Surviving Chronic Pain Through Psychedelic Therapy: An Interactive Evening with Paul Forster

The evening began in a circle. Two, actually. Chairs arranged in concentric rings set the stage for a dynamic and intimate start. Participants paired off, rotated, and explored powerful prompts about pain—its presence, its impact, and what life looks like when pain becomes a constant companion.

This opening exercise laid the foundation for a night of deep resonance.

After the final rotation, the room fell into a quiet hum as Paul Forster picked up his acoustic guitar and played a few tender melodies, softening the space and grounding us in the moment. Then, with gentle candor and piercing honesty, he began to share his story.

Chronic pain, as Paul described, came out of nowhere—and yet it brought everything into focus. After a lifetime of psychedelic journeys, spiritual teachings, global service, and creative expression, it was pain that truly cracked him open. This was no ordinary suffering. This was the kind that demands surrender, presence, and the kind of resilience that transforms a person down to their cells.

Paul’s story was not just about pain—it was about devotion. To healing, to being of service, and to sharing the hard-won wisdom of what it means to walk through fire and come out softer, clearer, more connected.

Hannah Jo then took the stage to guide an interview with Paul, weaving his life journey into a greater narrative of healing, consciousness, and the gifts that arise from adversity. The evening closed with an open Q&A, where the audience—now bonded by shared vulnerability—asked questions that deepened the collective insight.

This gathering was a reminder: pain isolates, but storytelling unites. And through psychedelic therapy, community, and courage, even the most persistent pain can become a portal to profound transformation.

Paul Forster — Teacher, Author, Artist, Yogi, Tribal Elder

Born in 1960, Paul has marched for peace, explored altered states at UCSC in the ’70s, and walked across the country with the Great Peace March in 1986. His life’s work has included teaching in public schools, making 35 Summer Solstice floats, volunteering in India and Guatemala, practicing yoga, writing poetry, and sharing wisdom through art and activism. Now, as a tribal elder whose heart and mind have been recently shattered—and remade—through chronic pain, Paul is committed to helping others find the healing he discovered through community and psychedelics.