# Psychedelic Intersections 2025 Call for Papers June 05, 2024 The call for papers is now closed. Conference details and registration are [now available here. ](https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/psychedelic-intersections-2025) Harvard Divinity School’s Center for the Study of World Religions is excited to announce the third annual Psychedelic Intersections conference. This one-day academic conference will be held at Harvard University on February 15, 2025. ## About the conference The conference brings together interdisciplinary scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss the intersection of psychedelics and spirituality. Following last year’s popular [Psychedelic Intersections: Cross Cultural Manifestations of the Sacred conference](/news/psychedelic-intersections-cross-cultural-manifestations-sacred-conference-2024), the 2025 conference features three research tracks: - Psychedelic Chaplaincy - Indigenous Plant Medicine Traditions - Psychedelic Aesthetics and the Transcendent **The conference asks:** How can religious studies and spiritual care inform the Psychedelic “Renaissance”? What are the best practices for psychedelic chaplaincy? How can spiritual care be best integrated into psychedelic use in recreational and religious settings? How can psychedelic studies build interdisciplinary and collaborative community across traditions, cultures, and modalities? In what ways do the histories and the presents of Indigenous traditions present new relationships with the more-than-human world? Is aesthetics uniquely suited to understand and convey the activity of a psychedelic body? How can art foster and induce transcendent experiences? How can art be used in psychedelic settings as a means of integration? We are calling for papers from scholars and/or practitioners whose work speaks to one or more of the panel areas. See below for submission details. ## Submission guidelines (Note: We have updated our call for papers as of August 15, 2024. All submissions before August 15th will still be reviewed). To support our mission of interdisciplinary and intersectional dialogue, we welcome abstracts from scholars of diverse fields, backgrounds, and career stages. We especially encourage applications from scholars representing religious studies, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, history, other fields in the humanities and social sciences, and those whose work meaningfully intersects with the humanities. Scholars and practitioners working with or representing underrepresented peoples and traditions are encouraged to submit. In limited cases, translation services may be available, though we request that abstracts be submitted in English. We request that all abstracts adhere to academic standards of argumentation and support. Abstracts should be between 250-300 words. Abstracts should summarize the academic research paper that will be included in the conference publication. Complete papers must be submitted by February 8th, one week prior to the February 15th conference. At the conference, authors are asked to summarize their original research and present their findings in a way accessible to a general audience. Conference presentations will be 20 minutes. Submissions are accepted through the [form linked here](https://harvard.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6qW9wB5iMXGDcpw) and must include the following: - Presenter(s) name, affiliation, and contact information - Brief biography (50-100 words) - Title of the presentation - Focus area(s): - Psychedelic Chaplaincy - Indigenous Plant Medicine Traditions - Psychedelic Aesthetics and the Transcendent - Abstract that includes a concise summary of the research question, methodology, and main findings Full papers should be between 2000 and 3000 words in length. ## Important dates Submission Deadline: November 1, 2024 at 11:59 pm EST (If you will need a visa to attend the conference, submit by October 15 to ensure adequate time for visa processing) Notification of Acceptance: November 20, 2024 Conference Papers Due (Written Draft for Publication): Saturday, February 8, 2025 Presentation Slides Due: February 10, 2025 (Slides are recommended but not mandatory) Conference Date: Saturday, February 15, 2025 ## Other requirements We will pursue publication of an edited volume in a digital, open-access format, based on submitted conference papers. We request that submissions do not include work that has already been published or accepted for publication elsewhere. Given the interdisciplinary nature of this conference, we welcome papers in one of two formats: 1. Research papers that include clear methods, research questions, findings, and citational practices; or 2. Reflective or literary essays that engage lived questions of art, literature, and practice. Regardless of the format, papers should be no more than 2,500 words. ## Funding An honorarium of $1,000 will be provided to speakers whose papers are selected and who submit workable drafts for the anthology by February 8, 2025. See also:- [ conferences ](/topic-tags/conferences) - [ psychedelics ](/topic-tags/psychedelics) - [ Spirituality ](/topic-tags/spirituality) - [ Transcendence and Transformation ](/programming-threads/transcendence-and-transformation) - [ Psychedelics and the Future of Religion ](/programming-threads/psychedelics-and-future-religion)