Storyline
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?
Cast & Crew
VP
Vanja Palmers
Himself
LeadFV
Franz Vollenweider
Himself
ST
Sister Theresia Raberger
Herself
DP
Dr. Peter Gasser
Himself
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Maartje Nevejan's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. Descending the Mountain is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
