We cultivate harmony with nature through educational programs, ethnobiological exploration and engagement with indigenous wisdom
the
Living Library
For the those who know Nature is trying to say something.
A community and Living Library for serious explorers of plants, fungi, psychedelics, traditional medicines, and consciousness.
Founding membership now open
Our vision is to be a catalyst in creating an awakened world where all species thrive in symbiotic harmony.
We offer symposia, courses and retreats where people share, learn and inspire positive change on our planet and in their own lives.
programs
ESPD60
ESPD60 brings together leading voices in ethnopharmacology, consciousness research, indigenous knowledge, and publishing for an intimate dialogue and exchange.
Living Library
The Living Library — a curated collection of courses, live webinars, and community access that brings lineage‑informed plant, psychedelics, fungal, and consciousness study into one living library. Join a private learning community, attend regular live events, and access a growing archive of deep, practice‑focused content.
When the ceremony doesn’t end.
Organized with the support of the McKenna Academy, join us for a comprehensive online educational seminar that brings together a diverse panel of experts to examine the complex phenomenon of psychosis in psychedelic experiences.
Wisdom of the Leaf Coca Summit
The McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy, in collaboration with Wade Davis, hosted the Wisdom of the Leaf Coca Summit during February 3 – 7, 2025 at the breathtaking Willka T’ika retreat center, nestled in the Sacred Valley of Peru.
Biognosis
Renovation of a precious herbarium in Iquitos, Peru which houses 150,000 specimens.
ESPD55
Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs hosted at St. Giles House 2022
ESPD50
Ethnopharmacologic Search for Psychoactive Drugs hosted at Tyringham Hall 2017.
Ripples of Change: Symbiosis Symposium
The Ripples of Change: Symbiosis Symposium brought together a group of passionate global voices actively engaged in creating awareness on the topic of symbiosis instead of competition.
“The entire biospheric community of species is conscious, and seeks to advance the evolution of consciousness through collaboration and symbiosis.”
Dennis McKenna Ph.D.
President and Principal Founder
Videos
Biognosis film trailer
The McKenna Academy embarks on a journey for the preservation, revival and empowerment of the wisdom of life that only the Amazon holds — woven into its unique biocultural diversity.
Podcast
Inside Colombia’s Top Ayahuasca Retreat
Sam Believ is the founder of LaWayra Ayahuasca Retreat and host of the Ayahuasca Podcast. A former offshore engineer turned modern bridge-builder, Sam is dedicated to making traditional Amazonian medicine accessible, safe, and grounded for the modern world. He build LaWayra – currently the biggest Ayahuasca retreat in Colombia, while raising 3 small kids all in 2 foreign languages and without any business background. At LaWayra he has guided close to 3000 people through their Ayahuasca experience.
Blog
The Symbiotic Revolution: Dennis McKenna on Reclaiming Natural Psychedelics
Ethnopharmacology Field Guide · Psychedelics & Consciousness Psychedelics Ecology By McKenna Academy 11 min read A symbiotic revolution, in Dennis McKenna’s telling, begins with a quietly subversive idea: that the medicines we most need are not locked inside a patent or a clinical trial, but growing in the wild, waiting to renew an alliance with our […]
