PTP – Sharon Martindale

“After seeing David Luke in Glasgow last year and attending one of his talks I knew that I had to come on this course.

…interact[ing] with people online…feels very impersonal and distant to me, so that is something which I’ve had to get more comfortable/familiar with… so in order to try and make the most of this course I have tried to connect and engage personally at every opportunity. I believe these experiences have been most valuable to me… Attending Breaking Convention has absolutely been one of the highlights for me and one of the most amazing learning experiences. Having the opportunity to learn from people who come into the psychedelic scene from many different, diverse backgrounds and perspectives was amazing, not to mention the meetings/interactions with my fellow students, David and Pascal on a more personal level.

I have become inspired to raise an awareness around psychedelics in my ambulance/accident and emergency colleagues. I have tried to highlight the likelihood of us encountering people in difficulty as this psychedelic renaissance gains momentum and I have contacted the head of research of the Scottish Ambulance Service to try and raise an awareness around this… One huge benefit of being on this course is that it has almost legitimised and most certainly opened the door for conversation, allowing it to take place within the ambulance service. I feel it moves away from general chit chat or even glamorising a schedule 1 substance to an academic opportunity for progressive learning and that has been really valuable”