Research:
My current research is a multisite ethnography of novel psychedelic churches (or novel psychedelic spiritual communities) in the United States. These are new religious movements forming around shared psychedelic use, which are distinct from Indigenous plant medicine traditions and unaffiliated with major world religions. These churches have proliferated in the last decade and are spiritual homes for hundreds of thousands of Americans.
Ongoing since 2023, this study explores how novel psychedelic churches build community, develop their rituals and theologies, navigate the law, and address safety and ethics. More broadly, it considers how psychedelics are reshaping religion in North America.
A short essay introducing my research and the concept of novel psychedelic churches can be found here.
This research is supported by Harvard Divinity School’s Center for the Study of World Religions.