Core Principles
In the about section we have briefly outlined the goals and motivations of APRA. Here, we take a more in-depth look at the principles that define APRA’s philosophy and approach.
- Research and education focus: The focus of the association is defined by all academic efforts (from sciences and humanities) concerning psychoactive substances and practices that show promise for therapy and research, but that suffer an impaired research development because of their legal status or psychoactive effects. The main activities of APRA consist of organising lectures, journal clubs and symposia at the level expected by an academic audience (i.e. beyond popular science). The main goals of APRA are providing accurate and up to date information to students and researchers, contributing to the reduction of unscientific stigma within academia, and promoting relevant research efforts within Amsterdam institutions.
- Openness and transparency: Everyone with an interest in psychedelic research is welcome to join APRA events and become a member, regardless of educational background; however, most activities are aimed at university students and researchers. We value transparency and the open-source paradigm, therefore all APRA content that is not directly affected by privacy or copyright law will be shared freely online.
- Collaboration: APRA favours all forms of collaboration with organisations that share similar goals (e.g. OPEN Foundation, Psychedelic Society of the Netherlands, MIND Foundation). We thankfully acknowledge their support and will continue to expand such collaborations. Each association serves different purposes within a shared, common framework with enough overlap to allow collaboration, but not redundancy.
- Participation: Active membership is very strongly encouraged. This is one of the driving factors of APRA. By actively participating in the association, members have the advantage and responsibility of determining the activities of the association. Participation in APRA can be a valuable experience to gain organizational skills.
- Multidisciplinary organization: Contributions from all fields of academic research are valued, with a preference for interdisciplinary efforts. APRA strives to reflect the variety of approaches and different scales of psychedelic research by organizing academic events and providing educational content from the perspective of a variety of academic disciplines.
- On the ground. APRA wishes to establish a strong bond with the Amsterdam universities and the territory through a bottom-up, practical approach. There are no plans for expansion beyond the city of Amsterdam: a localised group is often more integrated, effective and manageable. Rather than expanding, we direct resources towards improving the existing organisation. We encourage students and researchers from other cities and countries to start similar initiatives, and get in touch with us, to move together towards a collaborative network of psychedelic research associations.
- Privacy and personal freedom: APRA does not accept any discrimination based on ethnicity, gender or disability, and fully respects the personal freedom of its members. Individuals with and without an interest in personally exploring the effects of psychedelics are equally welcome to join, and retain full control over their privacy. APRA is fully in favour of harm reduction strategies and evidence-based drug policies. Any political activity would only be towards the goal of facilitating research in this field. Open discussion about topics related to the political dimensions of psychedelic science is valued and encouraged.
The above principles may be characterised as our “practical” values. There are more abstract and personal values that we strive to express as individuals and as a collective, such as humility and honesty, enthusiasm, leadership by example, work ethic. Taken together, they define the ideal essence of the Amsterdam Psychedelic Research Association.