Set the Setting: July 2025

Meme drop, PS2025: The Integration!, Set & Setting Clinical Trial, Set The Setting Playlist: 20th High School Reunion, Photo drop

Jul 05, 2025

Meme drop

After many months of planning and some looong hours, Psychedelic Science 2025 came to life! All said and done, we CRUSHED! One of MAPS’ strategies is to “be the bridge” in the psychedelic ecosystem. Because, nobody else can bring together the scientists, policy makers, celebrities, therapists, educators, and Indigenous communities under one roof. Seeing it all come together — and knowing that the psychedelic movement has been powered by MAPS — gives me so much pride.

Yeah, I’m tired. Yeah, I miss my Bay Area tech salary, equity package and cushy benefits. But, I still feel that the opportunity to follow my passion is a worthy trade off.

WHAT A PRIVILEGE IT IS TO BE EXHAUSTED BY A CHALLENGE YOU CHOSE FOR YOURSELF

You asked for growth, and now you’re deep in the process. The late nights, the early mornings, the pressure, the pain. It’s all shaping you into the person you said you wanted to be.

You’re drained from chasing a vision that sets your soul on fire. From pushing past limits. From carrying a dream bigger than most can imagine. Still choosing purpose over comfort.

PS2025: The Integration!

The theme of this year’s conference was “integration,” the intentional process to understand a psychedelic experience and bring the lessons into daily life. In my mind, it’s the most fundamental part of using psychedelics for personal growth.

The highlight of my PS2025 was having Mom there to support me. We started each day with breakfast and I got to watch her mind and heart expand each day as she learned more about the power of psychedelics. Shout out to her friend Lai who joined in on the fun! And for the Asian Psychedelic Collective crew (Mitsu, Harpreet, Nadia and others) for showing her that we have a right to heal our collective trauma.

Frankie, Gina and Mom! Vibing in the tea lounge

I spent so many years of my life trying to keep my parents at arms length, and to be completely honest, I haven’t figured out why yet. Their love was always unconditional, but I always wanted to be independent. I was sort of closed off most of my teen years.

Well, I’m choosing to bring my parents into my life more. About a year or so ago, I invited them to subscribe my substack. Yes, I’m gay! Yes, I do drugs! I still love them and I know that I’m making them proud.

We welcomed 8,148 unique attendees to PS2025, and this is the team that pulled it off. (Plus dozens of hired contractors and over 300 on-site volunteers.) This team though… they consistently amaze me.

Another important realization that I’m integrating is how much I enjoy working on a team of this size - and unlike tech where the median tenure is 2 years, this team builds and sustains some serious talent in the niche of drug policy. I don’t know what comes after MAPS, but for me, it’s going to be working at a company of about this size.

If I’m going to be in the trenches Monday through Friday with a group of people, I’m going to want to know their partners and dog’s names, where they went on vacation, and to be able to recognize their work and have them appreciate mine. I love this team!

As much as PS2025 was a success, it was still a major financial investment and MAPS’ future is still being written. It’s been nearly a year since the horrible no good FDA decision to punt MDMA-assisted therapy. But hey, that’s the world of drug policy. It’s not meant to always be up-and-to-the-right. I’m excited to be a character in this next chapter of the organization. I’m celebrating, integrating, and ready to get back to work.

Set & Setting Clinical Trial

Dear readers, do I have an opportunity for you! The Carhart-Harris Lab is currently enrolling healthy adults for their clinical trial focused on measuring the impact of set and setting:

This is one of those opportunities to get paid ($420 lol) to take drugs legally — all while contributing to the academic literature on psychedelics. There’s some chance you’ll get the placebo instead of the psilocybin… but you can still buy a lot of drugs for $420. Learn more here.

If you’re not eligible or too far from SF to participate, know that you can always search for ongoing psychedelic clinical trials at clinicaltrials.gov! You’ll find that the Psychedelic Science Program at Yale is recruiting veterans, first responders, and frontline healthcare workers for their next psilocybin study. Participating in a psychedelic study is one of many ways you can contribute to the psychedelic movement. You can also buy a hat!

Set the Setting Playlist: 20th High School Reunion

This playlist is still a work in progress, but I’m sharing it early because I need your help to finish it. Come August, I’ll be heading up to Seattle (specifically, Mukilteo) for my 20th high school reunion!

You know I love EDM remixes; they’re perfectly suited for the occasion, delivering nostalgic memories in an contemporary package. Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard - I remember jamming out to this in Rikka’s car on the way to Jeff’s cross country meet. Hey Ya! by Outkast - I have this memory of Josh starting a shampoo fight in the gym showers “shaking it like a polaroid picture” and laughing hysterically covered in bubbles!

It’s not easy to find remixes from 20 years ago, so I’m asking for your help! If you have EDM remixes of songs from 2000-2005, send them my way. Here’s what I have so far: