We had the good fortune of connecting with Aaron Orsini and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Aaron, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started AutisticPsychedelic.com, AutismOnAcid.com, GrowGatherGift.org, and NDpsychedelic.com as a response to what I saw as unmet needs within the broader ecosystem of support & resources related to psychedelics and neurodivergences such as autism and ADHD. Each of these sites serves a unique purpose. AutisticPsychedelic.com is an online hub where autistic adults, family members & care providers can seek out insights related to the intersection of psychedelics & autism, with a variety of classes, podcasts, documentaries, online meetings & other resources offered. AutismOnAcid.com is my personal website where you can learn about my current research initiatives (focused on MDMA, psilocybin & LSD) executed through partnerships with the Beckley Foundation, Harvard’s Mass General Hospital, University of Toronto & University College London. GrowGatherGift.org is a hub for Colorado citizens who want to participate in the gifting economy that’s newly possible through Colorado Senate Bill 23-290, which allows for cultivation, possession, manufacturing, and gifting of psilocybin, psilocin, mescaline & DMT. And NDpsychedelic.com is a broader umbrella site that encompasses the Autistic Psychedelic Community as well as other overlaps of psychedelics with conditions like ADHD. Through NDpsychedelic.com, we offer online conferences featuring neurodivergent experts, as well as a service directory designed to allow neurodivergent service providers to disclose their lived experiences & expertises in order to allow service seekers to discover practitioners who “get” what they’re going through based on such categorizations and direct, lived experience.
Through all of these networked sites, I am able to facilitate connection, education, and meaningful community building that in turn allows for lived experience and wisdom to unite with evidence-based research to paint a more complete picture of how to safely & intelligently navigate psychedelics & neurodivergence. I have been doing all of this work for 10 years now. And thanks to updated legislation in Colorado, I am able to conduct my work in a more open, public-facing way that feels very critical to those I serve.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In addition to my research & education & community building efforst, I also compose original orchestral music while under the influence of psychedelics in order to provide a soft, sonic container for individuals who may be entering into altered or heightened states of awareness. After taking certain substances like psilocybin or MDMA, individuals may become especially sensitive to a wide range of sounds that can be distracting or even painful in heightened states. In light of this sensitivity, the music from my “Psychedelic Symphonies” albums is designed to serve as a gentle, slow, calming, and helpful tool for de-escalating stressful moments.
I have hours and hours of music on all of the music streaming platforms. You can just google Aaron Orsini or “Psychedelic Symphonies” to listen to these soothing sounds.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my friend was in town, I would take them to Plant Magic Cafe to join the Dose Denver club, where they can pick up mushroom medicine in addition to a wide assortment of educational literature and support from the staff. After enjoying a “Chagachino” at Plant Magic Cafe, I’d then make our way to the Denver Botanical Gardens, to enjoy the outdoor flowers in bloom, or sit in the rainforest room for a properly warm soak in the balmy air. Later along, I’d catch a show at Red Rocks or any of the other amazing music venues in town.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to give a shoutout to my parents, for giving me their blessings to go forward into public-facing advocacy about a very controversial, federally illegal discussion topic. Without their assistance, I never would have been able to step into the light of public-facing work. And for this, I am forever grateful. Always.
Website: http://aaronorsini.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/autismonacid
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-paul-orsini-917221207/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/autismonacid
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMqPZlAA7IK3eFcRYvcRPGg
Other: http://ndpsychedelic.com http://growgathergift.org http://autisticpsychedelic.com http://aaronorsini.com/music