Thread by @brian_pace

🧵@HamiltonMorris embraced his move from @VICE journalist, documentarian, and chemist, to chemist and @COMPASSPathway #corporadelic PR rep. Using his #WonderlandMiami talk, where he trashed @NeseLSD and my work while we were #Wonderbanned, I’ll demonstrate what that means. 1/

Early in his talk, Hamilton subtweets a force he is tellingly careful not to invoke by name: @psymposia Managing Editor @d_nickles, co-host w/@LilyKayRoss of Cover Story: Power Trip: “Find the others and accuse them of commodifying the sacred to assert your moral superiority” 2/

Then, he laments media that troubles psychedelic capitalism, such as articles written by journalist @Shayla_Love for @VICE, a former employer they both share. He omits her piece where she interviews us and engages thoughtfully with our ideas. 3/ bit.ly/3Uvp3v6

Later, Morris addresses our work more directly. “Then of course the ever-present threat of right-wing people using psychedelics, uh, uh oh,” he giggles, “what are we gonna do? Right-wing people use the same drugs as left-wing people? I had no idea!” 4/

https://twitter.com/brian_pace/status/1588998418353250304

Here, Morris takes for granted one of the conclusions of our work, while dismissing the impetus for it: a slew of overly optimistic pieces claiming psychedelics can “save the world,” stemming from peer-reviewed research. Pushing back has been an uphill battle. 5/

Morris called a piece on our work “insane,” acting as if our message was an alarmist warning that right-wingers use psychedelics, not a rebuttal to the claims of @RCarhartHarris & co that psychedelic use makes less authoritarian, more liberal people. 6/ bit.ly/3UtFpEj

Morris called our work “absurd,” lamenting that more people weren’t criticizing it. Conspicuously, he avoids addressing our main points at all: psychedelic utopian fantasies fail to account for all the fascists & right-wingers who (have) take(n) them 7/ bit.ly/3UMERcB

In lieu of critique, he mocks a psychological experiment we cited, not deigning to argue against it before dismissing it. The only real assertion Morris made here was in his delivery of the subject, stating “I’m not making this up.” Abstract for those interested 8/

The (tangential) point we make using this study is that experiences of gratitude, interconnection, and awe are compatible with, not antithetical to, authoritarianism. Morris claims we use it to argue “psychedelics make us vulnerable to authoritarian thinking.” This is false. 9/

We actually say “...contemporary commentators should be skeptical of claims that psychedelics lead to any specific, essentialized outcomes—including the recent claims about psychedelics increasing environmental concern and liberal politics.” (Pace and Devenot, 2021) 10/

Morris did not even approach good faith with our analysis that psychedelics are compatible with authoritarian worldviews: “and we all know that Jordan Peterson used a psychedelic, blah blah blah,” Meanwhile: 11/

https://twitter.com/brian_pace/status/1585333698605350912

On major @COMPASSPathway investor, right-wing billionaire Peter Thiel, Morris is similarly dismissive in his characterization of our work “...so Peter Thiel, something, something, something, something, so we’ve all gotta be real careful.” Indeed. 12/ buzzfeednews.com/article/rosieg…

Morris isn't dumb. These are intentional (if sloppy) distortions. Hamilton is a PR representative of COMPASS. When he speaks publicly about psychedelics, this is part of his job description. He is also a chemist. 13/ bit.ly/3huoqDi

I should note that how much money any #corporadelic firm makes, including COMPASS, is highly dependent on whether or not a privatized psychedelic future–one in which Morris could not be more invested–becomes policy. On this matter, policy is sensitive to public opinion. 14/

For more on how financial incentives warp the public discourse about psychedelics, see @NeseLSD et al.'s paper, "Dark Side of the Shroom" 15/

https://mobile.twitter.com/NeseLSD/status/1561752593952432128

The cynicism on display here is profound. Morris may get some crumbs for dutifully repping COMPASS, but in using his celebrity to smear journalists and academics, keep in mind that the mission he serves is unequivocal support for psychedelic monopoly. 16/ bit.ly/3hsQG9s

“When you’re a journalist, you don’t even need to say something, people are barely reading stuff beyond the headlines to begin with. So if you just gesture toward an idea, people will run with it.” Hamilton Morris is counting on you not reading. fin/ bit.ly/3FZi4WI

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