3rd Annual Mormon Psychedelic Symposium Review
MoMoPsySy held its second Mormon Psychedelic Symposium last Friday (April 22). The online event featured former members of the LDS Church who have discovered the benefits of psychedelics in dealing with a variety of topics related to leaving the Church, in addition to finding a new purpose and direction in their lives.
Prior to the event on Thursday night, a meet-up was held at Mountain West Cider in Salt Lake City. With a full bar, t-shirts for sale, and a total of between 60-80 people present, the atmosphere was festive and grew louder as the night went on. There were no speeches or agenda items, just a friendly group of people that share a common background and interest in psychedelics.
I spoke to a 30-something year-old man from California who left the Mormon Church shortly after moving to Utah with his parents when he was about 15. While his parents are still active members of the Church living in Utah County, he has found his own community in Salt Lake and has found psychedelics helpful in dealing with mixed emotions about leaving the Church.
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The very next morning at 10:00am, the Mormon Psychedelic Symposium began.
1st Panel – "Beyond the Circle: Integrating Self-love & Healing into the Ceremony of Life"
Watch here
The first panel of women shared their personal stories of how psychedelics have helped them learn to love themselves and how it has changed their way of living. Janae Anderson, a Reiki healer and musician, explained how she was very self-conscious about her unusually large and different looking hands when she was young. Then one day under the influence of psychedelics, she found herself staring at her hands intensely and realizing her hands weren’t a curse, but a blessing that gave her the ability to make music.
2nd Panel – "Fuck the Patriarchy"
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The two women on this panel discussed how psychedelics helped them leave the Church and overcome the extreme patriarchy embedded in Mormon culture.
Carah Burrell, a standup comic and co-host/producer of the “Mormon Stories” podcast, revealed how prior to using psychedelics and leaving the Church, she was a “true believer,” including the belief in traditional gender roles and that the men in the Church’s patriarchy speak for God. Even though she has only been using them for a couple months, Carah has found psychedelics very helpful in feeling self-worth again (without the Church) and how to unlearn the obedience that came from her patriarchy-based faith.
3rd Panel – “Mormon Religious Trauma and Psychedelics"
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The third panel discussed how leaving the Church can be very traumatic and leads to a faith crisis. Liz Jarrad, a psychotherapist, explained how the amount of trauma one has from leaving the Church is directly correlated with how long and devoted one is in the Church. After leaving the Church, it can feel like taking a person’s identity away. But with the help of psychedelics and plant medicine, people can reclaim identity and feel a new purpose in life outside the Church.
4th Panel – “We Contain Multitudes: Navigating Psychedelics, Spirituality, and Inner Work Post Religious Orthodoxy"
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The fourth panel included the hosts of the “Mormons on Mushrooms” podcast (Mike, Doug and Shelise). Mike and Doug are ex-Mormon college friends who found great benefits and healing through the use of psychedelics. The panel discussed how being raised in the Church kept them on one particular and restrictive path in life, unable to enjoy life and “play.” However, with the help of psychedelics, they are able to see the world as it is to a child, before all the knowledge and preconceived notions they acquire as adults.
5th Panel – "Healing with Psychedelics and Fun"
Watch here
With childlike energy while sporting flamboyant eyewear, Tess Huntington, Brooke Lark, and Steve Urquhart (a former state senator) expanded on this idea of “play” and discussed how psychedelics and play can be useful as a healing tool after leaving the Church, in which everything is so structured and purposeful. By contrast, play is more about the experience and enjoying yourself without all the rules and regs that come with organized religion. In addition, play is a great way to make connections with people that we might not have otherwise, even if most of us are not as energetic and playful as the people on this panel.
The psychedelic community of former Mormons is active and growing. Reach out to any of the groups forming and become a part of this wonderful movement.
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