Jeffrey Breau is Program Lead for Psychedelics and Spirituality at the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School. His research focuses on contemporary psychedelic churches and psychedelic chaplaincy, including a multiyear ethnography of novel psychedelic spiritual communities. Jeffrey advises the Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital ketamine integration chaplaincy program. He received his MDiv. from Harvard Divinity School in 2024.

Reimagining Religion: The Case of Novel Psychedelic Spiritual Communities

New religious movements that center psychedelics are emerging alongside the broader interest in these substances. These groups, which I term novel psychedelic spiritual communities (NPSCs), are crafting distinct rituals and theologies, expanding access to psychedelics, and reimagining religion in response to contemporary values, legal frameworks, and technologies. This presentation shares preliminary findings from a multisite ethnography of NPSCs in the U.S., exploring their beliefs, rituals, approaches to safety and care, and relationship to the law. By examining this burgeoning movement, this talk highlights an overlooked aspect of the psychedelic renaissance and its potential to reshape religion and psychedelic practices.