Joseph Tafur

This session explores the relationship between psychedelics, meditation, consciousness, and psychological healing. Drawing on neuroscience, psychedelic-assisted therapy, contemplative practices, and traditional healing approaches, the discussion will examine how altered states of consciousness influence perception, the sense of self, and emotional well-being. Particular attention will be given to first-person experiences, mystical states, and their potential therapeutic significance. The speakers will discuss emerging research on psilocybin and MDMA, including neural and psychological correlates of therapeutic outcomes, alongside perspectives from ancestral healing traditions. The session will explore how scientific and experiential approaches can complement one another in understanding consciousness and its role in psychological transformation.

Joe Tafur, M.D., is a Colombian-American integrative family physician. He additionally spent years working and living in the Peruvian Amazon at the traditional healing center Nihue Rao Centro Espiritual, training there as an Ayahuasquero. In his book The Fellowship of the River: A Medical Doctor's Exploration into Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicine, through a series of stories, Dr. Tafur shares his unique experience and integrative medical theories. With his spiritual community in Phoenix, Dr. Tafur co-founded the Church of the Eagle and the Condor (CEC). Dr. Tafur is also a co-founder of the nonprofit Modern Spirit, among their projects are the Modern Spirit Epigenetics Project, an analysis of the epigenetic impact of MAPS MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, and the educational program for healthcare providers called “Sacred Ceremony and Psychedelic Therapy.” In 2025, Dr. Tafur released his new book Medicine Song: Spiritual Healing and the Psychedelic Renaissance. He is currently helping to launch a new integrative clinic in Phoenix and the developing Psychedelic Research and Education Network at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine.