Explore the Venn Diagram of Autistic & Psychedelic Experiences

Gather monthly to explore where our Autistic and Psychedelic experiences meet, as well as how each plays out separately in our lives. In many circles talking about either autism or psychedelics can be awkward or even taboo. This is our space to explore and share, unmasked. Come as you are, with your fidgety toy or energy, your quirks and special interests, and all that is uniquely you. This is an inclusive group where all are welcome! Allies welcome.

**Our meetings are monthly online, and we are adding in person events a few times a year, in addition to the monthly online MeetUps.

Each meeting will have space for a specific topic to be discussed, which may be assigned in advance or co-created by the participants in that meetup. Feel free to send in topic ideas! Guest speaker ideas are also welcome.

We'll start each meeting sharing guidelines to help us co-create our meetups with structure and flexibility, knowing that our guidelines will evolve over time. Then we'll have brief check-ins to help us get to know each other. Following will be time to chat about the topic of the day, which enables those who like a prompt to share and find commonalities in experiences with everyone attending. All of this with the purpose of allowing us to come together and be our authentic selves, and connect with others who can relate to many of our own experiences.

(Please avoid fragranced products at our occausonal in person meetings to support those with sensitivity to smells. We'll do our best to find in person meeting locations with decent lighting, and low levels of auditory distractions. Suggestions welcome on locations too!)

Bring some paper or a journal, and a pen, to jot down thoughts during the meeting while another person is speaking, so you remember all your brilliant thoughts you had on the topic when you get a chance to speak at the MeetUp! From experience the thoughts will spark. ;)

About the host:

Be Friend is an ordained minister in a non-denominational "church without walls" for over 16 years, and is also a late diagnosed autistic woman, who is steeped in the newly legal psilocybin ecosystem in Oregon. Currently she is in the middle of starting up a psilocybin service center and grow, and also a retreat center. She's been involved since Nov. 2022 with the Oregon Psilocybin Services Collaborative Community (OPSCC), the grassroots advocacy group amplifying individual voices and asking our state's legislators and the Oregon Health Authority to improve the rules for the Oregon Psilocybin Services Act (OPSA).

Be has also been active with the Autistic Psychedelic Community (APC) for quite a while now and has witnessed and experienced how coming together to chat about being on the spectrum and psychedelics, can be a powerful community building space. So when Aaron Orsini (the co-founder of the APC, and author of Autism on Acid) asked Be to connect with PPS to get a group going in Portland, she jumped at the chance.

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Portland Psychedelic Society (PPS) is an all volunteer run 501(c)(3) nonprofit, donation-based organization

Follow this link for info about PPS volunteer opportunities, donation information, and merch.

Thanks for your Participation and Support!