Zendo Project
MAPS-affiliated harm reduction organization providing on-the-ground psychedelic crisis support at festivals and events, training volunteers in the ZENDO model.
Type: harm reduction
Location: National (event-based)
Membership: Volunteer training programs; open events support
Venues: Festival and event sites nationally
Activities: Psychedelic harm reduction at festivals and events, volunteer training, difficult experience support
About
The Zendo Project is a psychedelic harm reduction organization that provides trained volunteer support at festivals, events, and gatherings where psychedelic use occurs. Founded by Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and now operating semi-independently, Zendo has deployed at dozens of events including Burning Man, Lightning in a Bottle, and major music festivals.
The ZENDO model (an acronym for the protocol) trains volunteers to support people through difficult psychedelic experiences using four core principles: creating a safe space, sitting with rather than directing the experience, simplifying the environment, and supporting the difficult experience rather than trying to end it. This approach — influenced by the Stanislav Grof school of psychedelic therapy — is the most widely taught harm reduction framework in festival and community settings.
Zendo also trains volunteers extensively before events and provides resources for communities developing their own peer support programs.
Why It Matters
Psychedelic use outside of clinical settings is a reality. Zendo provides the on-the-ground harm reduction infrastructure that keeps festival environments safer — and models the peer support approach that the Fireside Project and similar organizations extend to non-event settings.
