Is psychedelic culture weird?

The Church of Sacred Synthesis defamation law suit is dismissed, and other stories

This week I did a fair amount of research on a law case between the Church of Sacred Synthesis and a whole bunch of people and organisations that the Church is suing for defamation – including Usona, Psymposia, Psychedelics Today and Hamilton Morris. The story is so toxic I’m not even sure I can report on it without getting sued myself, so I’m going to keep this very brief and just share a few documents and undisputed facts.

Here is a copy of the latest version of the church’s law suit, which centres around what exactly is in the ‘sacrament’ that the church sells on its website – whether it contains a fabled substance called psilomethoxin, a synthesis of 5-Meo-DMT and magic mushrooms, or not. The church says it does, and has sued for defamation those who have publicly expressed doubt regarding the presence of psilomethoxin in the holy sacrament. It says it has lost around $2.5 million in income as a result of this dispute and now owes its employees $450,000 in back pay, and is seeking over $1 million in damages.

The sacred sacrament on sale on the church’s website, and below, a diagram from its law suit showing projected losses from its online sale of the drug sacrament

The defamation case was dismissed last week in a Texas court on anti-SLAPP laws. The challenge is for the church to actually prove beyond doubt that their sacrament does contain psilomethoxin. Greg Lake, co-founder of the church and its attorney, says the church will soon file an appeal. He also says he will sue me too if I share Usona’s article or affirm their public doubting of the holy sacrament. He signed off this threat with ‘much love!!!!’

I have never taken the drug / sacrament and am not a chemist so have no opinion either way - I neither believe nor doubt!  I have also never published a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad and have never mocked the Last Supper.  I neither believe, nor not believe, it’s not butter. I neither affirm nor deny that R Kelly can fly.

One thing I can share is a video of a Texas court hearing featuring Greg and lawyers representing the sued parties from a couple of months ago. It featured on a YouTube channel called Law Talk with Mike. It’s worth watching, because, like the ICER report or the FDA Advisory Committee meeting on Lykos, it’s a moment where we on the inside of the bubble get to see how psychedelic culture looks to people outside the bubble (in this case, the presenter and viewers of law channel Law Talk With Mike).

How does psychedelic culture look to outsiders? It looks…weird.

They just don’t get it, these outsiders!

It makes me wonder what will happen this week, when the FDA is scheduled to decide whether to approve Lykos’ MDMA therapy application or not. It’s the culmination of MAPS’ 40-year effort to normalize psychedelics. Will psychedelics be integrated into the mainstream of western healthcare and culture, or will they stay…weird?

Let me know what you think in the comments or on the Substack app.

After the paywall, just how many psychedelic churches are there, and how could this ecosystem be made safer and more legitimate? Plus a new theory of how psychedelics can promote false beliefs, a ‘shaman’ accused of abuse in Colorado, a Decoding the Gurus episode on Gabor Mate, Jack Black on a bad trip, a new reddit on psychedelic trauma, an expose of Neil Gaiman, and a new series from Princeton of ancient wisdom for modern life.