Past Event
This event took place on April 4, 2025 at 5:30 PM (Eastern Time)
BioGnosis: Building Bridges to Amazonian Ancestral Wisdom
BioGnosis: Building Bridges to Amazonian Ancestral Wisdom
Film Screening & Discussion with
Dennis Mckenna, Alex Grey, Allyson Grey, Greg Hemmings & Special Guests
Join CoSM & the McKenna Academy for a transformative evening of visionary storytelling, consciousness exploration, and cinematic wisdom.
This exclusive event features a screening of four films: Bio Gnosis, Back to Camp 41, The Shaman and the Scientist, and Psychedelic Pandemic. Films will be followed by a live Q&A with the visionary minds.
Evening Highlights:
- Screenings of Biognosis & Back to Camp 41 – Stories of those who study, use, and protect the healing plants of the Amazon as traditional knowledge is rapidly disappearing.
- Live Q&A with Alex Grey, Allyson Grey, Dennis McKenna, Filmmaker, Greg Hemmings & special guests.
- Video Message from Iquitos
- Exclusive Short Films – Featuring The Shaman and the Scientist and Psychedelic Pandemic.
Supporting a Shared Vision
This event is a collaboration between CoSM and the McKenna Academy, supporting consciousness expansion, the Biognosis project and the mission of CoSM.
Proceeds from ticket sales will be shared by both organizations. Secure your spot for this immersive evening of film, wisdom, and visionary dialogue.
Meet the Panelists:
Dennis Mckenna, Ph.D.
Dennis McKenna has conducted research in ethnopharmacology for over 50 years. He is a founding board member of the Heffter Research Institute, and was a key investigator on the Hoasca Project, the first biomedical investigation of ayahuasca. He is the younger brother of Terence McKenna. From 2000 to 2017, he taught courses on Ethnopharmacology and Plants in Human affairs as an adjunct Assistant Professor in the Center for Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota. He emigrated to Canada in the spring of 2019 together with his wife Sheila, and now resides in Abbotsford BC.
Since 2019, Dennis has been working with colleagues to manifest a long-term dream: the McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy, a non-profit organization founded in the spirit of the ancient Mystery Schools and dedicated to the study of plant medicines, consciousness, intelligence in nature, preservation of indigenous knowledge and a re-visioning of humanity's relationship with Nature. Dr. McKenna is author or co-author of 6 books and over 50 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals.
Alex Grey & Allyson Grey
Alex Grey, world-renowned artist, poet, and author, is best loved for his paintings which portray multiple dimensions of reality, interweaving biological anatomy with psychic and spiritual energies. Alex's books, Sacred Mirrors, The Mission of Art, Transfigurations and Art Psalms trace the development of his artwork and the mystical experiences that have shaped his spiritual and artistic life. Alex’s most recent monograph, Net of Being, addresses how his art is evolving the cultural body through icons of interconnectedness. alexgrey.com
Allyson Grey is an artist and social sculptor. Her paintings have been exhibited and sold internationally.
A community leader with an MFA from Tufts University, Allyson has also edited and co-authored over a dozen books and journals, lectured widely. She has been an educator and muse to artists for over 40 years. The symbol system in her abstract, labor intensive paintings represent an essentialized world-view that includes the concepts of Chaos, Order & Secret Writing. allysongrey.com
Together, the Grey’s co-founded the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, CoSM, a spiritual creative retreat center in the Hudson Valley of New York. On the forefront of a movement in which painters join musicians on stage, the Grey’s have painted together live before tens of thousands of dancing people at New York Broadway theaters, at sold-out festivals and arenas in dozens of international cities across five continents. As long-time advocates of “cognitive liberty,” a growing international “sacramental culture” has embraced the Grey’s as important mapmakers and spokespersons for the visionary realm. The Grey’s, with a dedicated and evolving team, have created CoSM, an interspiritual Art Church, and Entheon, a Visionary Art Sanctuary at CoSM. cosm.org
Greg Hemmings
Greg Hemmings is a pioneer in positive social impact filmmaking, recognized globally for his commitment to catalyzing change through storytelling. As the founder of Hemmings Films, and Hemmings House Pictures (a certified B-Corporation) based in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, Greg leads a team that produces transformative content that resonates locally and globally. His portfolio includes scripted and factual television series, documentaries and feature films aimed at fostering authentic connections and dialogue.
Greg's accolades include the Royal Commonwealth Society's Vision Film Award, three Banff World Media Festival Rockies Awards and an induction into the Atlantic Business Magazine's Top 50 CEO Hall of Fame. Greg's pursuit of knowledge led him to advanced training programs such as the Wallace McCain Institute's Entrepreneur Leadership Program and the National Screen Institute's Global Television Marketing Program. In 2023, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of New Brunswick for his contributions to the arts and social change.
Beyond his career, Greg is a mentor, public speaker, adventurer, musician, and devoted husband and father. Greg aims to inspire people to contribute to a happier and kinder world.
Learn more at:
Sarah Hutt
Is the director and producer of The Shaman and the Scientist, an award winning short documentary that explores the potential for discovery of new medicines in the Amazon. It presents the complementary perspectives of Don Juan Tangoa Palma, a traditional healer, Dr. Dennis McKenna, an American ethnobotanist seeking new medicines, and Juan Ruiz Macedo, a Peruvian botanist who bridges the world of science and traditional medicine. The story takes viewers from jungle to lab asking what is the value of undiscovered knowledge in the world's most biodiverse biomes, and what's at stake if we allow those precious resources to be lost.
Sarah is an award winning writer, director, and documentary filmmaker. Her EMMY nominated work has appeared on VICELAND, The Discovery Channel, National Geographic Wild, MSNBC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, and The History Channel, to name a few.
Juan Ruiz Macedo
Juan Ruis Macedo is the Curator of the Herbarium Amazonese at the National University of the Amazon in Iquitos Peru. He is a colleague and close personal friend of Dr. McKenna, and they have collaborated on many projects over more than 50 years. He is featured in the documentary, BioGnosis: Bridges to Ancestral Wisdom, produced by the McKenna Academy and released in 2022.
Luis Solarat
Luis Solarat is a gifted and prolific filmmaker who has closely collaborated with the McKenna Academy on several documentary projects. He was the cinematographer on the BioGnosis documentary. More recently, he was the videographer and media director for the recent Wisdom of the Leaf Coca Summit presented by the Academy in February 2025, and produced a short trailer about the event. Prior to 2020, he was the producer and media director for the British podcaster, Brian Rose, host of London Real, for whom he produced the ayahuasca documentary, Reconnect. In 2020 he came to Iquitos to find a retreat for ayahuasca. Intending to stay three weeks. He was caught in the Covid lockdown and ended up staying for three years. His movie about this experience, Psychedelic Pandemic, is included in this evening's program at CoSM.
Event Schedule
5:30 PM – Registration Opens in Grey House
6:30 PM – Opening Remarks
- Introduction by Alex Grey, Allyson Grey, Dennis McKenna & Greg Hemmings
- Overview of the Bio Gnosis project
6:50 PM – Screening: Bio Gnosis (30 min)
7:20 PM – Discussion & Q&A (15 min)
7:35 PM – A Message from Iquitos (30 min)
- Featuring Luis Solarat and Juan Ruiz in dialog
8:05 PM – Break (15 min)
8:20 PM – Screening of Two Short Films
- Introduction to Return to Camp 41 (5 min)
- Screening of Return to Camp 41 (25 min)
- Introduction to The Shaman and the Scientist (5 min)
- Screening of The Shaman and the Scientist (15 min)
- Q&A (15 min)
9:25 PM – Break (15 min)
9:40 PM – Screening: Psychedelic Pandemic (30 min)
10:10 PM – Q&A & Closing Discussion (20 min)
10:30 PM – Event Concludes
Accommodations:
Ten guest rooms are available in Grey House, CoSM’s fully renovated Visionary Victorian guest facility.
- Private rooms with private or shared bathrooms, Queen or King beds
- Shared dorm style rooms with single or queen beds
- The guest house features works of art by the Grey's and accomplished Visionary artists.
- Also in Grey House is The Mushroom Cafe, CoSM Shop, the Library, the Dining Hall, the Gallery & the Parlor.
For further information about admission, accommodations, payment, travel, staying at CoSM, etc., Email [email protected].
Getting To CoSM:
CoSM is 65 miles north of New York City and accessible by Metro North Train leaving hourly from Grand Central Station.
Things to Note:
- No pets of any kind are allowed on CoSM property.
Questions? Visit our FAQ Page or contact [email protected] for more information.