RonnySimulacrum

The Garden States: Regeneration conference Entheogenesis Australis (EGA) is delighted to announce our next outdoor ethnobotanical conference in 2025! For decades, our iconic outdoor gatherings have held a special place in the hearts and minds of attendees, offering a unique space for learning, connection, and community. These events are created by and for the community, fostering deep engagement with ethnobotanical knowledge, culture, and research. The Garden States: Regeneration conference will take place from Friday, November 28, to Monday, December 1, 2025—mark your calendars! This immersive, camping-based educational event invites attendees to stay among the trees and under the stars, all on one site close to Melbourne, as we learn and grow together. Located approximately 75 minutes southeast of Melbourne’s CBD, this rare outdoor conference is a truly special experience, occurring only once every few years. As EGA celebrates its 21st year, we expect participants from across Australia to gather for this extraordinary botanical event. The EGA conference is internationally recognised as one of the longest-running ethnobotanical and psychedelic gatherings in the world. Over the years, it has attracted renowned speakers from Australia and beyond. We warmly invite you to join us once again to co-create something truly special. For more information visit the website - www.gardenstates.org

The Journals coming together well, Its a Cracker, should be on presale soon, look out for it 😃

Thanks RottenJonny 😀

Entheogenesis Australis (EGA) are excited to launch our new EGA resource, 'A Species Description and Reference Guide for Psilocybe cubensis'. Being able to identify Psilocybe mushrooms in their natural habitats is an essential skill for foragers, researchers, and enthusiasts. To help spread the spores of awareness about this iconic species of ‘magic mushroom,’ we have developed a new reference guide for Psilocybe cubensis, tailored to the Australian context. Resident EGA mycologist, fungi educator, and psychedelic mushroom expert Caine Barlow has once again collaborated with the EGA team to create this unique resource. Psilocybe cubensis season in Australia typically spans October to March in the tropical and subtropical climates of northern Australia. Being able to identify Psilocybe mushrooms in their natural habitats is an important skill for foragers, researchers, and enthusiasts. The guide provides an in-depth exploration of P. cubensis, covering: Detailed species and habitat descriptions Its history, taxonomy, and cultural significance Insights into its pharmacology and psychoactive compounds An examination of its distribution and ecology Guidance on identifying common poisonous lookalikes Critical safety tips, legal considerations, and harm reduction strategies Read More and download the resource HERE

Hi Folks, I still seeking some images if anyone can help or recomend a good contact. Seem unlikely no one here has not got some cool pics of this bad boy. 😃

Hi folks, Just a remind about this project, There still a couple of weeks let to submit if anyones intrested. We had some cool stuff come in so far but keen for more of course. That end of year sure is coming up fast 🤪

It would be nice to see some folks from here submit something, Poetry and artworks are also fine and can be done via the submissions page.

Thanks for your kind words Halif, Yes many aspects of this story are indeed interesting and very disturbing.

Hey SAB folks This year, EGA is celebrating 20 years of community activism and education in the area of ethnobotanicals with a special anniversary journal. We invite you to share your ethnobotanical and psychedelic knowledge with the Entheogenesis Australis community and beyond! Entheogenesis Australis (EGA) hosts one of the world's longest continuously running and volunteer-led ethnobotanical conferences, spanning two decades. Since 2007, the EGA Journal has been Australia's only regular ethnobotanical Journal, a highly respected publication that normally accompanies major EGA events. This year, for our 20th anniversary, we are releasing a special journal celebrating Australian ethnobotany. All past EGA presenters and authors are invited to contribute, and for the first time, we are also accepting submissions from the public. We love to see folks from this community make a Submission 😃 For More Info Click Here

Hi fine SAB folks. I do not get much time for writing but i did recently finish something many here might be interested in. Thanks to the SAB and EGA crew that help me on this also, full list of credits in the acknowledgement page for the article. It is a three-part series on Melbourne's Forgotten Psychedelic Era, we explore the city’s key role in the early days of psychedelic-assisted therapy, focusing on its historical and cultural context. I hope you enjoy it. Click on the titles below to access each part of the series. Part One: The Rise of Psychedelic Therapy The first section explores the initial optimism surrounding the use of psychedelics in therapy. Melbourne's Newhaven Private Hospital became a hub for this experimental approach, led by psychiatrists like Dr. Lance Howard Whitaker. The section highlights how these substances were seen as revolutionary tools for understanding and treating mental illnesses. It introduces key figures such as Albert Hofmann, who discovered LSD, and Dr. Stanislav Grof, a pioneer in psychedelic psychotherapy. However, as the substances gained popularity, societal and governmental backlash grew, leading to increasing regulation and eventual prohibition. Part Two: Personal Stories and Transformative Potential In Part Two of our recent series on Melbourne's Forgotten Psychedelic Era, we delve into the personal experiences of individuals like Evelyn Harrison, who underwent psilocybin-assisted therapy at Newhaven Private Hospital. Under the care of Dr. William Richards, Evelyn’s journey from severe postnatal depression to personal empowerment highlights the profound impact psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy can have when all the essential elements are in place. Dr. Howard Whitaker is also discussed in relation to Melbourne's first psychedelic trial at Newhaven. Evelyn’s story is a cornerstone of the article, offering a unique glimpse into the transformative potential of psychedelics and providing a rich perspective on Melbourne's psychedelic history. Part Three: The Dark Side and Lessons Learned In the final chapter of our series on Melbourne's Forgotten Psychedelic Era, we delve into the darker aspects of this period, focusing on the involvement of The Family cult. Led by Anne Hamilton-Byrne, the cult infiltrated Newhaven Private Hospital, using LSD to manipulate and control its members. This misuse of psychedelics significantly contributed to the fear and mistrust that eventually led to the prohibition of these substances. This concluding section also reflects on the ethical failures of the era's psychiatric practices, underscoring the importance of learning from these past mistakes as Australia navigates its current psychedelic renaissance. The article explores how these historical events continue to shape modern attitudes toward psychedelic therapy and the need for rigorous ethical standards in contemporary research. I hope you enjoy the articles 😃

While we know of people who have consumed coca leaf and kratom without experiencing harm, a core design principle for the matrix is being risk averse. As Needfulalterego has mentioned, a core risk for opioid and cocaine combinations is of effects masking one another, which can lead to increased dosage and unintended overdose. While it is unlikely for people to lethally overdose with plant material, some people may use the entheogen combination matrix to understand the risk of concentrated plant products. Extracted coca leaf and extracted kratom carry a greater chance of overdose. This is our reasoning for categorising the risk of kratom and coca combinations in this way. If you have any studies or other good sources of info we should use to review this assessment, pass it on.

It's getting cold in Melbourne now, Sub are poping; maybe we need an indoor meet around a fire this winter; anyone got a cool property

Here a much better story - Changing Minds The remarkable story of a woman taking part in Australia's first psychedelic-assisted therapy trial. For Lindy Bok, it's a profound and deeply emotional experience as the treatment helps her confront anxiety around death. https://iview.abc.net.au/video/NC2302Q013S00

Yes, this is a hard one, Psychedelics are no longer fringe topics, and our community is being showcased for good or for bad. We need to be ready for more of this as the TGA decision has the media working on Psychedelics stories left, right and centre. Liam has done a lot of good work for the community, and a couple of us gave an interview for the book (that this chapter was lifted from); sadly, the use of our words fell beyond our control as the media often does. We thought is was a book for plant nerds not the major media spaces, but that life, sadly. Attention is a good and bad thing; even on a bad day I think Liam has a better voice generally for the community than many out there. Liam has volunteered much of the last 10 years of his life trying to help this space, however, he is very much still learning like we all are. This situation could have been better on many front and i not just talking about Liam here, even myself, i made mistakes around this, and need to live with that. It's a balance between trying to show we are good people and we have good gardens and good wellness stories and the media diving in like vultures on our community and gardens. The chapter in question here was Liam chapter was his own story, associated with his work with us, but not a direct part of his role with EGA. At EGA we generally do not do media. We rather focus on making our own content, and self-publishing. This has again made us think hard about the next time we do or will. I support Liam and his work more generally, I feel he is an asset to the community and I know he released a statement on that matter, so I recommend reading that as part of this discussion.

EGA has a special playlist for this Sub mushroom season - Psilocybin mushrooms in Australia: From ID to Therapy Emerging research around psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy, drug law reform, ecological sustainability, harm reduction and mycological research all intersect with the needs and values of our ethnobotanical community. Enjoy this playlist at the myceliating edge of psychedelic fungi. Featuring Dr Vince Polito, Dr Shevaugn Johnson, Dr Symon Beck, journalist Rich Haridy (TBC), mycologist Caine Barlow, Horticultural Science Alistair Mctaggart. Click the below link for all the videos --- About EGA. Entheogenesis Australis is a charitable educational organisation established in 2004. We provide opportunities for critical thinking and knowledge sharing on ethnobotanical plants, fungi, nature, and sustainability. Through our conferences and workshops, we aim to celebrate the culture, art, politics and community around medicine plants in the hope to better wellbeing for humankind and the planet. To find out more about what we do, head over to our organisational website - www.entheogenesis.org Also, head to the conference website for more info - www.gardenstates.org Be sure to stay up to date by joining ethnobotanical our mailing list HERE