About the Conference
Welcome to ALPS 2026
The ALPS Foundation is delighted to invite you to the sixth edition of the ALPS Awareness Lectures on Psychedelic Science, taking place on Friday and Saturday, October 9–10, 2026, in the scenic city of Aarau, Switzerland.
Join us for two full days of cutting-edge science, meaningful dialogue, and community building. This year's conference will feature distinguished speakers and interactive panels, providing deep insights into the latest advancements in psychedelic research and therapy. For the first time, ALPS 2026 also opens with a dedicated Workshop Day on Thursday, October 8th, offering three parallel PAT training tracks before the conference begins. The conference will be held in English.
Your conference experience includes comprehensive catering (all Vegetarian) with breakfast, morning and afternoon breaks, lunch, and Saturday-evening Apero, ensuring a comfortable and enriching environment. For Friday evening, an optional networking dinner will be available for which you can buy your ticket separately. Throughout the event, take advantage of the networking breaks to connect with fellow enthusiasts, researchers, and practitioners over apéros, and join us for our traditional After Party on Saturday night.
Attendees will have the opportunity to earn up to 14 FSP credits and up to 10 SGPP credits, accredited for psychologists and medical professionals. We look forward to hosting an engaging and enlightening conference that promises to expand knowledge and foster significant discussions.
NewThursday, October 8th, 2026
Pre-Conference Workshop Day
Start ALPS 2026 with a specialized afternoon of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy training across English, German, and French tracks, combining theoretical input with experiential clinical practice.
Explore Workshop DayFriday–Saturday, October 9–10, 2026
Conference Tickets
Secure your place at ALPS 2026. Tickets include entry to both conference days, catering, networking apéro, and Saturday After Party.
Buy Conference Tickets* Team ticket — 3 + 1 free: buy 4 tickets and one is on us. The discount is applied automatically at checkout — no code needed. It applies within the same ticket type (conference-only or workshop-only; the two can't be mixed) and excludes the optional networking dinner.
* We want ALPS to be as inclusive as possible. Our whole team are volunteers, so if you can afford full price, please do. It lets us support those who truly need it. Not every request can be granted.
Request a Price Reduction *Friday–Saturday, 9–10 October 2026
Conference program
Research talks, panel discussions and time to connect. Select a speaker or panel to read more.
Saturday
- 08:00–09:00Coffee, tea, fruit juices & vegan pastries from a local bakery
Doors open
- 09:00–10:00Finding Order in Disorder: Mapping the Dynamics of the Psychedelic Brain
Dr. Pablo Mallaroni
- 10:00–11:00What Psychedelics Teach Us About Trauma
Prof. Dr. Eric Vermetten
- 11:00–11:30Coffee, oat milk, tea · Nuts & fresh fruit selection
Break
- 11:30–12:30Serotonin System Stimulation and Social Cognition: Differential Effects of Psilocybin, MDMA, and Methylphenidate
Dr. Lydia Belinger
- 12:30–14:00Beet tzatziki on chicory · Bolognese with pea mince & sour cream
Lunch break
- 14:00–15:00The Mushroom Experience Project: Contextual Predictors and Species-Level Variation in the Subjective Effects of Psilocybin Mushrooms
Dr. Matthias Forstmann
- 15:00–16:00Ontological Disruptions and Diversification: Learning from psychedelics
Dr. Eirini Ketzitzidou Argyri
- 16:00–17:00Group pictureCoffee, tea · Vegan cakes, Ayurvedic energy balls & fresh fruit
Coffee break
- 17:00–18:00What-the-Fuckness: A Phenomenological Concept for Psychedelic Experience
Dr. Jason K. Day
- 18:00–19:00Psychedelics and Spirituality: Ontological Shifts and Meaning-Making Experiences
Panel discussion
- 19:00–19:30ALPS team
Closing talk
Art, sound, movement and connection alongside the talks. Select a session for details; some sessions overlap.
Saturday
Three parallel Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy training tracks on the afternoon before the conference opens, each combining theoretical input with experiential clinical practice. Select a track to read more.
Separate ticket — the day before the conference
The Workshop Day runs on Thursday 8 October, one day before ALPS 2026 opens. It is booked separately and is not included in a conference ticket. Places are limited and accredited for 4 FSP credits.
Workshop Day detailsBuy a workshop ticketWorkshop + conference bundleThursday
- 13:00–17:00EnglishLea Stocker and Robert Fischer18 places
Let's talk about sex (in PAT) - how to integrate a vulnerable subject in a vulnerable setting
- 13:00–17:00GermanHelena Aicher und Stephanie Buschner18 places
Therapeutische Haltung und Atem-Selbsterfahrung - Erfahrungsorientierter Workshop zu relevanten Aspekten der PAT
- 13:00–17:00FrenchCatherine Duffour et Hervé Duffour12 places
Relation thérapeutique et dynamique du couple thérapeutique en psychothérapie assistée par psychédéliques (PAP)
All times are local to Aarau, Switzerland. Program and timings are subject to change.
ALPS 2026
Confirmed speakers
Distinguished researchers and clinicians presenting at the forefront of psychedelic science.
Panels
Friday · 18:15–19:15
The "Therapy" in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy
What kind of therapy, how much of it, and delivered by whom
Psychedelic-assisted therapy names a psychotherapeutic intervention that no regulator requires. The FDA's July 2026 final guidance asks for two trained monitors, not two psychotherapists, and Swiss law does not make psychotherapy a prerequisite. Yet most trials behind today's evidence included preparation, support and integration. This panel begins in that gap. Four clinicians and researchers who all hold that the psychological work is real turn to what remains unresolved: what kind of therapy, how many hours, delivered by whom, who should be in the room during the experience, and whether any model can scale.
Moderated by Vincent Diehl
Saturday · 18:00–19:00
Psychedelics and Spirituality: Ontological Shifts and Meaning-Making Experiences
Psychedelics reliably occasion experiences that participants describe as revelatory and that leave behind altered convictions about what reality contains, what the self is, and where meaning comes from. Such shifts are reported in ceremonial traditions across the Americas, West Africa and beyond, where they are held within cosmology and community, and in clinical trials, where they are recorded as mystical-type or insight experiences. This panel examines how ontological change is produced, interpreted and made durable across these settings, the difficulty of measuring it, and what is at stake when practices rooted in traditional use are relocated to the clinic.
Moderated by Federico Seragnoli
Beyond the talks
Experiences
ALPS is about more than science. It is also about art, connection, and the spaces between talks. Alongside the scientific programme we offer an exhibition, sound, movement, and social sessions — invitations to look closely, listen deeply, and meet one another.
Art
LSD blotter art, live painting, and Uncanny World, throughout both days.
Meditation
Sound meditations, breathwork, and music.
…and more
Connection, storytelling, movement, and the Saturday afterparty.
Past editions
Highlights from Previous Conferences
The Venue
Kultur & Kongresshaus Aarau
Schlossplatz, Aarau
Short walk from the station
The Kultur & Kongresshaus Aarau, located at Schlossplatz in Aarau, combines architectural elegance with modern functionality. The facility boasts high ceilings on the ground floor providing a sense of openness and grandeur, with advanced event technology ensuring all technical needs are seamlessly met.
A spacious foyer serves as a welcoming area and exhibition space. Located near the heart of Aarau's historic center, surrounded by dining and leisure options, it's a prime spot for local and international attendees alike.
1000m² of flexible event space
Historic Schlossplatz, heart of Aarau
Steps from Aarau train station
Surrounded by dining & leisure options
Where to stay
Accommodation near the venue
Aarau has a handful of hotels within walking distance of Kultur & Kongresshaus Aarau. If you're looking to save on your stay, nearby towns just a short train or bus ride away tend to be cheaper.
Budget tip: get 10% off at Anstatthotel Schafisheim — open this link and book directly through it; the discount is applied automatically.
In Aarau
- AarauerhofSelf check-in city hotel right at Aarau train station, a short walk from Kultur & Kongresshaus Aarau.
- Hotel KettenbrückeA few minutes' walk from the station, on the edge of Aarau's Old Town.
- Gasthof zum SchützenBy the Aare river in Aarau, a short walk from the Old Town and the venue.
Budget options nearby
- Suhr Guest HouseBudget guesthouse in Suhr, about 10 minutes from Aarau by bus or car.
- Anstatthotel Schafisheim10% offServiced apartments in Schafisheim, between Aarau and Lenzburg, about 10 minutes by car.10% off for ALPS attendees — book directly via this link and the discount is applied automatically.
- Ochsen Lodge, LenzburgIn the historic castle town of Lenzburg, roughly 10 minutes from Aarau by train.
- Hotel Engel, ZofingenIn Zofingen's old town, about 20 minutes from Aarau by train — a lower-cost alternative.
Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms are also worth checking, in Aarau and the surrounding towns.
Got questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
Before the Event
Tickets will go on sale on April 19, 2026 at 8pm CET.
We have a no-refund policy. However, you can transfer your ticket to another person before the conference. Please note that the ALPS Foundation is a non-profit organization, operated entirely by unpaid volunteers and sustained through donations. Additionally, our ticketing partner Infomaniak offers a cancellation insurance in partnership Allianz; please refer to their terms and conditions.
Students currently enrolled in any official college or university are eligible for the ALPS Conference 2026 Student Ticket. Please bring proof, such as a student card on the day of the event.
Tickets are only available for the full length of the conference, two days.
Yes. We review requests for a reduced ticket price on a case-by-case basis.
Request a Price ReductionDuring the Event
Tickets include entry to the conference for both days, featuring 12 speakers, poster presentations, a networking apéro, and an afterparty. Attendees will enjoy snacks and coffee/tea during morning and afternoon breaks. Additionally, lunch will be provided on Friday, and on Saturday, lunch and food/refreshments will be available during the networking apéro.
We serve mainly Vegetarian Food with Vegan options during Lunch and the Networking Apero. Snacks during breaks will be Vegetarian.
The conference will be held at Kultur & Kongresshaus Aarau. For more information, visit: https://www.kuk-aarau.ch/
No, however all sessions are recorded and will be available on our YouTube Channel.
The working language of the conference is English.
There is no dress code for the event. We ourselves wear whatever we would wear at an academic conference.
Yes. Keep an eye out for the announcement on our Instagram to find out when we open our volunteering application form.
Kultur & Kongresshaus Aarau is wheelchair accessible. Please reach out to us if you have any special needs.
The ALPS Foundation shoots video and pictures of the event for educational and promotional purposes. By entering the event premises and by participation in this event, you consent to the use of your photograph, likeness, or video or audio recording in whole or in part without restriction or limitation for any educational, promotional, or any purpose for distribution online and in printed publications or publication in other media. You release the ALPS Foundation, their volunteers, and each and all persons involved from any liability connected with the taking, recording, digitisation, or publication of interviews, photographs, computer images, or video and/or sound recordings. We are however happy to remove your image from any digital property over which we have control upon your request.
After the Event
Absolutely, check out our playlists from previous editions on YouTube.
Yes, a certificate of participation will be made available a few days after the conference. Please send an email after the conference at info@alps.foundation
Yes. The main conference (October 9–10) is accredited for up to 14 ECTS for the FSP and 10 ECTS for the SGPP/SSPP.
Yes — 4 FSP credits for medical professionals and psychologists. A certificate of attendance is provided after the event.
No. The ALPS Foundation keeps all personal information entered during registration confidential and secure.
