Dr. Béalleka Makau, cultural consultant and educator, joins The Psychedelic Skeptic to discuss the critical intersection of cultural awareness, power dynamics, and psychedelic healing.
As a Kenyan-born, Black queer scholar who left academia after experiencing systemic inequities, Dr. Makau shares her transformative REDE (Radical Empathy Disrupts Entitlement) framework and its adaptation for psychedelic spaces. She reveals how psychedelic experiences can either reinforce harmful dynamics or catalyze profound societal change depending on our willingness to confront uncomfortable truths.
Through candid personal stories of experiencing harm in predominantly white psychedelic circles, Dr. Makau illustrates why preparation work that examines our cultural narratives and entitlement is essential before engaging with these powerful medicines. She challenges practitioners and clients alike to recognize how historical power dynamics continue to shape our relationships, and offers practical approaches to decolonizing our minds for more ethical healing work.
This thought-provoking conversation explores cultural humility as more than just a supplement to psychedelic therapy but as fundamental to its ethical practice. Dr. Makau invites listeners to imagine what revolutionary change might be possible if we harness the psychedelic renaissance to dismantle oppressive systems and move toward collective liberation.
To learn more about Dr. Béalleka Makau's work with Radical Empathy Disrupts Entitlement (REDE), her cultural consulting services, and her "REDE for Psychedelics" program, visit her website at www.bealleka.com. There you can explore her writing on "peculiar intimacy," learn about the Peculiar Intimacy Healing Institute (PI High), and discover 8 Star Sanctuary, her healing space inspired by the literary legacy of Octavia Butler. For organizations interested in REDE training or individuals seeking coaching on cultural literacy and liberation practices, you can reach Dr. Makau through her website to schedule a consultation.