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The Synergetic Press story by Psychedelics.com

The Synergetic Press story by Psychedelics.com

Why printed knowledge matters more than ever, and which banned-worthy
books to read now

Synergetic Press is proud to announce affiliate partnership with Psychedelics.com, a platform at the forefront of psychedelic education and media. Dedicated to bridging soul and science, Psychedelics.com offers ethically grounded, expert-driven content to support those exploring the healing and transformative potential of psychedelics. In a time when censorship and erasure threaten access to meaningful information, Psychedelics.com remains a strong advocate for free speech and the preservation of psychedelic wisdom. Together, we’re working to ensure that visionary knowledge remains accessible, uncensored, and alive for generations to come.

Below, find a beautifully written piece by Psychedelics.com creator Benjamin Cassiday on Synergetic Press and the future of free press media.

Knowledge is power.
And those in power know it.

That’s why, in this moment—when books are being banned and burned, when government websites are being scrubbed, and when almost everything we read is digital, editable, and erasable—we need to protect what matters most.

Because if we don’t own the books, we risk losing the truths inside them.

This is a core pillar of Psychedelics Uncensored:

We can’t let the knowledge that transformed lives, expanded minds, and healed generations be rewritten—or deleted.

And few have done more to preserve our radical library of awakening than Synergetic Press.

Since 1984, Synergetic has been broadcasting ideas deemed too disruptive, too spiritual, or contrary to the status quo for the mainstream. Books that whisper secrets of the earth, shout truths about consciousness, and offer blueprints for a new planetary culture.

These aren’t just words on paper—they’re sparks from the last psychedelic revolution, reignited just in time to light the fire of the one happening now.

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Whispers From the Last Revolution

Synergetic Press has built a sacred library for the psychedelic revolution—one book at a time.

They’ve published the raw, uncensored voices of visionary leaders at times when no one else was willing to work with them.

Some of our favorite “dangerous authors” include:

  • 📘 Albert Hofmann — The father of LSD reminds us that molecules can be spiritual teachers.

  • 📕 Ram Dass — From Harvard to India to eternity, Synergetic helps keep the “Be Here Now” ethos alive.

  • 🎨 Alex Grey — Psychedelic mysticism made visual—Grey’s art opens the third eye wide.

  • 💞 Ann Shulgin — Emotional healing, heart-opening compounds, and the legacy of love through chemistry.

  • 🌿 Beatriz Caiuby Labate — Decolonizing psychedelics through Indigenous wisdom and academic fire.

  • 🌌 Dennis McKenna — From ayahuasca to alien intelligence, Dennis brings science and story to the frontier.

  • 🧠 Stanislav Grof — A pioneer of LSD psychotherapy and transpersonal psychology.

  • 🕵️ William Leonard Pickard — Imprisoned alchemist, philosopher, and author of one of the most daring psychedelic memoirs ever written.

 

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Support Small, Save Big, Share Wisdom

Why buy from Synergetic Press?

  • Support independent publishing that champions transformative ideas.

  • Save 20% on your purchase using any link in this issue.

  • Gift a loved one the wisdom that can spark personal and societal change.

 

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The Voice Of Synergetic Press

Deborah Parrish Snyder is the co-owner and CEO of Synergetic Press, which has published over 40 books on ethnobotany, psychedelics, biospherics, and social and ecological justice.

👉 Watch her conversation here with Joe More of Psychedelics Today!

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Synergetic Is More Than a Publisher

Founded by Deborah Parrish Snyder, Synergetic Press is rooted in activism, experimentation, and Earth stewardship. It’s home to a constellation of radical projects, including:

  • 🧬 Biosphere 2 — The legendary closed ecological system experiment that became a symbol of planetary research.

  • 🌱 Synergia Ranch — A regenerative farm, retreat center, and the beating heart of Synergetic’s operations in New Mexico.

  • 🌀 The Institute of Ecotechnics — A global project exploring the intersection of ecology, innovation, and consciousness.

  • 🎭 The Theater of All Possibilities — A 1967-born art movement that blended performance with radical thought.

 

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A Journey Through Interoception

I’ve just finished reading How to Change Your Body: The Science of Interoception and Healing Through Connection to Yourself and Others, a book that’s completely changed the way I relate to the physical sensations of my body, especially during psychedelic experiences and healing from trauma.

Next week, I’ll share a summary and some lessons I’ve learned and applied

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    Final Word

    When they say books can change the world—this is what they mean.

    Support the ones who’ve been pushing boundaries for 40 years.

    Read the books you’ve been warned about.

    💬 What’s One Book That Changed Your Mind Forever?
    Hit reply and tell us. We’re building a living archive of mind-shaping titles.

    📍 Come see us at Psychedelic Science 2025 for a chance to win $500 worth of Synergetic Press Books. Use code PSY15 for 15% off!

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    Expand Your Mind, Expand Your Toolkit

    Understanding this movement means knowing the voices, media, and conversations shaping it. Whether you’re just starting out or deep in the work, these handpicked resources help you stay sharp, curious, and connected:

    • 🌟 The Most Influential People in Psychedelics – From underground icons to clinical pioneers, this list captures the individuals driving the psychedelic renaissance forward. Read the article »

    • 🎬 Psychedelic Movies That Break the Mold – Cinema has long been a mirror for altered states. This guide curates films that capture the spirit, mystery, and edge of psychedelia. Explore the list »

    • 🎧 Podcasts That Go Deeper – From science and spirituality to culture and consciousness, these podcasts aren’t background noise — they’re gateways. Perfect for your next walk or trip prep. Find your next favorite episode »


    ✅ No one can stop you from seeing what’s delivered directly to your email.
    You’re already subscribed—congratulations!

    You beat the algorithm 😉

    Thank you for joining us as we continue to navigate this ever-changing landscape.


    P.S. Explore what they don’t want you to see—check us out on X (Twitter) and Instagram, and dive deeper into all things psychedelic on our website. 🌐✨

    A Magical Evening of Grandmothers’ Wisdom in Santa Fe

    A Magical Evening of Grandmothers’ Wisdom in Santa Fe

    Celebrating generational wisdom with Grandmother Flordemayo and Heather at Collected Works in Santa Fe.

    Thank you for joining us!

    This past April 6th, a heartwarming and unforgettable gathering took place at the Collected Works Bookstore & Coffeehouse in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Co-hosted by Synergetic Press, the event brought together a vibrant community of wisdom seekers for a rare and beautiful evening in the presence of Grandmother Flordemayo and her daughter, Heather. Together, they shared stories, insights, and deep reflections that touched everyone in attendance.

    The space was filled with reverence and joy as Grandmother Flordemayo offered a live reading from her chapter in Grandmothers’ Wisdom, bringing her words to life with the power of her voice and spirit. Attendees had the privilege of hearing about her personal journey—from her roots in Central America to her sacred work in New Mexico—and the founding of The Path, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Indigenous wisdom, spiritual teachings, and heirloom seeds for future generations.

    One of the most touching moments of the afternoon was the sacred conversation between Flordemayo and Heather. Their dialogue, infused with generational wisdom and shared purpose, illuminated the powerful legacy they are building together. It was a moving reminder of the importance of protecting Indigenous traditions and uplifting the next generation of wisdom keepers.

    The event concluded with a heartfelt Q&A and community dialogue, where attendees expressed their deep gratitude, asked thoughtful questions, and connected with one another through shared reverence for Indigenous knowledge and Earth-based spirituality. Signed copies of Grandmothers’ Wisdom were made available after the event, offering a cherished memory of the day to take home.

    We are so grateful to everyone who joined us, and to Grandmother Flordemayo and Heather for their generosity of spirit. It was an honor for Synergetic Press to co-present this event and hold space for such a sacred gathering.

    Thank you for being part of this celebration of love, resilience, and ancestral wisdom. May the teachings of the grandmothers continue to guide us forward.

    The Roots and Future of the Psychedelic Movement

    The Roots and Future of the Psychedelic Movement

     

    A Reflection on Our Unfolding Psychedelic Revolution

     

    There are moments in history when a current beneath the surface begins to surge. It pulls at our dreams, whispers through art, and howls in the language of the soul. We’re living through one of those moments now.

    Some call it a renaissance. Others, a revolution.
    But what’s truly happening in the psychedelic movement goes deeper than science, policy reform, or the resurgence of plant medicine.

    This is a regeneration of consciousness—an evolutionary pulse echoing through our bones, shaking the cages of conformity, and urging us toward something wholly unfamiliar yet deeply remembered.

    We’ve been here before.

     

     

    The Ancients Knew

    Long before Western minds claimed discovery, our ancestors danced with the stars on mountain tops and listened to the mycelium beneath their feet. In the caves of Tassili n’Ajjer, 10,000-year-old paintings depict beings crowned with mushrooms—perhaps humanity’s earliest documentation of sacred communion.

    The Mazatec in Mexico, the Shipibo in the Amazon, and Native American tribes across Turtle Island have long known what we are just remembering: psychedelics are not drugs.
    They are portals. They are kin. They are teachers.

    Entheogens were never about escapism. They were doorways into the deeper architecture of existence—used in ceremony, in healing, and in communion with the Earth.
    What we are calling a renaissance is merely a return.

     

     

    The Alchemy of Discovery

    In 1938, Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann synthesized LSD, only to discover its mind-bending effects five years later when he took a now-mythic bicycle ride through the streets of Basel.

    Few know that Hofmann believed LSD wasn’t just a compound—but a “medicine for the soul.”

    Meanwhile in 1897, Arthur Heffter had isolated mescaline from the peyote cactus—blazing a trail of chemical curiosity that would lead to profound questions of perception, self, and spirit.

    When R. Gordon Wasson sat with María Sabina, the Mazatec curandera, in 1955, the Western world was introduced to psilocybin mushrooms. But what’s often left out is how that encounter disrupted her life. Sacred knowledge, once protected, was suddenly extracted.

    This renaissance must remember its roots. Or it will repeat the violence of erasure.

     

     

     

    The Sixties Broke the Mold (and Our Illusions)

    By the 1960s, LSD was not just being studied—it was shaping the culture.
    Timothy Leary’s call to “Turn on, tune in, drop out” wasn’t just about dropping acid—it was about stepping off the treadmill of capitalist hypnosis.

    Music transformed into prayer. Protest became poetry.
    Woodstock wasn’t just a music festival. It was a ritual of remembrance.

    But the system bit back.
    In 1971, Nixon declared war—not just on substances, but on consciousness itself. Research halted. Doors shut. Visionaries silenced.

    But as always, the underground held the flame.

     

     

    Carriers of the Flame

    Indigenous communities never stopped.
    Peyote ceremonies carried on in secret. Ayahuasca began to whisper its way westward through Santo Daime and UDV churches.

    And in 1986, Rick Doblin planted a seed by founding MAPS. A new era had begun—one that would blend science with soul, research with ritual.

    Raves became spiritual pilgrimages. Ecstasy gave birth to communal heart-openings.
    The “underground” wasn’t underground. It was the mycelial web of our collective becoming.

    The Renaissance: Not Just a Reawakening, But a Reworlding
    Today, we are living with the veil lowered.

    We see emotions. We sense intentions. We feel the Earth thinking through us.
    And in this vulnerable, psychically porous state, we are being asked:

    What do you do with this awareness?
    What world will you build from this place of soul-sight?

    This renaissance is not about glorifying trips or romanticizing ancient rituals.
    It’s about what we do with what we see.

    It’s about healing the traumas encoded in our systems.
    It’s about decolonizing our practices and honoring the medicines with reciprocity.
    It’s about using altered states not to escape—but to reimagine society itself.

    We are being invited into a third option—one that isn’t bound by the binary of tradition or rebellion. A new way entirely. One seeded in soul, watered by spirit, and grown in collective soil.

     

     

    Guardians of the Vision: The Bibles of Psychedelic Culture

    At Synergetic Press, we are honored to house the works of the very visionaries who shaped this movement.

    Sasha and Ann Shulgin’s PIHKAL and TIHKAL—chemical love letters to the inner cosmos.

    Dennis McKenna, who carries the psychedelic flame with botanical brilliance.

    Leonard Pickard, whose mythic narrative The Rose of Paracelsus redefines what literature can be.

    Albert Hofmann’s LSD: My Problem Child—a scientific memoir soaked in soul.

    And so many more voices—keepers of gnosis, scribes of the ineffable.

    These aren’t just books. They’re maps.
    They are bibles for the seekers, the scientists, the artists, and the ancestors-in-the-making.

     

     

     

     
    What Now?

    Psychedelic capitalism is rising. Ethics are being tested.
    We must remain vigilant: this revolution is not for sale.

    Let’s build cultures of reciprocity, not extraction.
    Let’s form rituals rooted in reverence, not trend.
    Let’s remember that awakening isn’t the end—it’s the beginning of a deeper responsibility.

    We are here to regenerate the world, not just our minds.
    The psychedelic renaissance is not a return to the past, nor a projection of the future.
    It is a portal through which we remember we are creators, now.

    Let’s walk through that portal together.

    Grof® Legacy Project: 2025 Retreats in Synergia Ranch

    Grof® Legacy Project: 2025 Retreats in Synergia Ranch

    The Grof™ Legacy Project will be offering four residential events in 2025 at Synergia Ranch outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  While open to the public these Grof® Breathwork residential events are attracting many licensed professionals who are on track to become psychedelic psychotherapists.  Many have already completed certificate programs with other schools or organizations.  Many express a need to have more hands-on experience with people in expanded states.  Many realize that they need a safe place to do their own inner work. 

    GROF® Breathwork has proven to be an excellent tool for those interested in better support work in non-ordinary states of consciousness.  In fact, many consider it to represent the ‘gold standard’ in training.   The skill set involves learning how to carefully prepare people for deep non-ordinary state work; how to create ethical, respectful, and safe settings; how to cultivate the naturally therapeutic presence critical for effective sitting or guiding; and how to provide skillful guidance related to the integrative process that follows a deep experience.  All these skills have great relevance in relation to supporting those in psych-spiritual crisis, the dying process, recovery from trauma or addiction, as well as preparing for work in the emerging field of psychedelic psychotherapy.

    Residential Grof® Breathwork retreats at Synergia Ranch  will offer both a theoretical and practical introduction to the work of Stanislav Grof, MD.  They will be highly experiential.  Using GROF® Breathwork as a therapeutic modality, participants will have two opportunities to hold space for a partner.  Grof Legacy residential retreats at Synergia offer a deep, immersive, small group  experience  in a private,  tranquil, land-based setting.   Spaces for each event are limited – we suggest that you reserve your place today.

     

    2025 GROF® BREATHWORK SCHEDULE

    March 19 – 23,  2025

    April 23 – 27 2025

    September 24 – 27,  2025

    October 22 – 26, 2025

     

     
     
    Jay Dufrechou, Brigitte and Stan Grof, Diane Haug
     
    GROF® Legacy Team at Psychedelic Science 2023
     
    Pamela Stockton, Diane Haug, Patty Nagle and Kirsten Kairos
    Nina Graboi: A Trailblazer of the Psychedelic Revolution

    Nina Graboi: A Trailblazer of the Psychedelic Revolution

    The Untold Story of a Psychedelic Pioneer and Consciousness Explorer

     In the rich tapestry of the psychedelic movement, certain figures loom large—Timothy Leary, Aldous Huxley, Stanislav Grof. But among them was a woman whose influence quietly shaped the very core of the psychedelic consciousness revolution. Nina Graboi was more than an observer of this era; she was an architect of its ideals, a guide to its seekers, and a bridge between mystical experience and grounded wisdom.

    A Life of Transformation

    Born in Vienna in the aftermath of World War I, Nina Graboi’s early years were marked by the shadow of war. A Holocaust survivor, she fled Nazi-occupied Europe, endured the trials of displacement, and eventually rebuilt her life in the United States. From the confines of a Moroccan detention camp to the grandeur of Long Island high society, her journey was one of stark contrasts.

    Though she had achieved what many considered the American Dream, something within her remained restless. The call of a deeper truth, a world beyond the material, grew louder. She encountered the psychedelic movement at a time when it was still a fringe exploration, yet it resonated with her lifelong search for meaning. Her autobiography, One Foot in the Future, captures this moment of awakening, where the carefully structured reality she had built gave way to an entirely new perception of existence.

    A Guide to the Psychedelic Experience

    Unlike many of her contemporaries, who approached psychedelics through the lens of academia or rebellion, Graboi brought a deeply intuitive and nurturing perspective to the space. She became a key figure in Timothy Leary’s League for Spiritual Discovery, leading its New York center and creating an environment where seekers could approach psychedelics with preparation, intention, and respect.

    The center was not simply a place for experimentation; it was a sanctuary. With incense drifting through the air and the sounds of Indian music in the background, Graboi ensured that those who walked through its doors were not just indulging in a countercultural movement but stepping into a transformative process. She believed that psychedelics were tools, not toys, and she devoted herself to educating others on their potential for true inner exploration.

     

    A Feminine Presence in a Male-Dominated Sphere

    In an era where the psychedelic movement was often dominated by male voices, Graboi stood as a testament to the essential role of women in the evolution of consciousness. While others made headlines with grand proclamations, she was doing the quiet, necessary work—helping individuals navigate their experiences, integrating their insights, and ensuring that the psychedelic journey was not one of recklessness but of profound personal growth.

    Her presence was one of both wisdom and humor. She saw through the rigid dogmas that sometimes emerged within the movement, understanding that true enlightenment could not be dictated but must be discovered through experience. Her work laid the foundation for many of the practices now considered essential in psychedelic-assisted therapy and spiritual guidance.

    A Legacy That Endures

    Graboi’s contributions remain woven into the fabric of today’s psychedelic renaissance. The principles she upheld—intentional use, responsible guidance, and integration—are now cornerstones of modern psychedelic therapy and research. She understood, long before it was widely accepted, that psychedelics held the power not just for personal transformation but for collective healing.

    While her name may not be as widely known as some of her peers, her influence is undeniable. Today, as the psychedelic movement re-emerges into mainstream consciousness, it is essential to recognize the women who helped shape it. Organizations like Chacruna are working to bring these stories to light, ensuring that figures like Graboi are honored for their invaluable contributions.

    Her story is not just one of psychedelic history—it is a story of resilience, curiosity, and an unwavering belief in the human potential for growth. For those who seek to understand the true essence of the psychedelic experience, Nina Graboi’s life offers a profound lesson: the journey is not just about the substance but about the wisdom, care, and intention with which it is approached.

    In One Foot in the Future: A Woman’s Spiritual Journey, Nina Graboi shares her remarkable path through the psychedelic revolution, weaving together personal transformation, consciousness exploration, and the pursuit of deeper spiritual truth.

    Because Nina Graboi was not merely a participant in the psychedelic revolution—she was one of its quiet but powerful guides. And her legacy continues to unfold in every seeker who approaches the journey with the same depth of heart and mind that she once did.

    Read more of these wonderful stories in Women and Psychedelics by Chacruna Institute

    Women and Psychedelics: Uncovering Invisible Voices: Dyck, E., Farrell, P., Labate, B. C., Cavnar, C., Gabriell, I., & Loures de Assis, G. (Eds.). (2024). Women and psychedelics: Uncovering invisible voices. Synergetic Press.

     

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