Patient communities have often driven innovation long before medicine catches up. At ICPR 2026, we spoke with sociologist Joanna Kempner about her work on Clusterbusters, the remarkable story of how people with cluster headaches helped pioneer psychedelic treatments, and what this teaches us about patient activism, scientific knowledge, and the politics of pain.

Did psychedelic traditions emerge independently across the world, or are they concentrated in specific cultural contexts? At ICPR 2026, we spoke with anthropologist Manvir Singh about the history of human relationships with psychoactive plants and fungi, indigenous knowledge systems, and the anthropological evidence surrounding psychedelic use.

What is consciousness, and what does it tell us about our place in the universe? At ICPR 2026, we spoke with neuroscientist Adam Barrett about panpsychism, altered states of consciousness, the relationship between mind and matter, and how psychedelic experiences challenge conventional assumptions about reality.

What happens after a psychedelic experience? In this Drug Reporter Café interview, coach and educator Márton Mányai explores how integration coaching can help people make sense of their experiences and bring insights into everyday life.

What happens when an altered state of consciousness becomes part of psychotherapy? We visited a new clinic in Vienna offering ketamine-assisted therapy. Dr. Claus Derganc showed us around and discussed the treatment’s potential, its risks, and how patients work through difficult experiences.

At ICPR 2024, we talked to Jamila Hokanson,from the Yale University School of Medicine, about how psychedelics might offer new hope for people living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

At ICPR 2024, we talked to Leonie Schneider and Ian Roullier, co-founders and co-directors of the Psychedelic Participant Advocacy Network (PsyPAN) in the UK, about why patient voices matter in the development of psychedelic therapy.

What actually makes psychedelic therapy work? Is it the drug, the therapeutic setting, or the human relationship between therapist and participant? At ICPR 2026, we spoke with psychiatrist and researcher Sandeep Nayak about clinical trials, common therapeutic factors, and how the field can better understand the mechanisms behind psychedelic-assisted treatment.

At ICPR 2024, we talked to Robert Jesse, from the Johns Hopkins University, about mystical experiences with psychedelics, their spiritual and cultural dimensions, and the value of community in supporting their responsible integration.

At ICPR 2024, we talked to Wim van den Brink, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Addiction at the Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, about the potential of psychedelics to reduce compulsive thinking and support addiction treatment.