What Can Services Learn from Men Seeking Psychedelic Treatment?

My early-stage academic research made its debut this summer at conferences held by Exeter University and Boston College.

Woo and the Nature of Man is a personal project I’m working on while studying on the Psychedelics Postgraduate Certificate course at the University of Exeter. It looks the price of mens’ mental ill health on society, the high numbers of men dropping out of talk therapy programs, and why many men are seemingly turning to psychedelics for improved health and wellbeing instead. Its goal is to ‘study the potential of emerging health and performance strategies, plus their autonomous application’ – find reliable new ways to sort ourselves out.

This summer I lined up with other swots in the research poster presentations at Integrating Integration, a two-day lecture series held by the University of Exeter. The presentation asked ‘what can services learn from men seeking psychedelic treatment?’ Keynote speaker, ayahuasca anthropologist Evigny Fotiou was notably intrigued by the section on decolonising masculinity. See more in the all-new Research section here.

Weeks later I spoke about ‘how psychedelics help men engage with spiriutality’ at US university Boston College’s London campus, as part of its Psychology and the Other meet. The whole (rather swanky) conference wasn’t recorded: a baller move in this day and age, but admittedly jarring for someone like myself who’s used to organising events purely for the one photo of Kate Moss arriving that will hopefully appear in The Evening Standard next day.

I ripped off the title Woo and the Nature of Man from the first workplace motivation guiode for managers, Work and the Nature of Man witten 1967 by Frederick Herzbergis. The research is at its conceptual stage (ahem) which means I’m deep-diving for themes in the relevant academic literature that add to or inform the data I’ve picked up personally in what I now refer to as ‘male spaces’.

One finding of note so far is that emerging spiritualities encourage men to explore other forms of unconventional masculinity besides the feminised option offered by contemporary culture – NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers expressing unconditional cosmic love for his team mates, for example, in contrast to Harry Styles wearing a dress on a magazine cover. Another discovery is that women in what were once men's roles, like the military, emergency services or professional leadership positions, drop out of trauma services in the same numbers that men do – possibly because our comfort-based culture cannot accomodate the complex experiences that come with a richer and more challenging life path.

I’m studying on the world’s first ever legit university postgrad in psychedelic science and humanities. Sign up for Messages from the Ether below, or follow me on Twitter and Instagram to stay with the vibe.

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Woo and the Nature of Man – new pages dedicated to Research

Why are many men choosing psychedelics to help aid their wellbeing? Often instead of established health services?

I’m finding out in this ongoing project filed under ‘Research’ in the website menus undertaken during postgraduate study in Psychedelic Studies from The University of Exeter, UK.

Woo and the Nature of Man looks the price of mens’ mental ill health on society, the high numbers of men dropping out of talk therapy programs, and why many men are seemingly turning to psychedelics for improved health and wellbeing instead. Its goal is to ‘study the potential of emerging health and performance strategies, plus their autonomous application’ – in other words, find reliable new ways to sort ourselves out.

Naturally I’d be delighted to share my findings at upcoming conferences and seminars – get in touch here. I’ve already presented on ‘What can services learn from men seeking psychedelic treatment?’ at Exeter University’s Psychedelic Integration Conference, and about ‘How psychedelics help men engage with spiriutality’ at Psychology and the Other in London.

I ripped off the title Woo and the Nature of Man from the first workplace motivation guiode for managers, Work and the Nature of Man witten 1967 by Frederick Herzbergis. The research is at its conceptual stage (ahem) which means I’m deep-diving for themes in the relevant academic literature that add to or inform the data I’ve picked up personally, in what I now refer to as ‘male spaces’.

Sign up for Messages from the Ether below, or follow me on Twitter and Instagram to stay with the vibe.

More University of Exeter:

Asian voices in the Psychedelic Movement: 24hr Circle Sat 25 May 2024

Stanford’s Ripal Shah and Bangkok Psychedelic Society’s Neil Gehani will be among 24 speakers over 24 hours

I’ll be among the cohosts at the Asian Voices in the Psychedelic Movement 24 Hour Circle Sat 25 May from 10am on the west coast/6pm UK through till Sunday 26.

Many more guests to be announced. Sign up any time to join the Zoomcast via the Eventbrite link here. Watch on YouTube via Entheo Society Washington’s livestream section. I’ll put the Zoom link here when I get it too.

It’ll be live on Facebook too. The 24 Zoom comes out of Seattle from Entheo Society, AWAKE.net and Holly House.

Drop in and out anytime and get a blast of community on microdosing day, with new guesys speaking and hosting every hour. This is the latest in a series of all-day remote circles: previous guests include MAPS’ Rick Doblin, Chief Phil Lane Jnr, Ayana Iyi, Ayize Jama-Everett and Harry Smith.

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I’ve got more outfit changes than spoken lines in the Vital Breaking Convention video

My psychedelic smart casual game is in effect during the promo video Vital shot at the UK Breaking Convention conference.

Click on the YouTube panel above to watch. I’m assured more of my platitudinous bon mots will appear in future assets.

The world’s only decent psychedelic conference Breaking Convention was held at Exeter University where I’ve begun the psychology MSc.

“Any entities give me any trouble I just zap ‘em with the ol’ West Country beams…”

I’m sitting in on the Philosophy of Psychedelics BA course. I’ve been accepted to the world’s first ever legit university postgrad in psychedelic science and humanities starting January 2024.

Sign up for Messages from the Ether below, or follow me on Twitter and Instagram to stay with the vibe.

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All Things Jewish: 24hr Circle Sunday 26 November

Join MAPS’ Rick Dublin, US Santo Daime pioneer Jonathan Goldman, the School of Hebrew Shamanism’s Miriam J. Katz and more on the Zoomcast or watch live

I’ll be among the cohosts at the All Things Jewish 24 Hour Circle Sunday 26 Nov from 10am on the west coast/6pm UK through till Sunday 27.

Sign up any time to join the Zoomcast via the Eventbrite link here. Watch on YouTube via Entheo Society Washington’s livestream section. The Zoom link will be up on the Eventbrite page before start, I’ll put it in this article too.

My ancestor Alpert Uprecht changed his name to Albert Upright after emigrating to Yorkshire, UK from what would soon become Germany. He married a Celtic girl and many generations later, I am Anglo-Saxon. How does that work? Anyway everyone will have better things to talk about.

It’ll be live on Facebook too. The 24 Zoom comes out of Seattle from its ADAPT-WA org and Entheo Society.

Drop in and out anytime and get a blast of community on microdosing day, via your laptop, phone or personal device.

More veterans’ interest stories here on New Psychonaut: