Set the Setting: May 2026

The most frustrating parts of my remodel saga (now in full-fledged lawsuit!) have come from the moments when I kept trying to control every aspect of the situation. Every time I became obsessed with clarity or sought control of the future, my ego got the answer: “be comfortable with not knowing.”

Fortunately, 2026 feels really different. I’m understanding the universe through a different lens: more tolerance for ambiguity. This meme spoke to me quite literally - my ego wants answers and the universe simply doesn’t offer that, sorry! So now I’m playing around with the idea that the solution to life is to stop demanding a solution.

I have to say… microdosing has helped me out a lot. I recently started a new protocol in preparation for the Microdosing Training Program that I’m a part of. This next cohort starts mid-May; if you’ve ever considered becoming a certified Microdose coach, hit me up!

If you know me at all, you know how much music is a central part of my life. That’s why I’m so proud when MAPS’ Community team flexes our influence in psychedelic music and culture. As part of our partnership with the Midway’s Bicycle Day event, the three headliners (Poranguí, Infected Mushroom, and Cool Customer) all released playlists as part of the MAPS x Music is the Bridge campaign and they are SOOOO good. I’ve listened to them all and if you want my advice… start with Cool Customer. I first saw them at the Ursa Major Griz Festival in Flagstaff a few years ago.

Who’s ready for some core memories!? I’m so pumped for my first music festival… WITH MOM! And my brother too, but I’m most excited to spend my mom’s 75th birthday and mother’s day weekend at Full Bloom!

The Full Bloom "restival" is just in time for the blooming spring flowers, a curated group of inner and outer world changers will gather on beautiful land for an unforgettable oasis of coherence in our fragmented times. Get excited for healing workshops, live music, facilitated discussions, nature walks, organic food, tea house, steam bath, river dips, and a booty-shaking good time with an ever-deepening community of remarkable humans.

I’ve noticed that as I’ve gotten older - and especially since COVID - I’ve had a strong desire to invite my family to get to know me better. Festivals are where I embrace my authenticity and truly thrive, and I’m so excited to show my family what these festivals mean to me. Maybe they’ll even come to EDC with me one day… lol!

I don’t really have much to say about EDC this year, other than I’m really excited… like every year! What’s crazy to me is how much the rave squad has evolved over the past 15 years. We’ve certainly grown (requiring two shuttles to get us there and back) and every year, we get a new crop of ravers, that then bring their friends the next year. I’m really stoked to meet some of newest additions to my rave fam under the electric sky!

This substack is my personal blog and specifically not a work blog (although “Set the Setting” is one of MAPS’ 7 Principles). But that being said, I have to highlight the work of my Community team at MAPS for getting us placed in to all of these great events. Here’s what’s in store for us in May:

• MAPS is the founding sponsor of Breath of Life: A Multi-Sensory Healing Experience where science meets spirit; where rhythm becomes ritual; where community becomes medicine. We’re starting to see more crossover with NFL players and MAPS, so we’re stoked to be supporting Jordan Poyer at this event. Keep an eye out for MAPS Staff: Charleen at the Portland event (5/3), Amanda at the Boulder event (5/8), and Keila at the Miami event (5/13)

• We’ll be a part of Cannabis Unity Coalition Lobby Day in DC (May 13).

• MAPS’ staff will be at Joshua Tree Music Festival (May 14-17) presenting our “Psychedelic Coming Out Stories” Workshop; keep an eye out for Betty, Merete, Grace and Angelica.

• And of course, Devon got chosen to keynote at TRYP Berlin (May 15-17): Europe’s biggest event for mental health, psychedelic science, wellness, longevity and human flourishing. Keila is going too. I’ll be at EDC trying not to be jealous af!

You may have heard… Trump actually did something (potentially) useful. A few weeks ago, he signed an executive order that authorizes research funding pathways to speed up psychedelic drug development.

If carried out well, this EO will save lives. People will get ibogaine treatment sooner than they would have without it; full stop. Of course, there will be winners (the Veterans population, for-profit pharmaceutial interests, etc) and losers (e.g. indigenous traditions and ecosystems in Gabon; where ibogaine will be mercilessly extracted for capital gain). We’ll see how this shakes out - stay tuned.

Remember that everything in psychedelic drug policy is incredibly nuanced, so please don’t believe all the hot takes you see online, especially ones from Psymposia, the haters that call MAPS a “therapy cult” in NYT.

Psymposia tried to claim some weird shadow victory that the Trump EO “priority vouchers” were given to certain companies (Otsuka’s Methylone candidate for PTSD, Mindmed’s LSD for generalized anxiety disorder, etc) but that Resilient Pharmceuticals (formerly MAPS PBC) did not get a priority voucher for MDMA for PTSD. The truth is that the priority vouchers are for a quicker NDA review; a priority voucher wouldn’t help MDMA because it’s already been through NDA review. Unless you had a regulatory expert on your team like we do at MAPS, you probably wouldn’t have known that.