So … it may seem like I’m a one-trick pony when it comes to certain subjects I bring to these pages. But when it involves something that could potentially be an incredible avenue of mental and emotional healing — one outside the long-established and much-traveled road of traditional psychopharmaceuticals — I just can’t help myself.
While we already have one practitioner on the Vineyard who facilitates integrative mental health care involving a psychedelic, namely ketamine, it would be irresponsible of me to not present other members of the “extended entheogenic family” to the Island community.
But this article isn’t going to be an itemization of what substance does what and how you’ll feel during and after your inward excursion.
Coming up this coming Wednesday, June 28, at the Old Whaling in Church in Edgartown, the Rising Consciousness Community and the Martha’s Vineyard Psychedelic Center present the first annual Martha’s Vineyard Psychedelic Summit — Psychedelics for Happiness and Well-Being.”
But wait … We have a psychedelic center on the Vineyard? Actually, not yet. But that’s the reason why this presentation is happening, and is so necessary. Like anything, educating the community and hopefully generating support for such an idea is the most important first step. That’s why this “summit” on the 28th is so vital.
Kyle Cetrulo is the initiator of the idea to have a psychedelic center here on the Island. He’s also a patient advocate. His nonprofit in the stem-cell world, the Perinatal Stem Cell Society, helps people access stem cell therapy in the U.S. And though that might seem “apples and oranges” — stem cells and psychedelics — Cetrulo ultimately concluded that there are actually several similarities between stem cells and psilocybin. Of course, it took both his lay understanding of psychedelics for recreational purposes, as well as his utilization of psilocybin in a guided therapeutic setting (to help treat his post-COVID depression, which effected a full course correction, by the way) to deduce that psilocybin and stem cells are members of similar communities. “Both are non-FDA-approved drugs; both have some companies in Phase II and Phase III clinical trials, but no company has made it to market approval yet; and there is robust underground and offshore activities in both spaces,” says Cetrulo.
If you go to mvpsychedeliccenter.com, the website says the Vineyard community is cordially invited to spend an evening with their extremely knowledgeable psychedelic guides for four short, 20-minute presentations, as well as a Q and A panel discussion afterward where the speakers will answer the audience’s queries. For convenience, there will be two presentations: the first from 3 to 5 pm, and again between 5:30 and 7:30pm.
I first made contact with Cetrulo a few months back after an acquaintance contacted me about Cetrulo’s intention to found a psychedelic center on the Vineyard (my “Inward Journey” series between January and March in The MV Times helped establish this connection). The prospect of having another option for psychological or emotional healing — or compassionate end-of-life comfort, for that matter — outside of traditional pharmaceutical means is one that everyone should have the choice to consider.
The timing of our meeting, and of this summit on Wednesday, coincides with pivotal legislation that will see the legalization of MDMA (ecstasy) for therapeutic purposes sometime in 2024. There are also several bills on the docket in Massachusetts that advocate for the legalization of some natural plants and fungi containing psychedelic compounds, namely psilocybin, psilocin, dimethyltryptamine, mescaline, and ibogaine.
Rep. Nicholas Boldyga’s proposal (H 3589) would legalize plant medicines for people ages 21 and older to help tackle the country’s mental health epidemic. There are also motions from Sen. Pat Jehlen (S 1009) and Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa and (H 1754) that would widen use of these plant medicines to individuals ages 18 and older.
In preparation for the event on Wednesday, I had the opportunity to hear from this panel of seasoned psychedelic guides. Suffice it to say that I was blown away by the breadth of experience that all of these women had. Not only were they all deeply immersed in the culture, the science, and the potential of psychedelics, each one has had (and still has) a foot in traditional avenues of healing — physical, psychological, spiritual, and otherwise. Among these women you will find an ordained minister, an integrative psychotherapist, an entrepreneur and nonprofit leader, and one who has a Ph.D. in the philosophy of psychology from Meridian University, and a master’s in social welfare from UCLA.
And that is only scratching the surface of their long list of credentials. Add to that their credibility in the many areas of psychedelics and healing, like Transformational psychedelic preparation and integration coaching, shamanic healer and plant spirit medicine practitioner, psychedelics and microdosing coach, and a licensed psychotherapist and certified EMDR practitioner.
They’re all making the journey to the Island to demystify, destigmatize, and truly educate Vineyarders about what has for so long been maligned and misunderstood.
The topics covered on Wednesday will include “Psychedelics as Tools to Aid in End-of-Life Care,” “Psychedelics for Wellness and Happiness,” “Transformational Microdosing” (which is all the rage among the lay fungi fans), and “Psychedelics and Shadow Work for a Sacred Life.”
As previously mentioned, there will be a 20-minute Q and A period immediately following each presentation.
But going back to Kyle Cetrulo and his vision for planting these seeds in the first place: He says,
“Our goal for the Martha’s Vineyard Psychedelic Center is to bring into existence a community center for the Island that is founded on the “grow, gather, gift” model, which enables affordable access to plant medicine. We ultimately hope to provide affordable support services focused on the use of entheogens and psychedelics for conscious expansion and healing. We are advocates for the safe use of entheogens, and are committed to advancing a mature approach to psychedelic healing, happiness, and well-being.”
Mental health, addiction, terminal illness, spiritual exploration, or end-of-life care — no matter what your interest or curiosity may be when it comes to psychedelics, it’s a pretty safe bet that you will get an answer or guidepost this Wednesday at the Old Whaling Church.
The first annual Martha’s Vineyard Psychedelic Summit, Psychedelics for Happiness and Well-Being,” will have two presentations on Wednesday, June 28, at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown: 3 to 5 pm, and again at 5:30 to 7:30 pm. This is a “pay what you can” event, but there is a suggested donation of $40. For tickets, go to mvpsychedeliccenter.com and look for the “Buy Tickets” button, or go directly to bit.ly/psysum.
