Today’s 'Psychedelic Renaissance' is haunted by the spectre of religion. On the research front, clinicians, psychiatrists, and neuroscientists are now staking claims within territories previously reserved for religious experts or anthropologists, like the origins of otherworldly visions or the nature of “mystical” experience. Yet, the emerging field of psychedelic science has neglected the deep historical interconnections between psychedelics, culture, and religion across time and space, from pre-history to the present day.

Students who complete this course will gain a solid understanding of (1) the historical contexts which have shaped the current wave of psychedelic research in the medical and scientific community; (2) the anthropological, sociological, and historical study of psychedelic spiritualities; (3) the diverse ritual contexts and expectations for psychedelic experiences across time, space, and an array of global traditions; (4) the political, cultural, and ethical issues embedded within the shifting narratives of the “Psychedelic Renaissance.”

Please note that as this is an intensive course, all participants are expected to attend each session. Classes are from 9am until 14:30 with an hour lunch break in the university restaurant. Lunches are provided for participants on class days. 

Dr. J. Christian Greer is a scholar of Religious Studies with a special focus on psychedelic culture. He holds a MDiv from Harvard Divinity School, as well as a MA and PhD (cum laude) in Western Esotericism from the University of Amsterdam. While a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard Divinity School, he led a series of research seminars on global psychedelic spirituality, which culminated in the creation of the Harvard Psychedelic Walking Tour, a free audio guide detailing how the Harvard community has shaped the modern history of psychedelic culture. He has published numerous articles on various psychedelic subcultures, and his latest book, Kumano Kodo: Pilgrimage to Powerspots (co-authored with Dr. Michelle Oing) analyzes the pilgrimage folklore associated with the rainforests of Japan's Kii Peninsula. His forthcoming book, Angelheaded Hipsters: Psychedelic Militancy in Nineteen Eighties North America (Oxford University Press), explores the expansion of psychedelic culture within fanzine networks in the late Cold War era. After holding teaching and research positions at Harvard University and Yale University, he is now a lecturer at Stanford University.

Assistant Programme Director: Gary Laderman, PhD, is Goodrich C. White Professor of American Religious History and Cultures in the Department of Religion at Emory University. He's just finished writing a new book, Sacred Drugs: How Psychoactive Substances Mix with Religion Life (Routledge, 2025), and is the author of a few other books, including Don’t Think About Death: A Memoir on Mortality (Deeds Publishing, 2020), Sacred Matters: Celebrity Worship, Sexual Ecstasies, the Living Dead, and Other Signs of Religious Life in the United States (The New Press, 2009), and two books on the history of death in America, The Sacred Remains: American Attitudes Toward Death, 1799-1883 (Yale University Press, 1996) and Rest in Peace: A Cultural History of Death and the Funeral Home in Twentieth-Century America (Oxford University Press, 2003). Laderman has been featured in various media, including news outlets, documentaries, and podcasts. At Emory he teaches to hundreds of students with courses like Death and Dying, Religion and Sexuality, Entertaining Religion, and Sacred Drugs.

To get a preview of some of the topics covered and get to know the academic directors, listen to Episode 10: Visions of the Occult, of Mokum Podcast. Marco and Christian talk about not only the winter programme, but the study of esotericism broadly, and its importance for understanding the world today. 

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