From May 24-29, 2017, 70 Zendo Project staff and volunteers returned to the Lightning in a Bottle festival in Bradley, Calif., and provided psychedelic peer support for over 260 attendees. For the first time at the event, the Zendo Project created safe spaces in two separate locations across the festival, allowing a more comprehensive approach for harm reduction services. The Zendo Project worked alongside medical staff (RGX Medical), DanceSafe, Lightning in a Bottle Rangers, and High Rock Security to help maintain a safe environment for attendees.
On May 25, Zendo Project Director Sara Gael, Zendo Project Manager Ryan Beauregard, and Zendo Project Logistics Coordinator Erica Siegal led a public training on the principles of psychedelic peer counseling, including techniques, volunteer self-care, and integration support. In addition to the 2-hour training, the Zendo Project also hosted an intention setting circle and an hour-long participation-based workshop.
Over the course of the five-day event, the Zendo Project’s trained volunteers donated approximately 1,800 hours to provide compassionate care and peer-to-peer support for individuals having a difficult psychedelic experience or needing other psychological support. These services are part of our effort to further develop community engagement, education, and awareness about psychedelic experiences and harm reduction.Apply to volunteer…
