Victoria Association for Psychedelic Studies

Victoria Association for Psychedelic Studies We are a Psychedelic Community Organization Focused on Education, Advocacy and Community Support!

We are a group of students, researchers and enthusiasts who are interested in the therapeutic potential of psychoactive substances, brain functioning, and consciousness. We want to inspire a new age of researchers, policy makers and students who want to increase their understanding of the health and social implications of drug policy and who want to help educate our community about harm reduction.

We would like to give students a platform to express their interests and learn how to apply them. We are interdisciplinary and recognize the importance of crossing boundaries between fields to fully understand psychedelics so we welcome everyone to join us!

Hello VAPS community,We’d love to invite you to the first Grof Breathwork event of 2026!This workshop offers a deeply im...
02/14/2026

Hello VAPS community,

We’d love to invite you to the first Grof Breathwork event of 2026!

This workshop offers a deeply immersive experience into non-ordinary states of consciousness through breath as medicine. Rooted in the pioneering work of Dr. Stanislav and Christina Grof, this modality integrates deep and rhythmic breathing, evocative music, and focused bodywork to facilitate expanded states of awareness, personal insight, and emotional release.

At the heart of Grof® Breathwork is the concept of inner healing intelligence—the innate wisdom within each of us that guides our healing process. By surrendering to the breath and the body’s natural rhythm, participants open themselves to deep self-exploration, allowing the psyche to surface and resolve what is ready to be released. This process can bring forth insights, emotional breakthroughs, and a profound sense of integration.

Grof® Breathwork facilitates holotropic states of consciousness—a term derived from the Greek words holos (whole) and trepein (moving toward). These states allow for deep healing, transformation, and self-discovery by guiding participants toward wholeness and integration.

What to Expect:
This full-day immersive experience creates a safe and structured space for deep inner work. Participants will choose a partner and experience both breathing and sitting, an essential aspect of the process that enhances integration and connection. The day will include:
* Opening Circle & Intention Setting
* Breathwork Sessions
* Mandala Art Integration – Following the breathwork session, you will create a mandala, a visual representation of your experience, supporting integration and reflection.
* Nourishing Food
* Group Sharing & Integration – A space to gently reflect, share, and integrate your experience.

Event Details
Location: Church of Truth, Victoria
Date: Saturday, March 7, 2026
Time: 9 AM - 7 PM (Doors open at 8:30 AM)
Cost: $275 (includes a healthy lunch)
Includes: A pre-session Zoom call & a post-session integration Zoom call

Facilitated by Renn Butler, with Kyla Campbell, Adrian Oberg, and Wilde Lawson-King

To register: [email protected]

Have a passion for psychedelics and want to share your knowledge? Whether it’s a lecture or a hands-on workshop, VAPS is...
12/20/2025

Have a passion for psychedelics and want to share your knowledge? Whether it’s a lecture or a hands-on workshop, VAPS is looking for presenters. Reach out and let’s create something meaningful together. Email us at [email protected]
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ShareYourVoice

We wanted to spread awareness about Substance Drug Checking, and the importance of testing your drugs! Check out their w...
12/20/2025

We wanted to spread awareness about Substance Drug Checking, and the importance of testing your drugs!

Check out their website or social media for more information about the services they provide, and to see their weekly, monthly, and yearly reports. you rock!!

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psychedelicstudies victoriabc VAPS advocacy psychedeliccommunity

Join us on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday evenings monthly from 6:30-8pm!These circles are about weaving your psychedelic exper...
12/20/2025

Join us on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday evenings monthly from 6:30-8pm!

These circles are about weaving your psychedelic experiences back into your daily life and into the fabric of community, through sharing and reflection.
You’re welcome to join if you’re wanting help making sense of a past psychedelic journey, or if you’re looking to make the most of preparing for a future session. You’re welcome to join occasionally or come to each session.

We will be meeting 6:30-8pm at 1923 Fernwood Road, Victoria, BC, V8T 2Y6 on most dates and 780 Blanshard Street, Victoria, BC V8W 2H1 only on February 17th and March 3rd. See full schedule below.

Our Winter circles schedule 6:30-8pm:
Hosted at 780 Blanshard Street (instructions to access room will be posted on the front door):
February 17th
March 3rd

Hosted at 1923 Fernwood Road:
January 6, 20
February 3
March 17
April 7, 21

The circles are on a sliding scale, $10-25 / pay what you can (no one turned away for lack of funds, please reach out if the cost is restrictive.)
You can rsvp/pay on Eventbrite, or pay in person: https://Victoriaintegration.eventbrite.com

The circles will be hosted by Sarah McManus and Fraser Roodbol.

Sarah is a coach who helps people connect with what they find meaningful, design pragmatic goals, and untangle emotional blocks and internal conflict via parts work, somatic practices, and Coherence Therapy. She leads the Sanctuary psychedelic peer support space at Otherworld, the island’s regional Burning Man event, and she used to work at an ayahuasca center in Peru.
Fraser has been a member of the VAPS community and has been both attending and co-hosting circles for the past 4 years. He has trained as an End of Life Doula and as a Psychedelic Integration Specialist and Guide. He also has experience co-hosting grief circles. He feels that the cultivation of a healthy community can help to hold and integrate both the ecstasies and the hardships of life.

Learn more about VAPS at victoriapsychedelic.com
Email us with any questions at [email protected]

You’re warmly invited to a full-day Grof® Breathwork journey on Saturday, November 29, 2025 This full-day experience wil...
10/23/2025

You’re warmly invited to a full-day Grof® Breathwork journey on Saturday, November 29, 2025

This full-day experience will be facilitated by Renn Butler, Wilde Lawson-King, Kyla Campbell, and Adrian Oberg. Together they will hold a safe and supportive container for entering holotropic states of consciousness, allowing participants to access profound insight, release, and transformation.

Grof® Breathwork offers a safe and legal method for entering holotropic states of consciousness—the same category of non-ordinary states that have been central to healing, ritual, and transformation across cultures and throughout history.

Grof® Breathwork provides a profound opportunity for healing, self-discovery, and spiritual opening within a structured and supportive group container.

Workshop Details
Location: Church of Truth, 111 Superior Street, Victoria, BC
Date & Time: Saturday, November 29 - 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Exchange: $275 CAD (includes workshop, lunch, and both Zoom calls)
Preparation & Integration Calls
• Preparation Call (Zoom): Wednesday, November 26 · 7:00–8:30 PM
• Integration Call (Zoom): Monday, December 1 · 7:00–8:30 PM

✉️ To register: Email [email protected]

Space is limited—early registration ensures your place and time for preparation.
Come breathe, release, and reconnect to your inner wisdom.

🌿 Our Mission The Victoria Association for Psychedelic Studies is a not-for-profit community organization comprised of s...
09/15/2025

🌿 Our Mission

The Victoria Association for Psychedelic Studies is a not-for-profit community organization comprised of students, researchers, enthusiasts, and healthcare professionals who are interested in the therapeutic potential of psychoactive substances, brain functioning, consciousness and substance use harm reduction. Our purpose is to build a compassionate and informed culture around drug use- one that promotes safety, awareness, and collective responsibility.

What do we do?
We host community events, such as guest lectures, movie screenings, harm reduction workshops, art workshops, and integration circles. We are a community, network and platform through which people can access psychedelic support and education.

Why do we exist?
We exist to inspire a new generation of researchers, policymakers, healthcare workers, and students to critically engage with the health and social implications of drug policy, while actively contributing to the education and empowerment of our community through harm reduction.

Get involved!
Attend our events, join our Facebook group (link in bio), or email us at [email protected] to collaborate or join the team!

Join us bi-weekly on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8pm!These circles are about weaving your psychedelic experiences back in...
09/15/2025

Join us bi-weekly on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8pm!

These circles are about weaving your psychedelic experiences back into your daily life and into the fabric of community, through sharing and reflection.
You’re welcome to join if you’re wanting help making sense of a past psychedelic journey, or if you’re looking to make the most of preparing for a future session.

We will be meeting at 1923 Fernwood Road, Victoria, BC, V8T 2Y6

Our Fall circles schedule is 6:30-8pm:
September 9, 23
September 23rd will be hosted at the Moss Lady in Beacon Hill Park
October 7, 21
November 4, 18
December 2, 16

The circles are on a sliding scale, $10-25 / pay what you can (no one turned away for lack of funds, please reach out if the cost is restrictive.)
You can purchase a ticket on Eventbrite, or pay in person: https://Victoriaintegration.eventbrite.com

The circles will be hosted by Sarah McManus and Fraser Roodbol.

Sarah is a coach who helps people connect with what they find meaningful, design pragmatic goals, and untangle emotional blocks and internal conflict via parts work, somatic practices, and Coherence Therapy. She leads the Sanctuary psychedelic peer support space at Otherworld, the island’s regional Burning Man event, and she used to work at an ayahuasca center in Peru.
Fraser has been a member of the VAPS community and has been both attending and co-hosting circles for the past 4 years. He has trained as an End of Life Doula and as a Psychedelic Integration Specialist and Guide. He also has experience co-hosting grief circles. He feels that the cultivation of a healthy community can help to hold and integrate both the ecstasies and the hardships of life.

Learn more about VAPS at victoriapsychedelic.com
Email us with any questions at [email protected]

New Course at UVic: Psychedelics, Science and Public Health !!!This four-session course offers an in-depth exploration o...
09/15/2025

New Course at UVic: Psychedelics, Science and Public Health !!!

This four-session course offers an in-depth exploration of psychedelics through historical, scientific, and public health lenses. Topics include traditional Indigenous uses, 150 years of Western research, and the latest evidence on the benefits and risks of psychedelic substances.

Course materials include academic articles, podcasts, and videos examining the biological, psychological, and societal impacts of psychedelics.

Course details:
Oct 7–28, 2025
Tuesdays, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
UVic Campus | Face-to-face delivery
Instructor: Dr. Philippe Lucas
Course Code: HPHE354 2025F C01
Register by: October 7
Limited to 25 participants

Offered through UVic Continuing Studies

Hello friends,We’re thrilled to invite you to Quiet the Sirens, a powerful new documentary that shines a light on trauma...
09/04/2025

Hello friends,

We’re thrilled to invite you to Quiet the Sirens, a powerful new documentary that shines a light on trauma, resilience, and hope. Stay after the film for a thought-provoking speaker panel.

Quiet the Sirens follows three firefighters as they confront the profound and lasting effects of PTSD. Their search for healing brings them to Roots to Thrive, an innovative group therapy program in Nanaimo that blends traditional treatments with the transformative potential of psychedelic ketamine.

The program’s remarkable results are reshaping the future of mental health care. Through intimate storytelling and unflinching honesty, the film explores the deep scars of trauma and the hope that psychedelic medicine offers. Alongside these personal journeys, it also looks at the evolving history of psychiatric treatments—and the questions that come with their resurgence today.

When & Where
September 25, hosted at Cinecenta in UVic Student Union Building
3800 Finnerty Rd B144, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2
5:10 PM — Film Screening
7:00 PM — Film + Post-Film Panel

Post-Film Panel hosted by Philippe Lucas PhD (7 PM screening only):
Stay after the film for a thought-provoking conversation with:
Dr. Shannon Dames — Co-Founder, Roots to Thrive
Todd Haspect — Clinical Counsellor, Roots to Thrive
Capt. Dave Sawer — Firefighter, Chilliwack Fire Dept.
Michael Bernard — Director

Tickets can be purchased at Cinecenta

We’d love to see you there for an evening of film, reflection, and conversation.

Learn more about VAPS at victoriapsychedelic.com
Email us with any questions at [email protected]

Greetings VI burners!Join our post-Otherworld integration circle to process and integrate psychedelic experiences from ....
06/14/2025

Greetings VI burners!

Join our post-Otherworld integration circle to process and integrate psychedelic experiences from .bc

Connect with community as we explore and make sense of the insights and emotions from our time at Otherworld.

Psychedelic integration circles are facilitated group spaces where individuals reflect on and make meaning of their psychedelic experiences through shared dialogue, community support, and intentional processing.

This circle, hosted by Sarah McManus and Fraser Roodbol, aims to support you in incorporating these transformative insights into your daily life.

We will be meeting on Tuesday, June 24th at 1923 Fernwood Rd from 6:30–8:00pm.
Please RSVP via our bi-weekly integration circle eventbrite link: Victoriaintegration.eventbrite.com

Tickets are on a sliding scale—no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Looking forward to seeing you there!!

Until May 16th, adults 21+ from across the globe have the opportunity to participate in the most comprehensive assessmen...
05/12/2025

Until May 16th, adults 21+ from across the globe have the opportunity to participate in the most comprehensive assessment of psychedelic use amongst adults to date. Share your experiences by completing the Global Psychedelic Survey 2025 (GPS 2025). The survey will be available around the globe in 18 different languages.

Participants will have an opportunity to be entered into a draw for 1 of 15 $100 USD Amazon gift certificates by voluntarily providing an email address.

The survey will only be available online from May 1st- May 16th, 2025.

Follow the link to take the survey and enter to win the giveaway: bit.ly/GPS2025-survey

Join us bi-weekly on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8pm!These circles are about weaving your psychedelic experiences back in...
05/09/2025

Join us bi-weekly on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8pm!

These circles are about weaving your psychedelic experiences back into your daily life and into the fabric of community, through sharing and reflection.
You’re welcome to join if you’re wanting help making sense of a past psychedelic journey, or if you’re looking to make the most of preparing for a future session.

We will be meeting at 1923 Fernwood Road, Victoria, BC, V8T 2Y6

Our Summer circles schedule is 6:30-8pm:
May 13, 27
June 10, 24
July 8, 22
Aug 12, 26

The circles are on a sliding scale, $10-25 / pay what you can (no one turned away for lack of funds, please reach out if the cost is restrictive.)
Please purchase a ticket on Eventbrite, as space is limited: https://Victoriaintegration.eventbrite.com

The circles will be hosted by Sarah McManus and Fraser Roodbol.

Sarah is a coach who helps people connect with what they find meaningful, design pragmatic goals, and untangle emotional blocks and internal conflict via parts work, somatic practices, and Coherence Therapy. She leads the Sanctuary psychedelic peer support space at Otherworld, the island’s regional Burning Man event, and she used to work at an ayahuasca center in Peru.
Fraser has been a member of the VAPS community and has been both attending and co-hosting circles for the past 4 years. He has trained as an End of Life Doula and as a Psychedelic Integration Specialist and Guide. He also has experience co-hosting grief circles. He feels that the cultivation of a healthy community can help to hold and integrate both the ecstasies and the hardships of life.

Learn more about VAPS at victoriapsychedelic.com
Email us with any questions at [email protected]

Address

Victoria, BC
V0S, V8N-V8Z, V9A-V9E

Telephone

250-532-1073

Website

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