Safety
Legal worship allows you to openly ask questions, have candid conversations, and—if things go wrong—involve legal authorities.
While TDA’s legal status fosters safety, YOU are responsible for your own safety.
Pick your ceremonies and fellow participants carefully. No TDA member is above you or below you. Don’t allow anyone to compromise your autonomy and best judgment. Don’t compromise anyone else’s autonomy. Given these legal protections for worship, if a guide is not willing to speak openly and candidly with you and provide references, that could be a sign of danger.
TDA provides a platform for individuals to worship. Other than ministry certifications—which are limited solely to the performance of weddings—TDA does not in any way certify or decertify ANYONE to interact with others in any capacity. LIke early Christian home-churches, individual members plan and conduct ceremonies among themselves, without coordination, authorization, or supervision of a central body. TDA has no hierarchy. Everyone is independent and autonomous. While many ceremonies are independently conducted by TDA members, TDA itself does not conduct any sacrament ceremonies. Unless it is a wedding, if someone says they are officially authorized or certified by TDA, it is not true. Other than authorization to perform wedding ceremonies, there simply is no process to be authorized, ordained, called, set apart, etc., by TDA.
Safe worship means that people enjoy the sacrament wisely.
This calls for inexperienced worshipers to carefully select guides and integration therapists who are properly trained and experienced. The Divine Assembly does not train or certify guides or integration therapists. TDA does work to destigmatize religious use of psilocybin, which promotes openness and transparency that can improve the ability of worshipers to find good guides and therapists. TDA hosts non-sacrament events, such as Summer Revival, to build community and allow worshipers and guides to find each other.
To better establish which guides and therapists are good (and which ones are not), worshipers should talk with other community members, look for professional licenses and certificates, and speak candidly about guides and therapists who are safe and also about those who are not safe. Again, if appropriate, please report issues to the authorities.
Physical dangers, as well as emotional and sexual predation, are all too real in this world, including in psychedelic spaces. These dangers will only be abated by open communication, education, and accountability. TDA has nothing to hide and desires that nothing be hidden.
Modes of worship can be creative and expansive. Let your imagination and divine guidance inspire you. Don’t be afraid to have fun, if that is how you choose to worship. If you like your worship to be more calm and personal, that too can be perfect. The safety of worship ceremonies, however, is absolute. There are dangerous ways to ingest psychedelic substances, and conversely there are safe ways. TDA insists that worship ceremonies with the psilocybin sacrament follow best practices. Some best practices are described well in Trip Safe guidelines.
Worship ceremonies also must follow sexual safety practices, as outlined in RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) guidelines. If a sexual assault does occur, individuals are encouraged to seek help, report the assault, and pursue steps to recover. Let’s put a fine point on this: NO SEXUAL TOUCHINGS OR INTERACTIONS CAN HAPPEN AT A TDA WORSHIP CEREMONY. NONE. NOR CAN CEREMONIES LEAD TO FUTURE SEXUAL TOUCHINGS OR INTERACTIONS.
There are lots of ways to connect with sexual partners. TDA is not one of them. No one should be in the TDA community to date or find a sexual partner. That is not what this community is about. We get that this is as square a directive as you will likely find in psychedelic spaces. We intend for it to be. We intend for this clear and uncompromising position to discourage would-be predators from frequenting TDA spaces and events. And, if they do frequent a TDA space or event, we intend this clear position to make it easier to spot them and warn others.
To reiterate, TDA has no patience or place for predators.
People come to us for safety and support, including to heal from predation. TDA members are not interested in sexual advances while worshiping. Don’t tell yourself otherwise. Again, TDA has no process or personnel to certify or decertify anyone (other than wedding ministers). Take care of yourself. And take care of each other. Legal religious use allows us to talk about these matters in the open.
PLEASE DO NOT HIDE SEXUAL ASSAULT. Bad behavior does exist in psychedelic spaces, and it should not be tolerated.