Zendo was on reddit and they answered questions

[SteamboatBillJr]

We are the Zendo Project, a non-profit harm reduction service working to reduce the risks of using psychedelics at festivals, concerts, and events. Ask us anything!



Hi reddit! We are the Zendo Project, a non-profit psychedelic harm reduction service for festivals, concerts, and community events where professionally trained volunteers provide a tranquil space, water, and compassionate care for attendees undergoing difficult psychedelic experiences.

Psychedelic harm reduction is an effective public health-based alternative to hospitalization and arrest. By assisting guests in changing their experiences into valuable opportunities for learning and growth, psychedelic harm reduction helps prevent and transform difficult experiences related to non-ordinary state of consciousness.

Psychedelics—such as MDMA, LSD, psilocybin, and many others—are illegal in the United States and most other countries, except in approved scientific studies. Using psychedelics can produce overwhelming and uncomfortable experiences, which becomes more likely with high doses, in first-time users, and when adequate preparation or setting are not available.

The Zendo Project's mission is to provide a supportive space for guests undergoing difficult psychedelic experiences or other psychological challenges, in order to:

Transform difficult experiences into opportunities for learning and personal growth
Reduce the number of psychiatric hospitalizations and arrests
Create an environment for volunteers to work together to improve their harm reduction skills through training and feedback
Demonstrate that safe, productive psychedelic experiences are possible without the need for law enforcement-based policies.

Since 2012, the Zendo Project has assisted over 700 guests, most of whom were having challenging psychedelic experiences when they arrived. We have trained approximately 500 volunteers to provide psychedelic harm reduction services at events, totaling over 10,000 hours of volunteer time.

The Zendo Project is sponsored by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and educational organization: maps.org

We have assembled a great group of volunteers to answer any questions that you have for us! To learn more and support the expansion of our work, please watch our new video and share our new outreach campaign: zendoproject.org

Proof: Facebook + Twitter

You'll find people's questions and Zendo's answers here.

 

[SteamboatBillJr]

juloxx

Hey guys, you are the best. I really appreciate what you do.

I wish to get involved as much as possible with teh Zendo team. Do you have a list of events you will be taking part in through out festival season (and beyond). Something like an event schedule?

If there is some (tour) schedule you guys update, I would like to volunteer in the near future.



ZendoProject

Thanks so much, we really do appreciate you!

Unfortunately we don't have an event schedule to offer at this moment, since events sometimes pop up with short notice, but the best way to stay up-to-date with opportunities to volunteer is by signing up for our email list.

We'll definitely be at Burning Man this year, at two locations to double our capacity! Our volunteer training will take place on Tuesday, September 1, starting at 11:00 AM at Something Freaky This Way Foams, at 4:00 & G.

-Irina Alexander, Zendo Project Volunteer

throwinglemons

I just have to start by saying, I love you guys! thank you for all of your time, energy, and knowledge that you gift to the world!

My question is: I've heard about the integration process and how you encourage people to return to zendo once they are sober for this process. I have never witnessed nor experienced the integration process that you attempt to complete with the participant. Can you describe what it looks like? Does it vary for everyone? If yes, can you give a couple of examples?

Thanks again! See you on playa!



ZendoProject

Altered states of any kind expand our awareness, which inherently leads to new insights, knowledge, and personal development. After a psychedelic experience, integration is the process within which an individual assimilates and incorporates this new expanded awareness into their psyche, body, and life.

As with people who are actively on a substance, what we see with people who are seeking assistance integrating really runs the gamut. In some extreme cases, people are having difficulty integrating to the point where their lives have been disrupted, they have low functionality, have lost touch with consensus reality, or are experiencing debilitating anxiety or depression due to unprocessed material. Other people just need some help making sense of their experience and to share it with someone. The integration phase has no definitive time frame. We receive guests in the Zendo who are working to integrate an experience they had yesterday. We also sit with people who want help processing an experience they had 20 years ago.

We don't use one singular integration protocol. Rather, we help the individual process and understand their experience. This understanding does not need to be mental but can also be emotional, spiritual, or physical/ Processing can involve many therapeutic tools including sharing the story, making art, moving the body, receiving reflection, and experiencing emotional release, among other things. The intention is always to help the person embody the learning from their journey so that they can As every journey and every being is unique, integration is unique and looks different for everyone.

Community is an important part of integration. One of the most difficult aspects of integration is returning to a society that doesn’t understand or support psychedelic exploration. In fact, re-entering society can feel like a stark contrast between the interconnected, transpersonal state of the psychedelic experience. Therefore, one of most important tools for successful integration is a supportive, understanding community. We encourage our Guests to connect with and build supportive communities around themselves when they return home from the event. We support them in seeking professional help if necessary.

-Sara Gael, Zendo Project Coordinator

JenniJam

This sounds like a wonderful service! I thank you all for your efforts as I personally have had some harrowing experiences at shows. My questions are: what is the process for training your volunteers? Where all do you perform your services?



ZendoProject

Comprehensive Zendo Project volunteer trainings take place on-site at the festival where we are offering our services. Festivals we have attended include Burning Man, AfrikaBurn, Lightning in a Bottle, and Envision Festival. Many of our volunteers are mental health professionals, psychedelic researchers, and medical service providers. Others have training in holistic healing modalities or other relevant experience. If you are interested in volunteering with the Zendo please sign up for the email newsletter at here. Our monthly newsletter contains information on festivals we are attending and volunteer applications.

-Sara Gael, Zendo Project Coordinator

SittingBullChief

This is a great idea, and I truly hope you are able to assess and aid the many people who have bad experiences at such festivals, raves, etc.

my question is for the volunteers: What was one rewarding experience you have had while with this company?



ZendoProject

An especially rewarding experience for me and for MAPS comes from pre-Zendo days at Burning Man when MAPS volunteers were working directly with the Rangers in their Sanctuary space behind Ranger headquarters in center camp. One night when I was on duty, a group of about 8 people came in all on mushrooms. Only one of them was having a difficult experience but the entire group came to seek help for that person, wanting to stay together since they were all friends. We went to a separate tent and all squeezed into a relatively small space. In less than an hour, the person who was having a difficult experience was feeling much more relaxed and was even laughing now and then. It was wonderful to see the positive influence of group support and to be able to work with one person while her friends where there also helping her feel safe and appreciated. By helping one person, the entire group ended up having a deeper and more delightful experience which could just as easily have turned into a dark time for the entire group. I've had my own share of difficult psychedelic experiences so it's especially satisfying to help others work through these moments.

What made this experience especially rewarding both for me and for MAPS is that one of the friends was David Bronner. This was the first time that he and I had met in person, though we'd both been aware of and appreciated each other's work. David and I had each been involved in suing the DEA, David trying to pressure DEA into licensing the production of hemp and me trying to pressure DEA into licensing the production of medical marijuana for federally-regulated research. We initially bonded during the moments I was helping a friend of his work through her difficult psychedelic experience and we began building a personal and professional relationship. After a few years, David joined the MAPS Board of Directors and is now playing an essential role in developing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD into an FDA-approved prescription treatment. MAPS' work on psychedelic harm reduction has fundamentally contributed to our work on psychedelic benefit maximization!

-Rick Doblin, Ph.D., MAPS Executive Director, Zendo Project Volunteer



ZendoProject

One of the most rewarding experiences of being involved with this work is when a guest returns the day after, or even the year after, to express their gratitude for being helped through their overwhelm or difficulty, letting us know how transformative their time in the Zendo was. Many guests who come to the space to receive services become so enthusiastic about the project that they continue to promote or support the project in other ways. When people say things such as "wow, I'm so grateful you guys are here. I don't know what I would have done without you" it really reminds me of how much of a difference we are able to make in people's lives by doing this work.

-Sara Gael, Zendo Project Coordinator

These are several of the questions and the answers the Zendo crew gave. Look above and you'll find the link with the rest.