Descending the Mountain(2021)

Descending the Mountain Synopsis

What happens if you give magic mushrooms (psilocibine) to experienced Zen practitioners who have never used drugs? What does that teach us about the mystical experience of oneness with nature? Based on these questions, psychiatrist Franz Vollenweider and Zen master Vanja Palmers set up a legal science experiment in a monastery at the top of Mount Rigi in Switzerland. Exactly 50 years after the magic mushrooms were officially banned, a new story begins in what is now called the “psychedelic renaissance”. While in 2021 most studies with psychedelics mainly focus on their promising medical applications, Frans and Vanja are already going a step further. Can the combination of meditation and psilocibin help humanity get out of the mess we have created on ourselves and the planet with our neo-liberal society?

Descending the Mountain (2021) is a documentary film directed by Maartje Nevejan, released on November 11, 2021 with a runtime of 1h 18m. It stars Vanja Palmers, Franz Vollenweider, Sister Theresia Raberger and Dr. Peter Gasser. Viewers rate it 7.0 out of 10 across 3 ratings.