Speaker Bio
Bob Jesse is a guiding force behind the contemporary re-emergence of psychedelics. In the mid-90s, he convened an expert group, the Council on Spiritual Practices, which was instrumental in forming the psilocybin research team at Johns Hopkins. Jesse co-authored that team's influential first paper, Psilocybin Can Occasion Mystical-type Experiences Having Substantial and Sustained Personal Meaning and Spiritual Significance (2006), and he has led the drafting of foundational documents: a Code of Ethics for Spiritual Guides (1995), an amicus brief for the U.S. Supreme Court (2005) in a successful religious liberty case, and a Statement on Open Science (2017) signed by numerous leaders in psychedelics. He has served on several boards of directors in the field. Previously, Jesse trained at Hopkins in engineering, consulted for AT&T Bell Labs, and worked at Oracle Corp. as a VP of business development. At Bell Labs and at Oracle, his advocacy initiatives led to marked advances for lesbian and gay employees. These days, he continues to collaborate with individuals and groups working in psychedelics.
ICPR 2024 Abstract
Reflections on Three Decades of Change and Challenge
Bob will share reflections on the past three decades of developments in psychedelics, from prohibition and harsh punishments, to enthusiasm. He will discuss strengths and issues with public messaging in the U.S. to date and invite consideration of how messaging can evolve. Also, he will explore the questions, "Why are we doing all this? What are some of the challenges and potential unintended consequences we face?