Books, Ideas, and Electric Encounters
At the heart of our booth, beyond the neatly stacked tomes and the flicker of QR codes, something else was happening. Conversations. Invitations. Synchronicities. Our space became an oasis of insight—a literal mindfield—where one could stumble into a dialogue about the multiverse, trauma healing, Indigenous knowledge systems, or the pharmacology of frog venom. And at the center of it all were our authors: the myth-makers, the scientists, the dreamers.
Leonard Pickard: A Legend from the Psychedelic Underground
Leonard Pickard’s presence at MAPS 2025 carried the unmistakable gravity of lived myth. Revered, enigmatic, and often shrouded in legend, Pickard emerged into the public light after serving nearly two decades in prison—his sentence the result of a now-infamous LSD manufacturing case that became one of the most widely reported busts in psychedelic history. But to reduce him to the headlines is to miss the multidimensional nature of the man. What he brought to the conference was not scandal—it was soul.
Appearing at the Synergetic Press booth with a quiet dignity, Leonard spoke not as a provocateur, but as someone who has walked through fire and returned bearing gifts. “There was no LSD in prison,” he shared candidly, “but there was heroin and fentanyl. That says something about our system.” It was a sobering reminder that the war on drugs, particularly psychedelics, is a war on consciousness itself—and the casualties are often those trying to expand it.
His book, The Rose of Paracelsus: On Secrets and Sacraments, is a literary enigma—a 650-page spiritual epic, dense with symbolism, coded language, and philosophical musings. Part memoir, part metaphysical riddle, it chronicles a clandestine network of alchemists who seek to preserve the sacrament of LSD through secret traditions and initiatory knowledge. The text reads like a transmission from another dimension, and those who have encountered it often speak of it as a spiritual experience unto itself.
To stand with Leonard was to be in the presence of living contradiction: a scientist and outlaw, a philosopher and prisoner, a man who once operated in the shadows of a hidden psychedelic elite, now stepping into the light to share what he’s learned. He did not come to glorify the past. He came to bear witness to what it cost—and why it still matters.
Sharing space with Leonard was like holding hands with the shadow of history while watching it begin to heal. His presence reminded us that the psychedelic path is not just about transcendence and beauty—it is also about risk, consequence, and the courage to keep loving the truth, even when it burns.
We are honored he joined us, and grateful for the opportunity to listen.
Dennis McKenna: The Plant Elder Speaks
Dennis McKenna, ever the botanical bard, reminded us that we are not the only intelligence walking this Earth. His presence at the Synergetic Press booth brought with it a wave of reverence—his grounded, poetic wisdom cultivated through decades of entheogenic inquiry and scientific rigor. As co-founder of the McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy, Dennis has become one of the most respected voices in ethnobotany, advocating for the integration of Indigenous plant wisdom with modern scientific exploration.
At MAPS 2025, Dennis shared reflections on one of his most ambitious and important projects to date: the Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs (ESPD). First held in 1967 and later revived in 2017 and again in 2022, the ESPD conferences serve as groundbreaking symposia that convene some of the most brilliant minds in the fields of pharmacology, ethnobotany, anthropology, and Indigenous medicine. The most recent gathering, ESPD55—held virtually in 2022 to mark the 55th anniversary of the original event—was a convergence of 33 of the world’s foremost researchers and cultural stewards, delivering 37 deeply insightful presentations.
The upcoming ESPD55 book, to be co-published by Synergetic Press and the McKenna Academy, captures the depth and breadth of this intellectual and spiritual convergence. This anthology will feature topics ranging from the biochemistry of ayahuasca, psilocybin, and iboga, to the ceremonial use of psychoactive snuffs in the Amazon, the cultural revival of peyote traditions, and critical perspectives on the globalization of plant medicines. More than just a record of a conference, ESPD55 is a multidisciplinary tapestry of knowledge that honors the plants, their wisdom keepers, and the complex relationship between humans and the visionary flora of our planet.
In Dennis’ presence, you could sense the plants speaking too—through kinship, through ceremony, through research. With his lifelong dedication to honoring sacred medicines and the cultures that carry them, Dennis continues to guide the psychedelic renaissance not as a commercial trend but as a sacred continuity. His work reminds us that this movement is not only about healing the individual, but restoring our collective relationship to the natural world.
We are deeply grateful to Dennis for joining us at MAPS 2025 and for his unwavering commitment to preserving, protecting, and elevating the ancient intelligence of psychoactive plants. The psychedelic space is richer, more rooted, and infinitely more meaningful because of him.
Bia Labate, Clancy Cavnar and Ibrahim Gabriell: Weaving the Sacred Back In
From the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, anthropologist Dr. Bia Labate, psychologist Dr. Clancy Cavnar and Ibrahim Gabriell brought with them a necessary and unapologetic message: there is no psychedelic future without the inclusion—and deep respect—of Indigenous voices. Their presence at MAPS 2025 was more than symbolic; it was foundational.
Chacruna, as an organization, has long stood at the intersection of psychedelic science, cultural preservation, and social justice. Founded by Bia Labate, Chacruna has become a leading force in challenging the dominant Western narrative around psychedelics. The Institute is renowned for its work amplifying Indigenous perspectives, supporting grassroots communities, and examining the political, ethical, and spiritual dimensions of entheogenic use. Through articles, conferences, and educational programs, they invite us to look beyond the clinical and into the cultural.
Bia Labate, an internationally recognized scholar, has spent decades studying the use of ayahuasca and other psychoactive plants in traditional and contemporary contexts. Her work dissects the colonial entanglements of psychedelic practices and advocates for Indigenous-led leadership in the field. Dr. Clancy Cavnar, Chacruna’s co-founder and creative director, complements this work with her background in clinical psychology and a deep curiosity about identity, healing, and consciousness. Together, they embody a vision of psychedelia that is expansive, intersectional, and grounded in justice.
As they shared their insights at the conference, Bia’s words rang out like a call to action:
“Bringing ideas, changing hearts, opening minds, creating new paradigms, encouraging curiosity, collaboration across borders… between north and south, between different ways of knowing and seeing the world.”
Their talk emphasized the urgent need for ethical frameworks within psychedelic work—not just checklists for practitioners, but immersive, Indigenous-led pathways of knowledge transmission. Chacruna’s future programming includes certificates in psychedelic ethics, integration workshops informed by traditional knowledge holders, and the much-anticipated Psychedelic Culture Conference, set to take place in April 2026. This forthcoming event promises to expand the conversation beyond clinical trials and commodified treatments into something deeper: a cross-cultural exchange of wisdom, accountability, and healing.
In their vision, dialogue becomes ceremony. Research becomes relational. And healing becomes collective.
![Forthcoming Publication of Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs [ESPD55]](https://synergeticpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/MAPS-NL-Graphics-3-1-1080x675.jpg)
