S1E19 Simran Sethi: Reviving Tradition, Reclaiming Culture, and Diversifying Psychedelics

Simran Sethi (she/her) is a multimedia journalist, academic, and consultant who’s endlessly curious about science, sustainability, and the people and places that nourish and heal us. Her current research as a visiting academic at PUFIN Centre at The Open University in Milton Keynes, UK, is focused on exploring ways to dismantle systems of oppression in support of the bio-cultural diversity of sacred plant medicines and the communities and lands that steward them.

Simran is the founder of the Asian Psychedelic Collective, an evolving space of belonging and support for Asians working with and in psychedelics. The effort is supported by her work as an inaugural Rhizome fellow with Culture Hack Labs (a not-for-profit consultancy supporting organizations, social movements, and activists to create cultural interventions for systems change). She is also a member of the first Fireside Project equity cohort, ensuring culturally-responsive peer support for psychedelic experiences and integration.

Named one of the “50 Most Influential Global Indians” by Vogue India and the “environmental messenger” by Vanity Fair, Simran has written for outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, Smithsonian, Guernica, and The Guardian; and serves as visiting faculty at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy. She was designated one of the top eight women saving the planet by Marie Claire, and is the author of Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love—named one of the best food books of 2016 by Smithsonian—about the loss of biodiversity in food and agriculture told through bread, wine, chocolate, coffee, and beer. Simran is coauthor of Ethical Markets: Growing the Green Economy, winner of the 2008 Axiom Award for Best Business Ethics Book, and contributor to several anthologies, including Orion magazine’s Thirty-Year Plan.

Episode Description:
My guest today is Simran Sethi, a respected multimedia journalist, academic, and founder of the Asian Psychedelic Collective. We delve into the experiences of minorities, the lack of diversity within the psychedelic ecosystem, and the crucial aspect of addressing ancestral trauma. Simran shares her insights on the distortion of truth in journalism and the need for multiple perspectives, drawing attention to the impact of homogenization in the food industry and its correlation with the loss of language and culture. We also explore the transformative role of psychedelics in healing and reclaiming cultural practices, shedding light on the genesis and purpose of the Asian Psychedelic Collective as a vital space of belonging and support for Asians working with and in psychedelics.

Named one of the “50 Most Influential Global Indians” by Vogue India and the “environmental messenger” by Vanity Fair, Simran has written for outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, Smithsonian, Guernica, and The Guardian. Her book Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love—named one of the best food books of 2016 by Smithsonian.

Show Notes:

• Simran Sethi, a respected multimedia journalist, academic, and founder of the Asian Psychedelic Collective, joins me for a profound conversation.
• Simran discusses her current research focused on di

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