Between Ecstasy and Escapism: Raving as a Contemporary Ritual

Is the rave a modern ritual? As psychedelics re-enter the mainstream discourse around mental health, a strict division is typically drawn within the industry between therapeutic and recreational forms of healing. However, consensus is building in the underground that the dancefloor—through engendering ecstatic states, embodied practices, mystical states, and community care—may itself be therapeutic. This panel explores the blurred and often controversial boundary between pleasure and healing within rave culture, interrogating how these spaces offer opportunities for transformation and empowerment.Consisting of academics, somatic workers, party organizers, and writers, this panel will examine the connection between rave culture and ceremonial practices—from Santo Daime bailado to Chicago house music, Los Angeles mushroom parties to Black Rock City, and beyond. We’ll ask: can joy, agency, and collective movement constitute a form of healing? Or does the absence of structure, safety, and intention undermine the therapeutic potential of these spaces? How do social stigmas and media narratives mistake healing for hedonism? And how do festivals and raves serve as containers for transformation? The panel will also engage with the shadow side of the scene: substance misuse, consent violations, and inequitable access—while considering the parallels between the corporatization/commodification of both psychedelics and raving in the 21st century. Join us for a conversation if you’re curious about how pleasure, risk, and healing intersect on the dancefloor, and what it means to reclaim joy and pleasure as a revolutionary—and even medicinal—force.