Allegations of sexual, financial, and psychological abuse sometimes arise in the growing psychedelic church movement in Utah and beyond. A leader or guide might use their authority to pressure people – usually women – into having sexual contact with them. How might mind-altering substances play into such abuses of power? How should practitioners navigate consent? And what can psychedelic churches do to keep people safe?For a transcript of this episode, please visit this <a href="https://psychedelics.berkeley.edu/season-2-episode-11-sex-psychedelics-and-consent/#more-62111">link.</a>Co-produced by PRX and the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, Altered States is an award-winning podcast, taking home a <a href="https://www.signalaward.com/winners/details/#uc-berkeley-center-for-the-science-of-psychedelics/altered-states/1/600370">2025 Signal Award for Science</a> and the <a href="https://winners.webbyawards.com/winners/podcasts/individual-episode/science-education-ind-episodes?years=0">2026 Webby Award for Science and Education</a>. To learn more, visit us our <a href="https://psychedelics.berkeley.edu/">website.</a>

<description>
 &lt;p&gt;Allegations of sexual, financial, and psychological abuse sometimes arise in the growing psychedelic church movement in Utah and beyond. A leader or guide might use their authority to pressure people – usually women – into having sexual contact with them. How might mind-altering substances play into such abuses of power? How should practitioners navigate consent? And what can psychedelic churches do to keep people safe?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For a transcript of this episode, please visit this &lt;a href="https://psychedelics.berkeley.edu/season-2-episode-11-sex-psychedelics-and-consent/#more-62111"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;link.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Co-produced by PRX and the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, Altered States is an award-winning podcast, taking home a &lt;a href="https://www.signalaward.com/winners/details/#uc-berkeley-center-for-the-science-of-psychedelics/altered-states/1/600370"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2025 Signal Award for Science&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and the &lt;a href="https://winners.webbyawards.com/winners/podcasts/individual-episode/science-education-ind-episodes?years=0"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2026 Webby Award for Science and Education&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. To learn more, visit us our &lt;a href="https://psychedelics.berkeley.edu/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;website.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
 </description>

While reporting in Utah we started to hear stories of misconduct

Allegations of sexual, financial, and psychological abuse sometimes arise in the growing psychedelic church movement in Utah and beyond. A leader or guide might use their authority to pressure people – usually women – into having sexual contact with them. How might mind-altering substances play into such abuses of power? How should practitioners navigate consent? And what can psychedelic churches do to keep people safe?

For a transcript of this episode, please visit this <a href="https://psychedelics.berkeley.edu/season-2-episode-11-sex-psychedelics-and-consent/#more-62111">link.</a>

Co-produced by PRX and the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, Altered States is an award-winning podcast, taking home a <a href="https://www.signalaward.com/winners/details/#uc-berkeley-center-for-the-science-of-psychedelics/altered-states/1/600370">2025 Signal Award for Science</a> and the <a href="https://winners.webbyawards.com/winners/podcasts/individual-episode/science-education-ind-episodes?years=0">2026 Webby Award for Science and Education</a>. To learn more, visit us our <a href="https://psychedelics.berkeley.edu/">website.</a>

Sex, Psychedelics and Consent (Pt. 2)

Description