Past Colloquia and Other Invited Presentations

2023

Conference on Perception and Reality, Dharamsala, India
Neuroscience, Perception, and Consciousness (October 29)

What psychedelics may teach us about mind
TEDxMarin: Psychedelic Science and Medicine (June 10)

Psychedelics and the mind: past, present, future (Feb 27)
Esalen Institute

2022

The psychedelic turn: mind, matter, and method (March 13-18)
Esalen Institute Center for Theory and Research
Co-convener (with Professor Charles Stang of Harvard Divinty School and Center for the Study of World Religions) of an invitational gathering addressing the question of how psychedelics may afford opportunity to revisit, revise, and rewild our understanding of mind and matter, and what methods might be needed to accomplish this.

2021

Psychedelic medicines and the mind (May 17) (virtual)
Grand Rounds, Department of Psychiatric Medicine, Alta Bates Medical Center, Berkeley CA

2020

Cannabis and the treatment of Parkinson's Disease: What do we know? (October 10) (virtual)
East Bay California Parkinson's Disease Support Network (PD Active)

2019

Expanding a science of consciousness: Contributions from Buddhism, quantum physics, and psychedelics (Dec 10)
Institute of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, UC Berkeley

Psychedelics and the Unus Mundus (November 16)
Encountering the Numinous: Expanded States of Consciousness, Depth Psychotherapy, Analysis and Psychedelics
C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco

Science@Cal, East Bay Science Café (Cafe Leila) (October 10)
Drugs, Plants, Brain, Mind

Cannabis neurobiology - More complex than black-hole astrophysics (September 18)
Hearst Museum of Anthropology, Kroeber Hall, UC Berkeley

Therapeutic Psychedelics: A Conversation with Bay-Area Experts (May 26)
Berkeley Public Library Event, Ashkenaz Community Center, Berkeley

The central importance of worldview in the construction of happiness (April 27)
California Cognitive Science Conference, UC Berkeley

The botanical genius of Cannabis (April 19)
Chabot Space and Science Center, Oakland, CA

Weaving a dialogue between science and religion and spirituality (April 17)
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Lecture Series, UC Berkeley

Reclaiming reverence and ritual in an age of reduction and commodification (March 21)
Opening lecture for an exhibition on Pleasure, Poison, Prescription, Prayer:    
    The Worlds of Mind-Altering Substances
Hearst Museum of Anthropology, Kroeber Hall, UC Berkeley

2018

Mind Beyond Brain: A Conversation on Buddhism and Science (December 3)
Mangalam Research Center, Berkeley

Keeping Mind in Nature: A Tribute to Henry Stapp at 90 (April 11)
International Conference on Quanta and Mind, San Francisco State University

Botanical Garden, UC Berkeley
The Science of Cannabis Lecture Series: Neuroscience of Cannabis (February 15)

2017

Drugs and Plants, Brain and Mind (November 30)
The CLEAR Project in Public Science Education, UC Berkeley

Expanding the Discourse on the Scientific Investigation of Mind and Consciousness (October 2)
University of California, Berkeley, Kosmos Club

An Expanded Conception of the Mind-Body Relationship (September 24)
C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco

Physical and Biological Perspectives on Expanded Views of Mind and Consciousness (July 25)
Putting the Buddhism-Science Dialogue on a New Footing (Summer Institute on Buddhism and Science)
Mangalam Research Center for Buddhist Languages, Berkeley

A Radically-Empirical Perspective on Mind-Matter Relationship (June 27)
SRI Technology and Consciousness Workshop, SRI International, Menlo Park

States of Altered Consciousness (February 15)
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Speaker Series, University of California, Berkeley

2016

Mind, Consciousness, and Reality (May 21)
Dharma College, Berkeley CA

Psychedelic Psychotherapy Returns to the Clinical Mainstream (May 16)
Grand Rounds, Department of Psychiatric Medicine, Alta Bates Medical Center, Berkeley CA

Neuroscience and Consciousness: Present and Future Directions (May 14)
Symposium on Sleep, Consciousness, and Lucid Dreaming
Texas A&M Health Science Center and University of Texas, Austin

Matter, Mind, and Consciousness (May 4)
Science @ Cal: East Bay Science Café

Conversation on Science and Buddhism with Khenpo Tsultrim Lodro (April 18)
Google, Mountain View, California

Cannabis as Pharmakon: Primary Care Management of Marijuana Use on the College Campus (April 7)
Meyer Medical Lecture, University Health Services, UC Berkeley

Foundations of Neurobiology (March 26)
Certificate Program in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research
California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco

Brain-Mind Odyssey: Neurobiology, Spirit, and Scientific Revolution (Feb 24)
Consciousness Forum, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco

2015

Raising the Bar event, San Francisco: Psychedelic medicines and the nature of consciousness

2014

UC Berkeley Undergraduate and Interdisciplinary Programs Commencement, Greek Theater, Keynote address

2013

Revisiting the Convergence of Science and Religion
Symposium in Honor of Professor Charles Townes' 98th birthday, UC Berkeley

Amsterdam & San Francisco: Pioneers in Cannabis Policy Reform
de Young Museum, San Francisco; Friday evening event in conjunction with Dutch art exhibition

Copenhagen pre-show: Bohr, Heisenberg, and the landscape of 20th-century science
Indra's Net Theater, Berkeley

Brain, Mind and Consciousness Society, University of California, Santa Cruz
Mind, life, and interconnectivity

Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley
Thinking out of the box in biology and brain science

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and Berkeley Art Museum, University of California, Berkeley
Silence as a hallucinogen: reflections on John Cage, labyrinths, meditation, and the nature of mind

2012

Buddhist Studies Colloquium, University of California, Berkeley
Contemporary conversations between Buddhism and science

Brain, Mind and Consciousness Society, University of California, Santa Cruz
Consciousness: from science to soul

Berkeley City College Science Seminar Series
What neuroscience says about the mystery of human consciousness

California Cognitive Science Conference, UC Berkeley
Is cognitive science poised for a true scientific revolution in the study of mind?

Ligmincha Institute, Charlottesville, Virginia
Taking the Buddhism-science conversation to the next level

2011

International Conference on Cosmology and Consciousness, Dharamsala, India
New directions in the dialogue between Buddhism and science

Learn It, Live It Sustainability Lecture, UC Berkeley
This is your brain on fossil fuel

Science and Nonduality Conference, San Rafael, California
Psychedelic medicines and the neuroscience of consciousness

Staff Education Lecture, University Health Services, UC Berkeley
Teaching about Drugs and the Brain at UC Berkeley

Society for Asian Art, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco
Weaving a dialogue between Buddhism and science

Tamalpais High School Parent-Teacher Association, Mill Valley, California
Drug use and adolescence

Staff Education Lecture, Botanical Garden, UC Berkeley
Medicinal plants in human history

2010

Grand Rounds, Department of Psychiatric Medicine, Alta Bates Medical Center, Berkeley
Anomalous psychological phenomena: relevance to clinical issues and to the neuroscience of mind

Science @ Cal Lecture Series, UC Berkeley
What can neurobiology say about mind and consciousness?

Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, and Ligmincha Institute, Charlottesville, Virginia
New directions in the dialogue between Buddhism and science

Grand Rounds, Sonoma County Department of Mental Health Services, Santa Rosa, California
Pharmacologic treatment of psychosis: history and recent developments

Alcohol Research Group, Emeryville, California
New clinical research with psychedelic drugs

2009

Grand Rounds, Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Psychedelic medicines: some history and current research

Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Quantum mechanics and mental phenomena

Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai
History and current neurochemical research concerning psychiatric medications

Grand Rounds, Department of Psychiatric Medicine, Alta Bates Medical Center, Berkeley
Drug information and the internet

Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley
Brain science in the 21st century

2008

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Public Lecture Series, UC Berkeley
Brain, mind, consciousness

Science Cafe Community Education Event, San Francisco
Drug information and education

Sacred plants, creativity, and the human imagination
Wasiwaska, Florianópolis, Brazil

2007

Marin County Psychotherapy Association, California
Neurobiology, mind, and psychotherapy

Grand Rounds, Department of Psychiatric Medicine, Alta Bates Medical Center, Berkeley
Neuroscience and consciousness

University of California San Francisco Medical School, Brain Interest Group
Neuroscience and consciousness

Grand Rounds, Sonoma County Department of Mental Health Services, Santa Rosa, California
What can contemporary neuroscience say about consciousness?

Conference on Death and Dying: Scientific and Buddhist Perspectives, La Salle Medical University, Mexico City
Neurobiology, consciousness, death, and near-death

International Conference on Buddhism and Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Neurobiology and consciousness

Ask-A-Scientist Community Education Event, San Francisco
The mind-brain connection

2006

Institute of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, UC Berkeley
Toward a revolution in the mind sciences

California Society of Addiction Medicine State of the Art Conference, San Francisco
Neurobiology of addiction

Grand Rounds, Sonoma County Department of Mental Health Services, Santa Rosa, California
New directions in mind science

2005

Exploratorium Museum of Science, San Francisco
Dramatic art, genetics, and brain science

Grand Rounds, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Santa Rosa, California
Neurobiology of addiction

Unselt Lecture, Botanical Garden, UC Berkeley
This is your brain on plants

Ask-A-Scientist Community Education Event, San Francisco
Mind, brain, and consciousness

2004

Grand Rounds, Sonoma County Department of Mental Health Services, Santa Rosa, California
Neurobiology of addiction, continued: Recent clinical innovations

Berkeley Art Museum, UC Berkeley
The dialogue between Buddhism and brain science

2003

United States Department of Veterans Affairs Western Region Health Care Meeting, Reno, Nevada
Cannabis use in veterans having combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder

Grand Rounds, Sonoma County Department of Mental Health Services, Santa Rosa, California
Neurobiology of addiction

2001

California Society of Addiction Medicine State of the Art Conference, Los Angeles
History and pharmacology of MDMA

American Society of Addiction Medicine National Meeting, Los Angeles
Chemistry and behavioral effects of club drugs

1999

International Conference on Yoga Research, Bangalore, India
Brain chemistry and ananda

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington DC
What's new in the pharmacology of illicit drugs?

1998

Interval Research Corporation, Palo Alto, California
Neurobiology of immersion and reward

1997

Medical Grand Rounds, Department of Veterans Affiars Medical Center, San Francisco
Marijuana: medical, psychological, and neurobiological aspects

1996

Psychiatry Grand Rounds, Department of Veterans Affiars Medical Center, San Francisco
The internet, education, and drug information

1995

California Society of Addiction Medicine State of the Art Conference, Los Angeles
New clinical research with schedule one drugs

1993

Grand Rounds, Departments of Neurology and Medicine, Highland Hospital, Oakland
A psychedelic anniversary: 50 years after the discovery of LSD

Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center, San Francisco
Resumption of human research with hallucinogens (panel)

Association for Transpersonal Psychology Annual Meeting, Asilomar, California
Training of psychedelic psychotherapists: therapeutic boundary issues (panel)

American Group Psychotherapy Association Annual Meeting, San Diego
Inpatient groups in initial-stage addiction treatment (panel)

1992

Grand Rounds, Department of Veterans Affiars Medical Center, San Francisco
Nitrous oxide: history of use and abuse

Grand Rounds, Department of Veterans Affiars Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
Concurrent treatment of PTSD and substance abuse

1990

Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
Neuroscience and the evolution of mind

1983

Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Biophysics of sensory transduction

Life Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
Biophysics of magnetic field detection

Symposium Lecture, Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, Boston
Geomagnetic field detection by living organisms

1982

Cold Spring Harbor Biological Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York
Molecular mechanisms of photoreception in microorganisms