Roots to Treasure – Integrating Deep Healing with Plant Spirits

Rites of passage and soul initiation have been deeply interwoven with spirit plant healing for millennia, and the complete cycle of severance, descent, and return are essential to integrating transformation, settling the psyche, and translating wisdom from the healing circle into practical life. In this informative and experiential workshop we will blend neuroscience, shamanism, and shared experience to convey novel understandings of how entheogens work to facilitate deep, sustainable healing. We will also explore the roots of preparation, and the treasures of integration which can deepen and sustain our spiritual development and healing outside of the journey circle.Gerald Thomas is a Collaborating Scientist with the Centre for Addictions Research of BC at the University of Victoria. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Colorado State University in 1998 and has worked in the area of addiction policy since 2004. Between 2011 and 2013 he led a research project that worked with Dr. Gabor Mate to investigate the effectiveness of ayahuasca-assisted therapy for treating stress and addiction with members of a First Nations band in BC. Throughout his adult life he has maintained a strong interest in emotional and spiritual healing approaching these topics with curiosity, courageousness, humility and perseverance. He lives with his family in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he enjoys a variety of outdoor pursuits including hiking, mountain biking and windsurfing.