The conversation around Psilomethoxin and its official church continues with one of the church founders and entheogenic religious freedom lawyer, Ian Benouis. We dive into the history of entheogenic religious rights (and rites), the burgeoning movement to create legally recognized entheogenic churches, psilomethoxin, and some of our other favorite molecules.
After interviewing two other founding members of the Church Members of Psilomethoxin.com, the first Church of the Universal Sacrament, Captain Hugh T Alkemi, D. Div. talks to Ian Benouis about the chemistry, science, spirituality, legality and the alchemy of mushrooms that contain Psilomethoxin and how to use them for spiritual-religio healing and creativity.
Though synthesized in 1965 by ortho-vanillin, the late Sasha Shulgin wrote: “These active compounds are made by the mushroom so they really are natural and yet they never have been observed in nature. I’ll give you even odds that if you put spores of a psilocybe species on cow droppings loaded with 5-MeO-DMT you would come out with mushrooms containing 4,5-HO-MeO-DMT. This way you avoid a 10 step synthesis by growing a psychoactive mushroom that contains no illegal drug.”
Ian Benouis, Co-Founder, Church of Psilomethoxin
Greg Fonzo, Co-Director, Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin
Alex Dominguez, Texas State Representative
Amy Rising, Veteran Healthcare Advocate
Ethan Rocke, Journalist (moderator)
As Shulgin and Shulgin (1991) have argued, ethics dictate that the researcher her- or himself be the first to ingest a novel, putative psychotropic drug, and that subsequent human testing be conducted only with fully-informed volunteers advised as to the identity of the compound, its dose, and the nature of effects already experienced.
Over 44 veterans per day (16,060 per year) take their lives daily by suicide, as they are unable to reintegrate back into society, scarred by the horrors of war and violence. They suffer from trauma, depression, anxiety, Traumatic Brain Injury, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and panic attacks, while also dealing with physical injuries. These numbers get magnified by the addition of civilian lives lost due to similar traumatic events and mental disorders, as suicide comes at the top of the leading causes of death in the U.S.
This book is a deep dive into the definition of religion under the First Amendment in light of the sacramental consumption of entheogens, the nature of the primary religious/mystical experience effectuated through the sacramental consumption of entheogens, and the ever-developing historical record evidencing world-wide use of these sacraments in ancient times.
The panel features three US military veterans, each of whom has worked for organizations that promote awareness and treatment of mental health issues among veterans, with particular emphasis on the use of psychedelic-assisted treatments. Following introductory remarks from each of the panelists, the meeting was devoted to Q&A.
Ian Benouis is a West Point graduate, former Army officer and Blackhawk helicopter pilot who participated in Operation Just Cause in the Republic of Panama.
He is patient number one, General Counsel at the Mission Within spearheading the veterans treatment program where over 350 Navy SEALS and other special operators have been successfully treated with iboga and toad (5-meo-dmt) for PTSD, addiction and TBI.
The Law of Entheogenic Churches in the United States gives its reader a foundational understanding of the law surrounding the legality of ayahuasca and other entheogenic-based churches in the United States.
The book covers the following topics:
Chapter One: The Religious Freedom And Restoration Act
Chapter Two: Claims and Defenses under the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act: A Case Law Survey
Chapter Three: DEA’s Regulation of Entheogenic Churches
Chapter Four: General Guide to Forming a Non-Profit Church
Chapter Five: Frequently Asked Questions
The Law of Entheogenic Churches in the United States was written in laymen’s terms so the average reader can understand and acquire a foundational understanding of the law in this area. This book discusses the Supreme Court precedent involving the ayahuasca religion UDV and the Oregon District Court opinion involving the ayahuasca religion of the Santo Daime.
As ayahuasca and other natural entheogenic medicines gain popularity as a religious sacrament, this area of the law will become increasingly relevant. In this book, author George G. Lake, Esq. imparts the necessary knowledge needed to navigate this area of law.
Ian Benouis 