Dr Sam Gandy – Psychedelic Biophilia: From Egoism to Ecoism
Nature connectedness is correlated with a reduction in anxiety and elevated personal wellbeing. In a recently published study, it was found that population level lifetime experience with classical psychedelics (as opposed to other consumed substances) was found to strongly predict self-reported engagement with pro-environmental behaviours through an increase in nature connection. This suggests that psychedelic usage may have significant benefits to offer at both the individual and societal level. What if rather than vilifying these compounds, we held them in the same high regard as some indigenous groups do?
Sam has a PhD in ecological science from the University of Aberdeen and an MRes in entomology from Imperial College London. He has a lifelong interest in nature and wildlife and has been fortunate enough to conduct field research in various parts of the world including the UK, Kefalonia, Almeria, Texas, the Peruvian Amazon, Vietnam and Ethiopia.
At the present time, he finds himself on the cutting edge of psychedelic research, working as Scientific Assistant to the Director of the Beckley Foundation, and as a collaborator with the Psychedelic Research Group at Imperial College London. He has written papers, book chapters, articles and spoken at conferences and festivals on psychedelics and he is fascinated by their potential to benefit human lives. Sam has a particular interest in the intersection of two of his big passions…nature and psychedelics…and how psychedelics have the potential to reconnect our increasingly disconnected species to the natural world, for the betterment of humanity and the biosphere at large.
Nature connectedness is correlated with a reduction in anxiety and elevated personal wellbeing. In a recently published study, it was found that population level lifetime experience with classical psychedelics (as opposed to other consumed substances) was found to strongly predict self-reported engagement with pro-environmental behaviours through an increase in nature connection. This suggests that psychedelic usage may have significant benefits to offer at both the individual and societal level. What if rather than vilifying these compounds, we held them in the same high regard as some indigenous groups do?
Sam has a PhD in ecological science from the University of Aberdeen and an MRes in entomology from Imperial College London. He has a lifelong interest in nature and wildlife and has been fortunate enough to conduct field research in various parts of the world including the UK, Kefalonia, Almeria, Texas, the Peruvian Amazon, Vietnam and Ethiopia.
At the present time, he finds himself on the cutting edge of psychedelic research, working as Scientific Assistant to the Director of the Beckley Foundation, and as a collaborator with the Psychedelic Research Group at Imperial College London. He has written papers, book chapters, articles and spoken at conferences and festivals on psychedelics and he is fascinated by their potential to benefit human lives. Sam has a particular interest in the intersection of two of his big passions…nature and psychedelics…and how psychedelics have the potential to reconnect our increasingly disconnected species to the natural world, for the betterment of humanity and the biosphere at large.
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Very good talk ❤
I beg to differ with the KET. I think, if you already HAVE established a deep connection with nature anyway, then THAT will come up, as it did for me, so profoundly.
I have it on record, I taped it, when I said:
I am all HEART & FOREST…That;s ALL there IS.
And at another point I mentioned a vivid image, lying on the forest floor, touching the dried leaves with my hands, and then again surrounded by forest, and then I say: aaaaaw mycelium! YESSSSSS! Take meeeeee…
It was one of the most beautiful nature experiences I had, and I was NOT in the forest, but in a closed setting.
Such a great presentation! Thank you.
And yes, for me it was the same. working with Amanita Muscaria, it has brought back this nature connection, which I had with the forest, riding bareback on a horse, just listening to the sounds, and it gave me that beautiful inner peace. That was my teenage meditation, which pulled me through the struggling years of puberty.
In 2016 I had a spontaneous non-ordinary state of consciousness, close to the Glastonbury Tor, just having a break in nature, lying in the grass. – It was so profound, when all of a sudden I was overcome with that sense of ONE-Ness, I felt unconditionally loved and cradled by Mother Earth, and I was the one loving Mother Earth. Amazing!!
I will never forget that.
Since then that deep connection has been rekindled a few years later, it was that mushroom, which inspired me (it was like an inner pull) to go back into the forest, just for a walk, and now I do this on an almost daily basis.
It has so re-connected me to Mother Earth.
It was with all the substances I had a chance to try. All of them had that DEEP NATURE component. Even giving me vivid imagery in some cases.
So I see this as a chance, and why everybody, not just depressed people in clinical settings, but more general for all who want to try it, should have the opportunity and access to these substances – of course, used responsibly.
I see it as a chance to turn this around and hopefully prevent that complete destruction of our beautiful Planet Earth!!!!
Thank you so much, Sam, to explore and put some light on this important topic!
this is such a good talk. everybody should watch it
People do ayahuasca in nature. All the time. That's where it is primarily done. That's why people travel to Peru and Brazil. So yes, if there's any psychedelics that enhances your connection with nature, that's ayahuasca. It's much more likely that people take shrooms or LSD casually in a city before going partying.
Aho! Nice one Sam 🙂
A very well presented, intelligent talk. I am impressed and delighted. I'd love to see Sam interviewed on the Joe Rogan Experience. Or listen to s dialog with Graham Hancock. Earth awareness and mystical/ natural states of consciousness are all pointing to interconnection and a seamless symbiosis betwixt th d individual part of nature, as a self, and the whole phenomenon as a universal expression. Great topic and a highly inspiring conclusion can be gained from such a powerful discussion. Great minds think alike, eh?
This guy is too hard to watch with all his NASA bullshit. You honestly can't tell those images are fake? Moving on…..