The Psychedelic Bookshelf, Vol. I: An Interview with Scott Paul Wright, Director of “The Next Chapter”

The Psychedelic Silver Screen, Vol. I

An Interview with Scott Paul Wright, Director of “The Next Chapter”

“Aging, Ceremony, and the Limits of Documentary Form”

Produced in Partnership by Psychedelic State(s) of America and The Chronicles of Kykeon

The Psychedelic Silver Screen, Vo.l I: An Interview with Scott Paul Wright, Director of “The Next Chapter”

In the inaugural episode of The Psychedelic Silver Screen, host Jim Tate interviews filmmaker Scott Wright about his new documentary, The Next Chapter. The film focuses on adults over 55 who are turning to psilocybin-assisted therapy to heal from decades of unresolved trauma, grief, and anxiety. Wright, who had his own life-changing psilocybin experience at age 68, explains how he purposefully avoided the psychedelic visual clichés of swirling fractals, choosing instead to focus on the raw emotional vulnerability of his subjects. A fascinating point raised in the interview is the generational paradox of the baby boomers: a group that grew up with little stigma around psychedelics, but a massive taboo against seeking mental health therapy, leading to a lifetime of suppressed trauma that psilocybin is now helping to unlock.

The conversation also tackles the harsh realities of the current psychedelic landscape, specifically the accessibility crisis in states where psilocybin is legalized. Wright points out that heavy regulations make legal treatments incredibly expensive, pricing out many of the individuals who need the healing the most. He is careful to emphasize that while he advocates for the medicine, it is not a "magic bullet"—the real work comes during the integration process.

You can watch the full interview at the link below, or stream the documentary directly at thenextchapterfilm.com.