The First Psychedelic Conference in Iceland
In 2023, the first-ever psychedelic conference was held in Iceland. The event was monumental, with around 600 attendees and 20 international speakers, held in the largest conference hall in Reykjavík.
The Psychedelics as Medicine conference, and the foundation behind it, is the brainchild of Sara María Forynja, a transpersonal psychotherapist with years of experience working with psychedelics, her business partner and well-known Mental Health Activist, Silja Björk Björnsdóttir and their close-knit team of spiritual women leaders.
Together they worked tirelessly to make the event happen in 2023 and now, two years later they are making their dreams come true once more by bridging the gap between science and spirituality with Psychedelics as Medicine being held for the second time. Their goal, and the Eden Foundation's goal, is to educate, share knowledge, and uproot the status quo. Their passion is driven by the need to share what world-leading psychologists, therapists, scientists, and doctors already know - that psychedelics are the next logical step for the mental wellness of humanity.
Psychedelics as Medicine Mission Statement
-
Our Psychedelics as Medicine conference aims to support the development of renewed interest in ancient practices of plant medicine. We support the promising field of psychedelic therapy and the integration of psychedelics into medicine. Our main focus is to gather some of the most interesting and important psychedelic researchers, therapists, tribe elders, and thought leaders from around the world to discuss the past, present, and future of Psychedelic therapy and medicine.
-
Our view is to approach psychedelics as responsible stewards and a big part of that is addressing the biases and blind spots in psychedelics research and encouraging reflective engagement.
Speakers and attendees contribute to a constructive discussion that considers ethical standards and research practices regarding psychedelic science, research and medicine.
-
Ethical research practices, the importance of set and setting, and the responsible and therapeutic work done before and after the dosage sessions.
Constructive discourse on the history of psychedelics, old and new research, and advancements in the field.
The future of Psychedelics, innovative research, production and medicalization. Neuroscience, consciousness research, and innovative funding.
Networking for researchers, medical and mental health professionals and bringing our community together.
Sara María, the Founder and Owner of the Eden Foundation, is a student of Transpersonal Psychology and Psychedelic Assisted Therapy from AWE. When founding the Eden Foundation, the conference, and the non-profit Hugvíkkandi Organization (the Icelandic word for Psychedelics, literally translating to „expanding the mind"), she wanted to inspire other people to join her in speaking up about the use of psychedelics in therapeutic settings. In her yoga studio, Eden Yoga, she strives to create a safe home and comforting environment for people to seek refuge and heal themselves.
Sara María knows firsthand how many Icelanders are utilizing psychedelic therapies for their pain and problems and wants people to speak openly about the benefits. She has come forward herself and spoken about her many trials and tribulations with psychedelic therapies, which takes a great deal of courage in a small country like Iceland. Just like her partner Silja, Sara María has the innate need to share and destigmatize talking about mental health and our struggles with it, whether it be through psychedelics or not. She uses her knowledge and her unique and unwavering personality to reach out to influential leaders, politicians, and even the president of Iceland - to get her message on healing the world across.
Silja Björk, the co-owner of the Eden Foundation and the Conference Manager for Psychedelics as Medicine, has advocated for better mental health and wellness in Iceland since 2012. Her 2014 TEDx talk „The Taboo of Depression" sent shockwaves through Icelandic society since there hadn't been an outspoken, young woman speaking on the personal effects of depression and suicidal thoughts before. Her goal was to break that taboo. Since then she has done countless interviews, started an online #-movement (#égerekkitabú or #iamnottaboo), written two books on mental health, and worked closely with the National Mental Health Alliance and suicidal awareness organizations in Iceland. Her passion for change led her into the psychedelic space through research and historical reflection. When she met Sara María in 2022, they realized their shared passion and different perspectives could be beneficial for paving the way for a public psychedelic revolution in Iceland.
“Our role as responsible facilitators is to end the hype and amplify the research. So that psychedelics can be adapted into our health care systems slowly, carefully, and in calculated steps by researchers and professionals.”
About the Eden Foundation.
The Eden Foundation is an Icelandic organization that aims to support and amplify the voices of passionate researchers and other professionals in the field of psychedelic science. We do that by engaging in conversations with influential politicians, researchers, medical professionals and psychonauts from all over the world. Our goal is to bring together great minds to create a future for psychedelics as medicine in Iceland and Scandinavia.
We here at the Eden Foundation make sure we approach psychedelics as responsible facilitators and that we address the biases and blind spots in psychedelic research so we can contribute to a constructive discussion that considers all ethical standards and research practices regarding psychedelic science.
We aim to achieve our goals by supporting psychedelic professionals and providing accessible conversations about psychedelics as medicine to the general public.
The Eden Foundation was founded in January 2022 and operates from Reykjavík, Iceland. With the long-term vision of legalizing psychedelic drugs in the research and medical environment, slowly and carefully, with scientists and professionals leading the conversation. The Eden Foundation organized the first-ever psychedelic conference in Iceland, held in January of 2023, and is currently working on the second conference in 2025 to expand the foundation and our projects in the coming years.
