ANN ARBOR, MI — There may be a lot more to psychedelic drugs than kaleidoscopic trips and the Grateful Dead.

A University of Michigan symposium will explore the neuroscience of psychedelics in a day-long September gathering of scholars who study the effects and potential medical uses of various psychoactive substances.

The Psychedelic Neuroscience Symposium is scheduled for 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, on the fourth floor amphitheater of the Rackham Building.

The symposium, organized by the University of Michigan Center for Consciousness Science, is open to the public. Organizers especially encourage neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, psychologists and clinicians to attend.

Psychedelics have been studied, especially in the last five years, in relation to neuroscience and as a tool to explore consciousness, said George Mashour, anesthesiologist, neuroscientist and founding director of the Center for Consciousness Science, one of 11 speakers scheduled to address the symposium.

“These drugs are interesting to people for a lot of reasons,” Mashour said. “We are focused on the rigorous investigation of these drugs, what’s going on in science and in the world right now in terms of these drugs. This is really about responsible, legitimate cutting edge neuroscience, and emerging trends.”

Keynoting the event will be Rick Doblin, founder of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies.

Speakers will address various topics, Mashour said, including psychedelics and how their chemical compounds have been used for therapeutic treatment in recent years, as well as ongoing work with clinical trials.

“We wanted to allow interested individuals in the community to have a chance to see what was going on and learn from international experts,” he said about opening the event to the public.

The film “Magic Medicine” will be shown after the event at 8:30 p.m. at the Michigan Theater. The documentary focuses on a medical trial involving depression patients and extracts of psychedelic mushrooms.

Those interested in attending the symposium can RSVP on the event website. Tickets for the documentary can be purchased here for $10.