Description: First Thought is a visionary documentary illuminating teachings and revelations from the Nag Hammadi Library, or Gnostic Gospels. Discovered in 1945, these once-called heretical texts from the early Christian movement direct seekers within themselves to find gnosis, divine knowledge. For Fungi Fest, we’ll be screening an excerpt from the film that tells the Gnostic Genesis story—Adam and Eve’s imprisonment by false gods in the Garden of Eden, and their psychedelic liberation. 

Bio: Sarah is a filmmaker and healing practitioner devoted to trauma healing and the revival of visionary traditions. Her work as a filmmaker is informed by her journey of sexual trauma healing and the gnosis of psychedelic revelation. Since 2011, Sarah has been dedicated to the study and practice of psychedelic journey work.  She has trained in trauma-informed somatic therapies, apprenticed within the Mazatec tradition of ceremonial mushroom work, and is a certified kambo practitioner. Sarah received her masters at the California Institute of Integral Studies, where she focused on the intersection of entheogenic shamanic traditions and Western psychotherapy.  

With MAPS’ MDMA Therapy Training Program and EMBARK, Sarah spent several years in the field of psychedelic research working with psychedelic-assisted therapy training and supervision programs, supporting facilitators preparing to administer MDMA and psilocybin to participants struggling with PTSD, depression, and other indications. She co-edited the MAPS Code of Ethics for Psychedelic Psychotherapy, and has written, taught, and spoken publicly on ethical challenges in psychedelic medicine and somatic and trauma-informed approaches to psychedelic psychotherapy.