{"data":[{"id":704,"feed_id":{"id":143,"status":"published","date_created":"2025-03-01T02:55:00.000Z","date_updated":"2025-03-02T05:21:13.771Z","promoted":false,"feed_connect":[{"id":122,"collection":"Articles","feed_id":{"id":143,"status":"published","user_created":"0cabeeee-b9f2-4440-ad9c-13e119f68b4c","date_created":"2025-03-01T02:55:00.000Z","user_updated":"0cabeeee-b9f2-4440-ad9c-13e119f68b4c","date_updated":"2025-03-02T05:21:13.771Z","promoted":false,"feed_connect":[122],"feed_tag":[700,701,702,703,704]},"item":{"id":130,"status":"published","date_created":"2025-03-01T02:55:00.000Z","title":"Trippin' for the Planet: How Psychedelics Are Fueling Miami’s Climate Action Movement","content_body":"

In the sun-soaked sprawl of South Florida, where the Atlantic licks at the edges of a precarious paradise, the fight against climate change is getting weird—like, really weird. While tech bros are busy 3D-printing sea walls and upcycling plastic into eco-friendly McMansions, a different kind of movement is brewing. Picture this: a room full of Miami’s most forward-thinking minds, tripping on shrooms, meditating, and dancing like it’s the last night on Earth—because, well, it might be. Welcome to the psychedelic frontier of climate activism.

Enter Psychedelics for Climate Action (PSYCA), a group that’s betting big on the idea that a little hallucinogenic enlightenment might just save the planet. Forget carbon offsets and reusable straws—this crew is all about “consciousness shifts.” Their pitch? If more people blast off into the psychedelic realm, they might just come back with a newfound awe for Mother Earth and a burning desire to protect her. It’s like Avatar, but with more tie-dye and fewer blue aliens.

“Psychedelics teach that we are all one, that we’re all family on this planet,” says Marissa Feinberg, PSYCA’s founder, with the kind of conviction that makes you want to hug a tree—or maybe just stare at one for six hours. The group’s Miami launch event, held at the Climate Innovation Hub in Little Haiti, was equal parts TED Talk, rave, and spiritual awakening. Speakers ranged from Miccosukee Tribe elders to a ketamine therapist, all united by the belief that tripping balls might be the key to saving the world.

Yadira Diaz, who heads PSYCA’s Miami chapter, knows the transformative power of psychedelics firsthand. After a life-altering trip on DMT and shrooms, she ditched her corporate gig at Pepsi—where she was, in her words, “selling plastic for a living”—and moved back to Miami to launch Gradible, a climate startup helping businesses cut waste and save cash. “When we feel our best, we do our best,” Diaz says, her voice tinged with the kind of optimism that only a good trip can inspire.

And what is a good trip, exactly? Imagine time melting like ice cream in the Miami heat, colors so vivid they feel alive, and nature breathing in sync with your heartbeat. Diaz recounts a recent shroom-fueled kayaking adventure in the Florida Keys, where she and her friends marveled at the beauty of the ocean—and the sobering reality that it might all be gone soon. “It was just a beautiful experience with the right people, the right doses, and the right environment,” she says, her words dripping with the kind of blissed-out nostalgia usually reserved for Woodstock documentaries.

But let’s not sugarcoat it: psychedelics are still very much illegal in Florida. Despite a few half-hearted attempts to decriminalize shrooms, the state’s lawmakers seem more interested in erasing the words “climate change” from their vocabulary than embracing mind-expanding solutions. Still, PSYCA isn’t waiting for permission. Their events are “medicine-free” (though they do serve Delta-9 micro-dosed drinks and lion’s mane mushroom elixirs), focusing instead on building a community of like-minded souls ready to dance, meditate, and maybe—just maybe—change the world.

For those craving a deeper dive, PSYCA points to six-day mushroom retreats in places like the Netherlands, where business leaders drop $10K to trip under the watchful eye of a University of Maryland professor. It’s all part of a growing movement to study how psychedelics can spark creativity and better decision-making—because if anyone needs a consciousness shift, it’s the suits running the world.

Reverend Houston Cypress, a Miccosukee Tribe member who spoke at the event, brings a different perspective. He grew up with plant-based medicines and now fights to protect them from development and bad policy. “Let’s make sure these plant medicines are available for the next generation,” he says, his words a reminder that this isn’t just about tripping—it’s about preserving ancient wisdom in a world that’s rapidly unraveling.

Of course, the idea of using psychedelics to save the planet isn’t new. The ‘60s counterculture was all about LSD as a tool for peace and love, and veterans have been turning to psychedelics for PTSD treatment for years. But PSYCA is taking it a step further, dreaming of a world where climate action isn’t a movement—it’s a way of life. “We shouldn’t need a whole climate action movement,” Feinberg says. “It should just be how we live.”

So, what’s next for PSYCA? A climate action guide, for starters, helping newly enlightened souls channel their post-trip glow into sustainable projects. Because if there’s one thing Miami knows how to do, it’s turn up—and maybe, just maybe, this time it’ll be for the planet.

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Terence McKenna, a highly influential figure in the realm of psychedelics, originally proposed the Stoned Ape Theory. While his life story merits a book of its own, his intriguing theory on early human evolution and the potential entheogenic influences has sparked debates for decades.

In essence, the theory posits that human development can be linked to the consumption of psilocybin mushrooms. Terence buttresses his argument with supporting points such as environmental shifts, animal domestication, religious symbology, and the evolutionary advantages of psychedelics.

The foundation of this theory lies in the observation of the shifting climate conditions confronted by early Homo sapiens. With the global temperature on the rise, the rainforests that they once inhabited began to diminish, pushing them toward grassland environments.

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The theory, in short, suggests that human development can be attributed to the use of psilocybin mushrooms.
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This transition prompted a quest for alternative food sources, leading humans to interact with animals from these biomes, particularly ungulates.

Biomes are large ecological areas characterized by distinct types of plants, animals, and environmental conditions. Ungulates, on the other hand, refer to a diverse group of mammals with hooves, such as deer, antelopes, and zebras.

Though they likely hunted a range of hoofed mammals for sustenance, the cow stood out as the most significant animal with which humans formed a connection.

Evidence from archaeology indicates that around 10,500 years ago, the Pre-Pottery Neolithic inhabitants of Jericho were among the first to domesticate cows. However, the enduring bond between humans and cows has been evident worldwide. This profound connection is reflected in various ways, from ancient cave art during the Neolithic period to their significant role in religious practices.

Cows are revered by many for their multifaceted contributions, including providing meat, milk, and serving as working animals. Additionally, their manure was highly valuable for agricultural purposes, aiding not only in crop cultivation but also potentially facilitating the growth of mushrooms like Psilocybe cubensis.

This is the point where McKenna's theory starts to unfold. In this period, communities would have regularly interacted with cows, and as they grappled with food shortages due to environmental changes, they would have sought out alternative food options. The appearance of mushrooms on the cow dung in their surroundings would undoubtedly have captured the attention of hungry individuals.

In response, they likely followed the natural instinct of their survival-based ancestors by sampling small portions of these psychedelic mushrooms to observe the effects. Essentially, they engaged in microdosing, consuming small quantities to explore the distinct properties of these mushrooms.

In contrast to the current societal stigma surrounding psychedelics, our ancestors did not engage in harmful practices like staring at the sun or descending into madness when consuming psilocybin. Rather, even a small dose of this substance would likely have yielded evolutionarily advantageous effects.

Enhanced visual clarity, improved cognitive connectivity, heightened sexual arousal, and increased auditory sensitivity are among the potential benefits that consuming psilocybin mushrooms could have provided to Homo sapiens. These effects would have undoubtedly enhanced the survival capabilities of individuals ingesting the mushrooms,

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These effects would have undoubtedly enhanced the survival capabilities of individuals ingesting the mushrooms
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granting them an advantageous edge in their quest for survival.

The implications of this theory are vast, with the possibility that our ancestors, having experienced the positive effects of psilocybin, may have ventured into higher doses. This progression towards heightened psychedelic experiences could have induced a unique blend of effects.

The notable surge in neural connections could have potentially fueled brain expansion, fostering increased consciousness and deeper philosophical insights.

For early humans, such profound experiences would have been incredibly intriguing, sparking significant debate over their implications. The influence of psychedelics on various aspects of human life, particularly religion, becomes apparent. Cows resurface as a recurrent symbol in religious narratives, while accounts of intense spiritual encounters bear resemblance to psychedelic experiences.

Some speculate that the emergence of religion itself could be tied to human interactions with psychedelics. Although viewed as controversial by some, the profound implications of this concept warrant further examination.

So, the big question is: should we keep looking into what these hallucinogens can show us? While psychedelics have been predominantly researched for their potential therapeutic applications in mental health disorders of late, what lies ahead in their exploration? Can we gain insights into the profound impact of these substances on influential figures like Francis Crick, who purportedly envisioned the DNA helix structure during an LSD-induced trip? Do psychedelics represent a new frontier for consciousness exploration, or do they merely induce detached experiences unrelated to universal truths?

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