The current resurgence of interest in psychedelics for treating depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addictions is driven by colonial extractivism, similar to the European Renaissance. Indigenous communities, who have long used these substances ceremonially, receive few benefits from the legalization and commercialization of psychedelics. The paper argues that Indigenous philosophical traditions can help reorient the psychedelic movement toward a more equitable future for Indigenous Peoples and the medicines themselves.
Synthesizing psilocybin in yeast raises ethical, cultural, and ecological questions that challenge the boundaries of synthetic biology. Drawing on Indigenous knowledges, postcolonial theory, and new materialism, the article uses fictional vignettes and drawings to explore how this technology affects relationships among space, time, and matter. It highlights the risk of commodifying beings traditionally embedded in Indigenous practices and considers matter's agency in entanglements with human intervention. The work provokes critical reflection on the onto-epistemological and psychedelic discourses surrounding synthetic biology, urging more nuanced approaches to its frontiers.