Tapped Out Coalition Seeks to Restore Balance Within the Psychedelic Space
Why is everyone talking about The Ancestor Projects leader Undrea Wright
Recently, the psychedelic community was rocked with the emergence of the Tapped Out Coalition, a collective of anonymous women that have come together to address outstanding debts they say are owed to them by Undrea Wright, founder of the psychedelic organization The Ancestor Project (TAP).
Once a leading psychedelic platform while under the co-leadership of former co-founder Charlotte James, who left late last year due to her own concerns on Wright’s direction of the organization, TAP’s educational hub and virtual community was a gathering space for the BIPOC psychedelic community who often felt erased outside of the larger psychedelic movement. Today, TAP’s mission, as stated on its website, is to “meld ancestral Sacred Earth Medicine knowledge into modern journeys,’ and ‘reduce harm and expand consciousness.’
Wright’s bio states he has been working with plant medicines for over 15 years, practicing in the Traditional Amazonian ways informed by the South American Shipibo-Conibo and Quechua-Lamista lineages. Professionally, he says his work as a former cannabis entrepreneur was “instrumental” in the decriminalization and medical bill passed in Maryland. In June of 2022, he completed his MAPS MDMA psychedelic-assisted therapy program, and states he aims to “end the violent conflict endemic on our planet,” an aspiration which now counters current mounting allegations against him.
According to the coalition’s GoFundMe campaign published July 27th, some members, which consist predominantly of Black, Indigenous, and other Women of Color, are owed sums amounting upwards of five figures through contractual agreements that have gone unpaid.
Although legal action has been considered, many of those affected lack the resources needed to pursue such a path. Given TAP's existing financial predicament, members of the coalition doubt the efficacy of a legal confrontation and question the viability of enforcing any court-mandated payment.
While the initial launch of the campaign was related to outstanding financial debts, an increasing number of individuals have come forward to not only validate the claims of unpaid work, but also level serious allegations of sexual misconduct against Wright.
As the ongoing saga surrounding TAP continues to unfold beyond the scale of financial burdens, the Coalition's GoFundMe campaign sheds light on deeper issues in the broader psychedelic community. In 2021, allegations surfaced against psychedelic-assisted therapists Aharon Grossbard and his wife Francoise Bourzat, accusing the couple of overstepping professional boundaries while clients were in altered states. Last year saw the release of videos depicting British Columbia therapists Dr. Donna Dryer and Richard Yensen engaging in acts like cuddling, spooning, blindfolding, and restraining a distraught PTSD patient without consent during MDMA clinical trials.
The use of psychedelics, whether in ceremonial spaces or therapeutic settings, brings about a unique set of ethical considerations, particularly the relationship dynamics between therapists/ facilitators, and their clients/participants. When someone is under the influence of a psychedelic, they are in an inherently vulnerable state, marked by heightened emotional sensitivity, reduced inhibitory control, and increased suggestibility. This state can magnify the already present power differential between space holders and participants, leading to potential misuse of authority and endangering the mental and emotional well-being of those seeking healing.
With the campaign, the Tapped Out Coalition seeks to restore a deeper moral and ethical balance, embodying the practices rooted in the ancient Egyptian concept of Ma’at. Emphasizing truth, balance, and justice, their initiative aligns with the very principles that should govern the relationship dynamics in the psychedelic community. In striving for Ma’at, the coalition aims to rectify the power imbalances that jeopardize the sanctity and trust inherent in these transformative encounters.
To back the Tapped Out Coalition, you can donate to their GoFundMe here.
Note: Allegations and claims have not been independently verified.