Saturday SatSang at Om Being

Chatting the Science of Gathering and Belonging:

Kate Dalby with Max Crosland-Wood

Weaving together research from their work at Onaya Science, Kate and Max will discuss why humans heal more deeply in connection with one another.

With the rise in AI we can now replicate intelligence, but we are so far (if ever) from replicating the human capacity for emotions. Noting, that we have lost traditional structures and values in the West that support community flourishing, we need a reminder of modern day rituals for healing and connection. Rituals are the glue holding us together, sports fans, ravers, sauna & yoga communities, and the psychedelic scene alike. When the boundary between “me” and “group” softens, we become one, and a collective, emotional fizz permeates the fluid membrane between us. Intentional gatherings are the conditions for collective resilience and transformation: a reminder of what becomes possible when we come together.

Max will also share insights from a first-of-its-kind group psilocybin study at the University of Exeter. This radical alternative to clinical models places psychedelic care at the heart of community and collective healing. He’ll talk about the science of psychedelic healing, a new apprenticeship pathway he’s building, and how people can get involved — whether as participants or as trainee facilitators.

SatSang, meaning “gathering in truth,” is a conversation at Om Being with The Psychedelic Society, talking about the science behind a topic that affect us everyday: a need to belong. Expect thoughtful dialogues and moments of reflection.

All are welcome.

Note: tickets are on Om Being booking system, but please reach out to kate@psychedelicsociety.org.ukfor any help.

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Schedule

Saturday 7th March
Arrive and Opening: 2pm

Conversation: 2.30-3pm

Questions: 3.30-4pm

Closing and Conversation: 3.30pm

Finish: 4pm

Venue

Om Being: a creative movement, sound and community space in Hackney Downs.

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Max Crosland-Wood


Max is a PhD candidate in Psychology at the University of Exeter, with a background in Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology from UCL & Yale University. His doctoral research explores how group processes and communities of practice can affect psychedelic experiences and support sustained psychological and social outcomes, with a particular focus on co-regulation and belonging. Alongside his academic work, Max coordinates research into Shipibo-led ayahuasca ceremonies for the treatment of PTSD in military veterans through Onaya Science since 2022. This work bridges Indigenous ceremonial practice with contemporary research and ethical oversight, contributing to the growing field of community-based psychedelic healing.

While Max is deeply engaged in research, his primary passion is toward embodied, mind–body therapeutic practice. Since 2020, he has worked as a licensed massage therapist and cognitive behavioural hypnotherapist, integrating somatic and psychological approaches within a holistic framework. He is also studying various forms of Traditional Medicine, with a particular focus on micro-system acupuncture at the Yuan Centre in London.

Max’s long-term vision is to establish an integrative healing centre that brings together the rigour of Western science with the depth of traditional wisdom embedded in nature. This centre will offer a range of modalities—from psychedelic-assisted interventions and group-based processes to bodywork and integrative wellness practices—designed to support lasting wellbeing at both individual and community levels.

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Your Organiser and Host

Kate is an event coordinator at the Psychedelic Society. Her research background spans clinical sleep studies, altered states of consciousness, and personalised gene therapies. She currently works applying neuroscience to the arts at the neuroaesthetics lab, Kinda Studios. Working with Onaya Science, she explores how rituals, music, and plant medicines support trauma recovery. Kate brings curiosity and care to the ways we feel, connect, and transform (and will usually be found outside).