Psychedelic Conversations | Rebekah Senanayake - Traditional Knowledge Systems in Amazonia

Welcome to the Psychedelic Conversations Podcast!

In this episode of Psychedelic Conversations, recorded in person at Breaking Convention in the UK, we speak with Rebekah Senanayake – a cultural psychologist and PhD candidate specializing in Amazonian traditional knowledge systems. We explore her decade-long fieldwork in the Amazon rainforest, her relationship with master plants, and the profound ritual frameworks surrounding altered states of consciousness. Rebekah shares insights from her recent talk on interspecies communication and the importance of maintaining cultural integrity in the evolving psychedelic space. Together, we reflect on the limitations of reductionist clinical models and the need for long-term, reciprocal relationships with plant medicines. This conversation challenges mainstream narratives and reminds us of the depth, complexity, and ancestral wisdom embedded in these practices.

About Rebekah:Rebekah Senanayake is a cultural psychologist and Ph.D. candidate in Cultural Anthropology, specializing in traditional Amazonian knowledge systems. With extensive fieldwork in the Amazon Rainforest, she examines how Indigenous practices inform modern understandings of altered states of consciousness. Rebekah is the founder of the Student Association of Psychedelic Investigation and a key advocate for integrating traditional and scientific perspectives in psychedelic research.

Connect with Rebekah:Website: https://www.bekplants.com/Blog: https://bekplants.wordpress.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebekah-senanayake-8012b5216

Filmed by Rua Acorn, creator of @thegoodtimes and founder of Modular Media®:https://www.modularmedia.co/

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Psychedelic Conversations Podcast is designed to educate, inform, and expand awareness.

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This show is for information purposes only, and is not intended to provide mental health or medical advice.

About Susan Guner:Susan Guner is a holistic psychotherapist with a mindfulness-based approach grounded in Transpersonal Psychology, focusing on trauma-informed, community-centric processes that offer a broader understanding of human potential and well-being.

Connect with Susan:Website: https://www.psychedelicconversations.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/susan.gunerLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-guner/Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/susangunerTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/susangunerBlog: https://susanguner.medium.com/Podcast: https://anchor.fm/susan-guner

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