Psychedelic Fundamentals

Curious about psychedelics?

How do psychedelics work? What are psychedelics being used to treat? Are psychedelics safe to use? Which drugs are considered psychedelics? Are psychedelics legal? What’s microdosing?

Psychedelic Fundamentals is an introductory course guiding newcomers through the basics of psychedelics via a series of short, easy-to-follow lessons. Within a couple of hours, Fundamentals provides students with a broad overview of the most interesting and important aspects of psychedelic history, science, clinical research, therapeutic uses, and harm reduction, backed by over 36 years of MAPS experience.

It’s the perfect starting point for those considering psychedelic use, seeking information to support a loved one, or interested in how psychedelics work and what benefits they may provide.

Already purchased the course?

Understand today’s psychedelic renaissance

Learn about

Ordinary and non-ordinary states of consciousness
A brief history of psychedelics, from the earliest known human uses to today’s cutting-edge research
How psychedelic compounds mimic naturally-occurring neurotransmitters, and how they’re able to create conditions for positive changes in thought patterns
The similarities, differences, and therapeutic uses of four common psychedelic substances: psilocybin, MDMA, ketamine, and ayahuasca
The careful planning that increases the likelihood of an “ideal” psychedelic trip

Meet your course presenters

SHIRELLE NOBLE

Shirelle Noble (she/her) received her B.B.A. in Finance and B.A. in English from The University of Texas at Austin. Shirelle is a systems-thinker who brings 12+ years of strategy, marketing, and product management to the field of psychedelics. She is passionate about building access to high-quality psychedelic education for the public and professionals.

VILMARIE FRAGUADA NARLOCH

A Certified Psychedelic Therapist and the Director of Sana Healing Collective, Vilmarie (she/her) earned her M.A. in Counseling and Psychological Services from Saint. Mary’s University of Minnesota, and a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology. Vilmarie’s interests in drug education, access to treatment, and harm reduction policy and practice have led her to numerous projects and teaching roles.

RYAN BEAUREGARD

Ryan (he/him) received his B.A. in psychology from Claremont McKenna College and spent 10 years mentoring at-risk teens and families through wilderness survival skills and nature connection. As a volunteer with the Zendo Project since 2013, Ryan has expanded the scope of psychedelic harm reduction in communities and festivals all over the globe.

“I’m really excited about this course because psychedelics have been misunderstood for so long. We’re at this awesome point in time where the research is starting to show us the possibilities. I want more people to learn about psychedelics from an educational perspective backed by science.”
Shirelle Noble

“I think, honestly, everybody should take this course. Everyone has had probably really bad drug education growing up. It’s important from a community perspective that everyone understands how this stuff works in our brains, and how it can be helpful for people who are suffering, so that there’s more awareness and we can start to decrease the stigma around these substances.”
Vilmarie Fraguada Narloch

Thank you to our advisors and collaborators:
Sara Gael Girón, Chelsea Rose Pires, Dr. Julie Holland, Dr. Kwasi Adusei, Mitchell Gomez, Vilmarie Narloch, Ethan Minor, Joseph Pred, Natalie Metz, Bruce Sanchez, Liz Willis, Lucy Walker, Stefanie Jones, Kevin Matthews, Jenny Phelps, Mohawk Greene, Kelsey Laird, Bryan Lang, and Brian Broom-Peltz.