Exploring ESPD55: The Next Chapter in the Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs

There are books that document a field… and then there are books that shape it.

ESPD55 is one of those rare, lineage-carrying works.
It arrives at a moment when psychedelic science, ecological awareness, and ancestral plant traditions are weaving together in ways we’ve never quite seen before—and this volume feels like both a continuation and a new beginning.

For more than fifty years, the Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs (ESPD) has been the gathering place for those exploring the meeting point between old-world plant wisdom and contemporary research. It has always been a space where scientists, healers, mycologists, anthropologists, and visionaries sit in full-spectrum dialogue.

ESPD55 carries that torch forward with the proceedings of the 2022 ESPD Conference, curated by Dennis McKenna, PhD and hosted by The McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy. This edition brings together over thirty leading thinkers whose work spans continents, knowledge systems, and generations of inquiry.

This book is a journey through six interconnected spheres of understanding—the ethnosphere, phytosphere, mycosphere, faunasphere, archeosphere, and sonosphere—each one opening a doorway into deeper cultural, ecological, and visionary insight.

You’ll find research and stories from:

• Mark D. Merlin, PhD – Ancient Psychoactive Plant Use in Eurasia

• Wade Davis – Coca: The Divine Leaf of Immortality

• Andrew Weil – The Therapeutic Potential of Coca

• Jonathan Lu – Psychoactive Substances in Chinese Culture

• Laurel Sugden & Josip Orlovac Del Río – Biocultural Sustainability for the San Pedro Cactus

• Glenn H. Shepard – The Harpy’s Gift & the Jaguar’s Curse: Matsigenka Hunting Medicines

And that’s just a taste.

From the earliest ceremonial uses of Ephedra and San Pedro, to new ecological frameworks for ayahuasca sustainability, to the emerging conversations around cognitive evolution and sonic ethnomedicine, ESPD55 beautifully bridges the ancient and the emergent.

This isn’t just academic material—it’s the living, breathing story of how humans have learned from plants, fungi, animals, and the intelligence of the Earth itself.

Why This Book Matters Now

We stand at a threshold in history, and ESPD55 arrives as both a beacon and a blessing. Curated by Dennis McKenna, whose life’s work has shaped the very foundations of modern ethnopharmacology, this volume gathers an extraordinary constellation of thinkers, explorers, and friends who have walked this path beside him—Wade Davis, Paul Stamets, Merlin Sheldrake, Monica Gagliano, and many more. Their contributions form more than a collection of research—they weave together a living tapestry of devotion, curiosity, cultural respect, and scientific courage.

This book is a commemoration of decades of inquiry and relationship-building, the culmination of journeys that once required crossing invisible frontiers into Indigenous worlds at a time when such exchanges were rare, even misunderstood.

Today, as we enter a new psychedelic revolution—one grounded not in spectacle, but in ecological wisdom, cultural respect, and a return to Earth’s ancient teachings—ESPD55 stands as a guidepost. It speaks to ethnobotanists, therapists, students, plant stewards, historians, psychonauts, ecological thinkers, and anyone who feels called to understand how this movement has evolved and where it is headed. If you are drawn to the roots of psychedelic knowledge and inspired by its unfolding future, this book is an offering for you—a bridge between legacy and emergence, honoring the pioneers who dared to explore consciousness long before it became a renaissance.

Speakers and Participants in the Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs Conference, hosted by the Mckenna Academy, May 2022

Exploring ESPD55: The Next Chapter in the Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs

In 2022, the McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy hosted the third conference of the Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs (ESPD) symposium—ESPD55, marking 55 years since the original landmark conference in 1967 held in San Francisco sponsored by the U.S. Department for Mental Health. The third conference brought together some of the most respected voices in ethnobotany, pharmacology, anthropology, and Indigenous medicine to explore the evolving science and cultural relevance of psychoactive plant medicines.

Synergetic Press is proud to publish the proceedings of the 2022 conference where over thirty papers were presented covering a wide spectrum of topics, including ancient and contemporary uses of psychoactive substances, the intersection of traditional knowledge and modern science, pharmacology, conservation, law and policy, and the cultural and spiritual significance of these compounds.

The conference program was organized into thematic “spheres”—Ethnosphere, Phytosphere, Mycosphere, and Sonosphere—highlighting the diverse ways psychoactive plants, fungi, and even sound have shaped human societies and consciousness. Presentations ranged from archaeological evidence of ancient plant use and indigenous perspectives on coca and ayahuasca, to modern neuroscience, sound as a psychoactive medium, and the evolving legal landscape for psychedelics.

ESPD55 also fostered collaboration between established experts and emerging voices, emphasizing the importance of biocultural conservation, respect for indigenous wisdom, and responsible innovation in psychedelic science. 

With contributions from luminaries like Dennis McKenna, Paul Stamets, David Nutt, Monica Gagliano, Wade Davis, and many more, this publication will serve as a vital resource for researchers, practitioners, and anyone curious about the profound role psychoactive plants play in human health, consciousness, and culture. 

Stay tuned for the release of ESPD55, a co-creation between Synergetic Press and the McKenna Academy for Natural Philosophy

Stay in the Loop — Please leave us your contact details, we will send you information about the release of ESPD55 this Summer. 

Speakers and Participants in the Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs Conference, hosted by the Mckenna Academy, May 2022