Beckley Foundation

The Beckley Foundation is a charitable trust that promotes the investigation of consciousness and its modulation from a multidisciplinary perspective. It is located in the grounds of Beckley Park near the village of Beckley, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.

It supports research into the science, health, politics and history of practices used to alter consciousness, ranging from meditation to the use of psychoactive substances. Its activities include directing scientific research programmes, hosting seminars, researching policy and disseminating information to academics, health professionals, policymakers and the public. It is particularly interested in scientific research that has practical implications in improving health and wellbeing. The Beckley Foundation was founded, and is directed, by Amanda Feilding, Lady Neidpath.

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Scientific Advisers

• Professor Colin Blakemore
• Professor Gustav Born
• Professor Mark Geyer
• Professor Lester Grinspoon
• Professor Albert Hofmann
• Professor Leslie L. Iversen
• Professor Yuri E. Moskalenko
• Professor Dave E. Nichols
• Professor David Nutt
• Professor Vilayanur S. Ramachandran
• Professor Trevor Robbins
• Dr Ronald Sandison
• Dr Alexander Shulgin
• Professor André Tylee

Science

The Beckley Foundation Science Programme aims to:

• explore the processes that underpin conscious states.
• characterise the attributes of 'normal' human consciousness and determine the changes that occur in pathologically, naturally or chemically altered states.
• evaluate the potential of techniques currently employed in the alteration of conscious states to provide therapeutic and medicinal benefits.

The research programmes initiated by the Beckley Foundation investigate changes in cerebral blood flow, electrical current and magnetic field variations underlying different states of consciousness. Other changes measured include neurotransmitter concentrations, neural immune function, cognition and mood ratings. Using sophisticated brain imaging technologies, new areas can be explored, enabling us to see further into the human brain and the workings of the mind than ever before.

The Foundation is involved in collaborative research projects with leading scientists in the fields of neurophysiology, biochemistry, psychiatry and psychology, at renowned scientific institutions in the United Kingdom and abroad. The current projects are

• The Unconscious Watershed - A neuroimaging study being carried out with University of Oxford in order to pinpoint the where and the when of conscious, as opposed to unconscious, processing in the brain.
• The Neurobiology of Meditative States - A neuroimaging study carried out with Aston University, Birmingham, using fMRI, MEG and MRS imaging techniques.
• Brain Blood Flow and Metabolic Changes Induced by Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - A neuroimaging study being carried out with Bristol University using MRI to map the cerebral blood flow and chemical neurotransmitter changes induced by different doses of orally administered THC in human volunteers.
• Physical Correlates of Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness - A neuroimaging study, still under development, looking at the effects of psychoactive substances in experienced subjects on global and regional cerebral blood flow.
• Neural Responses in Depressed Individuals - A neuroimaging study being carried out with the Institute of Psychiatry examining neural responses to emotive stimuli in healthy and psychiatric populations.
• Individual Differences in Anandamide Metabolism - A set of studies being carried out with Oxford University will clarify the relationship between anandamide and essential fatty acids in relation to trait-measures of depression, anxiety and stress.
• Motivational Assessment of Why People Use Drugs - A questionnaire study being carried out with the Institute of Psychiatry comparing 'recreational' and 'problem' young drug users.
• Nutrition and Addiction Research - A controlled trial being carried out with the University of Oxford testing the efficacy of nutritional supplements in the rehabilitation of problem drug users.

Policy

The Beckley Foundation's policy intiatives include:

• The commissioning, publication and distribution of reports and briefing papers on international drug policy issues.
• The hosting of policy-focused seminars that bring together policymakers, academics and practitioners to discuss international drug policy issues.
• The establishment of [Drug Policy Consortium] (IDPC), consisting of a network of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and professional networks from around the world.
• The establishment of an International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP), a group of academic experts from around the world who have produced notable work on the subject of drug policy evaluation and other relevant issues.

Beckley Foundation Drug Policy Programme

The Beckley Foundation Drug Policy Programme (BFDPP) was set up at the beginning of 2004 to develop research in drug policy analysis, and provide a rigorous, independent review of global drug policy. It aims to establish how we can manage the use of psychoactive substances in the future to best advantage for both the individual and society. To this purpose, it has recently set up the International Network for Drug Policy Analysis and the International Drug Policy Consortium.

The BFDPP is directed by Amanda Neidpath, director of the Beckley Foundation, and Mike Trace, an independent consultant, who has previously worked as an advisor on the misuse of drugs to the British government, European Union and United Nations. The main sponsors are

• The Getty Foundation, which is a constituent of the J. Paul Getty Trust
• The San Francisco Foundation
• The Open Society Institute (OSI)
• The Beckley Foundation
• Private Donors

Major Seminars

• "Drugs and the Brain", Magdalen College, Oxford (2002).
• "The Role of Drugs in Society", Royal Society, (2003).
• "An Interdisciplinary Perspective on Alcohol and other Recreational Drugs", Cabinet Office, Admiralty Arch (2003).
• "Global Drug Policy - Future Directions", Westminster Palace, (2004)
• International Drug Policy Seminar 2005), House of Lords, Westminster Palace. A three day seminar including the Beckley/Foresight Seminar, reviewing the Foresight Report; the meeting of the International Consortium of NGOs, and the meeting of the International Network of Drug Policy Analysis, renamed International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP).