Awakening with Psychedelics:
An Introductory Course with Tomas Sander

4 Mondays: May 13 + 20 & June 3 + 10
7.00 - 9.00 pm ET
ONLINE

Office Hours by Appointment

Summary
Join us for a groundbreaking new series on Buddhism and psychedelics. Learn how combining Buddhist practices with psychedelic experiences can be an accessible and productive pathway to profound insight, compassion, spiritual growth, and holistic healing.

Highlights 
Self-Care and Compassion as Foundations
Immerse yourself in the core Buddhist practices of kindness, self-compassion, and seeking refuge in the Three Jewels: the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Discover how these practices establish a nurturing foundation for safe and transformative psychedelic experiences. Learn to navigate journeys with mindfulness, care and grace guiding you towards deep healing and beauty. A natural outcome of a self-caring attitude is to pay attention to harm reduction principles that will be emphasized throughout this class.

Unity and Interconnectedness
Uncover the deep sense of unity with nature, others and oneself that can emerge through psychedelic states. Learn how this sense of unity reflects Buddhist teachings on interconnectedness, reshaping our understanding of reality and personal identity.

Exploring Emptiness and Freedom
Immerse yourself in the Buddhist teachings of emptiness and the illusion of the self. Discover how these seemingly abstract ideas come to life during psychedelic experiences, creating a sense of expansiveness and freedom including a significant release from our habitual, burdensome stories.

Connecting with Buddha Nature
Discover how to access your Buddha nature, the innate wisdom you are born with, more readily when journeying. The blessings of the true nature of our mind are available to us as a birthright, but we don’t always remember that. These practices will enhance your capacity for unconditional love, alive presence and for living with ease.

Special attention will be given to how Buddhist teachings manifest uniquely within the contexts of various psychedelic medicines, including MDMA, Psilocybin Mushrooms, LSD, Ketamine and Ayahuasca.

Teaching Philosophy
The class material draws from traditional Buddhist teachings and cutting-edge psychedelic science. It’s enriched with practical insights from a series of public and private interviews Tomas conducted with leading Psychedelic Buddhism practitioners.

Interactive Learning
Engage with a blend of lectures, discussions, and guided meditations. Optional readings and home practices are available for deeper exploration and a comprehensive workbook will be provided to course participants.

Inclusive Environment
This course is designed for a diverse range of participants. An understanding of basic Buddhist concepts is beneficial but not mandatory. The course does not require prior experiences with psychedelics.

Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, you will have developed personalized strategies for incorporating Buddhist practices and teachings into psychedelic experiences, nurturing a life marked by greater wisdom, compassion, and freedom.

Attendees will receive a curated list of resources to further personalize their journey and support their unique paths towards spiritual and personal growth.

If you have questions about this course, please email tomas@psychedelicsangha.org

Note: This course does not include the provision or use of psychedelic substances and is not promoting or advocating their use.

Facilitator bio
Tomas Sander, Ph.D., is a New York-based Buddhist practitioner and author with roots mostly in the Tibetan tradition. His teachers include Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and Greg Goode. As a co-author of Emptiness and Joyful Freedom, published by Non-duality Press, Tomas explored how tools from Western philosophy provide insights into the empty nature of reality and the self. He has taught classes on a variety of subjects in Mahayana Buddhism.

Tomas is an early member and a facilitator of Psychedelic Sangha. He’s interested in the exciting potential at the convergence of psychedelic medicines, personal healing and spiritual awakening. Tomas established the Psychedelic Sangha Speaker Series hosting a number of pioneers in Psychedelic Buddhism. In addition he conducted extensive interviews with practitioners to capture a nuanced, evidence-based perspective of contemporary psychedelic Buddhist practice.

Tomas has a Ph.D. in Mathematics and has worked as a research scientist and a data privacy expert in the tech industry.