About Psychedeli
We're facing a moment of unprecedented transformation, and are going to need better practices to support healing and resilience over the next century (and beyond). We believe that psychedelics have a unique ability to support individual and collective healing, and that stories of personal transformation are an essential part of this shift. That's why our first focus is Human/Nature, an interview series about stories of personal transformation through psychedelic healing.
As Psychedeli evolves we will focus our efforts on destigmatization, fostering community, access to free information about growing, legalization efforts, and education about how, why, and if to use psychedelics.
Who We Are
Max Silverman
Hi, I'm Max. My path to psychedelics has been a bit circuitous. I spent the first ten years of my career working in tech, on early-stage projects ranging from enterprise software to film to politics & activism (I'm a TechStars accelerator alum). I've managed dev teams, developed analytics dashboards, done UX research and design, built financial models, taught crowdfunding to filmmakers, shot and edited films, manned the help desk and attended to plenty of other jack-of-all tasks.
Early in 2020, just before the world was upended, I discovered psychedelics (i.e. my curiosity finally overtook my fear), and things haven't been the same since.
The clarity with which psychedelics have helped me see myself, others and the world around me is awesome and humbling. I've both experienced and witnessed the deep healing power of these compounds, and am convinced that the more access people have to them in safe, responsible settings, the more we'll be oriented toward a brighter future.
Amelia Paxton
Hi, I'm Amelia. I have a degree in photography and have worked in marketing, the service industry, and as a farm hand. My path to psychedelics has also been circuitous, to put it mildly.
I was raised 7th-generation Mormon in a small conservative town in Colorado. Though I started the slow process of leaving the church when I was 18, I still held onto my misconceptions about psychedelics for years.
In late 2019, I was suffering from a decade of anxiety and depression, and was self-medicating with cannabis and true-crime podcasts. I was struggling with PTSD from multiple sexual assaults, as well as the terror of seeing one of my closest friends wrongfully convicted—later exonerated—on a world stage for a murder she didn’t commit.
I’ve been using magic mushrooms therapeutically for over a year now, and I can say without hesitation that they have completely altered the course of my life for the better. I no longer struggle with my addictions and can now openly discuss my traumatic experiences without any acute stress responses.
My gratitude for these healing medicines compels me to advocate for making them accessible to as many people as possible.