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Nov 20–22, 2026 | Online
Psychedelic Lived Experiences Summit
Beyond the Protocol: Safety, Real-World Outcomes, and Support Gaps After Psychedelic Treatment
What happens when a psychedelic protocol or study ends? This global virtual gathering unites patients, families, clinicians, researchers, and organizations across the field to examine emerging risks, unmet needs, and how lived experience can shape safer, more responsive care.
Standard $79 · Student $29 · Scholarships available
2026 contributors
Meet the 50+ contributors and moderators shaping this year’s working summit
Three-day program
Join 9 live roundtables + 3 daily synthesis panels + open attendee discussions
Beyond the Protocol
Learn more about this year’s unique programming theme and why it matters now
In collaboration with 35 partner organizations
Free exclusive pre-summit conversation
Get free access to an upcoming conversation with Robin Carhart-Harris, PhD, hosted by Pedram Dara, exploring the questions shaping psychedelic research beyond the protocol.
Register now and you’ll receive:
✓ The full Robin Carhart-Harris pre-summit conversation
✓ Most watched interviews and panels from the 2025 summit
✓ Early access to additional pre-summit content and new updates
Recorded October 27. Delivered to your inbox shortly after release.
Building on a successful first year
Our inaugural Psychedelic Lived Experiences Summit reached more than 3,000 attendees from 74 countries.
In November 2025, we brought together more than 60 patients, clinicians, and researchers across 54 in-depth interviews and 12 live panels to explore the benefits, limitations, and real-world complexities of psychedelic treatment. By uniting lived experience with scientific and clinical perspectives, the summit created the foundation we're building on in 2026.
3
DAYS
50+
SPEAKERS
3K+
ATTENDEES
"The greatest resource we have for making progress in healthcare is the lived experience of those who are affected." – Dr. Lisa Sanders
Why a summit focused on lived experience?
Psychedelic treatments are often framed as breakthroughs, but real-world outcomes are far more complex, ranging from profound benefit to little change to lasting harm.
Clinical trials capture important measures, but lived experience reveals what those measures can miss: delayed risks, unexpected benefits and difficulties, everyday functioning, meaning, and the gap between protocol design and real life.
Yet as psychedelic research, care, and regulation evolve, the people who actually undergo these treatments still have too little influence over the decisions shaping them.
This is not a conference about patients. It is built and led by them, bringing lived experience into direct dialogue with research, practice, and ethical oversight to ask better questions, expose blind spots, and improve the decisions shaping psychedelic care.
2026 summit theme
Beyond the Protocol
Psychedelic treatment does not end when the session or study does. Benefits, risks, and destabilization can emerge long after formal follow-up ends, often beyond what research and care systems capture. In 2026, we focus on that gap: what happens next, what gets missed, and what better support, oversight, and accountability should look like.
3 days · 12 live roundtables & panels · 50+ contributors
A multi-stakeholder gathering
Meaningful progress cannot come from one group talking to itself. The 2026 summit is designed to bring different forms of expertise into the same room. Different perspectives will not always agree. That is precisely why they need to meet.
Patients and trial participants
People with diverse experiences of psychedelic clinical trials, treatments, and their longer-term consequences.
Family members and caregivers
Spouses, friends, colleagues, and other family members or caregivers of patients and trial participants.
Therapists, physicians, and nurses
Practitioners supporting screening, preparation, treatment, integration, recovery, and longer-term care.
Researchers and trial teams
Professionals designing studies, measuring outcomes, managing safety, and generating the field's evidence.
Ethics, policy, and advocacy
Those examining accountability, participant protection, access, regulation, and systemic change.
Organizations and field builders
Groups developing the infrastructure, communities, standards, and services surrounding psychedelic care.
Choose the pass that best fits your circumstances
This summit is independently produced, with no grants, corporate funding, or pharma sponsorship. It is organized by people with firsthand experience of psychedelic clinical trials and treatments, creating space for lived experience to help set the agenda.
Join live and get on-demand access to every session, so you can watch, revisit, and learn on your own time.
Standard Pass
$79 USD
Full live and on-demand access to the 2026 summit, plus the complete 2025 summit archive, workshop recording, resources, and community spaces.
✓ Live access to all 2026 sessions
✓ 9 roundtables + 3 synthesis panels
✓ Recordings of all 2026 sessions
✓ Complete 2025 summit archive
✓ 6 months of on-demand access
Pre-summit rate: $79 USD through Nov 19
Regular rate: $119 USD from Nov 20
Supporter Pass
From $149 USD
Go beyond attending by helping make the summit possible for others while supporting the independent, lived experience work behind the summit.
✓ Everything included in Standard
✓ Private gathering in Denver (2027)
✓ Helps fund full scholarship passes
✓ Supports free peer support circles
✓ 12 months of on-demand access
Choose your contribution amount and support student and scholarship passes.
Student Pass
$29 USD
Full live and on-demand access to the 2026 summit for currently enrolled students, plus the complete 2025 summit archive.
✓ Live access to all 2026 sessions
✓ 9 roundtables + 3 synthesis panels
✓ Recordings of all 2026 sessions
✓ Complete 2025 summit archive
✓ 6 months of on-demand access
For current students. Institutional email preferred. Valid student status required.
Purchasing for others or need multiple passes? Group discounts and registration are available. Contact us →
Still need financial support to attend?
Made possible in part through Supporter Pass contributions, scholarship passes provide full summit access for people who would otherwise be unable to attend due to cost. Applications are free and priority will be given to people facing financial barriers, including those from the Global South and other underrepresented regions.
Applications close Nov 1 · Decisions by Nov 6
Three collaborative days
Less presentation. More structured collaboration.
Each day features three facilitated 90-minute working roundtables, each bringing together five contributors plus a moderator across lived experience, clinical practice, research, policy, advocacy, and other perspectives. The day concludes with a 60-minute synthesis panel featuring one contributor from each roundtable plus an outside perspective, helping connect themes and priorities across the day. Attendees can contribute through questions and open-discussion periods.
What we'll explore and produce
What happens beyond the psychedelic protocol, from real-world outcomes and emerging risks to gaps in measurement, support, oversight, and accountability. Across MDMA, psilocybin, LSD, ketamine, 5-MeO-DMT, and ibogaine, we’ll examine why post-treatment care needs to extend beyond “integration” to include stabilization, safety monitoring, continuity of care, and longer-term support informed by lived experience.
Each of the nine working roundtables is built around a defined question and practical outcome. Together, these outputs will be synthesized into a post-summit paper documenting key findings, gaps, safety signals, research priorities, and areas for future collaboration. The outputs may also inform recommendations, guidelines, or other public resources.
Live programming (Nov 20–22, 2026):
- 11:00 AM–6:00 PM EST
- 8:00 AM–3:00 PM PST
- 5:00 PM–12:00 AM CET
Can’t attend live?
Registration includes all 2026 recordings, plus last year’s full archive of 54 interviews and 12 live panels to watch later.
Daily schedule
The Psychedelic Lived Experiences Summit runs on November 20–22, 2026.
Live programming: 11:00 AM–6:00 PM EST / 8:00 AM–3:00 PM PST / 5:00 PM–12:00 AM CET
The Zoom room will remain open during breaks for attendee discussion and reflection. Contributors may also join when available.
Roundtables are multidisciplinary. Session titles set the theme. Contributors span perspectives, not always matched by specialty.
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Friday, Nov 20 |
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Roundtable #1 (90 min) After the Protocol: Continuity, Stabilization, and Longer-Term Support What minimum support should be available when structured psychedelic treatment or a clinical trial ends, particularly during periods of ongoing change or vulnerability? Contributors: Rosalind Watts, PhD, Pedram Dara, Chantelle Thomas, PhD, Allison Feduccia, PhD, Caroline Lilley Moderator: Melanie Dignam, RSW |
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Break (30 min)
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Roundtable #2 (90 min)
How do culture, race, identity, socioeconomic resources, geography, disability, and other factors shape psychedelic treatment experiences, risks, outcomes, and access to support? Contributors: Leor Roseman, PhD, Kimberly King, Franklin King, MD, Joshua White, Jana Sladkova, PhD |
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Break (30 min) |
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Roundtable #3 (90 min) What warning signs and difficult outcomes may emerge after psychedelic treatment, and how should they be recognized, documented, escalated, and responded to? Contributors: Christopher Nicholas, PhD, Taylor West, Jagpaul Kaur Deol, PharmD, Ari Polivy, Şerife Tekin, PhD Moderator: Jason Luoma, PhD |
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Break (30 min) |
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Daily Synthesis Panel (60 min) What happens after treatment, who may be underserved, and what can go wrong? Contributors: Caroline Lilley, Kimberly King, Taylor West, Madison Nobbs, RN Moderator: Pedram Dara |
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Saturday, Nov 21 |
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Roundtable #4 (90 min) What outcomes and follow-up periods are needed to understand whether psychedelic treatment has meaningfully helped—or harmed—someone’s life? Contributors: Berra Yazar-Klosinski, PhD, Henrik Jungaberle, PhD, Becca Kacanda, MS, Jessica Jackson, PhD, Kathy Neustadt |
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Break (30 min) |
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Roundtable #5 (90 min) What responsibilities should therapists, clinics, researchers, sponsors, and institutions retain when formal treatment or research support ends—especially when problems emerge later? Contributors: Amy Emerson, Jesse Gould, Sara Garcia Velazquez, MD, Dave Pounds, Steve Allgood |
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Break (30 min) |
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Roundtable #6 (90 min) What role should families, partners, and other caregivers have before, during, and after psychedelic treatment, and what support do they themselves need, while respecting participant autonomy and privacy? Contributors: Ismail Ali, JD, Ona Praderas, Jérémie Richard, PhD, Amanda Geisinger, Britton Rollins |
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Break (30 min) |
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Daily Synthesis Panel (60 min) How do we measure it, who is responsible, and how do support networks fit? Contributors: Becca Kacanda, MS, Amy Emerson, Jérémie Richard, PhD, Kim Witczak Moderator: Pedram Dara |
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Sunday, Nov 22 |
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Roundtable #7 (90 min) What changes in relationships, work, functioning, identity, meaning, quality of life, and well-being matter when evaluating psychedelic treatment over time? Contributors: Hanifa Nayo Washington, Anahita Bassir Nia, MD, Heidi Allen, PhD, MSW, Sehrish Sayani, Kerrilee Barrett |
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Break (30 min) |
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Roundtable #8 (90 min) What mix of clinical, peer, community, and other support is needed after psychedelic treatment, and how should those roles connect across the care pathway? Contributors: Max Wolff, PhD, Laura Zam, Spencer Hawkswell, Katie Bourque, Mourad Wahba, MD |
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Break (30 min) |
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Roundtable #9 (90 min) Where and how should lived experience evidence and lived experience expertise meaningfully influence psychedelic research, clinical practice, safety systems, and policy? Contributors: Tehseen Noorani, PhD, Bia Labate, PhD, Jon Nelson, Wendy Marussich, RN, PMHNP, PhD, Rogers Masson |
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Break (30 min) |
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Daily Synthesis Panel (60 min) What happens over time, how should services respond, and how should lived experience shape decisions? Contributors: Anahita Bassir Nia, MD, Laura Zam, Tehseen Noorani, PhD, Berra Yazar-Klosinski, PhD |
Nov 20–22, 2026 | Online
Ready to join us?
This summit is 100% independent, with no grants, corporate funding, or pharma sponsorship. It is organized by people with firsthand experience as patients and clinical trial participants, putting lived experience at the center of the agenda. That independence is what makes the summit different, and why your support matters.
Can’t attend live? Get all 2026 recordings plus last year’s 54 interviews and 12 panels.
Not ready to get a pass yet?
Start with free access to the new pre-summit conversation with Robin Carhart-Harris, PhD, hosted by Pedram Dara, plus the most-watched interviews and panels from the 2025 summit.
2026 summit contributors
Bringing together lived experience, clinical practice, research, policy, and advocacy to examine what happens beyond the protocol.
Pedram Dara (Host)
Founder and director of Psychedelic Lived Experiences, MDMA-assisted therapy clinical trial participant, peer support facilitator, researcher
Hanifa Nayo Washington
Psychedelic facilitator designing equitable pathways for psychedelic therapy within public healthcare systems, co-director at PMHA Alliance
Ismail Ali, JD
Lawyer, psychedelic policy leader, and co-executive director of MAPS, advancing drug policy reform and psychedelic policy implementation
Rosalind Watts, PhD
Clinical psychologist, founder and creator of ACER Integration, former psilocybin clinical lead at Imperial College London
Leor Roseman, PhD
Senior lecturer and psychedelic researcher at the University of Exeter’s EPIC, founder of Ripples, dedicated to peacebuilding
Laura Zam
MDMA therapy clinical trial participant and caregiver to her husband after post-trial destabilization, award-winning author and resilience speaker
Max Wolff, PhD
Psychologist, researcher, and clinician-scientist in psychotherapy at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany
Becca Kacanda, MS, LPC
Phase 3 MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD clinical trial participant (active arm), art therapist, peer support facilitator
Jesse Gould
U.S. veteran, founder and president of Heroic Hearts Project, a nonprofit supporting psychedelic therapy access for military veterans
Berra Yazar-Klosinski, PhD
Former Chief Scientific Officer at Resilient Pharmaceuticals (formerly Lykos/MAPS PBC), biologist, biotech leader, founder and CEO at Yazar Lab
Joshua White
Lawyer, psychedelic researcher, coach, peer support advocate, founder and executive director of Fireside Project
Sehrish Sayani
Phase 3 MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD trial participant, advocate for trauma-informed healing, integration, and responsible storytelling
Henrik Jungaberle, PhD
Researcher, founder and CEO of the MIND Foundation, head of development at OVID Clinic in Berlin, Germany
Anahita Bassir Nia, MD
Addiction psychiatrist and assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine researching psychedelics, substance use disorders, PTSD and neurobiology
Dave Pounds
MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorder trial participant, trauma and recovery speaker and coach, creator of Design For Life
Jessica Jackson, PhD
Psychologist and vice president at Mental Health America, focused on mental health equity, access, and inclusive systems of care
Jon Nelson
Lived Experience Council member at One Mind, director of lived experience at Motif Neurotech, co-founder at Otherside, mental health advocate
Heidi Allen, PhD
Professor of social work at Columbia University, health policy researcher, developer of psychedelic-assisted therapy training for social workers
Franklin King, MD
Psychiatrist, psychedelic researcher, director of training at MGH’s Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics, Harvard Medical School faculty
Bia Labate, PhD
Anthropologist, educator, author, speaker, activist, co-founder and executive director of the Chacruna Institute
Spencer Hawkswell
CEO of TheraPsil, passionate advocate for legal, medical, and clinical access to psychedelic therapy for Canadians
Chantelle Thomas, PhD
Clinical psychologist and researcher dedicated to post-protocol safety, therapist training, and trauma-focused, ethical psychedelic care
Christopher Nicholas, PhD
Clinical psychologist, psychedelic scientist, and associate professor at the University of Wisconsin studying MDMA and psychedelics for addiction
Jana Sladkova, PhD
Patient with lived experience of group ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and SPRAVATO® (esketamine) treatment for depression
Mourad Wahba, MD
Psychiatrist leading mood disorders research clinic in Newcastle, England, psychedelic trial principal investigator, lecturer, advisor, and educator
Amy Emerson
Former and founding CEO of Resilient Pharmaceuticals (Lykos/MAPS PBC), strategic advisor ensuring patient access to psychedelic therapies
Rogers Masson
U.S. Army veteran, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD clinical trial participant, music producer, founder and CEO of PsySonics
Kimberly King
Senior manager of mental health equity and external partnerships for the national office of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
Jérémie Richard, PhD
Clinical psychologist, psychedelic researcher, assistant professor at the University of Ottawa School of Psychology
Amanda Geisinger
Emmy-winning user experience designer, One Mind Lived Experience Council member, IV ketamine and SPRAVATO® with therapy patient
Tehseen Noorani, PhD
Social scientist and psychedelic researcher focused on first-person inquiry at the University of Auckland, New Zealand
Sara Garcia Velazquez, MD
Clinical research physician, former associate medical director at Resilient Pharmaceuticals (Lykos/MAPS PBC), quality assurance lead at Changemark
Steve Allgood
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for life-threatening cancer through Canada’s Special Access Program, psychedelic therapy advocate
Kim Witczak
Global drug safety advocate and speaker, consumer representative on an FDA advisory committee evaluating new drugs and patient safety
Ari Polivy
Phase 3 MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD trial participant (placebo then crossover), ibogaine patient, peer supporter, and veterans advocate
Wendy Marussich, PMHNP
Psychiatric nurse practitioner, co-founder of OPENurses, clinician providing TMS and esketamine treatment in outpatient psychiatry
Britton Rollins
Founder, CEO, and board chair of the National Psychedelics Association, supporting professionals working in psychedelic-assisted care
Taylor West
Executive director of the Healing Advocacy Fund, supporting access to psychedelic therapies through state-regulated programs
Şerife Tekin, PhD
Associate professor of philosophy and bioethics at SUNY Upstate Medical University, author of Reclaiming the Self in Psychiatry
Allison Feduccia, PhD
Neuropharmacologist, psychedelic researcher and educator, co-founder of Psychedelic Support, scientific advisor to psychedelic nonprofits
Katie Bourque
Faculty for Yale School of Medicine's Lived Experience Transformational Leadership Academy, former director of operations at Fireside Project
Caroline Lilley
Biotech leader focused on patient strategy at AtaiBeckley, strategy consultant at Amandala Neuro, previously with Johnson & Johnson
Ona Praderas
Clinic operations lead at FlowState Therapy ketamine clinic, art therapy student, ACER Integration facilitator, caregiver and family support advocate
Kathy Neustadt
Phase 3 MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD clinical trial participant (placebo only), mental health and psychedelic participant rights advocate
Madison Nobbs, RN
Registered nurse specializing in emergency nursing and ketamine-assisted therapy for mental health conditions and chronic pain
Kerrilee Barrett
Psychoactive substance for PTSD Phase 2 clinical trial participant (double blinded then open label), mental health counsellor
Jagpaul Kaur Deol, PharmD
Pharmacist, psychedelic researcher, educator, and policy advocate for advancing safer, equitable, patient-informed psychedelic care and access
Special Guest
A special guest will join the Psychedelic Lived Experiences Summit 2026 for a featured appearance. Details coming soon.
Roundtable moderators
Facilitating the summit’s roundtables and helping guide focused, multi-stakeholder dialogue.
Scarlet Masius
Community strategist and consultant, trained psychedelic peer support facilitator, focused on participatory communities, harm reduction, and public education
Sergio Pérez Rosal, MD
Emergency medicine physician, anesthesiologist, neuroscientist, and researcher specializing in psychedelic medicine, adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa
Anne Katrin Schlag, PhD
Chartered psychologist and head of research at Drug Science, honorary senior fellow at UK's Imperial and King’s, focused on psychedelics, real-world data, ethics, and patient access
David Drapkin, LCSW
Psychotherapist, clinical social worker, psychedelic educator, and harm reduction specialist focused on integration, practitioner education, and mental health care
Chelsea Rose Blake, LMFT
Executive director of Zendo Project, licensed therapist and psychedelic harm reduction practitioner with extensive experience in peer support and crisis response
Jason Luoma, PhD
Clinical psychologist and psychedelic researcher, principal investigator of an MDMA-assisted therapy trial for social anxiety, and psychotherapy trainer focused on therapeutic change
Melanie Dignam, RSW
Integrative psychotherapist specializing in trauma, IFS, and psychedelic-assisted therapy across ketamine, psilocybin clinical trials, and Canada’s Special Access Program
Jazz Glastra, MS
Senior director at BrainFutures, leading U.S. national initiatives on psychedelic therapy access, clinical integration, policy, and mental health system implementation
Meet the founder & organizer
Hi, I'm Pedram Dara, a former MDMA-assisted therapy clinical trial participant and founder and director of the Psychedelic Lived Experiences, a patient-led initiative strengthening decision-making by bringing lived experience and clinical science together for safer, more ethical psychedelic research, care, and policy.
Since 2019, I’ve advocated for patient safety and treatment efficacy, speaking at major forums such as the European Parliament and the FDA, and at leading conferences like Psychedelic Science, ICPR, and International Trauma Conference. My story and insights are featured in news, documentaries, training programs, research projects, and journal publications.
I believe true progress in psychedelic care requires moving beyond hype and fear to embrace the depth, complexity, and wisdom of those who’ve lived it.
"Research leads to meaningful healing when it’s done with people, not just on them. When lived experience informs how studies are designed, conducted, and understood, research becomes more than data generation; it becomes a compass for healthcare transformation." – Pedram Dara
Nov 20–22, 2026 | Online
Join the 2026 summit
Join patients, families, clinicians, researchers, advocates, and organizations from around the world to explore what happens when psychedelic treatment ends and real life continues. Together, we’ll examine what we know, what we’re missing, and what safer, more responsive care requires.
Can’t attend live? Get all 2026 recordings plus last year’s 54 interviews and 12 panels.
Choose the pass that best fits your circumstances
This summit is independently produced, with no grants, corporate funding, or pharma sponsorship. It is organized by people with firsthand experience of psychedelic clinical trials and treatments, creating space for lived experience to help set the agenda.
Join live and get on-demand access to every session, so you can watch, revisit, and learn on your own time.
Standard Pass
$79 USD
Full live and on-demand access to the 2026 summit, plus the complete 2025 summit archive, workshop recording, resources, and community spaces.
✓ Live access to all 2026 sessions
✓ 9 roundtables + 3 synthesis panels
✓ Recordings of all 2026 sessions
✓ Complete 2025 summit archive
✓ 6 months of on-demand access
Pre-summit rate: $79 USD through Nov 19
Regular rate: $119 USD from Nov 20
Supporter Pass
From $149 USD
Go beyond attending by helping make the summit possible for others while supporting the independent, lived experience work behind the summit.
✓ Everything included in Standard
✓ Private gathering in Denver (2027)
✓ Helps fund full scholarship passes
✓ Supports free peer support circles
✓ 12 months of on-demand access
Choose your contribution amount and support student and scholarship passes.
Student Pass
$29 USD
Full live and on-demand access to the 2026 summit for currently enrolled students, plus the complete 2025 summit archive.
✓ Live access to all 2026 sessions
✓ 9 roundtables + 3 synthesis panels
✓ Recordings of all 2026 sessions
✓ Complete 2025 summit archive
✓ 6 months of on-demand access
For current students. Institutional email preferred. Valid student status required.
Purchasing for others or need multiple passes? Group discounts and registration are available. Contact us →
Still need financial support to attend?
Made possible in part through Supporter Pass contributions, scholarship passes provide full summit access for people who would otherwise be unable to attend due to cost. Applications are free and priority will be given to people facing financial barriers, including those from the Global South and other underrepresented regions.
Applications close Nov 1 · Decisions by Nov 6
Access the complete 2025 summit archive
54 conversations · 12 live panels · 27 patients and trial participants · 27 therapists and researchers
Every 2026 pass includes access to the complete inaugural summit archive, exploring benefits, challenges, safety, integration, ethics, research gaps, and the complexities of psychedelic treatment.
Invite your colleagues and friends
Share this event with your network and join together in shaping the future of patient-centered psychedelic care.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Psychedelic Lived Experiences Summit runs November 20–22, 2026. Live programming: 11:00 AM–6:00 PM EST / 8:00 AM–3:00 PM PST / 5:00 PM–12:00 AM CET.
Yes. All 2026 sessions will be recorded. Standard, Student, and Scholarship Pass holders receive 6 months of on-demand access, while Supporter Pass holders receive 12 months.
You’ll receive a confirmation email immediately after purchase. Closer to the summit, we’ll send your access details, schedule reminders, and information about joining the live sessions. After the summit, recordings and the 2025 archive will remain available for the access period included with your pass.
If you’ve checked all your inbox folders (including spam, junk, and promotions) and still don’t see the email, please reach out to us. We’re happy to help! Contact us at contact@psychedeliclivedexperiences.com