Horizons is a forum for learning about psychedelics. It seeks to open a fresh dialogue about psychedelics and challenges society to rethink their role in history, culture, medicine, spirituality and art.

Horizons was founded in 2007 by Kevin Balktick, a Brooklyn-based cultural event producer. He has organized a wide range of events including multimedia art exhibitions, outdoor festivals, conferences, street parades, dance parties and many things in between. Their settings have included such diverse environs as streets, churches, lofts & warehouses, public parks, art museums, bars, yoga studios and subways. His most recent project was FIGMENT, a three-day participatory art event on Governors Island that drew over 10,000 people.

After returning from the Gaia Media Foundation's LSD: The Spirit of Basel Symposium in Basel, Switzerland in 2006, he recognized a widespread hunger for knowledge about psychedelics and a community ready to support a conference based on the topic. With the help and generosity of of Judson Memorial Church and the generosity of ten ten speakers, the vision became a reality on October 27, 2007. Hundreds of people attended to learn and meet one another.

A unique element of the 2007 event was the exhibition of more than twenty New York and Boston-based artists, curated by Elke Michele.

In 2008, Neal Goldsmith, Ph.D., one of the 2007 speakers, became the presentation curator. Dr. Goldsmith is a psychologist working to facilitate spiritual maturation in his clients. He has assisted many clients facing psychedelic emergencies to integrate the benefit of a difficult experience.

Among his publications, he is perhaps proudest of "The Ten Lessons of Psychedelic Psychotherapy, Rediscovered" (in the new Psychedelic Medicine textbook, Praeger, 2007), his affidavit to the California Superior Court in Santa Cruz on "Rescheduling Psilocybin: A Review of the Clinical Research," and the frequently cited, "The Utilization of Policy Research."

The venue, Judson Memorial Church, is a historically significant, landmarked location. Judson Memorial Church has a long history of promoting the arts, free speech and progressive politics. It also has a deep commitment to social justice. It is actively involved in projects that promote immigrants' rights, fair trade, gay rights, pacificism, drug abuse harm reduction, healthcare reform and aid to the homeless. Notable artists whose works has been exhibited at Judson include Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg, Yoko Ono and Twyla Tharp.

Horizons is currently in the process of forming a 501c3 not-for-profit corporation. It is neither a political nor medical organization and does not endorse any particular policies or research.

Horizons can be reached at info at horizonsnyc.org.

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Contact: info at horizonsnyc.org