We are delighted to announce the formation of The Cottonwood Research Foundation in Taos, New Mexico. Steven Barker PhD from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Andrew Stone from Stone Design in Albuquerque, and I established the Foundation in the Spring of 2007 as a New Mexico non-profit corporation. We are a Federal tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization, and donations are tax-deductible.

The Cottonwood Research Foundation will perform scientific studies into human consciousness, using the lens of naturally-occurring hallucinogenic medicines. We will apply our findings to the full spectrum of the human condition—including treatment of physical and psychological illnesses, religious and spiritual issues, and creativity studies.

We founded the Cottonwood Research Foundation to address several needs that exist within the research and therapeutic communities:

Emphasis on naturally-occurring compounds

This will partake of two specific approaches:

Naturally-occurring hallucinogens in humans

We believe the existence of hallucinogenic tryptamine compounds in the human body, such as N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), 5-methoxy-DMT, and bufotenine requires explanations taking into account multipleperspectives. These discussions should address evolutionary, cultural and social, and spiritual implications.

Earlier investigators in this field focused on the tryptamines’ relevance to psychosis, it is just as likely that they play a role in mediating other states of consciousness, such as dreams, religious/spiritual experiences, creativity, near-death states, as well as normal waking consciousness.

Naturally-occurring plant medicines

Indigenous cultures have a longstanding, rich, and varied knowledge-base regarding the existence, use, and side effects of an enormous number of psychoactive plant medicines. These include DMT-containing ayahuasca, ibogaine-containing iboga, mitragynine-containing kratom, mescaline-containing peyote, and salvinorin-containing Salvia divinorum. We intend to thoroughly integrate this empirically derived shamanic knowledge with contemporary Western medical, psychological, and religious/spiritual models. By doing so, we will develop a new model for the optimal use of these medicines, in addition to understanding the states to which they provide access.

Rick Strassman MD

President and Co-Founder