which has now
enrolled 20 out of 30 subjects, is investigating the long-term effects of
ibogaine therapy in patients who have already undergone treatment at one of
two independent ibogaine clinics in Mexico. We have completed the creation of
a database for collecting the data, and MAPS volunteer Rebecca is currently
assisting with data entry.
   [65]: 
**11. MAPS Receives Multiple Matching Grant Offers for Clinical Ibogaine Study**
As of April 1, we are no longer accepting applications for our $25,000
matching grant offered to a team of researchers with the credentials and
expertise required to conduct a clinical study of ibogaine. We are currently
reviewing several applications in hopes that we will be able to conduct this
study. In both the ongoing observational study and the planned clinical study,
MAPS is attempting to determine whether the potential risks and benefits of
ibogaine-assisted therapy outweigh the risks of being addicted to alcohol,
opiates, and other drugs. Unlike for MDMA, which numerous toxicity studies
have determined can be safely administered in therapeutic contexts, basic
clinical safety has not yet been established for ibogaine.
So far, MAPS has received two offers of $25,000 matching grants. One is from
Bob Sisko of the Addiction Research Institute, though his offer is dependent
on whether we can agree on a protocol design (a distinct possibility). The
second is from Matt and Kristi Bowden of New Zealand harm reduction
organization [Stargate International][66]. Combined with the $25,000 we have
already earmarked for the study, we may have a total of $75,000 to work with
on a clinical ibogaine study protocol.
   [66]: 
**12. Supplemental Study Measures Cardiovascular Effects of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy**
We are presently conducting a meta-analysis of the cardiovascular data
collected in our past studies of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, and
comparing that data to our recent survey of the cardiovascular effects of
recreational Ecstasy use. The preliminary data for this analysis was collected
and presented to MAPS staff by Clinical Research Intern and University of
Amsterdam medical student Daan de Vries. An early analysis suggests that both
those patients randomly chosen to receive inactive placebo and those chosen to
receive the full 125 mg dose of MDMA experience increases in blood pressure.
While it is still too early to make conclusions from this analysis, it is
possible that the cardiovascular effects of therapeutic doses of MDMA are
comparable to the cardiovascular effects of PTSD symptoms in a non-drug
psychotherapy session. Blood pressure is currently measured every 15-30
minutes in our protocols. The FDA originally created this requirement because
of concerns about the cardiovascular risks of MDMA. If blood pressure exceeds
a certain threshold, these measurements are made every five minutes until they
stabilize and can be disruptive to the therapeutic process. Conducting this
meta-analysis may enable us to negotiate with the FDA for less frequent blood
pressure measurements in our upcoming Phase 3 studies of MDMA-assisted
psychotherapy for PTSD.
**13. Participate in a Non-MAPS Survey on Drugs and Mystical Experiences**
Do you take drugs to heighten your spirituality? Some drugs, such as
psychedelics, help people help reach atonement and enlightenment. Researchers
at Bond University are conducting a study of the relationship between various
drugs, from alcohol to cocaine to LSD, and spirituality. Recent research has
indicated that there is a significant relationship between psychedelic drugs
and mystical experiences in highly controlled settings. However, is there a
relationship between other drugs that are not psychedelic, and is the same
relationship true for those who have previously done drugs in non-medical
settings? [Click here to participate in the survey][67], and follow the
instructions. Please feel free to share the link with friends.
   [67]: 
**MAPS Store**
**14. _Honor Thy Daughter_ Coming Soon: Reserve Your Copy Now!**
Keep an eye out at the end of April for the newest book from the MAPS press.
[_Honor Thy Daughter_][68] is an intimate true story by Marilyn Howell, Ed.D.,
about her family's search for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing as
her daughter struggles with terminal cancer. The family's journey takes them
through the darkest corners of corporate medicine, the jungles of Brazil, the
pallid hallways of countless hospitals, and ultimately into the hands of an
anonymous therapist who offers the family hope and healing through MDMA-
assisted psychotherapy. The story was originally featured in a [2006 _Boston
Globe_ article][69] in which Howell's identity was concealed. With psychedelic
medicine increasingly a part of the mainstream vocabulary, in _Honor Thy
Daughter_ Howell comes out of the closet and shares with us how psychedelic
therapy helped heal the bonds ripped apart by illness. An excerpt from the
book will appear in the upcoming special edition of the _MAPS Bulletin_.
Remember: 100% of MAPS' shares of the proceeds from the sale of the book go
directly to funding our research and educational projects. [Reserve your copy
now!][68]
   [68]: 
   [69]: 
**15. Visionary Art: Alex Grey's "The Shulgins and Their Alchemical Angels"**
Alex Grey's breathtaking painting was unveiled on April 17, 2010, at the
tribute banquet held in honor of Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin and his wife Ann at
the "Psychedelic Science in the 21st Century" conference in San Jose,
California. MAPS is now offering a limited quantity of numbered prints
lovingly signed by Alex, Sasha, and Ann. This radiant painting portrays Sasha
holding an MDMA molecule with a fiery warm glow and angel's wings while Ann
touches the molecule and gazes into the light. Molecular diagrams (which Sasha
has called his "dirty pictures") hover around them, and above the couple blaze
two flaming wings bearing the words "PiHKAL" and "TiHKAL." An alchemical flask
hovers above Sasha's head with a symbolic "eye of the heart" angel inside the
lab vessel. There are still a few available, so [visit the MAPS Visionary Art
Store today][70] and help support psychedelic science while honoring these
historic figures.
   [70]: 
**Events**
**16. Save the Date for MAPS' 25th Anniversary Celebration!**
Join MAPS on December 9-11, 2011, in the San Francisco Bay Area to celebrate
25 years of unprecedented progress in psychedelic science and medicine! The
locations are still to be decided, but whether it happens at a world-renowned
science exhibition center, on a cruise ship on the San Francisco Bay, or
inside a tremendous spaceship, this event will be one to remember. The event
will feature lectures, workshops, and an all-night celebration. Psychedelic
science has come a long way since our founding in 1986, and for the first time
in nearly half a century mainstream medicine and the mass media alike are
recognizing the pressing need for this research. Thanks to the support of the
MAPS community, the next 25 years is looking even more promising than the
last. Keep an eye out for more information!
**17. UK "Breaking Convention" Conference a Huge Success**
On April 1-3, 2011, MAPS Founder and Executive Director Rick Doblin, Ph.D.,
and MAPS Executive Assistant Linnae Ponté traveled to the University of Kent
in Canterbury, England, for ["Breaking Convention: A Multidisciplinary
Conference on Psychedelic Consciousness"][71]. The event held true to its
name, bringing together some of the world's leading minds in psychedelic
research to propagate the psychedelic renaissance in the UK and around the
world. With 600 attendees (three times the expected number) from 30 countries
around the world, "Breaking Convention" was a successful first conference
organized by the UKC Psychedelics Society. Many thanks to Ben Sessa, M.D.,
David King, and the rest of the conference organizers.
   [71]: 
A highlight of the conference was a panel debate entitled "MDMA: Its Place in
Medicine, Society and, Politics." Panelists Andy Parrott, Ph.D., Ben Sessa,
M.D., Jon Cole, Ph.D., Val Curran, M.D., and Rick Doblin, Ph.D., held a lively
discussion and addressed questions from the audience. The consensus of the
panelists, with the exception of Andy Parrott, was that the ongoing and
expanding research into MDMA-assisted psychotherapy was a positive
development. Rick Doblin also delivered the final talk of the conference,
entitled ["Psychedelics and the Future United Religions: Building a Global
Spirituality"][72]. Videos from the conference will be posted on the MAPS
website as soon as they are available, and in the meantime you can check out
this terrific set of [interviews with conference attendees][73] over at The
Know Drugs Blog. Also see this [interesting and off-beat commentary][74] on
the conference.
   [72]: 
   [73]: 
   [74]: 
**18. Transpersonal Pioneers Offer 6-Week Course on Psychology and Consciousness**
From May 24 to June 28, 2011, join transpersonal psychiatrist Stan Grof, M.D.,
Ph.D., and transpersonal psychologist Christina Grof, Ph.D., for [a six-week
"tele-course"][75] in honor of the achievements of these pioneering
researchers. MAPS has signed on as an affiliate for this course, meaning that
a significant portion of every registration made by clicking on the below
links goes directly to supporting MAPS' research and educational projects. The
course, entitled "Moving Toward Wholeness," includes weekly online seminars,
including:
   [75]: 
  * Toward a Psychology of the Future: Lessons from Consciousness Research
  * Cosmos, Psyche, and Society: Archetypal Forces in Personal and Collective Life
  * The Power of Breath and Insight: Moving Toward Wholeness
  * Bringing It Home: Integrating the Breathwork Experiences into Everyday Life
  * Spiritual Emergency: Breakdown or Breakthrough?
  * Celebrating Transpersonal Psychology: A Gathering of Elders
The course centers around a "Global Holotropic Breathwork Day" on June 11,
during which practitioners of [Holotropic Breathwork][76] from around the
world will "breathe as one" in an unprecedented collective healing event. This
course is a rare opportunity to learn about research into altered states of
consciousness and transpersonal psychology directly from the founders of the
field, and is not to be missed. The course is co-sponsored by Wisdom
University, the Association for Holotropic Breathwork International, the Grof
Transpersonal Training Institute, and Stan and Christina Grof. [Click here to
register, support MAPS, and to learn more about this unique opportunity][77].
   [76]: 
   [77]: 
**19. Tickets on Sale Now for Horizons Psychedelics Conference in NYC**
On October 14-16, 2011, the "Horizons: Perspectives on Psychedelics"
conference will be taking place at Judson Memorial Church in the heart of
Greenwich Village in New York City. "Horizons" is an annual conference (now in
its fifth year) the goal of which is to open a fresh dialogue on the role of
psychedelics in medicine, culture, history, spirituality, and creativity.
Speakers will be announced soon, and tickets are on sale now. For more
information, visit the [conference website][78] or [Facebook page][79], or
e-mail [