here and now is a storytelling studio focused on psychedelics and the movement for a new economy. our mission is to build a just, regenerative psychedelic industry by shaping it around the values at the heart of psychedelic healing: reverence, reciprocity, and self-work.

the studio is built on the principles of sacred economics, offering the stories on our site for free with the opportunity for people moved by the work to give a gift in thanks. if the stories have been meaningful to you we invite you to give a gift to support the creation of future work.

about here and now studios

here and now studios is founded by dave mcgaughey, an artist and storyteller who serves as executive director of North Star. dave is the author of we will call it pala, and the designer of the websites of auryn project, north star, and sage integrative health. prior to psychedelics dave worked in natural foods. he holds a b.a. with honors in gender studies.

about us

here and now is named after the reminders of the mynah birds on the forbidden island of pala in island. the book, aldous huxley's last before his death, is the author's vision of a plausible utopia blending the best elements of eastern and western civilizations. it remains a vision worth working a lifetime for.

a short snippet:

"here and now: boys," the bird repeated yet once more, then fluttered down from its perch…

"is that your bird?" will asked.

the child shook her head.

"why does he say those things?… why 'attention?' why 'here and now'?"

"well… " she searched for the right words… "that's what you always forget, isn't it? i mean, you forget to pay attention to what's happening. and that's the same as not being here and now."

from chapter two of island by aldous huxley

support psychedelic storytelling

if our stories have been meaningful to you we invite you to give a gift to support the creation of future work